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The title of 'Nuclear Peace Envoy' further strengthened their deterrent effect on the two major powers.
Even if it didn't deter them, it didn't matter. Worst case, Erik and Charles could pull some ruthless moves to put some pressure on those high-ranking officials with peculiar thought processes.
Otherwise, did they really think their abilities were meant for reasoning?
After the two countries' fleets departed, everyone remembered Logan was still in the sea and quickly fished him out. Fortunately, Logan had a tenacious life force; besides swallowing a belly full of seawater, he was fine. He'd probably throw it all up on the plane later.
Subsequently, the Brotherhood and Hellfire members boarded the Blackbird SR-71 and left the Baag shore together.
Sebastian's body was also packed up and taken with them.
Although he had done many crazy things, he was a Mutant after all, and they wanted to prevent certain agencies from collecting his body for strange research experiments.
News of the Baag crisis being resolved quickly spread across the World. Most people breathed a sigh of relief at this outcome, glad that 'Season Three' wouldn't have to start.
However, only a small number of people knew that this global crisis was actually instigated by a Mutant named Sebastian Shaw and then resolved by a Mutant organization called the Brotherhood.
America and the Red Bear, the two major powers, were relegated to insignificant background roles.
Of course, both countries publicly claimed the crisis stemmed from their strategic rivalry, never mentioning Sebastian Shaw, as they still cared about their reputation.
All in all, Mutants were gradually entering the public eye, and the Brotherhood, in particular, became a key focus for various countries, an existence that could no longer be ignored.
Especially for America, this Mutant organization operated on its own territory, so it naturally couldn't be left unchecked.
In a confidential meeting room in Washington, a heated discussion about how to deal with the Brotherhood was underway, quickly polarizing into two opposing stances.
One side, primarily conservatives, advocated establishing communication with the Brotherhood and seeking peaceful coexistence.
The other side, mainly radicals, believed the Brotherhood was too dangerous and must be strictly controlled and restrained, even resorting to unconventional military means if necessary, such as 'planting mushrooms' (nuclear bombs)!
"More mushrooms! Do you people have nothing but mushrooms in your damn brains!?"
"Planting mushrooms is only a last resort. If they are willing to give up resistance and actively cooperate to be controlled and researched by us, we can, of course, consider non-military approaches."
"You son of a beach! I misjudged you, your brain isn't just mushrooms, it's also full of shit. Didn't you see the abilities and attitude they displayed? If you really tried to plant mushrooms there, those mushrooms would probably curve back and hit your bald head!"
"Hey, watch your language!"
"I'll watch your mother!"
The conservatives were furious, pointing at the radicals and cursing them out. If not for the people around them holding them back, it would have escalated into a physical altercation.
In truth, they all understood the conservatives. The previous missile launch towards the coast was a crazy move by the radicals, which almost destroyed an entire fleet. Now, the radicals wanted to try a mushroom, truly unafraid of 'trying it and dying.'
The radicals still refused to give up: "The Mutant Brotherhood poses an extreme threat to us. My suggestion is to take immediate action and imprison them all!"
The conservatives sneered: "Fine, we'll announce this mission is entirely yours. We won't participate in any action. When the Brotherhood comes looking for trouble, they'll come for you."
..."But then again, your suggestion isn't entirely without merit. This matter still requires further consideration."
The radicals suddenly felt awkward.
Talking big was one thing, but no one wanted to actually be the one to stick their neck out and face that group of unpredictable Mutants alone.
Finally, after multiple rounds of debate, the meeting reached a preliminary consensus: no aggressive actions would be taken for now. Instead, the intelligence department was tasked with a comprehensive assessment of the Brotherhood and attempting to establish initial communication through the CIA.
It was said that the founder of the Brotherhood was a CIA member, making them 'one of their own,' so communication should be easier.
So, someone suggested sending a beautiful female agent for contact, using a honeytrap, hoping to win over the person and the Brotherhood.
However, others believed that CIA agents were all elites, so a mere honeytrap wouldn't work and might even backfire. Instead, a mature, steady, and reliable middle-aged agent should be sent.
After much debate, both sides compromised, deciding to send two agents simultaneously: a beautiful female agent and a middle-aged agent, to jointly carry out this initial contact mission...
"Darian, these are all of Hellfire's current assets and its complete network of contacts."
Emma handed a thick document to Darian.
After leaving Baag, Darian had asked her to thoroughly inventory and list all of the Hellfire Club's resources.
Now that Sebastian was dead, the Hellfire Club was leaderless. Rather than let it fall into disuse or disband, it might as well benefit him.
Darian had already obtained Sebastian's consent on this point; the other party hadn't objected at the time, which could be considered tacit approval.
Darian took the document and skimmed through it, reading quickly.
He had to admit, the wealth accumulated by the Hellfire Club far exceeded ordinary people's imagination, especially the long string of zeros trailing after the amounts. The density of zeros was something he had only seen in the Land of Abundance.
In addition to vast liquid assets, the Hellfire Club had also established various industries globally, covering energy, medicine, cutting-edge technology, and even media, continuously providing it with funds and resources.
This was clearly a complete multinational conglomerate!
If Sebastian hadn't been so ambitious, solely focused on planting mushrooms and quickly entering 'Season Three,' the capital and industries accumulated by the Hellfire Club over the years, along with the abilities of its members, would have been enough to quietly change the World order from the shadows.
"Not bad, not bad."
Darian was very satisfied.
This Sebastian was truly a good person, leaving him such a large inheritance even after his death.
He would find a geomagnetically auspicious spot to bury him later.
Darian's gaze lingered on the list of collaborators in the appendix, his eyebrows twitching slightly: "Are these people still usable?"
"Most of them are."
Emma nodded: "They don't know Sebastian Shaw's true identity; they only recognize the Hellfire name and the interests behind it. As long as we maintain cooperation, these connections can still be utilized."
At this point, she paused and said: "However, now that Sebastian Shaw is dead, Hellfire cannot remain without a leader. Otherwise, not only might internal unrest arise, but it will also attract the coveting of external forces. We need a new Black King to stabilize the situation."
Darian followed her words and asked: "Then, who do you think is suitable to take over as Black King?"
Emma looked at Darian with burning eyes and said directly: "Of course, it's you, Darian. Given your qualifications, you are undoubtedly the most suitable candidate."
As the founder of the Brotherhood, Darian was perfectly capable of taking over Sebastian's position as Black King.
Setting aside everything else, just his two top generals, Charles and Erik, were enough to defeat anyone.
Emma didn't have any thoughts of taking control of the Hellfire Club herself. She had neither Sebastian's abilities nor Darian's forces. If she were to manage the Hellfire Club, she probably wouldn't be able to hold onto it for long.
Given that, it was better to hand it directly to Darian. This way, she could at least continue to be the White Queen with peace of mind.
Darian looked hesitant: "This might not be good, Sebastian has just passed away. Although he wouldn't object, I am still a member of Hellfire. Doing this seems a bit unfair to Sebastian."
You've already gotten rid of him, and you still feel bad?
Emma's mouth twitched, but she didn't expose him. Instead, she cooperated perfectly and persuaded: "Darian, Black King is yours alone. Only you have the ability to lead Hellfire to a better future. I believe Sebastian Shaw will understand your good intentions."
"This isn't appropriate."
"There's nothing inappropriate."
"I thought about it, and I think I'll pass."
"No one else can do it but you."
"..."
After several rounds of back-and-forth, Darian sighed with a bitter expression: "Alright, alright, I agree then. You've truly put this King through a lot. But let me say first, I may not be fully competent as Black King."
No, with your thick skin, being Black King is more than enough.
Seeing this, Emma felt relieved. She believed that Darian's shameless personality, combined with his own strength and the Brotherhood, would definitely lead the Hellfire Club to new heights.
Finally, Darian reluctantly accepted the title of Black King and took over everything of the Hellfire Club.
Thus, he became the new Black King.
And the first thing Darian did as Black King was to appoint Emma as his secretary, entrusting her with managing the Hellfire Club's affairs, and transferring all of the Hellfire Club's movable assets to his name.
Next, he summoned the remaining core members of the Hellfire Club, namely Red Devil and Riptide.
Upon learning that Darian had become the new Black King, both of their expressions were subtle.
After all, the other party had only been with the Hellfire Club for about a week, and was previously considered a junior. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he became their direct superior. This leap in status was indeed quite significant.
Darian noticed their expressions and said casually: "Don't worry, I'm always democratic. Feel free to voice any opinions you have."
Upon hearing this, Riptide immediately said without thinking: "Then I'll say it, I think..."
Bang!
Before he could finish, Darian directly kicked him away with a cold snort: "I said you could suggest, but you actually dared to!"
Red Devil: "..."
Riptide truly had no sense of observation.
The White Queen was standing beside the other party; her attitude couldn't be clearer. Even the Hellfire Club's second-largest shareholder had no objections, so what was a mere employee blabbering about?
Seeing Darian's gaze sweep over, Red Devil immediately straightened his back and said with utmost sincerity: "I have absolutely no objections! Du... uh, Your Majesty the Black King, you are absolutely the choice of the people!"
"Good, work hard in the future, and the organization won't treat you unfairly."
Darian patted Red Devil's shoulder.
He had a high opinion of this guy. Not to mention how convenient his teleportation ability was, just his extremely intimidating appearance standing by his side was incredibly effective.
Not only did it make himself appear more handsome and imposing, but it also exuded an air of grandeur. Those who didn't know might even think Satan was his lackey. Could anything be more intimidating than that?
"Satan... oh no, Red Devil, I have a task for you now. Go find a scenic and sufficiently secluded place to bury Sebastian. Bury him as deep as possible, so no one else can find him."
Darian clasped his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice: "No matter what, he was, after all, the previous Black King of our Hellfire Club. At the very least, he deserves to rest in peace, undisturbed by others."
"Understood."
Red Devil nodded. It seemed his new superior was meticulous in his work and quite humane.
So, he used his teleportation ability, going through several transfers to find an extremely secluded deep mountain. He dug a pit and covered it, expending a lot of effort, and finally buried Sebastian securely.
However, early the next morning, Darian called Red Devil over again: "Uh, help me dig Sebastian up again, I need him for something."
Red Devil: "..."
Darian wasn't intentionally teasing Red Devil.
He had suddenly remembered that Hank had successfully extracted and analyzed Raven's Mutant genes before, even developing a serum from it, which accidentally activated his own potential.
Sebastian, as a powerful Mutant, his genetic sample was undoubtedly extremely valuable research material. Burying it underground and letting it go to waste was truly a pity. It would be better to let him contribute some residual heat to the scientific research of Mutants.
Of course, Darian considered himself very respectful of the deceased. If Sebastian said a single 'no,' he guaranteed he would immediately abandon this idea.
After most of the day, Red Devil returned, looking disheveled, with a sample.
The main reason wasn't that sampling was difficult, but that he had buried it too well, so much so that he couldn't even find the exact location himself. He teleported back and forth seven or eight times, dug up four or five suspected spots, and finally found the right pit.
Afterward, Darian took the sample to Hank and asked him to start researching it.
Hank wore a bitter expression: "How do I have so much energy now? I haven't even finished analyzing the Whiplash armor technology."
Since joining the Brotherhood, he had spent almost every day in the laboratory, researching one thing or another.
A perfectly healthy young man in his twenties, his hairline was visibly receding, losing clumps of hair, steadily progressing towards the image of a seasoned expert in middle-aged baldness.
Darian said cheerfully: "Just tough it out for a while. Now the guild has money, so in a bit, I'll get you a few assistants, set up a proper laboratory, and equip you with all the most advanced equipment so you can focus on scientific research."
Now with the Hellfire Club as a backing, funds were abundant. Charles's 'money ability' was nothing in his eyes.
He was planning to completely renovate Charles's mansion, turning it into a true Brotherhood headquarters, complete with all the facilities a Base should have, such as training grounds, war rooms, medical centers, and so on.
Anyway, it wasn't his own money, so spending it didn't hurt.
Finally, Hank reluctantly agreed.
Ultimately, he was a researcher. If he didn't do research, was he really going to fight on the front lines every day?
After giving his instructions, Darian specifically told Hank to keep an eye on Erik.
He always felt that Old Man Magneto had a soft spot for the Whiplash armor. He was even worried that one day his Whiplash armor would suddenly sprout legs and run away, sneaking out of the laboratory and disappearing, becoming an unsolved mystery that no one could figure out.