Marvel: Death Knight

Today was a significant day for the United States—perhaps for the entire world. Until now, ordinary people had never heard of mutants, and the sudden explosion of videos online about them hit like a bombshell. Most dismissed it as a hoax, but the impending congressional hearing about the rumored Mutant Academy made some begin to reconsider.

Before the hearing was even set to begin, the area in front of the Capitol building was already packed with journalists. Their eyes scanned the streets like radar, trained on every vehicle approaching the building.

Generals, senators, and other prominent figures who were rarely seen in public began to arrive, sparking a frenzy among the reporters. Their excitement peaked when Spider-Man and Tony Stark were spotted among the arrivals.

Garus hadn't even left his residence when Fury called, urging him to head to the Capitol immediately.

"Alright," Garus muttered to himself. It was time to face the music. He had long anticipated this day. If things truly became untenable, he had already considered his options—return to his own country or build his own city. After all, he wasn't someone who yielded easily.

Though he wasn't a mutant, Garus chose not to clarify the misunderstandings swirling around him. Let them think what they wanted.

Now that his identity was public, there was no point in hiding. He declined Fury's offer to send a car, summoning his Acherus Deathcharger instead. Mounting the fiery steed, he galloped toward his destination.

The bustling streets fell into chaos as the armored warhorse, its hooves emitting ghostly white flames, charged forward. Pedestrians scattered in alarm, staring slack-jawed as Garus sped past, trailed by blaring police sirens.

When the Deathcharger halted in front of the Capitol, Garus surveyed the dense crowd gathered there. He frowned slightly, noticing the numerous armed forces concealed in strategic positions. Did they think they could contain him?

The reporters turned their attention to the sudden arrival of the warhorse and its rider—a pale yet dashing young man. Cameras clicked furiously as Garus dismounted.

With a quick incantation, a rune circle appeared beneath the Deathcharger's hooves, and the spectral steed vanished into thin air.

The onlookers froze in stunned silence. One journalist, recognizing Garus from the viral videos, abandoned all caution and rushed forward, forgetting entirely that this was the man rumored to have single-handedly slaughtered an entire military unit.

"Excuse me, are you a mutant? It's said you're the principal of the Mutant Academy. And what was that horse just now—how did it disappear?"

"Hello, I'm with The New York Times. Can you tell us how many mutant students are at your academy?"

"Excuse me, I'm—"

The swarm of reporters made Garus' head spin. He briefly considered casting a Frost Nova to freeze them all into popsicles.

"Move aside! Step back!" A loud voice rang out from the crowd's edge.

A group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pushed their way through, led by Agent Coulson.

"Mr. Garus, please come with us," Coulson said as his team cleared a path.

Undeterred, the reporters trailed after them relentlessly, hoping to capture exclusive information.

Garus glanced at Coulson as they walked. "Who else is coming today?"

"Director Fury, Tony Stark, Spider-Man, the CIA Director, General Ross, and, of course, several members of Congress," Coulson replied.

The room Garus entered wasn't particularly large and could only seat a limited number of people. Cameras were positioned everywhere, clearly preparing for a live broadcast.

Coulson pointed to a seat in the center of the front row. "Mr. Garus, that's your seat."

Garus spotted Peter Parker, still wearing his Spider-Man suit, nervously glancing around. The high schooler was clearly overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation.

"Mr. Garus." Parker stood to greet him but quickly sat back down, remembering Garus' actions from the day before. He was still upset about it.

Gradually, the hearing room filled. Garus noticed that aside from General Ross, he didn't recognize anyone seated on the dais.

"Hey, Garus, long time no see." Tony Stark approached and gave him a friendly hug, though his tone quickly turned accusatory. "Garus, why did you kill those soldiers? I can't accept what you did. I'm the one who brought you to the U.S."

Unfazed, Garus replied, "I don't regret what I did. They deserved it."

Tony's emotions were conflicted. His father had instilled in him a deep love for his country, and his fortunes were tied to it. Yet his friend, who had saved him multiple times, had committed an act that clashed with everything he believed in.

"Alright, settle down!"

A man on the dais banged the table forcefully, silencing the room. Holding up a sheet of paper, he said, "Let's get straight to the point."

Looking up, he scanned the room before fixing his gaze on Garus. "Are you Mr. Garus?"

"Yes," Garus replied, seated calmly.

"Very well, I am Senator Karen Keelan, and I have a few questions about mutants," the senator began.

Hearing her words, the reporters in the room perked up, their ears tuned to catch every word.

"Did you gather a group of mutants and establish a school for them?"

"Yes." Garus didn't deny it.

"What was your purpose in creating this school? And did you indeed slaughter General Stryker and his troops?" The senator's tone turned sharp, her questions cutting.

Garus remained calm and responded evenly, "I originally had no intention of starting a school for mutants. But one day, I stumbled upon an organization called Hydra that was abducting mutant children for experiments."

The mention of Hydra sent shockwaves through parts of the audience. Those familiar with the name were visibly stunned.

"Hydra? Wasn't that organization eradicated at the end of World War II?"

"Why haven't we discovered this before? It's impossible they're still around!"

Meanwhile, across the room, Madame Viper—an operative of Hydra—remained composed despite the sudden exposure of her organization's activities. She had anticipated this might come up but saw no cause for alarm. As far as she believed, Garus only knew surface-level information.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Senator Keelan banged her gavel on the table, silencing the murmurs. "We'll discuss Hydra at a later time. Right now, we're here to address the mutant issue. Mr. Garus, please answer my question."

Garus leaned back slightly, his voice steady but laced with a tinge of frustration. "I founded the school to protect those children. The ones Hydra abducted were turned into test subjects—vivisected, hypnotized, injected with experimental drugs. Over sixty mutants were taken to one of Hydra's bases. When I arrived, only fifty were left alive."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing. "I cannot fathom how anyone could do such things to children—children barely ten years old. One of the children I rescued had even been sold to Hydra by his own parents. Is this what a so-called 'civilized nation' looks like?"

The room fell into a tense silence, reporters exchanging glances as they processed his words.

-----------------------

PLEASE SUPPORT ME ON PATREON!!!

Join here for advance chapters: PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON