Hearing Tony Stark's complaints, Kai flipped through the mission file and said calmly.
"Do you think everyone wants to hide behind glasses and become a reporter like Superman? Besides, maybe ask Bruce Wayne to deal with Freeze. Even he has Robin to back him up."
Tony sighed, pulled out his phone, and sent a quick message. Moments later, Natasha Romanoff stepped into the office.
"Look," Tony smirked, "your Robin's here."
Kai looked up. "Natasha? Why are you here?"
She raised a brow. "Why? You're allowed to work at Stark Industries but I'm not?"
Dropping into the chair opposite him, she took an apple from the fruit bowl and started her debrief.
"Green Kleber, codename Iceman. Born in an orphanage. At fourteen, he awakened an ability to generate freezing air—turning everything around him to ice.
Five years ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. flagged him as a Level 4 threat. He behaved for a while… until S.H.I.E.L.D. fell apart. Then he snapped. Seven banks robbed in three days. Fifteen dead. Dozens with severe frostbite."
She looked up from the tablet. "And he's not the only one. Dozens of powered people registered under S.H.I.E.L.D.
lost their leash. Without supervision, they think their powers are a gift to indulge their desires—not a responsibility."
Natasha smirked faintly. "Speaking of power-hungry maniacs, Hydra's been quiet since Pierce's fall. They still want you, you know. Any contact?"
Kai shrugged. "Who knows. Alice quit Stark Industries, moved out of my place. Catherine's been avoiding me, but that feels temporary."
He tossed Green Kleber's file onto the desk. "First day back and already a mission. Great."
Tony stood, grinning. "You've been on vacation half a month. Move your butt. Oh, and construction's starting on your dream manor.
Considering I gave you this job, I'll even give you a 50 percent discount. Just wire fifteen million to the account in the file."
Then he laughed. "You know, even though I'm technically losing money here, scamming fifteen million out of you feels better than earning fifty myself."
"Damn capitalist," Kai muttered as Tony strolled out.
When the door closed, Kai turned to Natasha. "How many people did Tony recruit from S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"Plenty. Mostly scientists. Clint's freelancing—our incomes aren't exactly stable. Charity gigs, government contracts, toy royalties… that sort of thing. So yeah, I joined Stark Industries. Gotta pay rent somehow."
She rose, holstered her gun, and nodded. "Let's move. Mission starts now."
Aboard the Quinjet
"I kinda miss Coulson's black-winged Airbus. Comfy seats. Snacks."
Kai lounged in the co-pilot seat while Natasha piloted.
"Be grateful," she said, switching to autopilot. "At least this thing's fast. A helicopter would rattle your spine out."
Then, more serious, "Kai, without S.H.I.E.L.D., we've got no legal authority. We're investigating as Avengers, not law enforcement. If the FBI or state police tell us to stand down—you stand down."
Kai peeled an orange, handed her half. "Got it. But when we catch him, what then? Normal prison can't hold him."
Natasha smirked. "Tony took over one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s containment facilities under Stark Industries. It was built specifically for enhanced detainees.
You think he doesn't know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s still running underground? He and Fury talk. Always have."
Citibank, New Jersey
Chaos. The once-orderly hall was now a frozen tomb. Customers crouched in corners, trembling.
The steel gate lay shattered, glazed with frost. Security guards stood as silent ice statues.
Outside, sirens screamed. State police took positions, weapons raised.
"Freeze! Drop the bags!"
Iceman turned slowly, sneering. His skin shimmered with crystal frost. He raised a hand—and a blizzard erupted.
One officer froze mid-step, becoming another sculpture. Gunfire cracked; bullets shattered harmlessly against ice.
The hall plunged to subzero. Breath turned white. Movement slowed.
The lead officer, shaking, still shouted, "The Avengers will stop you!"
Iceman's laugh was hollow. "Avengers? S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone. You're all ants. I am a god — the god of ice."
He left with the money, leaving only silence and frozen corpses.
Minutes Later
The Quinjet descended. Emergency crews swarmed the scene, trying in vain to free the frozen officers.
"Hurry! If we don't thaw them soon, their blood will crystallize!"
"Tools won't work—ice is like steel!"
Natasha frowned. "We're late. Save who we can."
"On it."
Kai stepped forward, raised his hand, and with the Reality Gem, the thick ice instantly liquefied into harmless water.
Paramedics rushed to evacuate survivors. Natasha checked the guards—then shook her head.
"No vitals. Heads were completely frozen."
Kai's jaw tightened.
Natasha stood, gazing at the icy hall. "I'll copy surveillance and trace Kleber's movements. He's hit L.A., Seattle, Philly, Jersey—all in days. I have a bad feeling about this."
Later That Night — New Jersey Slums
Under a broken streetlight, Iceman tossed wads of cash to a crowd of homeless people.
"Line up. If anyone grabs, I'll freeze your skulls."
Fear silenced them. He pointed to a strong-looking man. "Distribute it. Fairly. One penny extra, and you're an ice sculpture."
Then he noticed a middle-aged woman clutching her daughter.
"Drugs?" he asked flatly.
She shook her head fast.
Satisfied, he nodded. "You two—come with me."
They followed him through narrow alleys to a crumbling building. Inside, twenty-odd children ran to greet him.
"Brother Green!"
"Brother Green, look! I got an A on my test!"
"Brother Green, what's for dinner?"
He smiled softly—so unlike the monster from the bank.
Setting the girl down, he told the woman, "Can you cook?"
"Yes—my family ran a restaurant. My husband gambled everything away."
"Then stay. Feed them. You'll be paid. When your daughter's old enough, she goes to school with them."
He ruffled the little girl's hair. "Go play. Dinner soon."
For a moment, there was warmth in the frozen man's eyes. Then he left.
At a Nearby Orphanage
"Three-hundred thousand dollars," the staff gasped. "We can survive!"
The director frowned. "Where did it come from?"
"No idea. Someone tossed the bag over the wall."
The old woman stared at the cash, whispering a prayer. She'd heard similar stories lately—anonymous bags of money, hooded figures caught on grainy footage.
She looked toward the heavens. "Lord, forgive my silence. If evil must buy these children life, then take my soul in payment."
Back at the Police Station
"Thanks to you two, my officers are alive," the police chief said, shaking hands with Kai and Natasha. "Whatever you need, the department's behind you."
Outside, Natasha started the car.
"Eighteen dead so far. We need to find him fast."
Kai leaned back. "It's after hours. How about some barbecue first?"
Her lips twitched. "Your treat?"
"Always. Coulson showed me a great place around here."
Three Days Later
Night. The slum again.
After tucking in his siblings, Green Kleber stepped outside, phone ringing.
"Mr. Kleber," a male voice said. "Have you reconsidered?"
"I told you—I'm a god. I don't need your help."
The man chuckled darkly. "Then you don't mind that the Avengers are hunting you. If not for us covering your tracks, you'd already be in their cage."
"Let them come."
"Even gods have family, Green. Think of your children. Stark inherited S.H.I.E.L.D.'s transparent prison—the one Fury once threatened to lock you in."
Silence. Then—rage. "Don't you dare mention my siblings! I'll freeze you all!"
The voice remained calm. "Relax. We're allies. Our team's already en route — Flash and Black Widow have found you."
Click. The call ended.
Green glared at the phone. "Flash… Black Widow."
Outside — Standoff
In the parked car, Natasha spotted the dilapidated building.
"He's inside. What are we waiting for?"
Kai peeled another orange. "He knows we're here. Let's wait till he comes out. No fighting near the kids."
Natasha nodded slowly. "A nineteen-year-old who adopted twenty orphans… he's not completely gone."
She took an orange slice. "The more people lack love, the harder they chase it. But he still killed eighteen."
Kai looked at her. "You okay?"
"Yeah," she smiled faintly. "Just… thinking of my own past."
She loaded her pistol. "When he comes out, let me talk first. If you mess this up, you pay the price."
Kai grinned. "Deal."
By the Lake
Moonlight shimmered across the water as Green approached.
Natasha faced him. "I've killed innocents too," she began softly. "Escaping the Red Room… I even blew up a hospital. I was a monster. Until someone gave me a chance at redemption."
"I don't need redemption," Green snapped. "Only weaklings seek mercy."
"Alright, god," she said dryly, stepping back. "But for a god, your situational awareness sucks."
She clicked a remote.
Electric arcs burst from hidden nodes around him.
Crackle—!
The current hit hard. Green convulsed, collapsing to the ground.
Kai appeared beside her in a blur. "For a second, I thought you were really going to talk him down."
"I wanted to—for those kids. But he's worse than Loki. Thinks he's divine."
Kai nodded, pulling out reinforced cuffs—until a silver blur slammed toward him.
He dodged instantly.
"Oh," Kai smirked, "so slow."
He grabbed Quicksilver, spun, and threw him aside just as a wave of crimson magic shattered the electric traps.
Natasha aimed her gun. "Great. He brought backup."
A sniper's bullet whistled toward her—Kai caught it mid-air.
Iceman roared, transforming fully into frozen armor.
"Sniper three kilometers out," Kai said quickly. "Six more hostiles inbound. You handle them. I'll deal with these three."
Natasha nodded once. "Be careful."
Then she vanished into the dark.
"Damn ant!" Iceman shouted, unleashing a massive cold wave at her retreating figure.
Kai appeared before him in a flash.
"Speed is weight. Ever been kicked by light?"
He raised his glowing right leg and launched a blinding kick—sending Iceman flying.
Quicksilver recovered, darted forward in a storm of motion, fists blurring. Kai evaded effortlessly.
Wanda lifted her hand; crimson chaos magic surged toward Kai.
He felt it—real energy, ancient and raw. It brushed his photon form, not nullified but felt.
Interesting. Chaos magic—pure and primal.
Agatha once said Wanda was born with it…
And now, Kai was seeing it firsthand.
...
Author's Note:
Sorry for not uploading chapters regularly. I'm currently studying for my semester exams, so chapter upload times may vary for now.
From next month onward, chapters will be uploaded on time. Thank you for your patience and support.