If it hadn't been for that tiny speck on the screen, Blaine wouldn't have figured it out no matter how hard he tried. It turned out the culprit was the last person he expected. The one who destroyed his home was Ant-Man.
No wonder Blaine saw nothing even after watching the footage multiple times. If he hadn't known this kind of thing existed beforehand, who would ever suspect a tiny bee could blow up a house? Even Tony wouldn't have discovered it in ten years—unless Ant-Man showed up on his own.
"Mr. Hunter, who blew up the house? Who would want to destroy it in secret?"
"I'll tell you a name. You should know it."
"Who?"
"Dr. Pym."
"Oh Schett—Fark, Fark, Fark!"
"How could it be an old man like him?"
"Even if he had issues with my father, he wouldn't take it out on me—right?"
"No. To be precise, it should be Darren Cross."
"Isn't that Dr. Pym's student?"
"You know him?"
"The CEO of Cross Technologies, one of Stark Industries' competitors. How could I not know him?"
"Alright. That settles it."
Blaine muttered to himself. This time, there should be no mistake. They had finally found the real culprit.
"Mr. Hunter, I'd like to hire you."
"Why? Didn't you handle your business rival by yourself last time?"
Blaine assumed Tony would try to deal with this the same way—alone.
"No. As Iron Man, as an American superhero, this identity isn't convenient. So I need you to handle it."
"Fine. I'll take the job."
"Hey! I haven't even named a price yet."
This time Tony was the one surprised. The Bounty Hunter agreeing so quickly… something had to be off.
In truth, Blaine would've taken care of it even without Tony issuing a mission. So whatever Tony paid didn't matter—the Bounty Hunter was handling this one no matter what.
"Well, since Mr. Hunter is so straightforward, I'll be generous too. Ten billion. Just to vent my anger."
"You don't need to kill him—just ruin his company or make him suffer.
"This ten billion also makes up for dragging you here today. Inviting you over only to feed you a hamburger isn't exactly polite."
"Goodbye."
Blaine stepped back and vanished from Tony's sight. Tony's last sentence carried an unspoken plea: 'Take the money and don't tear down my building.'
"Tony is still too soft-hearted."
Someone dared to set off an explosion—blatantly endangering lives. This wasn't simple commercial competition anymore. It was deliberate revenge. Malicious intent. Practically murder.
Maybe the burden of being a superhero weighed on Tony, or maybe something else—but spending ten billion just to "make the enemy suffer" was naïve. Ridiculously naïve. Like someone who'd never been taught how brutal the world could be.
For someone on this path, facing a vicious enemy with a kind heart was a deadly taboo. Blaine's goal was to kill Darren Cross in the cruelest way possible—and destroy Cross Technologies entirely.
Blaine held grudges. Especially against anyone who harmed him or harbored malicious intent. For them, he never showed mercy.
So, back at the villa, Blaine immediately released another tracking paper crane. His mental energy flowed through it, guiding it to track Cross's location.
But the crane seemed ineffective this time. It flew out normally—but then began circling above the villa.
Twice.
…
This was truly a first. Not just for a "big girl entering a sedan chair"—it was the first time Blaine had encountered something so bizarre. Strange events had been piling up lately, making his head spin.
Watching the crane still circling the roof, Blaine suddenly stiffened.
"Don't tell me… Cross, that bastard, is here."
He instantly released his mental senses, sweeping through the villa.
"Strange. Nothing."
After checking the entire place, Blaine found nothing unusual. Not even insects. He even checked the trash cans—still nothing.
Just as he was about to search again, the tracking crane finally moved. Seeing it fly off, Blaine let out a breath. It probably just couldn't locate Cross earlier and stopped on the roof for a moment. At least, that's what Blaine told himself.
The crane led him across Queens, then Virginia, then Idaho. Finally, it reached a building. And when Blaine saw the huge Cross Technologies logo, he took a deep breath.
Not too far. Not too late. Even if it took forever…
But unlike before, the crane didn't fly in a straight, unimpeded line. Instead, the journey was rough and erratic. The crane kept stopping midair, circling trees, looping in front of random buildings.
It was acting like an ordinary migratory bird on a sightseeing trip. Or maybe Cross—Ant-Man's successor—counted as a "small creature," making the origami crane struggle to follow him.
Fortunately, Blaine held back the urge to curse and patiently followed until he arrived.
He released the connection, letting the paper crane dissolve like a bubble. Only then did he realize it was already 5:30 at night. It had taken from morning till evening—probably a new record for his longest tracking time.
"Damn it. I really need to upgrade my soul-tracking technique. This pace is ridiculous."
Since it was already late, Blaine grabbed a meal. Even if it was urgent, not 'right-now' urgent. And with the hamburger Tony gave him earlier, he still wasn't hungry. Fast food fills fast—and empties fast.
By the time Blaine finished eating, it was half past eleven. From there, it took him two minutes—without rushing—to reach Cross Technologies.
Standing before the building, Blaine suddenly felt small. Not in size. Not in power.
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