In the evening, a Quinjet slowly landed on the lawn of Stark's villa.
Linen and Tony Stark walked forward as Maria Hill and Steve stepped off with a somewhat embarrassed-looking Dr. Bruce Banner.
"Sorry to disturb your normal life, Dr. Banner," Linen said, extending his hand. "But we need your help."
Bruce Banner hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand. "Steve already filled me in on what happened… but I'm not sure I can meet your expectations."
Seeing Banner's cautious expression, Tony immediately stepped up.
"Don't be modest, Dr. Banner. There's no one on Earth who knows more about gamma rays than you.
And by the way—your big green guy? I think he's great."
"Tony!" Steve snapped. "This isn't the time. Natasha is still waiting for us to save her."
They headed into the medical bay. Tony had already prepared the gamma-ray device they would be using.
"So, what now?" Tony asked as he helped Banner adjust the machine, then looked toward Linen.
Everyone followed his gaze.
"The first step," Linen said, "is to extract Natasha's soul."
The room went silent.
"This procedure uses gamma rays to burn out the vampire blood toxin in her body. It's going to hurt—badly. Like your blood is boiling. Most people can't endure it."
He looked at Steve.
"This requires extreme willpower. Otherwise, subconscious resistance could interrupt the process, causing permanent psychological damage.
Among us… only Steve is capable of enduring something like that."
Steve fell silent for a few seconds.
"Torn muscles… broken bones… being reshaped from the inside out. I've already lived through that once."
He remembered the super-soldier experiment from seventy years ago, and his expression hardened.
Tony clicked his tongue.
"Man, what a waste. If you'd turned into a vampire instead, I'd be happy to 'treat' you first."
Steve was used to Tony's jokes and didn't react.
"I think I can handle it," Natasha said from the examination bed. She forced a smile. "Pain isn't new to me. The things I endured in the Red Room would break most people."
Seeing Natasha pretending to be relaxed, Linen sighed.
"There's no need to suffer if a safer method exists—unless you enjoy torture."
"How are you planning to extract Natasha's soul?" Tony asked, eyes bright with curiosity. "Some kind of Strange-style magic?"
Banner also looked at Linen, stunned.
Soul extraction wasn't scientific at all.
"I can't do it—yet," Linen admitted. "I haven't learned that kind of magic."
He remembered the Ancient One slapping Bruce Banner's soul out of Hulk's body and shook his head.
The Book of the Dead didn't teach that technique.
"But someone else can."
Linen raised his hand, and a golden magic circle instantly bloomed before their eyes.
Bruce Banner's eyes widened.
"My God… magic is real?"
Tony patted his shoulder proudly.
"This is nothing. Linen has way crazier tricks than this."
As the circle completed, a young girl stepped out of the light.
"Master, did something happen? You suddenly summoned me back. I was at the seaside these days—oh my God, the ocean is so beautiful!"
The half-succubus, Dilis—daughter of a hellhound and a succubus—walked out cheerfully.
Linen was about to speak when Dilis suddenly froze.
"Huh?"
She stared at a photo on the wall—Howard Stark and his wife.
"Oh my God, Master! These are the ones I told you about—the couple who killed my parents when they tried to invade Earth's dimension!"
Tony, who had been trying to look calm in front of Banner, almost choked.
"What did you just say?! My parents killed your parents? Impossible! They died in a car crash in 1991—how could—"
"I'm not mistaken," Dilis said firmly. "I saw them in a crack between the hell dimensions three years ago."
Tony's face flushed with emotion.
"As a succubus—born of the hell dimension—do you think I can't tell the difference between the living and the dead?" she added.
Tony immediately turned to Linen, eyes red. Steve also looked shaken.
Linen placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.
"I knew Dilis had a tragic past… but I didn't expect the couple she mentioned to be your parents."
"But we don't know the full story yet. We'll figure it out later. Right now, Natasha is our priority."
Tony took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down.
"Fine. But Linen… after we save Natasha, I want a long talk with your succubus friend."
"No problem."
Linen turned to Dilis.
"Dilis, you should know how to extract Natasha's soul."
"Of course, Master. I'm a succubus—this is basic for me."
She walked to Natasha and placed a hand on her forehead.
Light gathered at her palm, and Natasha's body began to tremble slightly.
"Don't fight it," Dilis whispered gently. "Relax and work with me. If you resist, I won't be able to separate your soul safely."
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