Ch: 11-20
Chapter 11: Karl vs. Winter Soldier!
Standing at the door, Crossbones Rumlow's eyes twitched at the words. Suppressing the urge to punch Karl, he said with a fake smile,
"Young Master, the Officer is calling you home, right now!"
Seeing it was Rumlow, Karl finally remembered that Pierce had asked him to go back last night for a few drinks and to introduce the Winter Soldier to him.
Damn it, he let his hormones get the better of him and completely forgot, stood up his godfather... But even so, Karl didn't regret it in the slightest.
A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. He had been chasing this woman for eight years; what was wrong with standing up his godfather once?
He believed his godfather would surely understand him~
Karl looked back into the room at Hill, who seemed to have fallen back into a deep sleep, and said to Rumlow, "Give me a minute."
With that, Karl slammed the door shut with a bang.
Dressing, washing up, and a goodbye kiss—it was all done in one smooth motion. In less than a minute, Karl opened the door again.
"Let's go, Rumlow."
Karl said, closing the door and taking the lead toward the end of the hallway.
Rumlow followed half a step behind him.
Once Karl disappeared from the corridor, the door that had just closed opened again, and Hill walked out of the room, fully dressed.
She glanced in the direction Karl had left and headed toward the elevator at the other end of the hallway.
She had to go to work too. Yesterday's emotions were fine, but now that her desires were spent and she was clear-headed, leaving with Karl would be a bit awkward... But what she didn't know was that Karland Rumlow hadn't taken the elevator at all.
At the corner of the corridor, the two of them simply vanished into the shadows.
This was, of course, Karl's Shadow Meld ability.
Moving through the Shadow Dimension didn't just allow him to move himself; he could take others with him as well.
However, there was a range limit. With his current ability, he could only move freely within a range of about one thousand meters.
After that, he had to exit the shadow and enter it again to continue moving.
But a thousand meters of free shadow movement was actually already very strong.
After all, this was equivalent to a Flying Thunder God technique with no cooldown~
Reappearing, Karl and Rumlow were already sitting in Rumlow's car.
Rumlow wasn't surprised; he shifted gears and hit the gas in one efficient motion!
The black Chevrolet SUV sped out of the hotel's underground parking lot.
Half an hour later, Rumlow drove the car into the yard of a detached Villa.
After Karl got out of the car, he ignored Rumlow and walked into the Villa alone.
In the living room of the Villa, Alexander Pierce was currently taking a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator. Without looking back, he asked:
"Want some milk? To replenish the high protein you lost last night~"
Karl sat down unceremoniously on a chair at the dining table and smiled. "Of course. It would be even better if there were two French-style fried eggs to go with it~"
Pierce shook his head slightly and walked over with the milk. "You brat, you stood me up and you're still so demanding..."
Even as he said this, he still poured a full glass of milk for Karl and cracked two eggs into a bowl.
Karl drained the full glass of milk in one gulp. While pouring himself another, he laughed:
"That's only because I have my godfather's indulgence, which is why I'm so fearless~"
While frying the eggs, Pierce glanced back at Karl and said calmly, "It's not indulgence; it's favoritism. And you are worthy of this favoritism, worthy of me investing everything..."
"Eighteen years ago, when I first saw you surrounded by shadows, I knew that you would eventually become the Master of this Dark Dimension!"
Karl raised his glass to Pierce and smiled slightly. "Not bad, you have great vision, Godfather~"
Pierce didn't continue the topic. Instead, while frying the eggs, he said, "By the way, your father called yesterday to ask about the attack on you..."
"I told him about the russian guys. He's furious. I expect he'll be going to total war with the russian guys very soon..."
"But you don't need to worry. Focus on the mission I gave you. I'll send people to help your father wipe out those russian guys."
Hearing this, Karl just nodded indifferently.
He wasn't worried about it at all to begin with.
He had already expected that Kingpin would go to total war with the russian guys after finding out he was attacked.
Never mind having the support of HYDRA; even without it, Kingpin could wipe out the russian guys if he was willing to pay a small price.
Now with HYDRA's help, he probably wouldn't even suffer much loss and could take the opportunity to annex the russian guys' territory and business—a huge piece of the pie~
"The French fried eggs you wanted. Eat up. Once you're done, you need to get ready to hit the road. You two need to scout the mission location in advance."
Pierce placed the plate in front of Karl and sat down as well.
Karl didn't stand on ceremony. There was no need to act elegant in front of his godfather; he finished the two fried eggs in a few bites.
Wiping his mouth, Karl looked up at a corner shrouded in shadows and said leisurely, "Well, isn't that handsome guy hiding in the shadows going to come join us for a bite?"
"If you don't eat, then what drives you and your mechanical arm? Gasoline or electricity?"
Ka——————
A figure in the corner stood up at the sound and slowly walked out of the shadowy corner.
Medium-length brownish-black hair, a chilling silver metal arm, eyes cold to the bone, and that pitch-black combat suit... It's him, it's him, it's really him, our Winter Soldier, Bucky-san!
Karl stood up, looking at the Winter Soldier with an interested gaze, and asked Pierce an enigmatic question: "May I?"
Pierce, who had practically raised Karl, naturally knew what his godson was thinking. He didn't answer, but simply made a 'please' gesture.
Seeing this, Karl took off his jacket and tossed it onto the chair, revealing his muscular upper body covered only by a black tank top.
He pulled a black dagger from his thigh, gave it a flourish, and without a word, charged toward the Winter Soldier with a reverse grip!
His speed was so fast that he crossed the ten-meter distance in the blink of an eye, thrusting the blade without hesitation toward the Winter Soldier's only exposed eye!
Clang————
But the blade didn't actually Pierce the Winter Soldier's eye socket; it was blocked by his silver metal arm.
However, it was merely blocked. The Winter Soldier's gaze remained indifferent, showing no intention of counterattacking.
"Defeat him with all your strength, Winter Soldier!"
Just then, the seated Pierce spoke and issued the command.
Upon hearing the words, the Winter Soldier seemed as if a program had been activated. His eyes instantly became sharp, and the iron arm blocking the dagger exerted force, actually crushing the alloy dagger into pieces!
Chapter 12: Karl's Complete Victory, Pierce Paves the Way for Karl!
Immediately, a rapid front kick struck Karl's abdomen!
With the Winter Soldier's strength, which was not inferior to Captain America's, a single kick measured in tons would have likely caused an ordinary person's bowels to explode!
But Karl only slid back a short distance, rubbed his abs, and looked as if nothing had happened!
One must realize that Karl was different from Captain America and the Winter Soldier; he had never been injected with any version of the super soldier serum!
Karl casually tossed aside the dagger, which now had nothing left but the hilt, and grinned.
"Hey, now this is getting interesting. So far, you're the first guy besides my father to pique my interest in terms of strength!"
Of course, that idiot Rhino didn't count; Karl didn't even have the interest to deal with that guy personally.
Karl pulled a new dagger from his other thigh and rushed toward the Winter Soldier!
The Winter Soldier also quickly drew a dagger from his combat pants and charged at Karl!
Both possessed both speed and power, and their clash could only be described as occurring in the blink of an eye!
From Pierce's perspective as an ordinary human, he could only see two blurry shadows constantly intersecting, while the air was filled with the clanging sounds of metal colliding!
In terms of strength and speed, Karl, who inherited Kingpin's terrifying physical talent, was even slightly superior to the Winter Soldier!
However, because the Winter Soldier had maxed out his combat skills and had decades of accumulated assassination experience—combined with his terrifyingly powerful mechanical arm—he compensated well for the slight gap in strength and speed compared to Karl!
So, although Karl was stronger and faster, the gap in technique meant he couldn't gain an advantage; several times, he was even nearly wounded by the Winter Soldier's dagger!
It stands to reason that if he hadn't been performing assassinations for HYDRA for a while now, he would have already been successfully killed by the Winter Soldier's counterattack!
Indeed, besides strength, combat techniques and experience were also very important!
Karl was well aware of this, but after all, the difference in time the two had spent as killers was significant.
The Winter Soldier's assassination resume was more than ten times that of Karl's; it wasn't something Karl could surpass immediately just by saying so.
After blocking another dagger aimed at his neck and using the force to leap backward a certain distance, Karl pointed his dagger at the Winter Soldier and praised him.
"Impressive. I have to admit, in terms of combat skills, you are the strongest person I've encountered so far. Even my murderous old man isn't as formidable as a human killing machine like you!"
"However, be careful next, because I'm going to get serious now."
One must remember that Karl's greatest strength had never been power or physical techniques, but rather his omnipresent shadow abilities!
Karl lunged forward, and seeing this, the Winter Soldier instinctively took a defensive stance!
But in the next moment, the charging Karl suddenly vanished into thin air, and a bone-chilling coldness came from behind the Winter Soldier!
The Winter Soldier always trusted his intuition, and his metal left arm immediately swung back to block his heart!
Clang!
With the crisp sound of metal clashing, the Winter Soldier's intuition saved his life!
His metal left arm barely blocked Karl, who had emerged halfway from the shadow behind him and was stabbing toward his heart!
With the strike failing, Karl immediately delved into the Winter Soldier's shadow again. When he reappeared, he was already in the shadows of the ceiling!
Karl shot down from above like an arrow toward the Winter Soldier!
And the speed of that descent was startlingly fast, as if Karl really were a bolt fired from a crossbow!
Even though the Winter Soldier instinctively blocked it, he was still sent flying by Karl's downward slash, crashing hard against the wall!
This naturally wasn't because Karl's jumping ability was truly that amazing, but because within the Shadow Dimension, there were two specialized Pincer Shadows that had launched him!
The strength of the Pincer Shadows went without saying; those large pincers could even hold back the Rhino. One could imagine the power when used as a'slingshot'!
Next, Karl shot out from various shadow corners in the living room, continuously attacking the Winter Soldier!
The unpredictable nature of shadow traversal, combined with the explosive force of the Pincer Shadows' launches, left the Winter Soldier only able to passively take hits, completely unable to fight back!
Eventually, the Winter Soldier couldn't even touch the ground, subjected to an infinite aerial combo by Karl, who flew out from various shadow corners!
"Alright, stop. Playtime is about over."
It wasn't until Pierce turned on all the lights in the hall and called for a stop that Karl reluctantly ended his combo. He emerged from Pierce's shadow and sat leisurely in a chair, draining the remaining milk on the table!
Thump!
Without Karl's combo, the Winter Soldier fell to the floor and silently climbed back up. Ignoring his injuries, he stood frozen in place like a cold statue, obeying orders.
Pierce didn't care about the Winter Soldier's injuries either. In his eyes, the Winter Soldier was merely a weapon, incomparable to Karl, his chosen successor.
Pierce patted Karl's shoulder with satisfaction and praised him.
"Not bad. Compared to last time, your use of your abilities has become even more proficient. I've also watched the combat footage of you dealing with those russian guys; it was clean and efficient. Very well done!"
Using 'not bad' or 'well done' multiple times showed just how satisfied Pierce was with Karl's performance!
Karl smiled indifferently. "Isn't that thanks to the hundred or so assassination missions Godfatherassigned me during the three months of summer vacation?"
"If I didn't make even a little progress, wouldn't I be wasting the 'tempering' Godfather specifically arranged for me?"
In three months, a hundred missions had allowed Karl to experience assassinations under all sorts of circumstances.
Whether it was making people 'open-minded,' 'broad-chested,' 'losing an ear,' or 'bursting with rage'...
These various assassination operations allowed Karl's skills to reach a height in three months that ordinary people couldn't achieve in years, or even over a decade!
This was also why Gwen had complained about him sleeping for an entire week during the first week of the new semester.
Because of the non-stop operations for three consecutive months, his daily rest was less than four hours. Sometimes, while waiting for a target to appear, he had no rest time at all. Naturally, Karl, who hadn't rested well in three months, had to catch up on sleep... "I know the hard work you've put in these three months..."
Pierce massaged Karl's shoulders and said with a faint smile, "But trust your Godfather; the effort you're making now is an investment in your own future. It is absolutely worth it."
"Every contribution you make to HYDRA will become the merit that allows you to control HYDRA when you sit in my position in the future!"
This truly wasn't Pierce trying to fool Karl.
For every politician Karl had eliminated in those hundred-odd missions, Pierce had arranged for his own people to take their place.
This was one of the ways he was paving the road for Karl's future; these would become Karl's bargaining chips!
Chapter 13 – Mission Begins: Natasha Under Attack!
Karl glanced back at Pierce with a grin. "I've never doubted that for a second."
The 'father and son' exchanged a smile; everything was understood without a word.
Pierce finally gave Karl's shoulder a light pat and said coolly:
"All right, move out. The sooner you leave, the sooner you're back. Remember, Natasha can live, but that Nuclear Engineer has to die—and bring me the engineer's 'souvenir'."
"Relax, I've got this." Karl winked, stood up, and strode out of the Villa first.
Pierce turned to the Winter Soldier, who was lagging behind, and said coldly:
"The real priority this mission isn't the assassination—it's keeping Karl Fisk alive, even if it costs you your life."
The Winter Soldier paused, gave a silent nod, and followed Karl out of the Villa.
The two climbed into Rumlow's waiting car; Rumlow pulled away at once and drove to the HYDRAbranch in Washington.
Karl and the Winter Soldier transferred to a HYDRA jet and took off for Israel.
On a normal commercial flight, Washington D.C. to Israel takes about thirteen hours.
But the HYDRA jet made the trip in under five.
Only Karl and the Winter Soldier were on this operation—no backup.
Their target location was a small town a hundred kilometers outside Jerusalem.
According to 'reliable' intel, Natasha would escort the Nuclear Engineer straight through this town.
It was the perfect spot for an ambush.
On the roof of an unremarkable apartment building, two figures in black combat gear crouched and lounged.
They were, of course, the Winter Soldier and Karl on assignment.
The Winter Soldier knelt on the roof, an unidentified sniper rifle trained on the town's only road.
Karl lay half-reclined, pulling a bag of chips from his shadow, then an ice-cold Coke. Anyone seeing him would think he was on vacation, not a hit.
"Hey, Ice-man, quit staring. According to the intel, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s convoy won't be here for half an hour. Come snack, drink, and swap some lies."
As he spoke, Karl fished another chilled cola from his shadow and tossed it at the Winter Soldier's back.
Smack—
Without looking, the Winter Soldier caught the can, set it on the roof, and glanced back coldly.
"Intel is never one-hundred percent. A top operative like Black Widow could ditch the timetable and show up early."
Karl merely shrugged; he didn't argue.
He understood the risk perfectly.
He might look relaxed, but the moment they'd arrived he'd seeded Ghost Shadow Ninja through every patch of darkness in the town.
He simply didn't need to watch the road himself—he had countless 'eyes' doing it for him.
"Huh?"
"They're here."
The crouching Winter Soldier and the lounging Karl spoke at the same instant.
One through his scope, the other through ninja eyes, they spotted a convoy of jeeps approaching.
"Range three kilometers: five vehicles—four jeeps and one armored car. Twenty-four regular troops in the jeeps. The armored car's interior is shielded, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite Agents and the target are almost certainly inside."
The Winter Soldier rattled off the data in a flat voice.
Karl sat up. "Can you punch through the armor and drop the target?"
The Winter Soldier shook his head. "S.H.I.E.L.D. armor is custom. Sniper's useless—we need to flush them out."
"Fine, leave it to me."
Karl flicked his empty bottle aside, brushed his face, and a crimson, snarling demon mask snapped into place.
It wasn't so much a mask as a second skin fused to his face.
Red visage, red eyes, fangs, gold horns, jade-green hair—Karl's first Shadow tattoo: the Ninjá mask that summons the Ghost Shadow Ninja.
Normally he could summon the Shadow Legion without wearing it, but during missions the mask hid his identity perfectly.
Now his voice, hair, and eye color were all altered; no one could recognize him.
"Tin-arm Astro Boy, stop the first and last vehicles. I'll pry the little spider out of that tin can."
His voice, now dark and magnetic, vanished as he sank into his own shadow.
The Winter Soldier sighted on the lead driver and murmured, "I still prefer Winter Soldier to Astro Boy…"
Phutt—phutt—
Two muted shots rang out. Inside two-kilometer range, the drivers of the first and last jeeps dropped, head-shot.
Both vehicles slewed—front jeep rammed a wall, rear one slammed the jeep ahead.
The sudden blockade forced the whole convoy to halt.
As the Winter Soldier predicted, Natasha and the Nuclear Engineer were inside the lone armored car.
Natasha swore under her breath: "Suka! We moved up our departure thirty minutes and still got hit."
She glanced through the reinforced window, saw soldiers falling to sniper fire, and knew they couldn't stay—this was a planned ambush.
She rapped on the armored partition. "Hey Max, forget them—we're taking the emergency route!"
But the driver didn't respond; the vehicle stayed put.
"Max?"
She leveled her pistol at the partition, ready to force it open.
Before she could, the partition slid aside on its own.
"Agent Romanoff, I'm afraid Max can't hear you anymore. Why don't you give me the emergency route—so I can personally deliver you to your grave?"
A red demon face grinned through the glass, and Natasha instinctively stepped back, eyes widening in shock.
Chapter 14 – Karl vs. Black Widow (Part 1)
The Nuclear Engineer hugged a metal case to his chest, shrieking in terror as he scrambled backward.
If Natasha hadn't grabbed him, the man would already have leapt from the vehicle.
'Stay calm! This armored car is built like a bunker—as long as we stay inside, we're safe.'
While soothing the panic-stricken Nuclear Engineer, Natasha fought the urge to fire at the grinning mask ahead.
Even though the armored partition between her and the driver was gone, the bullet-proof glass remained; a rash shot could ricochet and kill both her and the man she was protecting.
Natasha drew a steady breath, lined her sights on the masked Karl, flicked a glance at the two motionless colleagues in the front seats, and snapped:
'Who are you and who's paying you? I'm an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., authorized for top-level negotiations. Whoever sent you to kill him, I'll double the price—and S.H.I.E.L.D. will owe you a favor.'
Karl answered the veiled threat—and the bribe—with a contemptuous smirk.
'Tsk, Agent Romanoff. Been an Agent so long you forgot you were once a Red Room killer—a Black Widow? You know our code.'
'Take a better offer and betray the client? My reputation would be shot, and contracts would dry up. Besides…'
His mask flexed like real skin, curling into a wide, wicked grin. 'My target isn't him. It's you, poisonous spider.'
The instant the words left Karl's mouth, he vanished from Natasha's sight.
Startled, Natasha let female instinct whip her elbow backward.
Crack—
The elbow connected, but she'd underestimated the strength gap.
A powerful palm caught the strike effortlessly, locking her arm immobile.
'Ooh, a Black-Mamba elbow. Bet you love basketball in your spare time.'
Karl kept the banter flowing while restraining her elbow.
She didn't reply; her free hand snapped up to put two bullets through his skull at point-blank range.
Before she could squeeze the trigger, a flash of silver sliced the pistol's front half clean off.
'A biting spider can still choke on its own fangs.'
Still grinning, Karl rammed the dagger he'd used into her abdomen with lightning speed.
'Oops—there goes your bikini body.'
'You bastard!' The stab and the taunt snapped her control.
She triggered the Widow's Bite in both gauntlets, zapping the hand on her elbow, then smashed a kick toward Karl's groin.
Even Superman would flinch from that shot; a mere mortal ducked in a bow, barely dodging. 'Hey, little spider—no low blows. Basic rules.'
'Those rules are for decent people, not scum like you.' Furious, Natasha ignored every code.
The groin strike was only a feint.
As Karl dodged, she clamped his head and executed her signature 'rod-to-tree' move.
Like a viper she coiled up his torso, legs wrapping his neck, crackling blue gauntlets racing for his temples.
Karl enjoyed foot massages, not electroshock, so he shot both arms up to block the sparking hands.
Glancing at the thighs strangling his neck, Karl leaned back and quipped:
'Whoa, Master Bao, any closer and we'll be lip-to-lip. I can already smell dinner.'
The failed zap didn't disappoint her—she smirked.
'Creep, hope your neck's as tough as your mouth. Both your hands are busy—what's going to stop me from snapping your neck?'
Her thighs clamped harder, python coils crushing his throat.
An ordinary man would black out in seconds, maybe die.
But Karl?
Son of Kingpin.
His neck was forged steel; squeezing it felt like gripping an iron post.
Natasha's strength couldn't even make him dizzy, let alone break bone.
'Little spider, if you want to play so badly, let's get a bigger room.'
Still relaxed, he locked her wrists, used her as a cushion, and dropped backward.
Not good.
Natasha tried to twist free, but his iron grip held; she braced for impact.
Darkness flashed, followed by a moment of weightlessness—then soft fabric, not pain.
Yet she couldn't move.
Why?
Because a 220-pound man was pinning her down.
The impact drove the dagger fully into her abdomen; her face went white.
Even the Red Room's super-soldier serum couldn't dull that agony; she fought for breath.
When Karl casually stood up, Natasha found herself no longer in the armored van but on a king-size bed in an unfamiliar room.
Exactly the 'bigger room' he'd promised.
In all her years, she'd never encountered anything so surreal.
She had no idea how he'd transported her here.
Training overrode shock; she rolled off the bed, clutching her bleeding side, and fired electric disks from her Widow's Bite.
Each disk could drop a grown man.
Karl strolled through the hail, casually sidestepping every shot while closing in.
'Oh, shock eggs? Kinky. Looks like our little spider has a wild side.'
Chapter 15 – Karl vs. Black Widow (Part 2)
Natasha clenched her teeth, backing toward the door while spitting venom: "Hah, if you like them so much, I'll gladly shove them into every hole you've got and make you scream for more."
"Do all spiders love to run their mouths? I admire your hobby of stuffing things into people, but I really don't like what you just said—so you'll have to suffer for it~"
Karl shrugged. His casual stroll snapped into a blur; a single feint and he closed the gap, rearing up to smash a high kick into Natasha's skull.
Crack——
Boom——
Natasha's sixth sense saved her life again; she crossed both forearms over her head before the boot landed.
Her arms weren't so lucky—the bones of her forearms, along with her signature weapons the Widow's Stingers, were shattered outright by Karl's crushing kick.
The impact hurled her backward, slamming her into the iron door and denting it; her broken arms dangled uselessly.Pinned to the metal, bleeding from the gut, arms ruined, body feeling ready to fall apart, Natasha knew she'd lost completely.
All the skills she'd honed through a lifetime were useless before absolute power.Gritting her teeth, she lifted her head and blood spilled from her lips—her insides had taken a beating too.
Eyes dull, she watched Karl walk toward her and whispered:
"Before you kill me, at least tell me who you are…"
"Easy, easy~" Karl's grinning mask loomed inches from her bloodless face. He slipped an arm around her waist and yanked her off the door, ignoring the fresh agony it caused.
Hooking her waist with one arm, he breezed to the window and forced her to look down at the street, chuckling:
"Heh, little widow, if you're dying today I don't mind letting you die enlightened~"
"But sorry, it's not your day; someone else is going to die, so you'll miss the jaw-dropping sight of my handsome face."
"Now, let's watch your stand-in pay the price~"
A chill ran through Natasha. She glanced down and saw the convoy she'd been escorting—more than half the soldiers already dead.
Through her fading vision a black figure with a rifle emerged from the far end of the street.
It was the Winter Soldier, the sniper who'd been picking them off moments ago.
After emptying his rifle and cutting down most of the guards, the Winter Soldier stepped in personally.
Without a word he fired a grenade that flipped the lead jeep and vaporized two soldiers using it for cover.
With Natasha gone, the convoy faced a one-sided massacre.
These soldiers couldn't last a single exchange; in moments every jeep except the armored transport was blown sky-high.
The Winter Soldier strode straight for the APC, not even bothering to dodge; the occasional bullet that came his way was slapped aside by his metal arm.
So effortlessly it felt as if he weren't fighting enemies, merely swatting bugs.
When it came to sheer intimidation, nothing beat the Winter Soldier in his prime—every step radiated menace.
And it wasn't for show; it was psychological warfare,targeted pressure on his objective.
Sure enough, watching the Winter Soldier blow up a vehicle with every step like a reaper harvesting soldiers, the Nuclear Engineer inside the APC forgot Natasha's strict order that the armor was impregnable and he must never leave.
Panicking, he dropped his case, popped the rear hatch, and bolted for the buildings lining the street—a terrified, mindless dash.
To Karl, the Winter Soldier, and even Natasha it was suicidal idiocy.
But for a terror-stricken civilian it was perfectly understandable.
Fear strips away judgment.
Natasha's broken fingers twitched, instinctively groping for a pistol to stop the Winter Soldier as he raised his weapon at the engineer.
But Karl pinned the struggling widow to the windowsill, pressing his full weight against her from behind.
He trapped both her shattered wrists in one hand, lifting them above her head until her feet left the floor, while a single fingertip pressed against the knife hilt buried in her gut.
"Aaaaargh—"
The white-hot pain drenched her in cold sweat; every ounce of strength burned away in an instant.
As he rocked the embedded knife handle back and forth, Karl rested his chin on her shoulder and murmured:
"Such an ungrateful spider. My orders say not to kill you, but they don't say I can't break a few legs. Want to see what happens if you really piss me off?"
Natasha's body trembled; she hung her head, silent—whether from agony or terror…Bang——
A gunshot cracked below; the fleeing Nuclear Engineer collapsed, a bullet through his brain.
Natasha's escort mission had failed.
And with it, Karl and the Winter Soldier's objective was complete.
After putting two more rounds into the engineer's chest, Karl finally stepped away and tossed Natashaonto the big bed.
"Little widow, until your rescue arrives I'd leave that dagger in your gut—pull it out and you're really dead."
"I'm letting you live this time; that scar and blade are my souvenirs for you."
With a casual wave to the battered Natasha, Karl sank into the shadow at his feet and vanished.
Staring at the spot where he'd disappeared, Natasha burned with rage and hatred, snarling like a wounded Beast:
"Damn you—damn you! I'll find you, I swear I'll make you pay for today!"
Classic last words—then her vision blacked out and she slipped into unconsciousness…
Chapter 16: Stepmother Vanessa, the Missing Tony Stark!
Karl reappeared on the street, right beside the Winter Soldier.
He was holding a black case, the very one the Nuclear Engineer had left in the armored vehicle while fleeing.
This was HYDRA's true target this time: the manufacturing method for a new type of Neutron Bomb!
"Got the goods, let's bounce~"
Karl placed a hand on the Winter Soldier's shoulder and slipped away silently before the Military could arrive.
After dozens of shifts using Shadow Meld, Karl had already taken the Winter Soldier dozens of kilometers away from the town.
A plane from the HYDRA Israel branch was waiting there to pick them up, and Karl and the Winter Soldier flew directly to the branch headquarters.
With the death of a national-treasure-level Nuclear Engineer, the Israeli Military would naturally lock down the country for a period and strictly investigate the killer.
So Karl and the Winter Soldier were in no hurry to return. They rested at the branch office, intending to wait for the heat to die down before leaving.
As for Karl's school, Pierce had already made arrangements for him.
He would be participating in an important internship at the United Nations all week; no one would suspect a thing~
To be honest, though, Israel is a Middle Eastern country constantly at war—there's really nothing fun to do.
After a week, Karl was bored out of his mind!
If it weren't for the Winter Soldier accompanying him every day to train in combat techniques, he probably would have snuck out of this boring branch long ago.
[Ring ring... Ring ring...]
The piercing sound of a phone ringing echoed. Karl caught the Winter Soldier's incoming metal arm with one hand and slammed him against the wall with a fierce shoulder throw!
"Pause! A call's coming in. Let's call it a day, brother~"
Karl gave a cunning smile, signaled a halt to their sparring session, and walked toward his satellite phone, which was ringing incessantly.
The Winter Soldier, whose turn it should have been to attack, silently climbed up from the ground. He didn't speak, just kept staring at Karl.
He kept staring... Although the Winter Soldier remained expressionless, he gave off the vibe of someone with a very hard life~
But Karl didn't care about the Winter Soldier's 'pitiful stray kitten' mood. He glanced at the satellite phone displaying 'Dad' and picked it up:
"Moshi moshi~"
Kingpin was silent for a moment on the other end before his deep, thick voice came through: "My dear son, I recall your godfather saying you were on a mission in Israel, not Japan?"
Karl leaned against the table, picked up a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and laughed:
"I am in Israel, that's right. But as you probably know, this godforsaken place is so boring it rivals my grandmother's house. So, I've had to learn some 'Japanese' over the last few days to kill the time~~"
In response to Karl's words, the other end of the satellite phone went silent again for a few seconds.
But when it rang again, it wasn't Kingpin who answered, but a gentle female voice:
"I hope you're learning proper Japanese, my baby Karl~"
Hearing that gentle voice, Karl raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing on his face: "Aunt Vanessa~"
This voice belonged to Kingpin's current wife and Karl's stepmother, Vanessa Fisk!
As for Karl's biological Chinese mother, she had died of complications during childbirth after having him... "Well, it seems you still haven't fully accepted me, and you're not even willing to call me mother..."
On the other end of the phone, Vanessa's voice sounded feignedly dejected.
"Oh, Vanessa, you're really wronging me there. The only reason I don't call you mother is simply because I can't bring myself to say the word 'mother' to such a young and beautiful lady~"
"Honestly, if our family were walking down the street and I didn't say you were my stepmother, people would definitely think you and I were a couple. My old man is totally robbing the cradle, okay?~"
Karl didn't fall for the playing-pitiful act. Instead, a few words had Vanessa giggling on the other end; she clearly enjoyed Karl's flattery~
After laughing, Vanessa's voice came through with a teasing tone:
"Your tongue is much sweeter than your father's. If you had been an adult when I met him, I don't think I would have even looked at him; I would have fallen for your sweet talk instead~"
Facing Vanessa's teasing, Karl teased back:
"It's truly your lucky day that you didn't meet the current me, Vanessa~"
"After all, I didn't inherit my father's devoted nature. If you had met me back then, I think you'd be living in tears every day now~"
Hearing this, Vanessa sighed: "Sigh, I suppose that's your only flaw. But since you're our child, we'll always love you no matter what. Come home soon, Karl..."
Karl replied: "I love you guys too, Aunt Vanessa~"
Regarding Vanessa, although she was his stepmother, Karl didn't actually feel any resentment toward her; in fact, he quite liked her.
Because Vanessa was gentle, intellectual, elegant, and tolerant—she possessed all the excellent qualities of a mother and treated him as sincerely as if he were her own biological child.
The reason Karl was unwilling to call her mother was, as he had explained, because as someone who had lived two lives, he really couldn't call a woman only a dozen years older than him 'mother'~
After all, Karl's combined age from both lives was greater than Vanessa's~
"Alright, I know you and your father still have business to discuss, so I won't take up any more of your time. But remember, come home soon, baby~"
Vanessa gave one last reminder and handed the phone back to Kingpin.
Facing Kingpin, Karl didn't waste words and asked directly: "Dad, let's have it. Why are you looking for me at this time?"
Usually, while Karl was on a HYDRA mission, Kingpin wouldn't call him. Every time he did, it was bound to be something very important.
Kingpin wasn't one to beat around the bush either, getting straight to the point: "Didn't you ask me to keep an eye on the CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark, this year, and notify you immediately if he went missing?"
"Just as you expected, news broke this morning that Tony Stark was attacked by Terrorists while showcasing a new product in Afghanistan, and his whereabouts are unknown!"
"That's why I contacted you urgently while you're on the mission your godfather gave you!"
Hearing Kingpin's words, Karl immediately straightened up, his expression becoming excited. He asked: "Great, that little mustache has finally gone missing. Have you prepared the capital reserves I asked you to?"
"Of course. I've always fully supported your decisions. I don't know why, but since the beginning of the year, I've been mobilizing all the liquid capital I can. It's ready for use at any time!"
Chapter 17: The Wealth Accumulation Plan, Making a Fortune off Stark!
Listening to Kingpin's words of unreserved trust, Karl's expression softened.
To other Superheroes, Kingpin might be a wicked, hypocritical crime lord, but when it comes to his own people—especially family—he is truly beyond reproach!
With just a single word from Karl, Kingpin didn't even ask a question; he spent half a year raising every bit of capital he could for him!
It was precisely because of Kingpin's unreserved love for him that Karl, living his second life, was willing to recognize this 'villain' as his father.
In Karl's view, black or white didn't matter; whoever treated you well was what was real. What did good and evil matter?
After thinking for a moment, Karl asked again, "Did the news say exactly how long Tony Stark has been missing? And what about Stark Industries' market value?"
"The reports don't mention the specific time of his disappearance, but as soon as I heard the news, I immediately sent people to Stark Industries for a secret investigation. According to internal sources, Tony Stark didn't actually go missing recently; he's been gone for two months already."
"It's just that Stark Industries' second-in-command, Obadiah Stane, used the company's PR to keep the information under wraps. It only leaked out this morning."
"As for Stark Industries' market value, ha! Its glory ultimately relies on the genius minds of every generation of the Stark family. Once the reports of Tony Stark's disappearance and unknown status came out, the market value plummeted. In just five hours, it has already dropped by 20 percent!"
"If Tony Stark isn't found, I estimate Stark Industries' market value will be cut in half at the very least. Not to mention those arms buyers who only care about the Stark name; I reckon Stark Industries is finished this time!"
Hiss——
Hearing Kingpin's words, Karl couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air!
He knew Tony's disappearance would affect Stark Industries, but he didn't expect the impact to be so massive that it could lead directly to the company's collapse!
Did Obadiah, the instigator, not consider this point?
Or was he truly so insane to seize Stark Industries?
Or perhaps Obadiah had some mysterious backup plan to keep Stark Industries minting gold for him even after losing a 'treasure boy' like Tony?
But regardless of the answer, it had nothing to do with Karl; right now, he just wanted to make a massive fortune from it!
A smile played on the corner of Karl's mouth. "Dad, from now on, go all out to acquire the dumped shares of Stark Industries. Buy as many as you can. If the money isn't enough, borrow from my Godfather!"
"But remember, you must not let even a tiny fraction of Stark Industries' circulating shares slip away!"
The other end of the line was silent for two seconds before Kingpin's voice came through again: "Understood. I will begin acquiring all dumped shares of Stark Industries immediately."
Hearing this, Karl's smile widened. "Aren't you going to ask why I'm investing all our family's money into a company like Stark Industries that could go bankrupt at any moment?"
Kingpin's voice was filled with indulgence and trust for Karl as he laughed:
"There's nothing to ask. This money, including everything I've built, is yours. How you want to squander it is your business. I only need to support you silently from behind, my son!"
"Oh, I'm truly touched, Dad~"
"But rest assured, I'm a real money-grubber. I won't let a single cent go to waste. Every penny I invest will definitely return to us a hundredfold, a thousandfold, or even ten thousandfold in the future!"
With a burning gaze, Karl stood up, ready to make his move!
All for the Dollars!
But before that, Karl suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Dad, has anyone posted a bounty mission to find or rescue Tony Stark today?"
On the other end, Kingpin thought for a moment and then immediately said:
"Actually, there is. Someone posted a high-value bounty of exactly ten million Dollars to 'find and rescue Tony Stark' across various mercenary organizations and even the underground forces under my command. Let me think... the person who posted it, her name is..."
"Right, her name is Pepper Potts. I recall from the investigation that she is Tony Stark's personal assistant. The news of Tony Stark's disappearance leaked this morning seemingly because she secretly posted the bounty for the Stark mission among the underground forces..."
So it was Pepper~
Karl nodded, as expected.
Tony Stark was a cocky and arrogant guy; he didn't have many true friends in his life.
When he went missing, aside from that group of parasites in the company who feared they wouldn't be able to make gold if he died...
It was likely only Pepper, Rhodes, and the 'director' Happy who truly cared whether Tony lived or died~
Presumably, seeing that Tony had been missing for two months and the company was doing nothing, Pepper had no choice but to seek help from the underground forces out of desperation~
Karl's thoughts flashed by as he continued:
"Dad, help me take on this mission as well. Even a mosquito's leg is meat. Ten million isn't much, but it's just enough to give us a little bit of a recovery~"
As someone who controlled the underground World, Kingpin's intelligence went without saying. Once Karl said this, he already guessed what Karl was planning to do:
"Are you planning to go and rescue Tony Stark yourself?"
Karl didn't deny it but admitted it openly: "That's right. I'll bring that guy back. As long as he returns, the money we've invested will grow exponentially!"
"And I happen to be lying low in the Middle East right now anyway. Since I'm free, rescuing him is just a convenient task~"
"I see..." Kingpin realized, understanding how his son intended to make money.
To put it simply, it was to profit from the price difference.
Tony Stark was currently missing, the stock price had plummeted, and the scattered shares being dumped would naturally be at a very low price.
Once Tony Stark returned, the Stark Industries shares centered around him would definitely soar, allowing them to make a fortune!
While it might not be as exaggerated as the hundredfold, thousandfold, or ten thousandfold returns Karl mentioned, they could indeed easily earn back several times their principal!
Thus, Kingpin couldn't help but smile and asked one last question:
"But my intelligence shows that even those inside Stark Industries don't know if Tony Stark is currently dead or alive, or which terrorist force in Afghanistan kidnapped him. Are you sure you can find him?"
Facing Kingpin's doubt, Karl gave a confident smile. "Did you forget, Dad? Before that guy Stark even went missing, I already knew he would. Naturally, I also know which force kidnapped him~"
Chapter 18 – Tony's Escape Plan: the Mark I!
Hearing this, Kingpin asked no more questions, nor did he ask Karl how he knew; he simply reminded him:
"Good. As long as you have a plan, let me know if you need anything. I still have a few contacts in the Middle East."
"OJBK~"
After a bit more small talk, Karl hung up.
International calls are expensive, after all!
Just kidding~
Snap~
Karl snapped his fingers and beckoned to the Winter Soldier, who had been staring at him from the corner.
The Winter Soldier walked over at once.
"Soldier, tell the branch to locate a terrorist group called the Ten Rings Gang in Afghanistan. As soon as they find them, get me the file."
At Karl's order, the Winter Soldier turned and left the training room without a word.
Karl meanwhile chatted with Gwen over the satellite phone, as usual.
Naturally, the signal was rerouted before reaching Gwen's cell.
If Gwen tried to trace the call, she'd only see it coming from Washington, D.C.
After a while Gwen went to class, and Karl took a shower.
HYDRA's efficiency had always been stellar; by the time Karl finished rinsing off, the Winter Soldierwas already waiting outside the bathroom with the file.
Karl opened the door stark naked, unbothered, and wrapped a towel around his "baby arm" right in front of the Winter Soldier.
He then took the file and started reading.
It was the intelligence the HYDRA branch had compiled on the Ten Rings Gang that had kidnapped Tony.
The file listed the group's exact location, manpower, leaders' names, weapons—everything.
According to the report, the gang was only "Ten Rings" in name; there was no Mandarin, no super-villain. The leaders and members were all just ordinary Terrorists.
To Karl, a Ten Rings without the Mandarin was nothing to fear.
From his current location in Israel to Afghanistan was only about three thousand kilometers—not far at all.
A few hours by plane. If he left now, Tony might be biting into a cheeseburger from home before the day was out.
But Karl had no intention of leaving yet—he would wait a few more days.
He needed to let the bullet fly a bit longer.
Stark Industries' market cap hadn't bottomed out, and there still weren't enough shares being dumped.
He would let the situation ferment until Kingpin had scooped up every share he could, then make his move.
Before that, their dear blacksmith would just have to keep swinging his hammer in the cave for a few more days.
Five days later… What goes clang-clang-clang?
Clang-clang-clang——
In an Afghan cave, a sweating Tony will tell you: every hammer strike goes clang-clang-clang!
"Tony, Tony, we're almost at their deadline. How much longer for the armor?"
Ethan, his assistant, whispered to the blacksmith Tony.
On the surface they were forging the Jericho missile the Ten Rings wanted; in secret they were building the "armor" Tony had designed for their escape—the Mark I.
Tony kept hammering, pounding scrap missile parts into shape. "Almost done~"
But Ethan didn't buy it, pushing his sweat-slick glasses up his nose in panic:
"God, Tony, you said the same thing yesterday—right before they beat us half to death. I nearly got a red-hot iron shoved in my mouth—remember?!"
Tony merely shrugged. "Sorry, I don't recall; I wasn't the one nearly mouth-blown yesterday."
Instead of getting angry, Ethan relaxed and sighed:
"After all these years you haven't changed, Tony. You stay so cool no matter what. Sometimes I really envy that…"
Seeing Ethan relax, Tony set down the hammer and patted his shoulder. "No, you're wrong, Ethan."
"I feel fear too, and I care—but I won't let fear win. I care about the people I care about, not those I don't."
"And you, Ethan, you taught me not to be beaten by fear. You're one of the people I care about most now. I said I'd get you out safely, and I will—promise."
"So stop worrying. Stick close to me and everything will be fine."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Wait—'in a bit'? Does that mean…?"
"Exactly." Tony grinned, lifting the crude steel mask he'd just finished and holding it in front of his face.
Through the mask's two rough eyeholes Ethan saw Tony's unshakeable gaze and broke into delighted shock:
"Oh my God, you actually finished it!"
"Shh—low profile. We still have the last, most critical step left." Tony put a finger to his lips, then walked to the corner, beckoning:
"Come on, Ethan. Time for the final stage of our escape plan—let's suit up."
After two months of observation they knew every blind spot in the cave's surveillance. Mask in hand, they uncovered the other hidden armor pieces and began assembling them at top speed.
They had no choice—there was no time left.
Today was the deadline the Ten Rings had given them, and if they stayed out of camera view much longer the gang would notice something was wrong.
They had to finish assembling and power up the armor before the Ten Rings came to check.
It was a deadly race against time.
While the two raced the God of Death, only a kilometer away Karl lounged against a dirt mound, burger in one hand, diet cola in the other.
"Oh, it's finally starting? Made me wait a whole day."
His eyes glowed blood-red as he shared the view of a Ghost Shadow Ninja hidden in Tony's cave.
In fact, he'd arrived in Afghanistan yesterday and located the Ten Rings' hideout.
But at the time Tony and Ethan were being beaten while the bald Ten Rings thug gave them their final ultimatum, so Karl chose not to intervene.
After all, the hero always shows up at the very last second, right?
Chapter 19 – Ethan at the Brink, Karl Steals the Show!
Of course, that wasn't the real reason.
Karl hadn't acted yesterday; instead, he'd waited a full day in the desert before making his move.
It was all about maximizing the payoff.
After all, being rescued in an ordinary way and being snatched from the jaws of death are two very different things, right?
And today was the most critical do-or-die moment for Tony and the others.
Crack——————
Karl crushed the soda can in his hand and looked down toward the cave; the 'tin can' inside was finally assembled.
Now it was time for the 'savior' to take the stage.
Inside the cave… as the last component clicked into place, Tony's first-generation Iron Man armor was complete!
My God, Tony, this is a miracle—you've created something incredible in this cave!
A heartfelt smile lit Ethan's face.
He wasn't rejoicing because the armor meant escape; he was happy he hadn't misjudged Tony—Tonydeserved to be saved, deserved everything Ethan had risked to keep him alive.
Tony's genius would change the World.
And he, Ethan, would make sure Tony lived to see it.
While Tony wasn't looking, Ethan's gaze at his back turned resolute, as though he'd reached a decision.
Boom-boom-boom!!!
Hey, jibber-jabber, clatter-clang! (What the hell are you doing? Open up!)
Rough pounding and unintelligible shouting erupted from the iron door that imprisoned Tony and Ethan, dousing their brief excitement in cold water.
Fortunately, they'd expected this and jammed a large wrench through the door handles; for the moment, the Ten Rings Gang couldn't break through the very gate that had once caged them but now served as their lifeline.
Oh God, Tony, they've found us—hurry, we have to start the armor now!
Panicking, Ethan shoved Tony toward the suit.
Tony stayed calm, but he knew every second counted and scrambled inside.
Once Ethan had strapped Tony in, he dashed to the computer and initiated the activation sequence exactly as Tony instructed.
But the instant Ethan hit the key, Terrorists outside brought in breaching gear and blew the heavy door apart.
Yet—BOOM——————
Before the Terrorists could rush in, the door exploded the moment it gave way, killing several of them on the spot.
That, too, was part of Tony and Ethan's backup plan: rig the door with explosives to stop any forced entry.
It was only a stopgap—there were plenty more Terrorists where those came from.
Ethan stared at the progress bar on the screen—only halfway loaded—and turned white.
There wasn't enough time.
Someone had to buy more.
Only one candidate existed… Ethan looked back at the armored Tony; Tony met his gaze.
Their eyes locked, and Tony instantly understood. No! Ethan, don't! Stick to the plan—stay here, wait for the armor to finish loading, and I'll get you out!
But Ethan shook his head firmly. No, Tony—this was always part of my plan. I'll stall them. You—live.
No! Come back! Ethan!!!
Ignoring Tony's hoarse roar, Ethan snatched a rifle by the door, fired into the air, and sprinted out without looking back.
Believe it or not, his reckless African-style charge scared the Terrorists at the front; they stumbled backward.
After all, they earned only a few hundred a month—why risk their lives?
But the reprieve was short. Rounding a corner, Ethan's expression froze.
Ahead, two full ranks of armed Terrorists stood and knelt, weapons leveled—one bald leader even held a Rocket launcher.
Oh… I'm done.
Ethan's mouth opened slightly, despair flooding his eyes.
Fire!
At the bald leader's command, the cave filled with strobing muzzle flashes.
Bang-bang-bang——————
Rip-rip-rip————————
Eyes closed, Ethan waited for pain that never came. Instead, amid the gunfire, he heard the slick sound of blades slicing flesh.
Wh-what's happening?!
Trembling, Ethan cracked an eye open once everything went quiet—only to see pitch-black darkness.
For a moment he thought he'd died and gone to hell.
Then the darkness moved—and turned around.
Looking up, Ethan realized the blackness was a towering, pincer-armed creature brushing the cave roof.
Aaaah—monster!!!
He shrieked in terror, more frightened than when facing the Terrorists.
A staunch materialist, Ethan found anything beyond human logic utterly terrifying.
Tsk. Dr. Ethan, you share a name with a guy who carved through zombie hordes—how can you be such a coward?
A strange voice sounded, and the 'monster' dissolved into wisps of black smoke.
In its place: a blood-soaked hellscape.
The Ten Rings soldiers who'd fired were now a heap of corpses.
Perched atop that small mountain of bodies sat a black-clad figure in a posture reminiscent of Jiahao.
Of course, only the posture—this newcomer was genuinely handsome, unlike Jiahao's affected coolness, as handsome as you readers.
Karl stepped up to the stunned Ethan and offered his hand. Dr. Ethan, hello. I'm Karl—Karl Fisk.
Ethan shook Karl's hand mechanically, stammering, H-hello, Mr. Fisk… how are you here? What was that creature? Did you kill all these men?
Karl released Ethan's ice-cold hand and shrugged. Obviously, I'm here to rescue you. And that 'creature' just took bullets for you—calling it a monster wounds its heart.
Embarrassed, Ethan scratched his head. Sorry—I shouldn't have called it a monster.
An honest one, this Ethan. Karl chuckled.
Don't take it to heart, Dr. Ethan—I'm joking. It's no monster; it's my ever-present partner.
And these fellows on the ground? They got what they deserved, didn't they?
Chapter 20 – A Meeting of Geniuses; Tony's Gratitude
"Y-yes… that's right…" Ethan leaned against the wall, still dazed by the miracle of survival.
Even though he had been ready to die for Tony, who truly wants death if they can live?
He longed to see the Sun outside the cave again, to breathe the free air beyond it. "Thank you… really, thank you for saving me!"
After narrowly escaping death, Ethan offered Karl his heartfelt thanks.
Karl gave a casual nod, accepting Ethan's gratitude.
Though the penniless Ethan's verbal thanks meant little to Karl,
saving Ethan mattered a great deal to Karl—
because that debt of gratitude would one day be repaid by someone else who would pay the price.
Speak of the devil…
"Ethan! Ethan, where are you?!"
At that moment, Tony's frantic shout echoed from deep in the cave, and a hulking figure lumbered around the corner.
It was Tony Stark in the MK1 armor.
The instant he saw Ethan unharmed, Tony exhaled in relief.
Only then did he notice Karl standing before Ethan—and the small pile of Terrorist corpses nearby.
Seeing this, Tony frowned inside the armor and focused on the stranger facing Ethan.
Clearly, this carnage wasn't the work of Ethan, who couldn't even kill a chicken; hadn't he fired his gun into the air?
Therefore, only one person could have slaughtered these Terrorists.
That man standing right in front of Ethan.
Yet Tony didn't aim the armor's flamethrower at Karl.
Without waiting for an explanation, Tony lifted his helmet and jerked his chin. "Hey, handsome, who are you? You look kind of familiar."
Tony rarely remembered men; if he did, the man had to be someone special.
Karl wasn't surprised Tony didn't recall him—this playboy only had eyes for science and women, why would he remember another man?
Or rather, if Tony had specially remembered him, Karl would have clenched up inside.
So Karl smiled without embarrassment and introduced himself again:
"Karl, Karl Fisk. We've crossed paths at a few banquets. You only chatted briefly with my father before rushing off to chase girls; we never actually spoke."
With that reminder, Tony suddenly recalled who Karl was:
"So it's you, Wilson Fisk's boy from Fisk Industries!"
Tony looked the battle-dressed Karl up and down, sensing a danger even a civilian could feel, and said meaningfully:
"The media used to tout you as the young genius most likely to surpass me, but then you vanished from the headlines. I scoffed, thinking you were second-rate hype…"
"But now I see you're no second-rater—more than just a genius."
Karl folded his arms, tone disdainful. "Genius? Is that title worth anything? Besides attracting every schemer's attention, what good is it?"
"Look at you: hailed as a genius, yet ambushed by ordinary men and nearly killed by your own weapon."
"I've always thought flaunting the 'genius' label before you can protect yourself is idiotic—like painting a target on your back, just like the old you."
Tony didn't refute Karl's barbs; they were true.
He merely curled a smile and extended his hand. "You're interesting, Karl."
"Officially: Tony, Tony Stark. I don't know why you're here, but thank you for coming to save me—and for saving Ethan. He means the world to me."
Karl shook Tony's hand, then tapped the crude metal giant and marveled:
"Gotta say, for all your flashiness, building this ugly brute in a place like this and getting it to work proves you deserve the title of genius."
Tony couldn't hide a proud grin. "Like you said, a genius who can't protect himself is just a money tree for the taking."
"In this damned cave I realized that. Once I'm out, I'll keep improving it until no one can threaten me—or my friends—ever again."
He glanced at Ethan, then at Karl.
Karl raised an eyebrow. "What, the almighty Stark's friendship bar isn't sky-high? You're calling a stranger a friend so easily?"
Tony spread his hands, grinning. "High or not, saving my life clears it—and you saved two."
"Besides, it's not just the rescue; I just like your style."
Karl stepped back warily. "Buddy, two months locked up with another guy can do weird things to a man, but I'm not gay."
Tony's mouth twitched. "Can I revoke that friendship slot?"
"Haha, too late!"
Karl's wary look melted—clearly a joke.
"Come on, as one of your few friends, I should show you something you'll definitely find interesting."
Without waiting, Karl turned and strode toward the cave mouth.
Tony and Ethan exchanged a glance and hurried after him.
Along the way they were stunned to find every Ten Rings Gang terrorist inside and outside the cave dead.
All had identical wounds—slashes that nearly severed their necks.
Most terrifying of all: no sign of a fight anywhere.
Clearly the Terrorists had been killed instantly and simultaneously—no chance to resist.
But how had he done it?
Ignoring their puzzled stares, Karl entered a tent outside the cave.
Tony and Ethan followed; inside, the Terrorists were likewise dead, only a computer screen still glowing.