Chapter 571: Chapter 570: Standoff and Fire
Upon hearing the Martian Hunter's words, Clarice fell silent while Joslyn, standing nearby, looked at Clarice with reddened eyes, silently pleading for her help. She didn't want to watch Luke die in front of her.
During the time since she lost Luke, Joslyn had neither eaten nor slept well, becoming visibly haggard. Only upon finding Luke again did she regain some peace. But now, just as she had found Luke, he was faced with the threat of death from the Avengers. Without her powers, Joslyn could only place her hopes on Clarice.
Joslyn, though aged, still had a romantic mindset. She hadn't considered the consequences if Clarice was not a match for the Martian Hunter or if she could fight him but then faced the entire Avengers team. Joslyn hadn't thought through where they could hide even if they managed to escape this battle.
"Sigh..." Seeing Joslyn's pleading eyes, Clarice sighed helplessly. If she could truly turn a blind eye, she wouldn't have spent all this time helping Joslyn search for Luke. With determination in her eyes, Clarice looked at the Martian Hunter and asked, "Is there really no room for negotiation?"
"I thought you were on our side when you fought the werewolves earlier, but it seems you just have a different stance..." The Martian Hunter shook his head, speaking calmly. "I said before, the blood and sins they carry can't be hidden. Whether it's him or those dead werewolves, they all deserve to die."
"No! Luke didn't kill anyone! He was forced to lead his men; he never wanted to be involved in this!" Joslyn suddenly shouted, defending Luke. The last time she saw Luke in action, he had only watched. Now, seeing his conflict with his men over humans, she believed Luke hadn't harmed anyone. She clung to this belief, hoping to save him.
"Hehe, didn't kill anyone? Ask him yourself if he's killed anyone," the Martian Hunter sneered. "Or I can read his memory for you. Do you want that proof?"
"No! I don't believe you!" Joslyn shouted, but then she saw Luke lowering his head, unable to meet her gaze. Her heart filled with dread. "No! This can't be true. You're lying to me, right?"
"I'm not lying. I did kill some people. After leaving you, I had no choice but to act. Otherwise, my men would have turned on me much sooner..." Luke sighed guiltily, looking at Joslyn.
"No... wait. You were forced into it. If the Avengers hadn't hunted werewolves and vampires, you wouldn't be in this situation. So it's their fault, not Luke's!" Joslyn's eyes widened with realization, glaring angrily at the Martian Hunter. "Luke and I were living a normal life. It's your Avengers' fault for destroying our family! You call yourselves heroes? You're the real villains!"
"Heh, hunting every werewolf and vampire?" The Martian Hunter sneered. "Do you know that almost every vampire and werewolf has killed someone? Ask your beloved Luke if he or his men hadn't killed before this incident..."
"My men did kill before, but I didn't..." Luke sighed, looking seriously at the Martian Hunter. "But it's too late to say that now. If you had come earlier, I might not have strayed. Do it. Joslyn, Clarice, don't stop him. I deserve this."
A psychic force shot towards Luke, and Joslyn, sensing it, threw herself at Luke to shield him.
"Sigh..." Clarice sighed helplessly again. She wouldn't stop the Martian Hunter from killing Luke, knowing he had killed people. But she couldn't let Joslyn die, as she was her mother.
Thus, Clarice intervened once more, but this time her face turned pale instantly. Unlike before, the Martian Hunter was prepared, and Clarice wasn't his match. Despite being the strongest in the Shadow Hunter lineage, the Martian Hunter's psychic power was too overwhelming. Even the angel who granted the Shadow Hunters their power couldn't surpass the Martian Hunter in psychic abilities.
Taking on the psychic force, Clarice's face turned pale, and blood trickled from her mouth. This sight made the Martian Hunter frown.
The Martian Hunter aimed to kill Luke, not Clarice or Joslyn. But now, the situation had become complicated.
"Martian Hunter, haven't you finished yet? Having trouble? Are they using fire?" Tony Stark's voice came through their communication channel.
In this mission, Tony Stark bore the heaviest and lightest burden. He produced the bulk of the output with his numerous robots and suits but could leave the operation to JARVIS. He only needed to control his own suit, allowing him to roam and assist where needed.
Tony hadn't expected the Martian Hunter to linger the longest, suspecting once again that the Martian Hunter encountered fire.
"Hmm?" Hearing Tony's voice, Clarice instinctively released a burst of fire.
With a swoosh, flames engulfed Clarice, causing the Martian Hunter to tremble and lose his power. Relieved of the psychic pressure, Clarice breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your timing is impeccable," the Martian Hunter muttered, feeling weak and frustrated by the situation.
Team cooperation had its benefits, allowing him to avoid his weaknesses. But it also had downsides, like exposing those weaknesses in the heat of battle.
"What's wrong with him?" Joslyn asked, seeing the Martian Hunter weakened by the flames.
"Not sure, but he seems afraid of fire. Let's not dwell on it. We should leave before he recovers," Clarice suggested, wiping the blood from her mouth.
"No! I want to stay with Luke and never be separated again!" Joslyn insisted, eyeing the weakened Martian Hunter. "He's weak now. Let's kill him to avoid future trouble!"
"Are you crazy?!" Clarice exclaimed, shocked by Joslyn's suggestion. "He's an Avenger! Killing him will make the Avengers hunt us down even more!"
"This situation is Luke's fault. Why make it worse? What are you thinking?!"
"Humph! If you won't do it, Luke will!" Joslyn snapped, looking at Luke. "Kill him, and we'll have peace for a while..."
"This..." Luke hesitated, still clear-headed despite his past actions. He knew killing the Martian Hunter wouldn't improve their situation and might worsen it.
Taking a deep breath, Luke prepared to reason with Joslyn, suggesting she and Clarice leave while he stayed behind.
But before he could speak, Joslyn, losing patience, charged towards the Martian Hunter, fearing his recovery.
With a swoosh, Clarice blocked her path, pale and exhausted. "Don't! You'll only make things worse..."
"What's worse? Killing him will give us peace! The Avengers ruined our lives, Clarice! Let me go!" Joslyn struggled, blaming the Avengers for her ruined life.
Even with Clarice and Luke's objections, Joslyn was determined to kill the Martian Hunter, believing it would bring some solace, even if it changed nothing.
"Hey, lady, be careful! And you, werewolf, stay away from her, or I'll shoot!" Tony Stark, in his suit, flew over, aiming his palm repulsor at Luke.
"Tony, you're aiming at the wrong person... well, not really," the Martian Hunter mumbled, annoyed at the confusion.
"Iron Man?! It's you! You're the cause of all this! You ruined my family!" Joslyn screamed at Tony, her accusations baffling him.
"Calm down, Joslyn..." Luke sighed, stepping forward to hold her.
With a whoosh, Tony, thinking Luke was attacking Joslyn, fired his palm repulsor, piercing Luke's body with a blast of silver-infused energy.
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