Jack handed Wanda the bank card—ten billion had just landed in the account.
Wanda gently pushed the card back. "Keep it. I don't really want to do anything with that much money."
Jack teased, "Aren't you afraid I'll run off with the cash?"
"Would you?" Wanda's eyes were soft with trust.
"Of course not. Ten billion is nothing compared to you," Jack answered without hesitation.
"Then…" Wanda leaned in and licked his cheek. "What could make you abandon me?"
Most men would dodge the question and start promising the world, but Jack wasn't most men—he stuck to the facts.
He began to think, planning to stir up some drama; a romance without a bit of spice was doomed to fail.
While he pondered, Wanda's expression darkened. Just before she exploded, Jack had an idea.
Jack: (˵՞ ꇴ ՞)
"The only thing that could make me give you up…" He paused for dramatic effect: "…would be two 18-year-old versions of you."
Wanda: (◣mouth◢ꐦ)
"You actually said it! Natasha and I aren't enough—you want two of me?" Her smile was pure, filled only with the desire to kill Jack.
Ethan watched cheerfully as Jack dug his own grave. "Kid, you've got guts."
Jack: Super gutsy. (*ಡꈊಡ)
…That afternoon, Tony stepped out and activated the holo-projector.
"I found the Sokovia transaction records from over a decade ago, plus weapon-sales logs of several other shareholders."
The projection flickered with videos and photos of arms deals, explosions, and even human limbs flying through the air.
"Ugh—" ٩(≥ཀ≤˵)
Wanda and Ethan had lived in war zones for years, so they stayed calm; Tony had already seen it. Jack, a frequent visitor to Hell's Kitchen, was used to gore.
That left only the newly arrived Pepper to make the retching sound.
Pepper, unaccustomed to such sights, gagged. Tony led her out first.
A short while later, Tony returned.
"These weapons were sold without my authorization, but they did leave my company. I apologize again to you and your brother."
Tony apologized solemnly to Wanda.
Wanda ignored the apology and asked flatly, "Who sold the arms to my homeland?"
Tony flicked his fingers; several video clips lined up on the hologram.
"Obadiah and one of the shareholders."
Jack hugged Wanda to steady her emotions; if her Chaos Magic flared, Ethan and Pepper could get hurt.
Fortunately, Wanda kept her Chaos Magic perfectly under control.
"We'll take out Obadiah and those shareholders soon." He kissed Wanda's forehead, then turned to Tony. "Tony, compile a list of your criminal shareholders. I'll clear the parasites from your company while I'm at it."
Tony stubbornly insisted, "No, I can handle these people myself."
Jack rolled his eyes. "If you handle it, how am I supposed to collect my cut? Hurry up and give me the list. After they die, remember to transfer their assets to Wanda and me."
Under Wanda's stare, Tony waved a hand and copied the files to a USB drive, tacitly agreeing to Jack's terms.
Wanda's voice was icy: "You can't protect Obadiah, so stay out of it." With the USB in hand, she left.
Back home, Jack opened the drive; Obadiah's detailed info was there, but it offered little help for an assassination.
"Wanda, time for special training."
Wanda tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What kind of special training?"
"Wait for me to get back."
Jack drove out and returned with crates of small animals.
"Practice making them move exactly as you want with your mind. That way we can take out Obadiah cleanly."
For the next three days, Wanda drilled her Chaos Magic while Jack familiarized himself with every firearm.
Even with the tactical goggles' auto-aim, reloads and weapon swaps could still be smoother.
Plus, the goggles had a cooldown; if enemies showed up while they were on cooldown, he'd need real accuracy.
Tired of shooting, Jack sat down and checked his stats in the system.
[Daily Check-In System]
[Check-in complete today. Strength +1]
Jack opened the panel and reviewed his numbers.
[Host: Jack]
[Skills: Killing Intent Perception, Transform into Red Hulk, Eye of Wisdom, Missile Survivor]
[Physique: Steel Kidney Body (dddd)]
[Weapons: Tactical Goggles (Lock-on Version), Infinite Ammo Desert Eagle, Imitation Ten Rings, 1× Jericho Missile]
[Items: None]
Strength: 27
Speed: 17
Spirit: 22
He hadn't felt Killing Intent Perception much; against terrorists, everyone exuded hostility, so it was meaningless.
The last time he sensed killing intent was a flicker in the Underground Room when he first saw Tony, but it vanished once Wanda appeared.
Red Hulk was powerful, but using it would attract General Ross, so he'd kept it shelved.
Right now, Jack still wasn't strong enough. Beating Spider-Man was doable, but he was far from the "I don't eat beef" level.
At the very least, you'd need to stop a sniper rifle, be immune to all poisons, shrug off mind control, and survive a missile with your bare body before you could even dream of standing in front of the White House and telling the camera, "I don't eat beef."
That night, Jack took Wanda to Hell's Kitchen to find some practice targets.
Inside a small stronghold, Wanda had a dozen men posing in every direction under her control.
Jack, meanwhile, was stuffing dirty money into bags—no matter how rich you get, you can't forget the path that got you there.
"Wanda, want to take a break?"
Wanda released the group, then hit them with a psychic blast that left every one of them a vegetable.
"A bit tired—controlling them still takes effort."
Wanda draped herself over Jack's back while carrying a duffel stuffed with U.S. dollars for him.
"You're doing great. Revenge can wait a few days. After another round of practice, we'll march straight into Obadiah's house and let him taste despair."
"Mm, whatever you say, Hubby. But next time, can we please skip the sewer? It stinks."
Unable to stand the reek, Wanda snapped on a gas mask.
Jack donned one too and jumped into the sewer. "Once I'm stronger, we'll ignore the rats hiding in the dark and take the main road."
Wanda leapt in after him and landed neatly in Jack's arms.
Jack burst into a sprint and vanished down the tunnel. "Tony, our stock can't take any more hits—you have to come with me and explain this to the board."
"Obie, I'm not repeating myself. If they don't want in, I'll buy their shares."
Obadiah and Tony were at loggerheads again; Tony really wanted to ask Jack why Obadiah was still bothering him.
After more bickering, Tony retreated to the lab while Obadiah sat in the lounge puffing a cigar.
Pepper glanced at Obadiah, uneasy—this man had tried to kill Tony. She quietly slipped into Tony's lab, unwilling to face such a ruthless figure.
"Tony, since we've got proof of Obadiah's crimes, why not just arrest him?"
"Jack and Wanda want to handle him personally, but it's been a week and nothing's happened—I'll ask. Jarvis, let's continue. Drop output to 1%; 2% might be too hot."
…Night. In Obadiah's villa, he was just about to enjoy himself with an eighteen-year-old no-name model when a commotion downstairs jolted him upright.
Moments later the door burst open; his bodyguards grabbed him and trussed him up.
"Bastards, have you lost it? I'm your boss—do you want your paychecks or not? Let go, damn it!"
Obadiah's mouth was finally stuffed with the model's stockings, but his mouth was too big for them to fill.
The model checked what little she had left; even that wouldn't do. She grabbed Obadiah's own socks and shoved them in.
Wanda stepped through the doorway, Jack right behind her.
Jack crushed the security guard's surveillance hard drive. Under Wanda's control, the guard loaded Obadiah into a car and drove out of the heavily monitored luxury enclave.
On a deserted country road, Wanda knocked the driver out; Jack transferred Obadiah to a black car he'd prepared.
After a long detour, they returned to the same basement where Tony had once been held.
Jack put on a gas mask and tossed Obadiah into the never-cleaned Underground Room.
Obadiah's mouth was gagged, but his nose wasn't.
With limbs bound and several layers of tape over his mouth, there was no way to spit out the socks.
"Wanda, grab the alcohol sprayer from the car—I need to disinfect."
Wanda doused Jack in a 360-degree mist; she couldn't imagine the state down there—after her single visit, she'd sworn never to go again.
"Let's go. Let him spend some time reflecting on his sins."
In the pitch-black basement, Obadiah could only wriggle and feel around.
Unluckily, he bumped a red bucket, spilling its indescribable contents all over himself.
Maggots from the bucket swarmed his body… The next day, every major network reported Obadiah's disappearance.
Details were suppressed, but in the brief footage, Jack spotted that familiar bald dome.
"Beep-beep-beep—"
Jack picked up; the caller ID read: Genius Scientist Tony Stark.
"You hacked my phone and changed your own nickname?"
Tony brushed off the accusation. "Just used a backdoor the phone company left. So, was the Obadiah thing your handiwork?"
"Obadiah—that's the bald, burly guy? What happened to him?" Jack played dumb.
"Cut the act; the line's encrypted. Take me to him. I've got questions—call it a final farewell." Tony sounded somber.
"Fine. Tonight, that basement. I'll wait for you there."
Jack was about to hang up when Tony's anxious voice rang out.
"Wait, wait—I have no idea where that basement is."
Jack chuckled. "And there's a place you can't find? Drop by my place tonight; I'll walk you down memory lane."
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