novelnext Chapter 347 The Crushing Hope
Chapter 347 The Crushing Hope
Chapter 347 The Crushing Hope
Magik left Frontier, leaving it to Connors and Natasha, the Black Widow.
Whether she could be on the moon and clearly know what was happening on the border of hell, Connors neither knew nor cared.
He was simply fiddling with Natasha's arms and legs, making her into various poses, as if he were manipulating a Sky-type figurine.
Flames were everywhere in Limbo, and apart from the throne where "Ghost" Iliana often sat, there were no other buildings. For his own comfort, Connors had to use "Reality Warp" to create a large bed on the spot.
Even if it were made, the chances of using this bed would be pitifully small.
From the fiery prison to the throne of "Greymon" Illana, Connors and "Black Widow" have moved to countless locations.
At Natasha's request, he even took her to experience something she had never done before: flying through the air while simultaneously working on a structure outside the Mysterious House, in the artificial environment of the moon.
Apart from Hulk, Thing, and Colossus, who can fight in space without any protection, everyone else is obediently fighting in a relatively small artificial environment.
Each pair of opponents fought in close proximity, almost forming a circle around "Kusama" and Hope.
"The Phoenix has arrived—"
Flames had already engulfed Hope's body, and feather-like orange-red patterns had even begun to appear on her face.
At this moment, Connors was focused on dealing with Natasha in Limbo. He only grunted a few times at Hope's murmurs. As long as Hope stayed obediently by the side of "Kusama," Connors could guarantee that neither the Phoenix Force nor the Avengers or mutants could take her away.
Unfortunately, Hope wasn't an obedient kitten or puppy, but a living, breathing human being.
As she watched helplessly as the Thing and Colossus fought amidst flying moon rocks in the distant crater, as Hawkeye struck the White Queen between the eyebrows with arrows, and as Captain America punched Scott in the face, Hope felt somewhat bewildered.
She had to suppress the yearning for the "Phoenix Force" within her bloodline while also bearing the pressure from the Avengers and mutants.
Hope finally couldn't hold back any longer and whispered:
"Stop!"
No one stopped.
Hope looked to Kusama for help.
Connors wanted to wait until his main body returned from the border of hell before dealing with the moon's affairs. What he wanted to do was simple: to let Hope truly control the "Phoenix Force".
Hope, the "Phoenix," and Wanda, the "Scarlet Witch" whom he will inevitably awaken, will become powerful allies in the future fight against Darkseid.
"I'm reminded of a story where, after a murderer shoots someone, everyone blames the murderer, not the gun."
"But in order to achieve the goal of committing the crime, both the killer and the handgun are indispensable."
Hope covered her forehead with both hands, letting her long, orange-red hair fall down in front of her eyes, her voice filled with tears and helplessness:
"So, am I the murderer, or the handgun?"
"Kusama-jin" patted Hope on the shoulder; Connors was now focusing half his attention on Hope.
"You are neither the murderer nor the weapon."
"Don't worry, look, the 'phoenix' has been hovering above for a long time without falling. It's waiting for you to be truly ready to accept it."
Hope looked up at the Phoenix Force, its enormous, fiery red form almost completely engulfing the moon. She glanced at it briefly before quickly lowering her head, her expression so sorrowful it seemed she was about to cry.
"I feel I'm not prepared. Even if I truly control the Phoenix, the Avengers and mutants will still be embroiled in a protracted battle because of me, and that's not what I want."
"Cracoya, Wakanda, New York—for those who lost their lives because of this, does it matter whether I was the killer or the weapon?"
"I am Hope Summers, this is all my fault, kill me."
Kusama frowned, and Connors, who was on the edge of hell, even stopped moving.
"Why would I kill you?" Connors asked.
"I thought I was ready to control the phoenix, but even if I sealed the 'Phoenix Power' within me as you suggested, I will never truly control it."
Real flames began to burn on Hope's body, burning a large hole in the clothes that "Kusama-jin" had conjured.
The smell of burning filled her nostrils, and Hope glanced at "Kusama Man," seemingly feeling even more guilty.
"Like this, with the power of the Phoenix, I would unintentionally destroy everything around me. It's too powerful, too powerful—"
"You have to kill me!"
The thought of being possessed by the "Phoenix" and becoming a monster forever engulfed in flames sent a chill down Hope's spine. She reached out to grab "Kusama-jin":
"Kill me already!"
Killing Hope is impossible; since Connors arrived in this world, Hope has always been kind to him.
Whether this goodwill stemmed from his fabricated identity as an "Omega-level mutant" or something else, Connors would not have the heart to kill Hope.
At the same time, Connors also understood why Hope was so depressed:
The girl had never witnessed his power firsthand, and the "phoenix" towering over the moon was too dazzling and awe-inspiring.
He didn't give Hope enough confidence to fight all of this, which led to "Phoenix" directly crushing her spirit.
The sounds of battle around them gradually subsided. Almost everyone was focused on Hope and Connors' condition during the fight. At this moment, Hope's condition was clearly not right, so they immediately stopped fighting and looked at Hope and "Kusama Man" nervously.
Kusama reached out and stroked Hope's back. Connors was about to use Kusama to demonstrate some of his power to reassure Hope, but his actions were clearly misunderstood by some people.
Metaphor!
"Laser Eyes" shot his ray at "Kusama Man" immediately, breaking the unsuspecting "Kusama Man's" arm on the spot.
The dummy had no flesh inside, and the cut was charred black, but what Hope saw made her even more dizzy:
"That's enough, stop!"
She stood up from the chair, her orange-red hair flowing like flames, her eyes shining like two suns, and numerous feather-like flames rising from her body.
Centered on Hope, the small artificial environment on the lunar surface was suddenly filled with an orange-red light, so bright that it was clearly visible from Earth.
Meanwhile, on Earth.
"That bird mysteriously hovered above the moon for a while, which gave me just enough time to get the opportunity."
"Jarvis, is the analysis process complete?"
Iron Man is inside a huge metal chamber, with wires connecting to his armor from all directions, making the two a single unit.