Years after the Starbucks Incident
The legend of King had evolved.
What began as a quiet man working a cash register had become a global myth. His Engine of Terror™—a mysterious, low-frequency rumble that seemed to activate in moments of stress—was now studied by physicists, feared by warlords, and worshipped by schoolchildren.
He had never thrown a punch.
He had never fired a weapon.
But wherever King went, chaos unraveled itself.
And peace followed.
The Accidental Freeze
It was a Tuesday.
King was sitting in his mansion, sipping tea from the Mug of Unyielding Resolve™, browsing online for a rice cooker. He had saved up enough from his Starbucks salary and bonuses to finally upgrade from boiling rice in a saucepan.
He clicked "checkout."
Then "confirm."
Then accidentally clicked "report suspicious activity."
The screen froze.
So did a bank server.
So did a suspicious offshore account.
Within minutes, the CIA flagged the freeze as a breach in a major fraud ring.
That account belonged to a cybercriminal laundering money for a human trafficking syndicate operating across Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.
King's accidental click triggered a full-scale investigation.
Within 48 hours, the ring was dismantled.
The CIA sent him a thank-you card.
King thought it was spam and deleted it.
The Rise of the Shield
Over the years, King had earned enough to live comfortably.
His Starbucks job continued—though he now worked only two days a week.
The rest of his time was spent quietly: gardening, reading manga, and occasionally staring at clouds until they changed direction.
He still lived in the mansion.
Still wore the same bathrobe.
Still made his own tea.
But the world had changed.
Global Reverence
In Japan, King was the subject of three manga series, one anime, and a philosophical podcast titled "The Engine Within."
In Germany, techno DJs sampled his Engine's rumble into club tracks.
In Brazil, a samba parade featured a float shaped like King's mug.
In Kenya, schoolchildren practiced "The Protocol of Stillness"—a meditation technique based on King's posture during the flower pot incident.
In the United Nations, a delegate once quoted King's line: "I can't live off air." It was entered into the official record.
The Invitation
Then came the letter.
It was handwritten, stamped, and delivered by courier.
To the Honorable King, Shield of Humanity, Defender of Peace, Latte Artisan of Destiny—
We humbly invite you to speak at our school's annual ceremony in Uganda. Your presence would inspire our students. All expenses covered. No combat required.
King blinked.
"A school ceremony?" he said aloud. "That sounds… nice."
He packed his essentials:
One bathrobe
One mug
One emergency sandwich
One passport (issued by SHIELD, still marked "FBI?")
He boarded the plane.
The Hydra Trap
Unknown to King, the invitation was a Hydra setup.
They had infiltrated the school's board.
Planted agents in the staff.
The goal?
Lure King into unfamiliar territory.
Isolate him.
Capture him.
Or worse—study the Engine.
Hydra had tried to analyze his power before. Every attempt ended in confusion, static interference, and one lab explosion caused by a misinterpreted sigh.
This time, they planned to use diplomacy.
A school. A stage. A speech.
And a trap.
Arrival in Uganda
The plane touched down in Entebbe.
King stepped out, wearing sunglasses and a hoodie.
The school had sent a car.
The driver was polite. Nervous. Sweating.
King assumed it was the heat.
He arrived at the school gates. Children waved. Teachers bowed. A banner read:
WELCOME KING – OUR SHIELD OF HOPE
King smiled.
"They really went all out."
He was escorted to a guest room. Given tea. Asked politely to rest before the ceremony.
He sat down.
His Engine hummed softly.
Hydra's Preparation
In a hidden room beneath the school, Hydra agents reviewed their plan.
"He'll be on stage at 10:00 AM," said Agent Kross. "We activate the containment field, inject the sedative, and extract him."
"What if the Engine activates?" asked a junior operative.
Kross frowned. "Then we improvise."
They had drones. Tranquilizers. Neural dampeners.
They had no idea that King's Engine didn't respond to aggression.
It responded to awkwardness.
King's Thoughts
In his room, King stared at the speech draft.
"Hello students. Life is hard. Eat well. Don't rob banks."
He added a line:
"Also, rice cookers are worth the investment."
He practiced once.
Then twice.
Then stared at the ceiling.
"I hope they have snacks."
Closing Scene
As the sun rose over the school, Hydra agents moved into position.
Children gathered in the courtyard.
The stage was set.