"Captain, you're still extremely weak. You need to rest."
The nurse stepped forward, reaching out to steady Steve.
But before she could touch him, Steve suddenly lunged—
his hand shot out, clamping around the nurse's throat as he lifted her clean off the ground.
"Who are you?
Where am I?"
His eyes were icy cold as his grip tightened.
The nurse slapped frantically at his arm, but Steve's hand was like a steel vise—immovable, unbreakable.
"I was at this game. I watched it live.
I'll ask you one last time—
where am I?"
The nurse could barely breathe now, her limbs weakening.
At that moment, agents burst out from both sides, rushing him in an attempt to subdue him.
Steve dropped each one with a single punch—
one agent who fired a taser even got knocked unconscious, teeth flying.
After flattening every agent in the room, Steve bolted around like a panicked animal until he finally found an exit.
Barefoot, he sprinted out onto the street.
And then he froze.
Streams of cars filled the road.
Towering screens glowed with neon light.
People walked past in sharp modern clothing.
Technology he had never even dreamed of surrounded him.
Steve staggered slightly, dizzy—
as if trapped in a dream.
"Times have changed, Captain.
You've been asleep for sixty years.
Welcome to a new era."
Nick Fury stepped out of an SUV, several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gathering behind him.
Late that night, Lucas had just laid down when the roar of a motorcycle engine shook the street—
accompanied by eerie, manic laughter.
He didn't even need to guess.
That damn Ghost Rider again.
Did the guy have any idea how awful his laugh sounded?
Lucas opened the window and looked out.
Ghost Rider streaked past on his trademark horned chopper, trailing fire and sparks.
Ahead of him swirled a mass of sand—
running for its life.
"The Earth Demon?"
Lucas raised a brow in interest.
With a leap from the window, he summoned Onion and mounted up, chasing after them.
Down the streets, Ghost Rider relentlessly harassed the Earth Demon,
but the demon refused to take the bait, intent only on escape—
until it reached an abandoned train station.
There, the Earth Demon halted, its swirling sand form solidifying into a humanoid body.
Ghost Rider braked, the two creatures locking gazes.
The Earth Demon suddenly grinned—
and out of nowhere, a car slammed straight into Ghost Rider, crushing him and his bike into a wall.
The force left a massive dent in the engine block.
Lucas and Onion watched from the roof of the station.
"Oof… that had to hurt."
Lucas brushed Onion's smooth feathers.
Boom—
A burst of power blew the mangled car apart.
Ghost Rider emerged unscathed and charged at the Earth Demon.
At that moment, the Water Demon and Wind Demon appeared.
One became a puddle beneath Ghost Rider's feet, rising into tendrils of water to immobilize him.
The other pummeled Ghost Rider's skull with gale-force blows—
and the Earth Demon joined in.
The three demons formed a circle and beat Ghost Rider mercilessly.
The hellfire on his skull dimmed from bright yellow to weak blue—
flickering like it could extinguish at any second.
Then, black smoke pooled in the air.
Blackheart materialized.
He stepped forward and seized Ghost Rider's jaw.
"Just as I thought—Father's loyal dog.
Even the Spirit of Vengeance is nothing special.
Tell me where you hid the Contract of San Venganza."
His voice was low and dangerous, eyes glowing blood-red.
Ghost Rider, who had no idea what contract he was talking about, simply growled:
"Look into my eyes."
His Penance Stare ignited—
hellfire flaring in his sockets.
But for the first time…
it failed.
The Penance Stare had no effect on Blackheart.
"This is the Penance Stare?
Pathetic."
Blackheart sneered.
"I'm a demon. I have no soul for you to burn.
Your little trick is useless on me."
Ghost Rider's expression—though a skull—clearly froze.
The Penance Stare punished the guilty by burning their souls.
But beings without souls—like demons bound to Hell—were immune.
"Tell me.
Where is the Contract?"
Blackheart squeezed his throat.
The hellfire atop Ghost Rider's skull sputtered—
shrinking to a faint ember barely visible to the eye.
It looked ready to go out entirely.
Ghost Rider didn't answer—
instead he burst into harsh laughter,
the chains around his body clattering onto the ground.
"A whole crowd ganging up on one skeleton…
that's quite the show~~"
Lucas dropped down from the roof, landing before the demons.
Onion fluttered down beside him.
"Human, leave now and I may spare your life."
Blackheart turned toward Lucas with disdain.
"Oh, I'll leave.
After I finish watching the show.
Who skips out on a good—cough—"
Lucas caught himself, cutting off his old-world proverb.
"Then stay.
And your soul belongs to me."
Blackheart gestured to the Earth Demon.
The Earth Demon nodded and lumbered toward Lucas.
"You're lucky you ran into me."
"My luck has always been great."
Lucas drew Judgment and fired—
blasting the Earth Demon's head apart.
"Chirp-chirp!!"
Onion swooped forward, shredding the demon's body with a single swipe.
The Earth Demon collapsed into scattered sand.
But the sand quickly gathered back together, slowly forming its body again.
"OW!! That hurts!"
The Earth Demon clutched its head.
Judgment was a demon-slaying weapon—its damage to demons was excruciating.
His body reformed quickly, but his head reformed slowly, as if splitting apart.
Onion struck again, ramming straight through his half-formed torso—
scattering him once more.
"You filthy bird!! I'll kill you!!"
The Earth Demon roared, its body ballooning—
drawing in mountains of sand around it until its true form emerged.
A horned demon resembling a massive raging bull.
"Onion, stay back."
Lucas stepped forward to meet the charging monster.
"Tell me—
what happens when sand meets lightning?"
The Earth Demon didn't bother answering.
It was already upon him, its massive fist—like a flying compact car—hurtling toward Lucas.
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