Chapter 101: Whitening weakens by a third, darkening strengthens tenfold!
We have to wait two days?
Although Black Widow didn't say much, Coulson and the others instantly guessed why Roy demanded the bodies not be collected for forty-eight hours.
Clearly, Roy wanted to keep humiliating the dead Nick Fury and Bucky.
Of course, it was also to keep slapping S.H.I.E.L.D. and The White House in the face.
'Forty-eight hours it is; still better than leaving Director Fury's body in Times Square forever.'
'Since the first issue's settled, let's discuss how to calm Rogers down.'
'Whatever suggestions or ideas you have, speak up.'
Coulson swept his gaze across the room and said slowly.
If Captain America were just another senior S.H.I.E.L.D.Agent, even open hostility toward S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be a big deal.
But the problem is, he isn't just a senior Agent—he's the face of S.H.I.E.L.D.
More than that, right now he's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top combat asset.
In a straight one-on-one, no one in S.H.I.E.L.D. can beat him.
On top of that, only Captain America and Nick Fury know every member of the newly formed Howling Commandos.
Under Fury's direction, Cap had assembled a Superhuman squad with Roy as its hypothetical enemy.
He kept the old name, christening the unit the Howling Commandos.
The Howling Commandos aren't on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s books; they're an off-the-books black-ops team.
'My advice: wait and see.'
'Rogers's mental state is shot, but he's not someone you can talk around easily.'
'Even the best shrink is unlikely to make him change his mind.'
'Unless he works it out himself, anything we do will be useless.'
Hawkeye, who with Coulson had witnessed Cap's entire turn to the dark side, spoke up.
When he finished, Black Widow and Agent Hill nodded in agreement.
'But just waiting feels too passive.'
'Most of Rogers's old friends are dead, but one's still alive.'
'If she's willing to help, maybe she can get Rogers to reconsider.'
As soon as Coulson said it, Hawkeye and Black Widowfrowned.
Though he didn't speak her name, they knew exactly who 'she' was.
Peggy Carter.
One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders.
Captain America Rogers's first love and true love.
'I don't think it's a good idea.'
'Ms. Carter may have been Rogers's great love, but that was then.'
'Besides, we all know what condition she's in now.'
'Sending her to see Rogers might backfire and make him even more hostile to S.H.I.E.L.D.'
Black Widow said, brows knitted.
'I know it could backfire, but she's the only person left who might talk him around.'
'Let's vote.'
'If the rest of you think it's unwise, we'll follow AgentBarton's wait-and-see plan and leave the call to the new Director.'
'Those in favor of having Ms. Carter meet Rogers, raise your hand now.'
With that, Coulson lifted his right hand.
Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Agent Hill kept their hands down.
Though they opposed it, most of the other senior Agents in the room—and those on the video feed—raised their right hands, endorsing Coulson's proposal.
'Twelve in favor, six against.'
'I'll have someone contact Ms. Carter and ask her to come as soon as possible.'
'If there's nothing else, then let's—'
Coulson hadn't finished when a shrill alarm blared outside.
The sudden siren instantly gave Coulson and the others a bad feeling.
Had Roy attacked?
Before they could think, the conference-room door burst open and a battle-dressed S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent snapped, 'Captain Rogers has escaped the holding cell!'
Impossible.
Coulson and Black Widow frowned in unison.
'What happened?'
'How could he break out of the holding cell?'
Coulson sprang to his feet and demanded of the reporting Agent.
'Captain Rogers said he was thirsty and asked the observation room for coffee, then he—'
Before the Agent could finish, Coulson started barking orders.
'Assemble every combat-ready Agent in the Branch—Captain Rogers must not leave the facility.'
'Yes, Sir!'
The reporting Agent spun on his heel and vanished from sight.
The moment he left, Coulson and the others rushed out of the conference room.
For the New York Branch's personnel, it would be a night they'd never forget.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ace, Captain America, showed exactly why he held that title.
Stripped of his vibranium shield and any gear, wearing only civvies, he still displayed terrifying combat power, single-handedly breaking out of the New York Branchand vanishing without a trace.
Neither Coulson and Black Widow nor any other Agentcould stop the darkened Captain.
Whitening weakens by a third, darkening strengthens tenfold!
Captain America proved the adage true.
Brooklyn District.
Wearing a ball-cap and a green bomber jacket, Cap stepped out of an alley.
Inside the damp, gloomy alley a dozen street-thug corpses lay scattered.
After pocketing the stolen car keys, Cap strolled unhurriedly toward a garish American muscle car parked at the curb.
Once inside, he didn't start the engine right away; instead he pulled the stolen phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
The call connected quickly and a cold, gravelly male voice answered.
'Who's this?'
'It's me, Rogers,' he replied calmly. 'Tell the others: I'm in New York—wait for my signal.'
'Are we moving?'
the man asked at once.
'Yes. We move.'
With that Rogers cut the call, crushed the phone, and tossed the pieces out the window.
Then he started the car, humming a little tune he'd made up, and drove off unruffled.
'La-la-la, righteous Captain, gallant Captain, invincible Captain…'
Noon the next day.
The penthouse mansion atop Skyscraper.
As usual Roy sat in the dining room, sampling lunch cooked by Daisy and Mary Jane, chatting and laughing with them.
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Daisy and Mary Jane frowned at the sound and turned toward the entrance.
'I'll get it.'
The words were barely out when Roy used Ghost Cat's teleportation to appear at the foyer and open the door.
Outside stood Black Widow and Agent Hill in casual clothes.
'Something up?'
Roy asked after giving them a quick once-over.
'Can we come in?'
Black Widow asked.
'Sure.'
Roy nodded and led the way to the living room.
They followed without hesitation, closing the door behind them.
Once they were seated, Roy said, 'I smell blood on you—injured?'
'Yeah. Rogers did it.'
Black Widow answered promptly.
Captain America had done it?
Roy looked surprised. 'All right, tell me exactly what happened.'
Without hesitation she recounted Cap's turn to the dark side, his escape from the New York Branch, and the likelihood that he would soon lead the Superhumansquad—the Howling Commandos—in an assault on Roy.
When she finished, Roy chuckled. 'I told you long ago: human hearts are complicated.'
'Driving Rogers to the point of turning dark—congratulations, that takes talent.'
Chapter 102: The Tesseract, Hulk's Goal
"We forced him?"
"Wasn't it you who executed his best friend, Bucky, by a thousand cuts?"
Hearing Roy's words, Black Widow and Agent Hill both complained about him in their hearts at the same time.
However, despite their internal complaints, they did not show it on their faces.
"We originally intended to have Ms. Carter persuade him, but we didn't expect him to escape the New York Branchimmediately."
"We have already arranged for all available personnel to search for his whereabouts with full effort, but as of now, we haven't been able to discover his tracks."
"Furthermore, we are not clear on who the current members of the Howling Commandos he is assembling are, nor do we know when he will come to attack you."
"Although your strength is very great, the people around you do not possess such strength."
Black Widow said with a frown.
She and Agent Hill had come over, on one hand, to warn Roy, and on the other, to avoid Roy misunderstanding that Captain America's attack was arranged by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Once misunderstood by Roy, there would be only one fate for S.H.I.E.L.D., and that would be total destruction, becoming a mere term in history books.
"It seems you are truly afraid that I will take action against S.H.I.E.L.D., otherwise you certainly wouldn't be in such a hurry to find me."
"Rest assured, I am a very reasonable person; if people don't cross me, I won't cross them."
"Although S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't exactly innocent, I wouldn't go as far as to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. for no reason."
Roy said unhurriedly.
Although he never liked S.H.I.E.L.D., he hadn't reached the point of killing S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents on sight.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"There is nothing else, so we will take our leave now."
After saying that, Black Widow and Agent Hill prepared to leave.
However, just as they stood up, Roy's voice rang out.
"Wait a moment."
Roy said to them.
Hearing his words, Black Widow and Agent Hill sat down again, looking at him with serious expressions.
Under their gaze, Roy said unhurriedly, "Let me ask you a question: have you heard of the Tesseract?"
The Tesseract?
As soon as he finished speaking, Black Widow and Agent Hill frowned.
Although they had not seen the Tesseract with their own eyes, they were not unfamiliar with it.
After all, Red Skull's greatest reliance back then was the Tesseract he had stolen from a Norwegian Temple.
After exchanging a glance with Black Widow, Agent Hillspoke up, "You want the Tesseract?"
"Yes, I have a considerable interest in the Tesseract."
"In two days, The White House will announce the candidate for the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Although I don't know who will serve as the new Director, you can pass a message to the future new Director."
"Give me the Tesseract, and I can guarantee that I won't take out my anger on S.H.I.E.L.D. over the matters of Nick Fury and Rogers."
Roy said unhurriedly.
"Fine, we will relay your words truthfully to the new Director."
Agent Hill replied quickly.
After watching them leave, Roy did not return to the dining room immediately, but instead went to the study alone.
Although he didn't know where Captain America had run off to, or who the people in the Howling Commandos he was assembling were.
But one thing he was certain of now was that Captain America no longer had much of a moral baseline.
According to Black Widow, when Captain Americaescaped the New York Branch last night, he killed over 60 S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.
From this point alone, one could tell that the Captain America once regarded by the American public as the 'incarnation of justice' had disappeared.
He could even ruthlessly kill S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents who were originally his colleagues.
As for others, Captain America would care even less.
He still had to be killed as soon as possible!
Otherwise, with Captain America's current moral level, it wouldn't be surprising if he blew up the entire Skyscraper.
Having made his decision, Roy left the study and returned to the dining room.
He first briefly explained the matter of Captain America's darkening.
Then, he said to Daisy and Mary Jane, "Before I kill Rogers, I will arrange for people from the Star Cross Knights to protect you."
Daisy and Mary Jane had no objections to this arrangement and immediately nodded.
Although they had never truly come into contact with Captain America, they knew that a darkened Captain America was very dangerous.
Half an hour later.
Roy performed Water Molecule Teleportation and arrived alone at the Throne Room of the Wakandan Royal Palace.
After arriving here, he immediately performed Water Molecule Perception.
Without much effort, he locked onto the positions of Hulkand Abomination.
At this moment, Hulk and Abomination were sparring on the vast Palace Plaza.
After locking onto them, Roy teleported to the Palace Plaza and saw Hulk and Abomination engaged in close-quarters combat like Beasts.
Before installing the Vibranium right arm, Abomination's strength was somewhat inferior to Hulk's.
But now, with the Vibranium right arm, Abomination held the upper hand, forcing Hulk to retreat continuously.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang... The dull thumping sounds, like war drums, rang out continuously.
Under Abomination's storm-like offensive, Hulk could only raise both hands to block in front of him, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.
Neither Abomination nor Hulk noticed Roy's arrival.
After about ten seconds passed, Hulk finally waited for an opportunity to counterattack.
Taking advantage of the moment Abomination adjusted his position, Hulk threw a very standard uppercut.
The massive green fist hit Abomination's chin like a cannonball, knocking the burly Abomination off his feet.
Before Abomination could land, Hulk slightly lifted his left heel, pushed off hard with his right foot, stepped forward quickly, and swung his left fist at Abomination.
To be precise, it was a standard left straight punch!
Bang!
Hulk's left fist slammed into Abomination's chest, immediately sending Abomination flying five or six meters back, where he crashed heavily onto the ground.
This is?
Seeing Hulk's performance, Roy showed a look of surprise, and the image of Hulk eating snacks while watching a video of a boxing match last time naturally surfaced in his mind.
Whether it was the uppercut and left straight punch Hulkjust threw, or the sprint step Hulk used to approach Abomination, they were all standard boxing moves.
Although he couldn't be sure if Hulk was self-taught, Roydidn't waste brain cells thinking too much and directly teleported between Hulk and Abomination.
Seeing Roy appear out of thin air like a ghost, Hulk, who had intended to continue pursuing Abomination, stopped his advance and lowered his hands.
"That uppercut and left straight punch just now, did you learn them yourself, or did Allen and the others teach you?"
Roy asked Hulk.
"Hulk learned himself!"
"Hulk wants to be the greatest heavyweight boxing champion!"
"Huff... huff huff... huff..."
After speaking, Hulk raised his hands again and swung his fists in front of Roy, performing several common boxing combinations.
At this moment, Hulk was like a child showing off a new toy, demonstrating the results of his self-study to Roy.
At the same time, Abomination, who had been sent flying by Hulk, climbed up and came before Roy with a respectful face, saying to Roy, "He has been practicing boxing for the past few months, and every few days he demands I have a match with him."
Chapter 103 – God's Will, Captain America's Plan
Throne Room.
Roy sat on the Vibranium throne and addressed the four figures standing before him—Hulk, Abomination, Norman, and Allen:
"I executed Nick Fury and Bucky Barnes in Times Squarelast night; you've all heard."
"The White House and S.H.I.E.L.D. chose to back down; they don't dare come after me."
"But Captain America Rogers can't swallow that insult."
"Last night, while in custody, he slaughtered more than sixty S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and broke out of the New York Branch."
"According to S.H.I.E.L.D., he'll probably rally the Superhuman squad he formed and come for revenge."
"If he only comes after me, it's no big deal."
"But he's not the same man anymore; to take me down he's now capable of anything."
"To keep him from going after Daisy and Mary Jane, I'm taking you all back to New York."
The moment he finished, Hulk, wearing a baffled look, asked in his simple tone, "Who's Captain America Rogers?"
Roy smiled. "You'll find out once we're in New York."
"Mm-hmm!"
Hulk nodded.
"That's it for now. Norman, give Hulk and Bronski the finished Vibranium suits."
"I'll take those two back first; Allen, leave a squad in Wakanda to assist Norman. The rest of you return to New York in the eagle claw aircraft."
Roy told Norman and Allen.
"Yes, Sir!"
Without hesitation, Norman and Allen replied.
Soon, the custom Vibranium suits tailored to Hulk and Abomination's sizes were delivered to the Throne Room.
Though both possessed far tougher bodies than ordinary humans, Roy still had Norman design the suits to push their combat power even higher.
Like the black panther suit, Hulk and Abomination's gear followed a full-coverage, skin-tight concept.
The helmets, however, were styled after a lion and a tiger.
Hulk's helmet was the lion.
Abomination's was the tiger.
Once they were suited up, Roy wasted no time; with Water Molecule Teleportation he brought them back to New York.
He didn't take them to the penthouse atop Skyscraper but to the New York base of the Star Cross Knights.
"You'll stay here. If you need anything, tell the others."
"Bronski, explain to Hulk who Captain America Rogersis."
Roy said to the two.
"Yes, Sir!"
Abomination answered first.
After the order, Roy teleported and vanished.
Penthouse, Skyscraper.
Roy returned straight home… Time flew.
A week passed before he knew it.
He'd expected Captain America to show up with the Howling Commandos right away.
In fact, going dark hadn't robbed Rogers of all reason.
Far from seeking revenge, Captain America had vanished like a ghost.
Roy didn't worry much about where he'd gone.
Better if Rogers stayed hidden!
The moment he surfaced, Roy wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
During that week Roy's life was much the same.
If anything differed, it was his new pastime: using the Tesseract to sight-see around the World.
Three days after Nick Fury's death The White Houseannounced S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new Director.
Coulson!
The President appointed Coulson to head S.H.I.E.L.D.
Roy wasn't surprised.
After all, in the TV series Coulson had been the new Director.
The day after taking office Coulson had Black Widowdeliver the Tesseract to him.
Given the choice, Coulson would never hand the Tesseract over.
But he had none.
Once he had it, Roy didn't crack the cube to extract the Space Stone.
The cube form looked far better than an irregular Space Stone.
New York.
An apartment in Brooklyn District.
Captain America Rogers sat on a sofa, whiskey in hand, calmly eyeing the others before him:
Luke Cage, Iron Fist Danny Rand, Blade, Moon Knight, Vampire Morbius.
These five were the members Rogers had spent months carefully recruiting into the Howling Commandos.
After studying them, Rogers set down his whiskey and said, "Roy Chen is more cautious than we thought—no chance to kidnap his girlfriend."
"And his current strength far exceeds what we estimated."
"If any of you have other ideas, let's hear them."
Luke Cage spoke slowly, "Without S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Military, we can't beat him."
Rogers replied, "You've seen what S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Military are now—cowards who won't even condemn Roy Chen aloud."
"Allying with them would only hold us back…"
He paused, swept his gaze across them, and continued, "I know you disapprove of me killing S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, and you think hatred has clouded my mind."
"When I recruited you, I said you could walk away anytime—I won't force anyone."
"I don't like compulsion; if you want out, leave now."
"Even alone, I'll find a way to send Roy Chen to hell."
Seeing Rogers' icy resolve, Luke Cage and the others exchanged glances.
"We won't quit!"
"Sending Roy Chen to hell is God's will!"
Moon Knight, wrapped in white bandages, answered instantly.
After him, Iron Fist Danny Rand said slowly, "Since S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Military won't act, let's recruit more to our side."
"Plenty of others are unhappy with Roy Chen."
"From what I hear, Tony Stark doesn't like him either."
"If we bring in Stark and others who dislike him, our odds improve."
Tony Stark?
Rogers frowned slightly.
He hadn't met Tony, but he knew him well enough.
One of his few friends had been Tony's father, Howard.
Learning Tony was a playboy had disappointed him.
Though Howard had been a rake in his youth, he'd been more responsible than Tony.
Rogers didn't ponder long. "I'll head to Los Angeles and see if I can recruit him."
"No need—he's already in New York."
"Tonight he's even holding a banquet at his estate in the suburbs; I've received an invitation."
Iron Fist replied at once.
A banquet?
The word triggered an idea; Rogers smiled:
"Do you think Roy Chen received an invitation too?"
Though he phrased it delicately, Luke Cage and the others caught his meaning instantly.
Rogers wanted to use tonight's party to strike at Roy.
"Hard to say."
"Most likely Stark sent him an invite."
"But whether he'll attend is anyone's guess."
"He's been invited plenty of times before and almost never shows."
"If I recall, the last time was Harry Osborn's banquet."
Iron Fist told Rogers…
Chapter 104 – Antarctic Training Ground
The top-floor penthouse of Skyscraper.
Roy walked from the study to the living room and said to Daisy and Mary Jane, "Tony Stark sent an invitation. He's asking me to tonight's banquet—any interest in coming along?"
Mary Jane answered at once, "I'm in. I don't have a show tonight."
A born-and-bred American, Mary Jane had practically grown up watching every headline about Tony Stark.
Before, she'd never have had a chance to meet or even approach him.
Now, with Roy, she could attend the man's party openly.
"I'm free tonight too; I'll go with you," Daisy added.
Roy nodded. "Then let's all go together."
With that he left the living room and returned to the study.
There he opened the computer and skimmed the reports submitted by Norman, Harry, and Allen.
Norman's covered Vibranium development and experimentation.
Harry's detailed the operations of Osborn Group and Hammer Industries.
Allen's concerned the Star Cross Knights—training schedules, equipment upgrades, action plans, and more.
In effect, the three of them oversaw economics, military affairs, and technology, funneling resources to the Tarot Society.
After reading, Roy couldn't help wondering: Should I increase the number of full members?
He had plenty of subordinates, but only five full members.
Besides himself: Daisy, Gwen, Norman, and Harry.
In terms of power, Hulk, Abomination, Allen, and the rest of the Star Cross Knights all qualified.
Yet he hadn't brought them in.
The reason was simple.
The larger the roster, the lower the mystique.
Strictly controlling numbers kept the Tarot Societyuntouchable.
After mulling it over, Roy shelved the idea.
He shut the computer, took the Tesseract from system space, and opened a gate to Antarctica in the study.
A swirling portal of black storm-cloud formed instantly.
Without hesitation Roy stepped through onto the frozen continent where the wind knifed at dozens of degrees below zero.
Since acquiring the Tesseract he had claimed Antarctica as his private training ground.
Apart from researchers at scattered stations, no one lived here.
He could train without worrying about collateral damage or prying eyes—so long as he didn't make too big a scene.
If a sudden titanic magnetic pulse appeared or the temperature plunged another hundred degrees, satellites would notice.
Roy closed the gate behind him and stowed the Tesseractback in system space.
Then he activated his Iceman power.
Water Molecule Transformation!
In an instant his flesh became clear organic ice.
With the shift complete, he began training and refining the ability.
Though he had already pushed it far, he had no intention of stopping.
After all, the iceman card had been his first ssr card.
Time flew.
After several hours drilling both Iceman and Magnetopowers, he took out the Tesseract again and opened a gate back to Manhattan.
Antarctica was still bathed in perpetual daylight, the sky as bright as when he'd arrived.
New York, however, was already night.
The sun never set here; the continent was in mid-polar day.
Stepping through, Roy returned to the Skyscraper study.
In the living room Daisy and Mary Jane came into view.
Daisy wore a blue-and-white new-style qipao.
Mary Jane was in a deep crimson, plunging-backline evening gown.
Different as spring orchid and autumn chrysanthemum—each supreme in her season.
It was clear they were both ready to leave at any moment.
He gave them a quick once-over, then said slowly, "Wait a bit longer. We'll head out in half an hour."
"Mm-hmm!"
Daisy and Mary Jane didn't ask why; they simply nodded in unison.
Under their watchful eyes, Roy strode straight to the Master bedroom.
Half an hour later.
After soaking in a hot bath for a good twenty minutes and changing into fresh clothes, Roy finally reappeared before Daisy and Mary Jane.
Unlike the two women, who were dressed to the nines, he hadn't bothered with a bespoke suit; casual wear was good enough.
It was Tony Stark's first dinner party since moving to New York, yet Roy still refused to dress formally.
He cared far more about his own comfort than about anyone else's opinion.
Daisy and Mary Jane weren't the least bit surprised by his choice of attire.
If they hadn't predicted it, they wouldn't have known Royat all.
The two women rose from the living-room sofa and stepped over to him.
"Shall we take a car?"
Mary Jane asked.
"Of course not,"
Roy replied.
Though he owned a dozen or more luxury cars of every make, he rarely drove any of them; the vehicles in his garage were basically collectibles.
Just as Mary Jane opened her mouth to say more, Roydrew the Tesseract from his system space and, right in front of them, opened a portal to Tony Stark's estate.
In the blink of an eye, a gateway ringed with swirling black storm-clouds formed.
Without hesitation, Roy stepped through first.
Daisy and Mary Jane followed right behind him.
As America's most famous billionaire, Tony Stark owned property in every major city across the nation.
In New York alone he had more than a dozen penthouses downtown and sprawling estates in the suburbs.
Tonight's dinner was being held at one such estate.
The driveway and plaza in front of the main house were lined with one luxury car after another.
None of them belonged to Tony Stark; they were the guests' vehicles.
Impeccably dressed men and women greeted one another as they made their way toward the lawn behind the mansion.
Across the vast lawn stood not only the guests but also scores of uniformed maids and servers.
A stage had been erected to one side, where the hired band played; melodious music drifted over the entire grounds.
Guests chatted in small clusters, waiting for their host to appear.
Suddenly, a portal unlike anything they had ever seen materialized at the center of the lawn.
The startling phenomenon drew every eye.
Even the band faltered, instruments falling silent as they stared at the gate wreathed in black storm-clouds.
Under the crowd's gaze, Roy—casually dressed—stepped out first.
Next came Daisy in a cheongsam and Mary Jane in a burgundy evening gown.
When the onlookers realized Roy had arrived with Daisyand Mary Jane, surprise flickered across their faces—guests, musicians, and staff alike.
Though few had met Roy in person, no one failed to recognize him.
In America today, Roy's fame eclipsed even the President's.
Roy paid the stares no mind; he simply closed the portal behind him.
He had long since grown accustomed to being the center of attention whenever he appeared in public.
Unlike Roy, who ignored the scrutiny, or Mary Jane, who basked in it, Daisy disliked being stared at.
The moment the gate vanished, Pepper—clad in a deep-blue gown—approached with Happy, a hulking figure in a black suit.
"Good evening, Mr. Chen. I'm Pepper Potts, Mr. Stark's assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Mr. Stark asked me to bring you straight to the workshop when you arrived. Is now convenient?"
Pepper asked politely…
Chapter 105: Tony's Purpose
Hearing Pepper's words, Roy said unhurriedly, "He guessed I would come?"
"Not exactly, Mr. Stark just felt that you would likely grace the banquet with your presence tonight."
Pepper replied quickly.
Looking at Pepper's polite expression, Roy turned to Daisy and Mary Jane and said, "I'm going to see Stark, you two wait for me here."
"Okay!"
Daisy and Mary Jane replied at the same time.
"Lead the way."
After instructing Daisy and Mary Jane, Roy then said to Pepper.
"Alright, please follow me."
Pepper made a gesturing motion for Roy to follow.
Under everyone's gaze, Roy followed Pepper away from the lawn and toward Tony's workshop.
Seeing Tony specifically invite Roy to meet in his workshop, various guesses immediately flashed through the guests' minds.
On the surface, Roy and Tony didn't have any private friendship.
But the guests didn't think so.
First of all, Roy was now a World-renowned Superhuman.
Although his methods were sometimes domineering and cruel, because of the terrifying strength he displayed, many people in America and other countries worshipped him like a deity.
Previously, media outlets had conducted large-scale surveys online and offline.
The survey results showed that among the 18 to 30 age group, the number of young people who supported and recognized Roy reached a staggering 67%.
Even in the 30 to 50 age group, the proportion of the public who supported and recognized him was 28%.
From an official perspective, he was indeed an out-and-out factor of instability.
But from the public's perspective, he was more like a pioneer and leader pursuing freedom.
There were three main reasons why the official and public views were so vastly different.
The first was that ordinary people generally have a psychological tendency to admire the strong.
The second was that Roy did many things they wanted to do but didn't dare to.
As for the third, it was because he rarely targeted ordinary people.
Roy had indeed killed many people.
But up until now, without exception, everyone who died at his hands was someone who had actively provoked him.
In other words, as long as one didn't provoke him, he wouldn't strike out at ordinary people.
Because he didn't kill the innocent indiscriminately, ordinary citizens weren't very worried that he would harm them for no reason.
Before long, Roy followed Pepper to Tony's workshop.
Although called a workshop, it was actually the manor's underground garage.
Just like with his cliffside mansion in Los Angeles, Tonyhadn't set up an extra workshop for himself but had instead converted part of the garage into a workspace.
Seeing Pepper bring Roy over, Tony first showed an expression of surprise.
Then, he had Jarvis stop the music and walked straight up to Roy.
"I didn't expect you to actually come; I thought you wouldn't."
Tony said to Roy.
"I also didn't expect you to send me an invitation, and specifically note on it that I definitely wouldn't be disappointed if I came."
Roy replied.
Like him, Tony was also dressed in casual clothes at this time.
To be precise, it was much more casual than what he was wearing.
A black short-sleeved T-shirt and black casual pants.
Looking only at his attire, it was impossible to connect Tony with his identity as the host of the banquet.
Hearing Roy's response, Tony said to Pepper, "You go out and attend to the guests first; I want to have a private word with Mr. Chen."
"Alright, Mr. Stark."
Pepper replied quickly.
Having said that, she turned and left the workshop.
When only he and Roy were left in the workshop, Tonyasked him, "Whisky, red wine, or champagne?"
"Whisky, then."
Roy replied.
Tony nodded and immediately gave instructions to clumsy, who looked no different from an ordinary mechanical arm but was actually an intelligent robot.
"Bring over that bottle of 70-year Macallan, and remember to bring the glasses."
After speaking, Tony also pointed toward the wine cabinet, indicating to clumsy where that bottle of 70-year Macallan whisky was.
When he finished speaking, clumsy, despite being an intelligent robot, first shook its 'head' like a pet dog before driving toward the wine cabinet.
"Have a seat."
Tony withdrew his gaze and spoke to Roy.
Roy didn't stand on ceremony and sat directly on the nearby single sofa.
After he sat down, Tony sat across from him, sizing him up with great interest.
"I don't much like men looking at me with that kind of expression."
Roy said slowly.
"I'm not interested in men either."
Tony replied quickly.
"Let's not waste everyone's time. Speak, what exactly do you want to talk to me about?"
Roy continued.
Tony didn't answer his question immediately but instead asked him with a serious expression.
"I've investigated you in detail and found that you don't seem particularly interested in anything, as if the whole World is just a boring game."
"I'm curious, what is it that you truly want?"
Seeing the serious expression on Tony's face, Royfrowned slightly and said slowly, "Our relationship shouldn't be close enough to discuss such topics yet."
"Indeed it isn't; after all, today is the first time we've officially met."
"Since you don't want to answer that question, let's change the subject."
"I invited you here because I want to have a fight with you."
"To be precise, to fight you in my capacity as Iron Man."
Tony's tone became serious as he spoke slowly.
"If you're bored, I suggest you take a stroll through Hells Kitchen. The criminals there can well satisfy your desire to fight crime."
"If you want to eliminate me as a potential threat on behalf of The White House and the Military, I suggest you drop that unrealistic idea."
"There is only one end for those who become my enemy, and that is death."
Roy said unhurriedly.
Although he didn't know what Tony was plotting, his impression of Tony was actually quite good.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have attended the banquet hosted by Tony tonight.
"You're overthinking it; I just want to have a fight with you."
"It's not for fighting crime, nor is it for The White Houseor the Military. It's purely because I want to see which of us is stronger."
"By the way, I don't mind telling you that after you publicly revealed you are the blood angel, I started designing and manufacturing the 'anti-roy armor'."
"After spending more than half a year and going through dozens of iterations, I finally manufactured the 'anti-roy armor' that can counter you a week ago."
"Jarvis has simulated and tested it hundreds of times. After donning the 'anti-roy armor', my success rate in defeating you is between 63%-69%..."
Speaking to this point, Tony paused and then continued, "Of course, if you're afraid of losing to me, I can understand."
"After all, you did so much to build up your current reputation."
After Tony finished, Roy sighed and said with a smile, "Don't you think this provocation of yours is a bit too obvious?"
"I don't know how strong the 'anti-roy armor' you've come up with is, but I'm certain you definitely won't beat me."
"If you're really that confident, I can have a fight with you."
"However, I'm not someone who likes to act for nothing."
"Let's add a wager. Whoever loses must unconditionally agree to one request from the other."
Roy looked at Tony calmly, waiting for his answer.
"No problem!"
"I accept this wager!"
Tony replied quickly...
Chapter 106: The Weakest Iron Fist in History
As soon as Tony finished speaking, clumsy arrived before them carrying a bottle of 70-year-old Macallan whiskeyand two glasses.
After placing the bottle and glasses steadily on the table, clumsy stopped in place, waiting for Tony's next command.
"You can go now."
Tony said to clumsy.
clumsy nodded its "head" and left at a leisurely pace.
When clumsy had left, Tony picked up the whiskey and poured a glass for himself and Roy.
"Do you want to fight me right now, or wait until after the banquet?"
Tony said slowly.
"After the banquet."
Roy replied.
"Good!"
Tony replied immediately without any hesitation.
Roy picked up the glass in front of him and took a small sip.
He wasn't someone who couldn't live without alcohol.
But he had to admit, this 70-year-old Macallan whiskeytasted quite good.
After chatting casually with Tony for a few minutes, Royleft Tony's workshop and returned to the lawn behind the main building.
Pepper was standing next to Daisy and Mary Jane, introducing them to guests who took the initiative to come over and say hello.
After Roy left, the banquet guests had approached them one after another to greet them.
At first, they were a bit uncomfortable.
After all, they didn't really know these people and had rarely attended similar banquets before.
But before long, they had completely adapted.
The guests who came forward were all very polite and respectful, fearing they might leave a bad impression.
When Roy returned, the guests' target of flattery and fawning shifted from Daisy and Mary Jane to him.
Like Daisy and Mary Jane, Roy didn't really know these guests.
However, that wasn't a problem at all.
Roy casually dealt with these so-called celebrities and aristocrats while thinking about the battle after the banquet.
Although he didn't know exactly what the "anti-roy armor" Tony created was, he was certain of one thing: Tony definitely couldn't beat him.
If he hadn't guessed wrong, the "anti-roy armor" Tonybuilt should have very good resistance to low temperatures and Freeze abilities.
In the eyes of others, his most powerful ability right now was his freezing superpower.
This meant that as long as one had a way to counter his freezing superpower, they would be qualified to fight him head-on.
Except for Daisy and Mary Jane, no one else knew that he now possessed the Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
After a brief thought, Roy made a decision.
Since Tony was now Iron Man, he would use the Magnetism Manipulation Superpower to deal with him.
"Hello, Mr. Chen, I am Danny Rand."
The suit-clad "Iron Fist" Danny Rand came up to Roy and spoke.
Danny Rand?
Looking at Danny Rand in front of him, information about Iron Fist immediately flashed through Roy's mind.
For example, the evaluation of being the weakest Iron Fistin history!
After sizing him up, he nodded and said slowly, "Hello."
When arranging for Norman and Harry to acquire Hammer Industries, he had heard of the existence of the Rand Corporation and had Norman and Harry do a brief investigation into it.
Just as he guessed, the Rand Corporation in this Universewas more consistent with the TV series version.
In the comics, Danny Rand and his parents encountered an accident and fell off a cliff while mountain climbing, and then Harold Meachum kicked them while they were down, leading to the deaths of both his parents.
But in this Universe, Danny Rand's family didn't encounter an accident while climbing; instead, they suffered a plane crash orchestrated by Harold while traveling.
Just as Danny Rand was about to say more, Tony, having changed into a casual suit, arrived on the lawn and warmly greeted the surrounding guests.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the guests, Tony went to the center of the lawn and began the routine speech of the banquet host.
Tony's speech was very brief, consisting of only a few sentences.
He first thanked the guests for coming, then briefly mentioned that he would be living in New York long-term, and finally expressed his hope that everyone would have a pleasant evening here.
After the short speech, Tony approached Roy and the others under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
"You two must be the famous Miss Watson and Miss Johnson."
"Just as the rumors say, the blood angel is accompanied by two radiant and charming female companions."
Tony said with a serious face.
"You flatter us, Mr. Stark."
A Happy expression appeared on Mary Jane's delicate, fair, oval face as she replied softly.
Although many people usually praised her beauty, the same praise coming from different people's mouths was two completely different things.
After a brief exchange, Tony went to greet other guests.
Time passed bit by bit.
Unknowingly, more than half an hour had gone by.
Although the banquet had only just begun, Roy already had the idea of leaving.
Unlike the other guests, his purpose for attending the banquet tonight was much simpler: he just wanted to see what Tony was up to.
As for anything else, such as discussing business with other guests, building connections, or playing cards intimately with the socialites and noble ladies at the banquet, none of that was in his plan.
Like him, Daisy's purpose for attending the banquet tonight was also very simple; she just wanted to accompany him and see what kind of person Tony was.
As for Mary Jane, she was the one among them who enjoyed the banquet atmosphere the most.
She loved the feeling of being flattered and fawned over by New York's celebrities and aristocrats; it greatly satisfied her vanity.
Looking at Mary Jane, who was surrounded by other socialites and butterflies, enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention, Roy raised his champagne glass, took a small sip, and said to Daisy, "Should I send you back first?"
"It's okay, I can wait and go back with Mary Jane."
"If you want to go spar with Stark now, just go. We'll wait here for you to return."
Although Roy didn't say it explicitly, the understanding Daisy had already guessed what he was thinking.
"Alright, then wait for me here for a bit. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, Roy drained his champagne in one gulp and placed the glass on the round table in front of him.
"Mm-hmm!"
Daisy nodded immediately.
Under her gaze, Roy walked straight toward Tony.
Seeing him walking toward him, Tony immediately gave a few instructions to Pepper and Happy.
Then, he nodded to Roy, turned around, and walked toward the workshop in the manor's main building.
Soon, Roy and Tony arrived at the workshop located in the garage.
Before Roy could speak, Tony quickly asked, "How far can the wormhole you open reach?"
"Any distance!"
Roy replied.
Any distance?
Tony first showed a look of surprise, then continued, "Then you pick the place."
After saying that, Tony went to the center of the workshop and said to Jarvis, "Jarvis, activate the anti-roy armor."
"Yes, sir!"
Jarvis's voice immediately rang out.
The next second, the wall on the right side of the workshop opened slowly like a sliding door.
As the wall opened, the Iron Man Suits hidden behind it appeared in Roy's view.
There were a total of five Iron Man Suits behind the wall.
Aside from the different color schemes, they didn't look very different.
"The set on the far left is the anti-roy armor I developed specifically for you!"
Tony pointed at the blue and white anti-roy armor and said proudly.
"It looks very ordinary."
Roy replied calmly.
Very ordinary?
Hearing Roy's evaluation, Tony's expression suddenly became unhappy.
"Don't dawdle, hurry up and suit up."
Roy continued.
"You have no taste for appreciation!"
After retortng at Roy, Tony immediately ordered Jarvis to activate the anti-roy armor.
The small Arc Reactor on the chest of the armor immediately glowed with a soft white light, and the armor was fully activated.
The next second, the blue and white anti-roy armor flew out of the "display case" and came to Tony, with its back to him.
The various parts of the armor opened up, and Tonyimmediately took a step forward and entered the armor.
In just two or three short seconds, Tony completed suiting up.
At the same time, Roy took the Tesseract out of his system space and opened a spatial gate inside the workshop...
Chapter 107: Defeat You Within Ten Seconds!
After seeing Roy and Tony leave the lawn, Danny Rand's gaze fell upon Mary Jane and Daisy.
Captain America had originally intended to make a move on Mary Jane and Daisy during the dinner party.
However, under the persuasion of himself, Luke Cage, and the others, Captain America dismissed the idea.
Firstly, they weren't certain if Roy would even attend the dinner tonight.
Secondly, tonight's dinner was hosted by Tony.
If they targeted Mary Jane and Daisy during the dinner, it would definitely incur Tony's displeasure.
Setting aside whether they could succeed, once they did such a thing, they could forget about ever recruiting Tonyinto the Howling Commandos.
Finally, acting rashly against Mary Jane and Daisy without absolute certainty would most likely result in failure.
Mary Jane was just an ordinary person and wouldn't be much trouble to handle.
But Daisy was a Superhuman, and one with combat experience who could proficiently use her own superpower.
On the grasslands outside the capital of Wakanda, Daisyhad already proven this with facts.
This meant they only had one chance.
If they couldn't quickly take down Mary Jane and Daisy, then what awaited them was being personally killed by Roy.
Inside the workshop.
Wearing the anti-roy armor, Tony looked at the spatial gate before him with a solemn expression.
Although he had never seen this kind of spatial gate before, he knew it was an existence similar to a wormhole.
Or rather, this was the wormhole jointly proposed by Einstein and Nathan Rosen.
In 1935, Einstein and Nathan Rosen proposed the concept of a bridge connecting two different points in space-time.
This concept of a bridge that can connect different space-time points is the einstein-rosen bridge.
Although the concept of the einstein-rosen bridge existed in 1935, it wasn't until 1957 that the famous American physicist John Archibald Wheeler first used the term "wormhole" to refer to it.
From then on, the concept of wormholes began to take root in people's minds.
Once the spatial gate took shape, Roy didn't hesitate at all, stepping in first and disappearing from Tony's sight.
"Jarvis, collect and record all information and energy signals of the wormhole."
Tony said to Jarvis.
"Certainly, sir!"
Jarvis replied immediately.
After instructing Jarvis, Tony finally entered the spatial gate.
He originally thought the spatial gate exit Roy opened wouldn't be too far from New York.
But the facts proved he was wrong.
Roy hadn't set the spatial gate exit in a forest near New York, but had set it on the Antarctic Continent.
Seeing the endless icy land and the bright sky all around, Tony knew this was the South Pole.
Before he could speak, Roy closed the spatial gate and said to him, "Defeat you within ten seconds!"
Ten seconds?
Don't look down on people too much!
Upon hearing Roy's words, Tony immediately showed a displeased expression.
Although he hadn't fought Roy before, he was very confident in the anti-roy armor he had created.
In addition, he also strongly believed in the simulation test results Jarvis had generated.
Tony didn't answer Roy; he directly activated the armor's flight engines. Orange-yellow tail flames erupted from the soles of his feet and the palms of his hands, and he soared into the sky like a missile.
In the blink of an eye, he had flown several hundred meters into the air.
Seeing Tony fly into the air, Roy calmly utilized his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
Without much effort, he locked onto Tony floating in the sky.
At this moment, Tony didn't yet know he had been locked onto by Roy. He raised his right hand, aiming at Roy, preparing to open the battle with a small missile from his right arm.
However, as soon as he raised his right hand, he felt an inexplicably powerful gravitational pull.
The sudden powerful gravity immediately disrupted his flight posture.
Fortunately, Jarvis immediately increased the flight engine's energy output and adjusted the flaps on the armor.
Otherwise, the moment he felt the powerful gravity, he would have flown uncontrollably toward Roy.
"Jarvis, what's happening?"
Tony asked quickly.
"Sir, you have been locked onto by an exceptionally powerful magnetic field."
Jarvis replied immediately.
Magnetic field?
Hearing Jarvis's answer, a bad thought immediately flashed through Tony's mind.
When did he get a Magnetism Manipulation Superpower?
Tony looked at Roy with a solemn expression.
Just as Roy had guessed, the anti-roy armor he was currently wearing possessed excellent anti-low temperature and anti-Freeze capabilities.
As for other aspects, it wasn't much different from armors like the mark 3.
If there was anything different, it was that the anti-roy armor was loaded with many long-range weapons.
Although he didn't know when Roy had gained the Magnetism Manipulation Superpower, Tony was certain of one thing: he had lost all initiative.
Neither the current anti-roy armor nor the simulation tests conducted by Jarvis had taken into account Roypossessing a Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
In other words, he was now like a soldier who had brought the wrong weapon to the battlefield.
Damn it!
Tony cursed inwardly, deciding to get as far away from Roy as possible.
Before figuring out to what extent Roy could manipulate magnetic fields, the further away from him, the safer.
There was nothing wrong with Tony's decision.
But he overlooked one very important thing: Roy wouldn't give him the chance to distance himself.
After flying less than two meters, Tony was completely enveloped by a terrifying gravitational pull, flying rapidly toward Roy on the ground.
Although Jarvis had adjusted the flight engine's output power to the maximum, it didn't affect Roy's control at all.
In the blink of an eye, Tony was forced to come before Roy.
Adamantium Claws!
Roy didn't release all of the Adamantium Claws; like flipping someone off, he only released the middle one on his right hand.
Screech, screech, screech... Under Tony's gaze, the Adamantium Claws repeatedly slashed across the anti-roy armor.
The anti-roy armor, made of Gold-Titanium Alloy, was as fragile as a cream cake before the Adamantium Claws.
Without much effort, like a butcher skillfully deboning an ox, Roy dismantled the anti-roy armor from Tony's body.
Clang, clang, clang... The wreckage of the anti-roy armorfell onto the ice one after another, making crisp impacting sounds.
"You lost!"
When only a casual suit remained on Tony, Roy's voice rang out.
Tony stood in place, looking at Roy in disbelief.
When he was forcibly pulled before Roy by the powerful gravity, he knew he was doomed to lose.
But he hadn't expected Roy to strip the anti-roy armorfrom his body in such a manner.
In addition, Roy's act of using only one Adamantium Claw seemed like a silent mockery to him.
It wasn't strange for him to have such a thought.
After all, one Adamantium Claw did look quite similar to giving someone the middle finger.
However, Roy only released one Adamantium Claw not to mock him, but to avoid hacking Tony into pieces.
By releasing only one Adamantium Claw, he could achieve the precise operation of dismantling the anti-roy armor like a skilled butcher.
If it were three, he wouldn't be able to achieve such precise control.
After several seconds of silence, Tony's body began to tremble violently involuntarily, and he said quickly, "You win!"
"Hurry up and open the wormhole back to the manor; this place is too damn cold!"
Chapter 108 – S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Wanted Notice
While wearing the anti-roy armor, Tony felt no chill at all.
Now, he felt as though he'd been hurled naked into ice water—so cold it defied description.
Watching Tony shiver violently, Roy unhurriedly took out the Tesseract and opened a portal back to the workshop at the manor.
The moment the gateway formed, Tony stepped through without a word and vanished from Roy's sight.
Unlike Tony, who was half-frozen, Roy found the Antarctic cold unremarkable.
Though he wasn't actively using the Iceman power, this level of chill hardly bothered him.
Roy didn't follow Tony immediately; instead, he glanced down at the scattered wreckage of the anti-roy armor.
After a moment's thought, he swept every shard into his system space.
Only then did he stroll through the portal and return to Tony's workshop.
Back in the workshop, Tony poured half a glass of whiskey and downed it in one.
As he debated a second drink to warm up, Roy appeared in his line of sight.
Tony set the glass down and looked at him gravely. "I lost. Tell me what you want me to do."
He hated losing, but he wasn't a sore loser.
Besides, the fight hadn't been a total loss.
If nothing else, he now knew Roy possessed the Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
Roy closed the portal behind him. "I haven't decided yet. You owe me a favor—tabling it for now."
"When I think of something, I'll let you know."
Though he'd proposed the wager himself, Roy currently had no task for Tony.
"I don't like being in anyone's debt."
Tony frowned.
"Like it or not, that's the price. Losers don't negotiate."
Roy said calmly.
"You—"
Tony started to retort, then bit it back, glaring irritably.
Ignoring Tony's annoyance, Roy left the workshop and returned to the lawn behind the main building.
He walked straight up to Daisy and Mary Jane, used the Tesseract to open a portal to the penthouse atop Skyscraper.
"Time to go home."
Roy told them.
"Mm-hmm!"
Daisy and Mary Jane nodded in unison.
Under Pepper and the guests' gaze, Roy stepped through first; Daisy and Mary Jane followed him into the luxury apartment… One week later.
Roy sat in the apartment's study, reviewing intel Allen had gathered.
For reasons unknown—caution or otherwise—Captain America still hadn't shown himself.
An old adage says you can guard against thieves for a thousand days, but you can't be a thief for a thousand days.
Until Captain America was dead, Roy would have to keep guards on Daisy and Mary Jane.
To eliminate the threat quickly, he ordered Allen to track the man down with everything he had.
After nearly a week, Allen finally uncovered a few faint traces.
While he hadn't pinpointed Captain America, the intel indicated the man was still in New York.
Finishing the report, Roy sighed in frustration.
If only he had Professor X's Telepathy!
With that power, as long as Captain America remained on Earth, Roy could find him in minutes.
After a moment's thought, Roy called Daisy to the study.
The instant she entered, he said, "Post a bounty on Captain America—same reward as last time for BuckyBarnes and Nick Fury."
"Add this: anyone aiding him declares war on me."
Bounty Captain America?
Daisy looked surprised. "Going straight to a bounty might anger the public. Should we feed the media a story first—about him deserting S.H.I.E.L.D. and killing Agents?"
Her worry was natural; most young Americans had grown up on Captain America's heroic tales.
"No need. Just post the bounty."
Roy replied.
Media spin would erode public trust, true, yet he still refused.
The reason was simple: it would look as if he were doing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dirty work for them.
"All right, I'll issue it now."
Daisy nodded and left.
Minutes later, the bounty appeared on the Blood Angel Website and the Dark Web.
People everywhere speculated why Roy was targeting Captain America.
The post spread like wildfire across social media and news sites.
Daisy's fears proved justified.
As the news grew, many ordinary supporters accused Royof bullying a national icon without cause.
Roy ignored the outcry and offered no explanation.
When the backlash peaked, S.H.I.E.L.D. called a press conference.
Coulson—only days into his tenure as Director—took the podium and issued an official wanted notice for Captain America.
Had it been up to him, the lifelong fan never would have done it, but after talks with Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Agent Hill, he agreed.
Roy's bounty had been meant solely to neutralize a threat; Coulson and the others read deeper into it.
By forgoing media spin and posting only on the Blood Angel site and Dark Web, Roy was testing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stance.
If they did nothing, he might think they were shielding the fugitive.
To avoid that misperception, S.H.I.E.L.D. had to act—hence the public warrant.
Once S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed Captain America's desertion and murder of Agents, the online outrage vanished overnight.
In a crumbling apartment in Queens, Captain America sat on a couch, whiskey in hand, watching the live broadcast.
Seeing Coulson—his devoted collector and repeated autograph-seeker—at the podium, the bearded, unkempt super-soldier smirked in contempt.
When it ended, he switched off the TV, picked up his phone, and dialed.
The call connected quickly.
Without waiting, Captain America said, "If you've really got the power to take down Roy Chen, I'll work with you. I'll play along with your plan."
"Come to London. I'll show you what I can do."
The man on the other end replied at once…
Chapter 109 – Mjolnir
"Understood. I'll head to London as soon as possible."
With that, Captain America hung up and dialed Iron FistDanny Rand.
The call was picked up almost immediately, Danny Rand's voice coming through the receiver.
"What's up?"
Danny Rand asked briskly.
"Book me a private jet to London."
Captain America didn't say why he was going; he simply stated what he needed.
London?
Danny went quiet for a few seconds.
Then he said slowly, "Once it's set, I'll text you the airfield and departure time."
He didn't ask what the mission was; he knew Cap wouldn't tell him anyway.
"Thanks."
He ended the call, tossed the phone back onto the coffee-table, and took a long pull from the half-empty whiskey bottle.
Skyscraper.
Roy was in the study, poring over electromagnetics texts.
He hadn't watched S.H.I.E.L.D.'s press conference, but he knew they'd issued a warrant for Captain America.
Before the broadcast even began, Black Widow had phoned him with the news.
She'd also given him a veiled invitation.
"For the next month I'll be at the New York Branch, helping the local director with internal affairs."
It was phrased diplomatically, yet Roy understood: she was telling him he could drop by for cards any time.
This Universe's Black Widow wasn't the comic-book seductress; she resembled her cinematic counterpart.
She might flirt on missions, but rarely crossed the line into actual intimacy.
Roy knew because her poker face was far less polished than her looks suggested—about on par with Daisy's.
Time slipped past.
After several hours of self-study, Roy closed the books, stretched, and prepared to leave.
He was about to take Daisy and Mary Jane to a newly opened Chinese place when his phone rang.
The caller ID showed "Allen." He picked up.
"Sir, that strange hammer you wanted watched just showed up."
"Where?"
"Las Vegas."
Las Vegas?
Roy frowned. "Got it."
He hung up.
The "strange hammer" he'd told Allen to monitor was none other than Mjolnir.
Though this wasn't the pure film Universe, Tony's kidnapping by the Ten Rings Gang proved events still trended toward their cinematic beats: Cap frozen, Tonycaptured, Banner's gamma accident, Thor's banishment—details might diverge, but the milestones arrived on schedule.
Roy distinctly recalled that, in the films, Odin's enchanted hammer had landed outside the New Mexico town of Puente Antiguo.
New Mexico wasn't far from Vegas.
Vegas sits on Nevada's southeastern tip; cross the state line and you're in Arizona, with New Mexico just east of that.
Mjolnir hadn't touched down in New Mexico this time, but Roy didn't waste brain-cells on the discrepancy.
Odin had merely exiled Thor to Earth—anywhere on Earth.
Finding the hammer in Nevada instead of New Mexicowas trivial; Thor could just as easily have crash-landed in Scandinavia.
Phone back in his pocket, Roy left the study.
When Daisy and Mary Jane reached the living room, he opened a portal to the newly opened White Swan Restaurant.
White Swan, only days old, sat a short walk from Central Park.
Despite the dinner hour, it was half empty—not because the food was poor, but because it operated on a members-only basis.
A fledgling, unknown Chinese restaurant adopting a membership policy seemed suicidal, yet that was exactly what White Swan had done.
The reason was simple: Roy owned it.
Besides White Swan, he'd opened seven other member-only Chinese restaurants across Manhattan—Panda (Sichuan), Yangzhou (Huaiyang), Haidai (Shandong)—one for each of China's eight great cuisines.
The chefs were authentic, the ingredients flown in from China, but profit was irrelevant.
The restaurants existed for one purpose: whenever Roycraved genuine Chinese food, it would be waiting, cooked to perfection.
Whether they lost money or sat idle didn't concern him; he could bankroll them indefinitely.
To keep the chefs sharp, he'd opted for membership rather than private kitchens.
White Swan, third floor, largest private dining room.
A ring of lightning and storm-clouds spiraled open; Roy, Daisy, and Mary Jane stepped through.
A willowy waitress in a crimson qipao entered, bowed respectfully to Roy, and asked softly, "What would Mr. Chen like tonight?"
"Let the chef decide."
"Very good. Which tea?"
"Longjing."
She bowed again and withdrew.
An hour later, pleasantly stuffed, Roy returned with the women to the Skyscraper penthouse.
"I have an errand—don't wait up."
They nodded without asking where he was going.
Without hesitation Roy used the Tesseract to forge a gateway to Las Vegas.
As Daisy and Mary Jane watched, he stepped through and vanished…
Chapter 110: The Lifted Mjolnir
Las Vegas is near the West Coast, 3,600 kilometers away from New York.
Even by plane, it takes five hours to get there.
Using the space portal created by the Tesseract, Roy took only two or three seconds to travel from Manhattan to Las Vegas.
To be precise, he arrived in the desert more than ten kilometers away from the Las Vegas city area.
While he was having dinner with Daisy and Mary Jane at the White Swan Restaurant, Alan had already sent him the specific location of Mjolnir.
Las Vegas was three hours ahead of New York, and it was already past 11 PM.
Although Las Vegas is a World-famous gambling and entertainment capital, it is just as lively as most cities even in the early morning.
But this liveliness only appears in the city area.
After exiting the space portal, what first appeared in Roy's sight was not an empty desert, but a brightly lit, temporarily built Base.
There were no markings around the Base, but Roy knew that this Base was established by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Although S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have any high-level combat power in the true sense, as an intelligence agency, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence-gathering capabilities were much stronger than those of the Star Cross Knights.
If Alan could find out that Mjolnir was here, S.H.I.E.L.D.naturally could as well.
Roy didn't know exactly how many intelligence personnel S.H.I.E.L.D. had.
But he was certain of one thing: the number of S.H.I.E.L.D.intelligence personnel would not be fewer than those in departments like the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security.
Roy closed the space portal behind him and looked at the temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. Base from a small hillside several hundred meters away.
Then, he decisively used the teleportation superpower granted by the ghost cat card and arrived at the impact crater in the center of the Base.
As soon as he arrived, he saw Mjolnir, exactly as it was in his memory.
The Mjolnir that had fallen from the sky was like excalibur, stuck diagonally into a not-so-large rock, giving off the feeling that one could pick it up with just a little effort.
After teleporting to the impact crater, Roy didn't immediately step forward to try and lift Mjolnir. Instead, he turned his head and scanned the surroundings.
Without much effort, he saw the surveillance cameras all around.
"Who is the person in charge here?"
Roy looked at one of the cameras and spoke.
Just as he finished speaking, a familiar figure appeared in his sight.
"I am the person in charge here!"
The person who appeared in Roy's sight was none other than "Mockingbird" Barbara Morse, who had previously used a honey trap on him along with Black Widow and Agent Hill.
At this moment, Barbara was wearing a black tight-fitting combat suit similar to Black Widow's, which perfectly showcased her rounded, long legs and slender wasp waist.
Standing 1.8 meters tall, she was like a model walking on a runway. She moved her long legs, which felt quite good to the touch, and came straight to Roy, looking at him with a calm face.
"How long have you all been here?"
Roy asked Barbara.
"We just arrived this morning,"
Barbara replied quickly.
"Has anyone broken in since you established this temporary Base?"
Roy continued to ask.
"No, you're the first."
After saying that, Barbara looked at Roy with a puzzled expression, frowned, and asked, "Do you know the origin of this hammer?"
Roy nodded and said slowly, "Yes."
Hearing his answer, Barbara didn't hesitate and immediately asked, "Who is the Master of the hammer?"
Although they had only arrived this morning, they had already done a lot of research on Mjolnir.
For example, Mjolnir emitted weak energy fluctuations they had never seen before, and its material was not a metal found on Earth, and so on.
"If nothing goes wrong, it won't be long before you see the Master of the hammer. You'll know who he is then."
Since Mjolnir had fallen here, Thor should have also fallen near Las Vegas.
Although he didn't know if Thor had been picked up by Jane Foster's trio like in the cinematic Universe, Thor was definitely nearby.
After answering Barbara, Roy went straight to Mjolnir.
Under Barbara's gaze, he reached out his right hand and grabbed the handle of Mjolnir.
Taking a deep breath, Roy's right hand suddenly exerted force.
Without any surprise, Mjolnir didn't budge.
Although he failed to lift Mjolnir, Roy wasn't surprised.
Although he possessed decent strength now, he hadn't reached the level where he could easily break the restrictions of Odin's spell.
Odin was undoubtedly Skyfather level!
And he was among the stronger ones in that class!
"Even he can't lift it?"
"What exactly is going on with this hammer?"
Seeing that Roy also couldn't lift Mjolnir, Barbarafrowned slightly.
She had thought that Roy, with strength far exceeding normal people, could easily lift Mjolnir.
As it turned out, she had oversimplified things.
Roy released his right hand and looked at the motionless Mjolnir.
After a few seconds, he once again grabbed the handle of Mjolnir, while simultaneously activating his Magnetism Manipulation Superpower.
He didn't use all his strength like before, but only used the normal strength that an average person would have.
Although he didn't use his full strength, this time, he easily lifted Mjolnir.
"How is this possible?"
"How did he do it?"
Seeing Roy lift Mjolnir with such ease, Barbara couldn't help but widen her big eyes, an expression of disbelief appearing on her face.
Just as she was about to say something, Roy casually tossed it with his right hand, letting Mjolnir spin a few times in the air.
As Mjolnir fell toward the ground under the influence of gravity, he caught the handle once more.
He had lifted Mjolnir, but he didn't receive the "reward" for doing so—the Power of Thor.
Roy wasn't at all surprised by the fact that he couldn't obtain the Power of Thor.
On the surface, he had indeed lifted Mjolnir.
But in reality, he hadn't truly lifted it.
He could do this because he used his superpower to change the magnetic field around Mjolnir, misleading its judgment.
From Mjolnir's perspective, the current "it" was no different from being placed on the ground.
In the comics, Magneto also had performances of lifting Mjolnir using his superpowers, and more than once.
Like the current Roy, the Magneto in the comics who "lifted" Mjolnir did not obtain the Power of Thor either; he could only use Mjolnir as a sturdy hammer.
Should he put Mjolnir into the system space?
After thinking for a moment, Roy dismissed the idea.
Lifting Mjolnir by taking a shortcut wouldn't attract Odin's attention.
But putting Mjolnir into the system space would be a different matter entirely.
Although Odin was old now, no matter what, he was a genuine Skyfather level.
Roy had no intention of fighting Odin right now.
After dismissing the idea of putting Mjolnir into the system space, Roy placed it back onto the previous rock... PS: The title of the next chapter isn't missing; it was deleted by the censors, and some of the content was also trimmed.