It was like when she was a child—not that the missile with the Stark Industries logo didn't explode, but that she had changed reality itself.
Thinking of this, Kai instantly rushed toward Wanda, appearing beside her in a flash.
He grabbed Wanda's hands, both covered in crackling scarlet energy, and felt the power within.
It was a strange sensation—energy similar to the Reality Stone!
"Let go of me…"
With her hands restrained, Wanda struggled, lashing out with a vicious kick toward Kai's vital spot.
Dodging swiftly, Kai smirked. "Oh my, what a vicious move!"
"Bastard, let go of Wanda!"
Seeing Kai holding his sister, Pietro charged forward in a blur of blue lightning.
He didn't realize Kai was testing Wanda's Scarlet Magic—he thought Kai was trying to hurt her.
In an instant, Pietro's furious strikes filled the air.
"Oh, what slow speed…"
"Speed is weight, and you're not there yet…"
"A little faster. Come on—you're almost going to hit me."
"Oh dear, why are you slowing down?"
Kai's mocking tone only fueled Pietro's rage.
But no matter how fast Pietro moved, Kai effortlessly dodged every punch, occasionally countering with a light kick that sent the speedster tumbling.
To Pietro, it felt like fighting a speed of god—one who toyed with him like a child.
Seeing her brother struggling, Wanda fired a surge of Scarlet Magic at Kai.
Scarlet light intertwined with Pietro's blue lightning, filling the lakeside with a chaotic storm of power.
"Bastard! You've angered a true god!"
Green Klaeber, the Iceman who'd been kicked away earlier, roared as his icy body expanded.
In moments, his crystalline form stood over ten meters tall, swinging a massive frozen fist toward Kai.
The wind howled with the blow.
"Oh, I almost forgot about you…"
Armament Haki coated Kai's arm as he threw a heavy punch.
Crack!
The Iceman's thick arm shattered into icy shards.
"Ahhh!"
Green screamed as pain tore through him.
Wanda, panicked, tried to hold Kai with her magic so Pietro could retreat with the Iceman.
But Kai's body flickered into golden light particles—he appeared behind Wanda, his arm gently but firmly wrapping around her neck.
"Be good. Don't move."
Pietro skidded to a halt, torn between saving the Iceman and rescuing Wanda.
"That's right… learn to prioritize," Kai said calmly.
Bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
Sizzle…
Elsewhere, Natasha Romanoff smoothly dispatched six armed men with her pistols and Widow's Bite, then rolled behind cover.
Spotting the sniper, she tossed a small chip into the air and shot it.
Boom!
Purple smoke burst out, blinding the sniper.
The next second, a cold gun barrel pressed against his head.
Crack!
A swift chop to the neck, and the sniper collapsed.
Natasha cuffed him and tapped her earpiece. "Kai, the squad and sniper are down. How's your side?"
"Oh, I missed…"
Golden light flashed past the fleeing Pietro and Wanda.
Watching the explosion from his "miss," Kai smiled. "Speed boy! I look forward to our next run-in. Try to be faster next time."
[Borsalino portrayal +0.8%]
Hearing the system's double bonus notification, Kai grinned. Perfectly in character.
He turned toward the groaning Iceman.
"Now that your backup's gone… what will you do?"
"I am a god!"
Natasha arrived just in time to see Kai casually dismantling the towering ice giant, golden light flickering from his fingertips as he poked hole after hole into the frozen body.
The Iceman's arrogance had long since melted away.
"Kai, stop playing!"
Natasha's voice cut through the air.
Kai sighed, stopping his glowing foot on the Iceman's chest.
"What a weak god," he muttered.
Dozens of kilometers away.
Pietro collapsed, panting. "That was close. That golden beam almost hit us!"
"Good thing I reacted fast," he added proudly. "That Flash is insanely strong—faster than me!"
Wanda stared back toward the battlefield.
"What's wrong?" Pietro asked.
"The Flash did it on purpose," she said softly.
"What?"
"He deliberately missed. I could feel it—his attack could've killed us, but he held back."
"You're saying he spared us? Impossible! We're his enemies!" Pietro frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Scarlet Magic doesn't lie."
"That's… weird," Pietro muttered, crossing his arms.
"Forget it," Wanda said, rubbing her wrist where Kai had grabbed her. "We failed. Let's report to Mr. Strucker."
She pulled out her phone and made the call.
On the Quinjet
Kai glanced at the unconscious Iceman in power-suppressing cuffs. "Another all-nighter. I'm charging double overtime."
Natasha smirked. "I'll file for both of us. You know I'm great at that."
"Tony better pay up."
"I don't think he will," she teased, breaking an apple and handing him half. "He said you already got a 50% discount on this mission."
Kai groaned. "He what? Damn it, when I get back, I'm finding that lamppost!"
The next morning
"Hey, long time no see, Hill!" Kai greeted as Maria Hill stepped out of a black SUV.
"Half a month isn't long, Kai," she replied dryly.
Hill exchanged words with Natasha, then walked to the Quinjet and frowned at the restrained Iceman. "Only him?"
"Two others interfered," Natasha said, handing her a surveillance chip. "A speedster and a girl with red magic."
Hill's eyes narrowed. "HYDRA?"
"Fits their style," Natasha replied. "Also, the sniper had a suicide toxin."
"I'll have it checked," Hill said. "But don't expect quick answers. S.H.I.E.L.D. is still rebuilding."
Kai leaned back casually. "So Fury's pulling the strings behind the curtain again?"
Hill smiled faintly. "Of course. Coulson runs the public side. Fury runs the secret one."
Kai raised a brow. "Why tell me that?"
"Because we need your cooperation," Hill said, handing him a file—Alice's file.
The HYDRA spy from Stark Industries.
Kai flipped through the pages—and froze at the photo of her corpse. Pale, drained, two puncture wounds on her neck.
"She's dead?"
Hill nodded. "Found with all her blood gone. The HYDRA cell she served doesn't even know yet."
"Maybe it was HYDRA punishment," Kai said.
Hill shook her head. "No. Our intel says she'll 'resurface' near you soon. We think someone—or something—is using her identity."
"So troublesome…" Kai sighed. "Fine. How much am I getting paid this time?"
Three days later — Classified Facility
Green Klaeber sat silently in his glass cell, spirit broken.
Natasha spoke gently through the intercom. "Your siblings are safe. The orphanage took them in. They're going to school, and that mother and daughter you helped—they're working there now."
Green looked up, his eyes dim.
Natasha continued, "You killed eighteen people. Normally, you'd face the death penalty. But since New York abolished it in 2007—you'll live here instead."
He gave a bitter laugh. "Might as well be dead."
"You'll get books," she said softly. "And thirty minutes of fresh air every two weeks."
He looked up slowly. "For their sake… ask your questions."
"Who helped you that night?"
"I don't know. They contacted me after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell, said they could help me 'challenge the Avengers.' They hid my trail, erased footage, gave me support."
"Your phone?"
"Untraceable. Disposable."
Natasha sighed. "I believe you."
She stood to leave, but his hoarse voice stopped her. "Tell my siblings… to forget me. And live well."
Natasha nodded. Behind her, his quiet sobs echoed.
Meanwhile…
"It really is perfect."
Kai studied "Alice" with a calm smile. The Skrull in disguise stepped back nervously.
"Mr. Kai, Director Fury hopes for your cooperation. But since I don't have Alice's memories, I may slip up…"
"Got it," Kai said, smiling lazily. "From now on, you're my secretary. If you mess up, I'll cover for you."
He glanced at his watch. "And now, thanks to you, I'm twenty minutes late. Damn Stark and his overpriced sports cars…"
Stark Industries, New York
Tony was already waiting in Kai's office.
"You're late," Tony said flatly. "One minute and I dock your pay."
"F**k you, capitalist," Kai shot back.
"Lazy bastard," Tony countered automatically.
Their usual morning ritual.
Tony sipped his tea. "Remember Catherine? The Waters Group heiress? She wants to partner with us on a new energy project—on one condition: you join."
Kai raised a brow. "HYDRA's funding Stark Industries now?"
Tony shrugged. "Money's money. Pepper's handling it, so you're her shadow. If it goes bad—you protect her."
"So troublesome…"
"You'll get ten percent of the bonus."
Kai grinned. "Deal. Pepper's safe with me."
One Week Later — Chicago, Waters Group HQ
"Welcome to Chicago, Ms. Potts," said Catherine warmly, shaking Pepper's hand. Then she turned to Kai with a teasing smile. "Hi, Kai. Long time no see. Still ignoring my calls?"
"Been busy," Kai replied dryly.
Their banter made the room awkwardly quiet—especially for the stunned Waters employees who couldn't believe their elegant CEO's daughter was flirting with him.
Pepper simply smiled knowingly. So this was why Tony insisted Kai come.
Inside the negotiation room, Catherine barely pretended to pay attention to business. She sat beside Kai, pouring his tea, peeling his fruit, whispering into his ear.
The other executives exchanged glances, struggling to focus on numbers while their usually composed heiress turned into a lovestruck teenager.
Even Pepper, ever professional, had to fight the urge to laugh.
Half an Hour Later — Restroom
"I did great, didn't I?" Catherine said, touching up her lipstick. "Even the Avengers' Flash must've felt flattered."
"A convincing performance," said "Alice," the Skrull operative.
Catherine's sharp eyes flicked toward her, suspicion flashing for a split second. But she smiled, looping her arm around Alice's.
"Your skin's glowing. New skincare routine?" she asked casually, checking for a small scar under Alice's arm.
It was there. She relaxed.
"I thought you'd been replaced or something," she joked.
"Very funny," Alice muttered.
Catherine chuckled, leaning close. "You were the one who brought me into HYDRA, remember?"
Her tone darkened slightly. "Where have you been?"
"Laying low," Alice said smoothly. "The Madam ordered it after S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. I almost died to a bunch of maniacs who drained blood."
"Vampires?"
Catherine frowned. "Most of them were exiled to Switzerland. Unless… you mean those cult freaks."
Alice tilted her head. "You know them?"
"They worship the Hell Lord Tomous. Real lunatics. They sacrifice people—sometimes even themselves—to gain power."
Alice pretended to be shocked. "Do you know who they are?"
"No one does," Catherine said. "Even Madam doesn't. Just don't go after them, Alice."
She glanced at her watch. "Let's go—don't make Flash suspicious."
"Oh, and how confident are you that he'll join us?"
"Two months," Alice said with a smile. "He's already halfway hooked."
That Noon — Private Restaurant Room
Catherine's endless flirting at lunch made her staff visibly suffer. Their heiress had become someone else's fangirl.
When the waiters finally left, one of them discreetly stepped out, pulling out his phone.
"Sir, I saw her—the sacrifice we offered to Lord Tomous two weeks ago!"
On the other end, an elderly man tapped his cigar. "You're sure it's her?"
"One hundred percent, sir. Lord Tomous accepted her blood and soul—but now she's alive, beside Flash!"
The old man paused, then said coldly, "Gather every believer. We move to New York. The Lord's arrival ceremony begins."
"Understood. All for the great Lord Tomous!"
After hanging up, the old man stood before a crimson horned skull.
As blood-red particles surged into his body, his frail form straightened into a powerful middle-aged man.
"Great Lord Tomous," he whispered, placing his hand on the skull.
"Your servant, Wilson Jones, will offer the blood and souls of millions in New York—along with the Avengers themselves—as tribute. Grant us power to bring your descent."
The skull's hollow eyes flared crimson as his chant echoed into the void.