A living person being blown to pieces right before his eyes caused a huge mental shock to the budding Spider-Man!
His stomach churned, and he almost couldn't control himself from throwing up the pizza he had for lunch.
"You... why did you kill him?!"
Spider-Man was both shocked and enraged, staring at Emrys and roaring loudly, "You shouldn't have killed him! This is murder! You are a killer!"
But unfortunately, Emrys couldn't be bothered with him and turned to look at Black Widow: "The rest is up to you, no problem, right?"
"No problem, I'll handle it cleanly."
This time, Black Widow didn't refuse. Her gaze lingered on the grenade launcher for a few seconds before she looked away.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Spider-Man raised his hand and shot out a web, intending to entangle Emrys.
But before the web could shoot out from his wristband, his web-storing watch was suddenly crushed by some force.
"Mr. Parker, before you question me, I also have a question for you." Emrys still had some goodwill towards Spider-Man. He turned his head to look at the angry young man and said calmly, "You ask me why I killed him, but I want to ask you, why can't I kill him?"
"He... Dr. Connors was just a bit impulsive. I would have stopped him!" Spider-Man said.
"Then let me put it another way. Dr. Connors, who you say shouldn't die, overturned dozens of cars and caused hundreds of innocent civilians to be injured during the chase earlier." Emrys said slowly and methodically, "Moreover, according to the laws of America, he threatened my life and property, and I have the right to kill him, don't I? It's just self defense."
"But..."
Spider-Man suddenly became speechless, his mouth agape, not knowing what to say.
"You are Peter Parker, right? We are S.H.I.E.L.D." Black Widow walked over, sizing up the somewhat bewildered Spider-Man, and said indifferently, "We are specifically responsible for handling similar incidents. We are very clear about your situation, but from any perspective, Connors is no longer human, do you understand?"
"But he shouldn't die. Dr. Connors was clearly a very gentle person!" Spider-Man clenched his fists, his face under the mask filled with conflict.
"Are those ordinary people he almost killed supposed to die?"
Emrys looked back at Spider-Man, his words sharp as knives, piercing Spider-Man's heart: "Don't forget why you put on this suit."
"Did I... did I really make a mistake?"
Spider-Man fell into deep self-doubt, staring blankly at the scattered pieces of flesh on the ground.
"You should think it through yourself."
Leaving the bewildered Spider-Man behind, Emrys called Black Widow and drove away.
"Your approach was decisive."
In the car, Black Widow commented on Emrys' actions just now: "No wonder the Director values you so much. Now I probably understand a little."
"If I can sacrifice one person to save a hundred lives, then I will kill that person without hesitation." Emrys sat in the back row, and a sentence suddenly popped into his mind: "No sacrifice is too great to bear, and no betrayal is too small to forgive."
"You're a bit extreme."
Black Widow in the front seat twitched her lips, silently making a judgment in her heart.
Merlin Emrys , his personality is extremely radical, with a strong desire for hostility towards races other than humans.
It is not recommended to participate in any routine tasks. Otherwise, unpredictable results will be caused!
Tony fully demonstrated the stubbornness of a science man, staying up all night and finally perfecting the flaws of the Mark II model.
At this moment, the glass door of the laboratory was suddenly knocked.
He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and turned to see Pepper, holding a brown paper package, standing at the door with a helpless expression: "How long have you not rested, Tony?"
Looking at Pepper, who had some reproach in her eyes, Tony inexplicably felt a little guilty, like a child who had done something wrong: "Uh, not long. I'm about to go rest now."
Pepper saw through his lie at a glance but didn't expose it. She walked gracefully and placed the package on the table: "Happy birthday, Tony."
Birthday?
At the moment he heard the word, Tony was a bit bewildered, but then he quickly realized that today was his birthday.
Suddenly, the softest part of his heart felt as if it had been touched.
"Thank you, Pepper." Tony looked at the gift with some anticipation: "Can I open it?"
"Of course."
Pepper chuckled and motioned for him to open it himself.
Tearing off the gift wrapped in brown paper, inside was a display case, housing the first-generation Arc Reactor.
And in the display case, a line of text was written: Tony Stark has a warm heart.
"A very special gift, I think I will never forget it."
Tony loved this gift very much, especially the line of text engraved on it, which completely hit his heart.
Although it was not very valuable, in his eyes, the sentiment contained in this gift was definitely much more important than any luxury car, beauty, or famous painting!
"No matter what you do, I hope you take good care of your body, Tony." Pepper came behind Tony and gently massaged his temples, with some worry in her eyes: "Also, you haven't been to the company for a long time. You can't leave everything to Obadiah."
Tony, who was enjoying with his eyes closed, slightly opened his eyelids: "Obadiah? What about him?"
Pepper hesitated, her massaging movements paused for half a second: "I don't know how to say it, but... he seems to be carrying out some special projects behind your back."
"Maybe he doesn't want me to shut down the weapon system."
In fact, Tony himself was a bit unconvinced, but now he could only use this reason to comfort himself that Obadiah couldn't possibly harm him.
Pepper fell silent. Although she had some suspicions about Obadiah, she didn't essentially think deeper.
"You've worked hard these past few days."
Tony patted her hand and said gently, "When I'm done, I'll definitely give you a surprise!"
"Okay, I'll wait for your surprise."
Pepper composed herself, a faint smile on her face: "Now, you should go get some good rest, Tony."
By the time she left the Villa, it was already approaching evening.
Pepper suddenly had an idea, so she changed her original route home and instead went to the Stark Industries Tower.
"If Obadiah is trying to use the board of Directors to strip Tony of his power, there should be records on the computer!" She couldn't bear to see Tony's haggard appearance anymore, so she decided to share a little of his burden, at least to find out what secret Obadiah had been hiding during this time!
Arriving at the top-floor office, Pepper successfully entered the room.
Soon, she turned on Obadiah's computer, inserted a USB drive, cracked the password, and hacked into it.
But a deliberately hidden file caught her interest.
Click-clack~
She clicked on the file content, and the data inside flashed by rapidly.
The scene that met her eyes made Pepper tremble with fear. Not only was there a video of Tony being kidnapped, but there was also a large amount of data on humanoid armor!
"Oh my God."
Pepper covered her mouth in fright. She finally knew the truth!
But just then, the room door suddenly opened!
"What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a voice scared Pepper out of her wits!
She looked up and saw Obadiah standing in the dark office doorway, staring at her with a somber expression, his eyes fiercer and more brutal than ever before.
It was as if he wanted to devour her alive!
Watching Obadiah approach step by step, Pepper's heart leaped to her throat, and cold sweat streamed down her face from nervousness: "I, I..."
"You... you saw it, didn't you?"
Obadiah's face was ferocious, like a beast ready to devour someone.
Running to his office in the middle of the night, with his computer on, even a fool would understand!
"No, don't come any closer!"
The next moment, Pepper's psychological defense completely collapsed. She frantically threw the computer at Obadiah and rushed out the door in her high heels.
However, she had barely run two steps when she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head.
"Fuck, you damned whore!" Obadiah dodged the thrown computer. In a fit of rage, he grabbed her hair and slammed her to the ground with all his might, then kicked Pepper directly in the abdomen with a powerful foot: "Did that bastard Tony send you? Speak!"
Bang!
Pepper saw stars from the kick, and the intense pain made her scream involuntarily.
Obadiah had no thought of being gentle. He swung his fists and punched Pepper in the face until she was weak and seemingly unconscious, on the verge of death.
A moment later, he seemed to regain his composure, coldly looking at the unconscious Pepper, and made a call: "Wilson, I have a business deal here. I wonder if you're interested?"
Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen, the most chaotic district, was like the sewer of the entire New York.
Its level of chaos attracted elite talents from all walks of life, and in some sense, it could even be compared to the lower hive.
If it were in the past, Obadiah, as an elder of the Stark Industries Group, would naturally look down on this group of bottom-feeders, but times had changed.
If he hadn't been pushed to a dead end, he would never have been willing to seek out Wilson.
Wilson Fisk was a renowned real estate businessman in New York City, usually benevolent and charitable, participating in numerous charity events, and in the eyes of many, he was a kind-hearted entrepreneur.
But unfortunately, everything had two sides, just like Wilson Fisk.
He also harbored another, little-known identity: the Mafia Emperor of the U.S., Kingpin, a name that struck fear into people's hearts!
His cruel and cunning methods, along with his background influence that was enough to cover the sky, ensured Kingpin's position was as stable as Mount Tai.
Any gang that offended Kingpin would have their heads removed and sent to the top floor of the Fisk Building, to the Mafia Emperor's desk, often before the next day.
It was precisely because of this that Obadiah was unwilling to seek out Wilson.
But unfortunately, Pepper Potts' secret office investigation made Obadiah sense danger, and he suspected that his good nephew had already begun to doubt him.
Having learned his lesson from the previous experience, Obadiah deeply understood one principle.
Either don't do it, or do it completely!
Since his good nephew insisted on blocking his path, then he would just be straightforward and eliminate him!
While he was thinking, they arrived at the Fisk Building.
Obadiah pulled his car to a stop, opened the door, and said, "Take me to see Wilson."
The person at the door had clearly received instructions and led Obadiah to a private elevator, directly to Fisk's office on the top floor.
"Long time no see, Spartan."
In the bright reception room, a magnificent crystal chandelier hung.
A hand-stitched wool carpet from the Middle East felt very soft and comfortable underfoot; extending the gaze, a huge medieval oil painting hung on the wall, and beneath the mural was a two-meter diameter reddish-brown desk, where a burly man sat, wearing a tight, oversized suit.
Obadiah, weighing nearly two hundred pounds, even seemed somewhat thin in front of him.
Clearly, this was the Mafia Emperor who controlled the U.S., the man known as Kingpin, Wilson Fisk!
"Wilson, I've come to you for a business deal."
Obadiah didn't want to waste time and went straight to the point: "After it's done, I'll give you two billion U.S. dollars!"
Wilson, whose fingers were wider and thicker than ordinary people's, held a cigar and looked at Obadiah, speaking calmly: "I'm glad you came to me, but I'm very dissatisfied with your attitude."
"What do you mean?"
Obadiah's face turned red and then pale, looking rather grim.
Wilson, sitting in his chair, slightly raised his eyelids, his tone still steady, betraying no emotion: "You came to me for help, but you wouldn't call me 'Mr. Fisk'."
That was also true.
Essentially, Obadiah looked down on Wilson.
A black-market beggar, what right did he have to compare himself to his pure-blooded American, the Stars and Stripes?
He considered himself part of high society; his associates were either congressmen or military generals. If he hadn't been forced into a corner, how could he possibly seek out the underworld to solve problems?
But given the circumstances, Obadiah's face was extremely grim, and he could only suppress his indignation: "Mr. Fisk, I am willing..."
"Mr. Spartan, I need to remind you." Wilson lightly tapped the table with his index finger, interrupting Obadiah without ceremony, and said indifferently: "Many people come to me for help. As a friend, I don't mind solving a few small problems for them, but you... from beginning to end, you haven't shown any respect for me."
"Then, esteemed Mr. Fisk, how should I express my respect for you?"
Obadiah's face was flushed purple from being squeezed, but he knew very well he was there to ask for a favor, so he could only swallow his pride.
"Kneel."
Wilson sat in his chair, yet he seemed like an insurmountable mountain.
That terrifying aura suddenly pressed down on Obadiah, and the air in the entire living room seemed to be instantly sucked out.
In its place was an endless oppression; although Obadiah had met many high-ranking officials and nobles, not a single person had made him feel suffocated from the depths of his soul like Wilson!
Thud!
Finally, Obadiah couldn't bear it, and his knees fell onto the soft wool carpet.
To put it bluntly, he was just a businessman; his courage to negotiate with terrorist organizations was simply because he believed his life wouldn't be threatened.
But Wilson was different; he was a man who started from nothing and built a Mafia empire!
"Very good, Mr. Spartan."
Looking at the trembling, sweating Obadiah, Wilson nodded slightly and lightly tapped the table with his index finger: "I see awe in your eyes, which is very good. Now, stand up, and let's discuss what your so-called deal is."
Obadiah, supporting his somewhat weak knees, managed to stand up again.
He looked at Wilson again, but his gaze, imperceptibly, contained a hint of hidden awe.
"Esteemed Mr. Fisk, I wish for your help in resolving a few troubles for me." After that recent experience, Obadiah's speech clearly included honorifics, and even subtly revealed a trace of imperceptible fear in his words.
"Names."
Wilson said indifferently.
"Tony Stark, Merlin Emrys ."
Obadiah decisively reported the two names, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes: "I hope you can help me eliminate them as soon as possible. For this, I am willing to pay two billion U.S. dollars, with only one condition: Tony Stark's miniature arc reactor!"
"Not enough."
Wilson lowered his eyelids and shook his head slightly: "The price you're offering isn't enough, Mr. Spartan."
Although he was the Mafia Emperor, he still had to follow 'rules'; otherwise, how could he sit in this position by sheer recklessness?
Assassinating Tony Stark was a huge deal, enough to stir up the heavens!
Once exposed, not only Congress and the military, but also the entire U.S. financial and business community would unite to boycott him.
The reason was simple: if you could kill Tony Stark today, you could kill others tomorrow. If this continued, would anyone still be able to do business?
Wilson had reached his current position not by brute strength, but by his cunning mind.
He knew very well that this business deal was not worth it!
"Five billion! Five billion U.S. dollars!"
Obadiah gritted his teeth, doubling the reward again: "Esteemed Mr. Fisk, if you agree, once I control Stark Industries Group, I am willing to share 5% of the annual profits!"
This time, in order to completely eradicate Tony Stark and that damned Merlin Emrys , he was no longer counting the cost!
5% of Stark Industries Group's annual profit share—that was a sky-high figure!
Upon hearing this condition, even Wilson was somewhat moved, and he pursed his lips: "Mr. Spartan, you should be aware of how much trouble helping you assassinate Tony Stark will bring me. This isn't a monetary issue, do you understand?"
"Mr. Fisk, I am very aware of the risks involved in this matter."
Obadiah remained unperturbed and immediately brought out his last trump card: "Therefore, I plan to give up my shares in Stark's weapons industry division as your compensation."
Wilson, who was originally unwilling, upon hearing this, said: "But then again..."
The shares in Stark's weapons industry division—there was no one in the world who didn't covet them! The military had broken their backs just to get a tiny fraction!
"Given that you are my friend, I agree."
Wilson licked his lips, like a greedy beast shedding its human skin, an aura of ferocity and brutality swirling around him: "I value friendship greatly, and since you are my friend, I will help you resolve this matter, Mr. Spartan."
Friend? Friendship?
Listening to Wilson's nauseating words, Obadiah only found it laughable.
What friend, what friendship? It was clearly just about the money!
However, it didn't matter!
Obadiah lowered his head, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.
Once he got the miniature arc reactor, he would be able to build Iron Man armor. What Mafia Emperor? Die for me!
The next day.
Emrys, still in bed, was woken up by a phone call from Stark.
"What is it? So early in the morning, can't you let me sleep a little longer?" he asked, yawning, his eye sockets a little sunken, sounding sleepy.
Yesterday, he dealt with that damned Lizard, and then went to the Osborn Group to retrieve the incomplete Super Soldier Serum data, working until late at night before finally resting.
But then, early this morning, before 8 AM, he was woken up by a phone call.
"Pepper is missing!"
Tony's voice was anxious, completely devoid of his usual nonchalance, and he said in a panicked tone, "She celebrated my birthday yesterday, and after she left last night, she didn't show up at the company today!"
"What's so strange about that?" Emrys couldn't quite understand, scratching his head. "Maybe you guys had too much fun and she's just resting today."
"Bullshit, I didn't do anything yesterday!" Tony denied it vehemently, yelling furiously, "I know Pepper. She would never rest for no reason, and even if she did, she would tell me. But she didn't, and I had Jarvis check—she didn't go home last night!"
"Where are you now?"
Emrys' brows furrowed; he suddenly realized this matter wasn't so simple and immediately asked.
"I'm in the Villa's laboratory by the sea."
Tony was like a headless fly now, worried about Pepper's safety but not knowing where to start.
"Wait for me, I'll be right there!"
Emrys put on his clothes and kicked open the room door.
"What happened?" Outside the door was Black Widow, who had already woken up. She had vaguely heard the sounds from the room and so she asked.
"Someone kidnapped Pepper Potts." Emrys pondered for a moment, then turned and asked, "Can you have S.H.I.E.L.D. help me find her whereabouts?"
"I can, but the Director needs to approve it. I'll contact him now." Black Widow said, dialing the phone.
After briefly describing the situation, she hung up the phone and said to Emrys, "It will take some time; the technical department is hacking into the entire New York surveillance system."
"This matter shouldn't be that simple."
Emrys put on his coat and casually tossed him the car keys. "Let's go to the Villa by the sea and see what's going on."
He didn't think investigating surveillance would yield useful clues.
If it were truly that simple, with Jarvis' capabilities, any network firewall would be meaningless in front of it; he wouldn't be unable to find a missing person!
Sitting in the car, Emrys first focused his suspicions on the most likely suspect, Obadiah.
The person with the most direct financial connection to Stark was none other than Obadiah.
At this point in time, Obadiah kidnapping Pepper Potts, while deviating from the plot, wasn't entirely impossible.
But the question was, how did he bypass Jarvis' surveillance?
This point left Emrys completely baffled.
"It seems I can only ask Tony for this answer."
Just then, Black Widow stepped on the accelerator. "Hold on tight, Boss!"
"Ah?"
Boom!
The black Mercedes roared, its engine screaming.
Tires furiously rubbed against the road, and it charged directly into the main road like a beast unleashed from its cage.
Next, Emrys profoundly experienced what it meant to drive at extreme speed!
Black Widow put on an ultimate drifting show for him, the accelerator floored, the brakes seemingly forgotten, weaving through heavy traffic, the speedometer nearly exploding!
A two-and-a-half-hour journey was forcibly shortened by two-thirds. Even with Emrys' good constitution, he was almost dizzy from the swaying.
"Good driving, don't drive again next time!"
Emrys gave Black Widow a thumbs up and shakily pushed the door open to get out of the car.
Watching him with wobbly legs, Black Widow's face remained calm, but inwardly she was roaring with laughter. She had finally found an opportunity to get revenge for being hung from the ceiling back then!
Arriving at the top floor, he saw the laboratory in a chaotic mess, and a dejected Tony Stark.
"Emrys, you're here?"
At Jarvis' reminder, Tony finally sobered up a bit. He looked up and saw Emrys, and the woman behind him. "Is she the woman from the charity gala that day?"
"That's not important; tell me what's going on."
Emrys glanced at the messy room, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point. "Did you have Jarvis check the surveillance?"
"I did, but I couldn't find anything."
Tony clenched his fists tightly, his eyes bloodshot, his expression somewhat ferocious.
It was clear that Pepper Potts held a very important place in his heart, and her inexplicable disappearance was already making him lose his mind.
"Calm down, Tony."
Emrys tried to console him while simultaneously falling into deep thought.
"Emrys, you must help me!" At this point, Jarvis couldn't even find Pepper, and Tony was completely out of options. He could only place his last hope on Emrys. "Please, you must find Pepper; I can't lose her!"
"Jarvis, where was the last place you detected Pepper?" Emrys asked.
"Mr. Merlin, without Mr. Tony's authorization, I cannot overstep my authority to monitor The Handmaiden Pepper's movements." Jarvis truthfully stated, "Last night, after The Handmaiden Pepper left the Villa, according to the information left by her vehicle, she should have been at Stark Industries Group, but then the surveillance was blocked."
It was indeed Stark Industries Group!
Emrys' eyes flickered, and he had a rough guess. "Where was Obadiah last night?"
"You suspect Obadiah?" Hearing this, Tony seemed a bit shocked, but then he seemed to remember something. "That's right, last night when Pepper came to see me, she warned me to be careful of Obadiah. Could this be related?"
"I should have warned you, Tony." Emrys patted his shoulder, saying earnestly, "Your kidnapping wasn't as simple as it seemed."
"But... Obadiah, why would he do such a thing?"
Tony was greatly shocked, his face filled with pain and conflict, biting his lip tightly. "He clearly has no reason to do this."
"No, to my knowledge, Obadiah once had a great dispute with your father, Howard." At this moment, Black Widow, who was beside them, suddenly spoke. "The two disagreed on many things, and all of Obadiah's opinions were rejected by Howard. This might be the reason."
"Who are you? How do you know these things?"
Tony finally noticed something was wrong and stared at Black Widow suspiciously.
Just as Black Widow was about to explain, she was suddenly enveloped by a chill, like a sharp knife pressed against her forehead.
Years of being an Agent made her react extremely quickly. She immediately pounced on Emrys, while simultaneously kicking over Tony beside them. "Watch out!"
Bang!
A bullet shattered the glass and slammed into the wall.
The immense force directly carved a palm-sized indentation into the reinforced concrete wall.
Black Widow, true to her elite Agent status, rolled and pulled out the Glock from her waist, firing the entire magazine at the source of the gunshot.
"Quick, find cover! The opponent is a professional assassin!"
From that single shot, Black Widow could tell that the opponent was definitely a professional assassin.
The angle was extremely tricky; if she hadn't reacted quickly, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Tony, who had been kicked over, didn't have time to curse. He instinctively covered his head and ducked behind a pillar. "Fuck, what the hell is going on?"
Emrys brushed the dust off his clothes, his reaction relatively calm. "Why ask? It must be your good uncle, who, feeling exposed, hired someone to kill you."
"Don't stand up!"
Black Widow, seeing Emrys actually stand up, was instantly terrified; was this guy trying to die?
Bang!
Sure enough, the opponent aimed for a vital spot and fired a bullet.
But the next scene was truly beyond Black Widow's expectations. The bullet, as it approached Emrys, seemed to slow down countless times, its trajectory becoming clearly visible.
Then, the bullet spun and stopped in front of Emrys.
"I wasn't going to look for trouble with you, but you came to me, didn't you?"
His eyes were somewhat cold as he stared in the direction the bullet came from. His telekinetic power spread out, clearly transmitting the facial features of the assassin a hundred meters away into his mind.
A man with a target tattooed on his forehead was lying in a hidden rock, staring in disbelief through his scope at this scene.
Emrys raised his hand and gently tapped the base of the bullet with his index finger, again and again, the crisp sound clearly echoing in the room.
Ding ~ Ding ~ Ding ~
As the tapping became more frequent, the telekinetic power accumulated around the bullet even gradually became visible to the naked eye!
"Bullseye, huh?"
Emrys sneered, flicking the base of the bullet with his finger. "A target tattooed on your forehead, is that so I can aim better?"
Boom!!!
The telekinetic power accumulated at the base of the bullet was released all at once.
The small bullet actually caused a sonic boom, dragging layers of airwaves, and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye!
When Bullseye took on the assassination mission, he was full of confidence, believing there was no difficulty at all.
After all, a pampered playboy, no matter how much of a genius, couldn't possibly block a 7.62mm sniper rifle round, could he?
As for the rumored hero who rescued Tony from the Ten Rings, Merlin Emrys , he was even less of a concern.
Of course, adhering to his professional assassin's duty, Bullseye still didn't underestimate his opponent.
The sniper position he chose was about 150 meters in a straight line from the Villa, with mountain rocks providing cover, and the sea behind him for an easy escape in case of an accident.
The AWM sniper rifle was set up, and through the scope, he could clearly see the three people inside the Villa.
Bullseye had a naturally almost perverse accuracy; at a distance of 150 meters, even a toothpick he threw could accurately hit an enemy's vital point, let alone with a gun in his hand now?
However, things seemed to have deviated slightly from his expectations.
The woman's reaction speed was very fast; she seemed to instinctively sense the killing intent, allowing Emrys, one of the Bullseye, to successfully evade the first bullet.
"Interesting. That woman's senses are very sharp."
Bullseye pressed against the scope, a smirk playing on his lips, his mindset completely unaffected.
He was a professional assassin; one failed snipe didn't mean anything. On the contrary, the opponent's keen perception gave him the pleasure of a cat toying with a mouse.
"That's it, like a mouse, run for your life." He was good at cat-and-mouse games, especially like now, gradually forcing them into a corner, slowly crushing their hope, and then enjoying their terrified expressions. Only this could satisfy his perverse desires.
However, the target named 'Emrys' suddenly stood up from the ground, looking composed, dusting off his clothes.
The opponent's actions made Bullseye's eyes darken slightly, and his previously pleasant mood was somewhat spoiled.
"Trying to act tough with me?"
He sneered, aimed at Emrys' brow, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Smoke rose from the muzzle; a bullet was propelled from the barrel by gunpowder, and on its precisely calculated trajectory, it would pierce Emrys' brow.
However, a scene that made Bullseye gape in astonishment appeared!
The moment the bullet approached Emrys, it seemed to be affected by some force, its speed gradually decreasing until it completely stopped, floating in mid-air.
"Superpower?"
At this moment, Bullseye's pupils constricted, and he immediately realized the danger.
Obadiah's intel didn't say this kid had 'superpowers,' did it? That damned fat pig dared to lie to him?
But even so, in Bullseye's mind, he didn't retreat immediately.
He locked Emrys in his scope, and just as he was about to fire, he saw Emrys tapping the base of the bullet with his index finger.
"What is he doing?"
This thought briefly occupied his mind, and then Bullseye suddenly perceived an unprecedented danger signal!
He became a professional assassin not by his unerring throwing ability, but by his keen instinct for danger, like animals sensing mortal peril before a disaster.
And at this moment, that almost bone-chilling cold made Bullseye feel as if he had fallen into an abyss.
Run!
Bullseye unhesitatingly abandoned the mission, and with the fastest speed of his life, he took off running to jump from the cliff into the sea.
But the moment he turned around, he heard a piercing shriek!
The sound boomed and exploded like a cannonball. Bullseye caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a scorching, fiery red meteor, dragging layers of air current and tail flames, smashing into the sniper position!
Boom!!!
Within a ten-meter diameter area, air currents surged and churned.
The hard rock wall was directly blasted into a concave pit, shattered rocks flew, and dust filled the sky.
And Bullseye was directly flung away by the violent Impact, slamming heavily against the mountain wall!
"What the hell was that, a bullet?!"
The enormous Impact nearly knocked Bullseye unconscious.
His ears temporarily lost their hearing, leaving only a ringing, and blood gushed from his nose and mouth from the explosion.
If he hadn't been sure that what he saw just now was a 7.62mm sniper bullet, Bullseye would have even suspected if he had been directly hit by a 100mm main battle tank cannon!
Bullseye's mind was blank, clearly not fully awake yet.
No, buddy, a 7.62mm bullet, and you can make it hit with the power of a 100mm artillery piece? Are you a humanoid main battle tank?
Fortunately, he reacted quickly just now and got away from the center of the explosion in time, otherwise, he would be in pieces by now.
Can't fight, goodbye, see you!
After recovering from the dizziness of the explosion's shock, Bullseye dared not linger for a moment, running desperately towards the sea.
"Damn Obadiah!" He cursed that fat pig for not investigating the information thoroughly beforehand.
What did he mean by 'a slightly powerful kid'?
This was clearly a humanoid main battle tank; one bullet almost sent him to meet God!
How much money is there in a month, and how many lives are enough for him to blast?
The mission, assassin's honor, professional duty, all were thrown aside by Bullseye at this moment.
He didn't care about Obadiah's life or death; if that kid blasted him again, he'd lose several lives here!
"Now you think of running? Too late!"
After realizing the opponent's intention to escape, Emrys' temper also flared, and he directly flew out, controlling his psionic power.
Boom!
The violent sound wave stirred up by the psionic power swept across the entire living room as if it were solid.
When they looked again, Emrys had already turned into a streak of light, flying towards the sniper's position.
"Gulp!"
In the living room, which had fallen silent again, looking at the mess on the floor and the huge hole blasted in the wall by what was suspected to be a 'bullet,' the two fell silent.
Black Widow and Tony exchanged glances, seeing shock in each other's eyes.
After half a second of silence, Tony's eye twitched as he asked, "If I wasn't mistaken just now, did he make a bullet hit with the power of a main battle tank cannon?"
"It seems... that's the case."
Black Widow swallowed with difficulty, a storm raging in her heart.
Although she already knew that Emrys seemingly had the ability to control objects, she never expected him to be able to make a bullet inflict such terrifying destructive power!
Fortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't get into a dispute with this guy back then, otherwise, she wouldn't dare imagine what would have happened.
Turning his head, he left a message for Black Widow: "Take care of Tony, I'll be right back!"
On the other side.
Bullseye cursed Obadiah in his heart, exerting all his strength, and leaped off the cliff.
Although he was an assassin, his physical fitness was quite formidable, possessing strength and speed comparable to an Olympic champion. As long as he could jump into the sea, he could successfully escape!
However, fate had other plans.
Bullseye had just leaped into mid-air, his posture extremely standard and elegant, even his entry into the water was ready.
Suddenly, a force grabbed his ankle, and he was comically and ridiculously stopped in mid-air, less than a meter from the sea surface.
"What's going on?"
Bullseye's mind was a bit confused, and before he could figure out what had happened, he felt an irresistible force from his ankle.
Immediately after, like a large fish caught on a hook, he was pulled into the air by that force, then traced a graceful arc, and was heavily slammed against the cliff!
Boom!
This violent Impact nearly knocked Bullseye unconscious.
He was slammed against the rock wall like a dead fish; if his bones hadn't been fused with Adamantium, he would probably have turned into a bloody pulp by now.
But even so, the severe Impact still caused Bullseye's internal organs to rupture, blood flowed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, his vision was obscured by crimson, and the entire world became blurry.
"Where is Pepper Potts?"
At this moment, Emrys stepped on Bullseye's chest, questioning him coldly.
"Cough, cough, cough..." Bullseye was thrown around, coughing up blood mixed with shattered internal organs, looking on the verge of death.
But even so, he was still laughing wildly, looking at Emrys ferociously: "Want to know? Kneel and beg me, hahahaha!"
Although Bullseye cherished his life, in essence, he was a complete lunatic, born with mental issues.
Facing Emrys' interrogation, he not only showed no fear but laughed wildly, staring at him with ferocious, blood-red eyes: "Want to know? Kneel and beg me, hahahaha!"
"Very good, I like it when you don't cooperate."
Looking at Bullseye, who was still provoking him, Emrys revealed a heartfelt smile, caressing Bullseyet's face, and whispered softly: "I hope your mouth will be as hard as your Adamantium bones later, Mr. Lester ~ You must hold on."
I want more reads and monthly votes, and of course, it would be even better if there were rewards, but it doesn't matter if there aren't ~ Please, gentlemen, life or death depends on this Tuesday!
"Deep breaths, deep breaths, hang in there—Bullseye!"
"Yes, that's it, that look!"
"What? You're willing to talk now?"
"No, just hold on a little longer, please, you're Bullseye!"
Fifteen minutes later, Emrys wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled in relief: "Alright, thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Bullseye."
"Eliminated Bullseye (Benjamin Poindexter)"
"Acquired Source Power: 1000 units"
"Fixed current world anchor point, requires 1500 units of Source Power"
"Now that's a villain."
Emrys nodded in satisfaction, holding a human skeleton.
Fused with Adamantium, Bullseye's skeleton glowed with a silver luster under the Sun, shining brightly.
"Thank you, Emperor, for knowing my life is tough and specially sending Adamantium~" To get this complete skeleton, he had put in a lot of effort, meticulously picking away the flesh piece by piece. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about damaging the Adamantium, otherwise, he would have had to throw it into a furnace to smelt it.
What?
Do you think Emrys seems too extreme, a bit like a heretic?
No, compared to some Inquisitors and Oil Goblins, he believed he was far from extreme.
But it was a pity that this skeleton was only fused with Adamantium, not a pure Adamantium skeleton like Wolverine's.
"Forget it, I'll wash it and give it to Tony, let him help melt it down."
Emrys, carrying the skeleton, floated towards the Villa.
Seeing Emrys return with that skeleton, Tony felt completely unwell, a vein throbbing on his forehead: "Don't tell me that thing is the person who just attacked us!"
"Uh, if I said I picked it up on the road, would you believe me?"
Emrys rubbed his nose guiltily, deciding to immediately change the subject: "By the way, I know where Pepper is."
"What?!"
Sure enough, as soon as he heard Pepper's name, Tony's attention was immediately diverted.
What skeleton? Get lost, is it more important than Pepper?
"Pepper was kidnapped by Obadiah and taken to Hell's Kitchen, the Fisk Building." Emrys slowly said: "Currently, her life is not in danger. She's being held by Kingpin in a room, probably waiting to deal with Pepper after killing us."
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
Tony was impatient and immediately shouted without a second thought: "Jarvis, prepare the mark 3!"
"Wait, don't be so hasty."
Emrys grabbed the agitated Tony, and under his puzzled gaze, calmly explained: "Hell's Kitchen isn't that simple. What if the opponent runs away? We're going to rescue someone, so we must be prepared."
"What's there to prepare for? Are you looking down on my mark 3?"
Tony was full of confidence in the updated mark 3, as proud as a rooster: "It's just Hell's Kitchen, I can sweep it alone, no need to prepare at all, just watch my performance!"
What kind of weaklings are in Hell's Kitchen?
The updated mark 3, whether in terms of basic defense or firepower system, has undergone iterative enhancements!
Especially against unseen forces, with multi-layered armor inlays and long-range locked firepower, he was confident he could even defeat 'Emrys'!
"Uh, what are you two talking about?" Black Widow felt isolated. She couldn't quite understand where Tony got the confidence to sweep Hell's Kitchen.
"Mr. Stark, I need to remind you, Hell's Kitchen is not that simple." She coughed twice lightly and slowly said: "According to our intelligence, Kingpin possesses extremely strong physical and combat abilities, and the forces within Hell's Kitchen are mixed. It's very difficult for one person to rescue Ms. Pepper."
Tony was too lazy to explain to her, giving her a dismissive look: "What do you know?"
"..." Black Widow was choked with anger, her chest hurt. Could it be that she was so angry she developed hyperplasia?
She finally understood. No wonder Emrys and Tony were friends; two foul-mouthed people together, how could they not be birds of a feather?
"Merlin, aren't you going to try to persuade him?" Black Widow could only place her hope in Emrys, hoping he could talk down the impulsive Tony so they could plan carefully.
"Persuade him about what?"
Emrys glanced at her and said indifferently: "They've already come knocking, can your S.H.I.E.L.D. endure it?"
They're looking for you, what does that have to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.?
"My point is, even if we are to rescue The Handmaiden Pepper, shouldn't we at least have a plan?" Black Widow massaged her forehead, she was so worried about these people.
"You have a point, we do need a plan."
Emrys pondered for half a second, then nodded in agreement: "Alright, contact Fury and tell him I need to talk to him."
"What do you want to do?!"
Black Widow stared at him warily, feeling a bad premonition.
"Am I not a member of your S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"Uh, yes, but…"
"No buts, I just ask you, am I a member of the Avengers?"
"Yes, but…"
"No buts, now, someone is assassinating an Avenger, how should that be handled?"
"We cannot intervene."
"When I joined you, Director Fury said that the Avengers were for the protection of humanity and the safety of the Earth. Was he lying?"
"No."
"Then is assassinating me not equivalent to endangering humanity and the safety of the Earth?"
"...It should, count, right?"
Black Widow was almost dizzy from his circling, and nodded vaguely.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Emrys intensified his offensive, righteously stating: "For an organization that threatens humanity and the safety of the Earth like this, we, the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., have the obligation and responsibility to eliminate such a threat, isn't that right?!"
"Mr. Merlin, we cannot do that." Black Widow was utterly helpless. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. had immense power, eradicating Hell's Kitchen would require political compromise.
After all, Kingpin had the support of Congress behind him, and they couldn't act rashly.
"Give me the phone, let me talk to Fury."
Emrys snatched Black Widow's phone without a word and directly dialed Fury's number.
He suppressed the sound transmission with his psyker power, so Black Widow couldn't hear what the two of them discussed.
A moment later, Emrys handed the phone over: "Your Director has something to tell you."
Black Widow took the phone with a puzzled look, and Fury's voice came through: "Agent Romanoff, in fifteen minutes, the military will blockade the Hell's Kitchen district. S.H.I.E.L.D. will take over this conflict completely. I will send Hawkeye to support you. Remember to obey Emrys' orders!"
In just a few minutes, what did Emrys say to the Director?
Black Widow looked at Emrys in shock. Until this moment, the somewhat naive young man suddenly seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious mist in her eyes!
She knew Director Fury; he would absolutely not agree to something like this.
Not to mention, he was actually mobilizing the full power of S.H.I.E.L.D. and cooperating with the military to blockade Hell's Kitchen, taking a stance that implied a complete eradication.
"What exactly did you say to the Director?" Black Widow swallowed, asking in shock.
"Nothing much."
Emrys smiled mysteriously: "Just, made a deal with him, that's all."
As he spoke, Tony had completed his preparations and stood on the circular platform in the center of the living room.
Several mechanical arms extended from below, assembling the armor pieces onto Tony's body in sequence and order.
The heavy energy backpack was mounted, and scorching energy streams jetted from its tail end.
On each side were two thick, semi-circular shoulder pads, his legs and chest were covered with thickened armor, and the helmet had multiple added functions.
Finally, an exaggeratedly modified bolter was brought up by a mechanical arm.
Aside from the flashy gold and red color, he was practically a miniature Space Marine. Emrys was genuinely afraid the Emperor would come asking him for copyright fees!
"Watch closely, Emrys!"
Tony proudly stepped onto the circular platform in the center of the living room, looking at Emrys, his face full of confidence as he said: "This armor, I specifically developed it for you!"
Specifically, developed for him?
Emrys was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Jarvis, what is this armor called?"
Oh no!
Tony's eyes twitched wildly. He was about to stop him, but it was too late.
Jarvis truthfully said: "Mr. Stark named this armor 'Anti-Emrys Armor', Mr. Merlin."
Emrys' face darkened, and he glared at Tony with an unfriendly gaze: "Are you not going to explain yourself? My dear close friend, Mr. Tony Stark!"
The latter guiltily turned his head away, muttering softly: "It's just a name, I can swear on my ex-girlfriend that it's definitely not aimed at you."
Alright, alright, should I say it's truly you?
Not only did he modify the mark 3, but he also named it 'Anti-Emrys Armor'!
Fuming and shivering, when will psyker finally rise up?
Emrys gritted his teeth in anger, vowing to dismantle this damn thing sooner or later!
The setting Sun was going down, and the sky was gradually darkening.
Wilson liked to stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Fisk Building at sunset, watching Hell's Kitchen transition from dusk to night.
Because once the Sun went down, Hell's Kitchen would reveal its true colors.
Filth, chaos, slaughter. A kingdom belonging to the Mafia Emperor, it would not obey any laws or rules, only submit to him, Wilson Fisk, Kingpin!
Wilson would light a cuban cigar, pair it with a glass of whiskey, and then sit in that soft chair, quietly admiring his kingdom.
However, this time, the situation seemed a little different.
Wilson looked at Hell's Kitchen, gradually sinking into night, yet in the afterglow of the setting Sun, it appeared somewhat desolate and bleak, and even the sparse figures on the streets suddenly made him feel a chill.
"No, this is bad, BOSS!"
Just then, a subordinate rushed in, his face full of panic.
Normally, if anyone dared to disturb him at this time, they would surely be rewarded with a bullet.
But perhaps that previous chill gave Wilson an ominous premonition. He turned, his eyes fierce and tyrannical, staring at the subordinate who had burst into the room: "What happened?"
"J-just now… Hell's Kitchen has been completely sealed off!"
The subordinate stammered, wiping away cold sweat, and said in terror: "The people below say they saw a lot of military armored vehicles, and even… even tanks!"
Armored vehicles? Tanks?
The first time Wilson heard this news, he even wondered if his subordinate was on drugs.
"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?" It wasn't that he didn't believe it, it was just too unbelievable. The military had nothing to do with them, why would they bother to seal off Hell's Kitchen?
It couldn't be that the army was short on DP and planned to come to Hell's Kitchen to grab some, could it?
That wasn't realistic either. Even if they plundered all of Hell's Kitchen, it might not be enough for those big-shot soldiers to smoke for two days.
"BOSS, I swear I didn't see wrong!" The subordinate's face had turned pale with fright, and he raised his hand tremblingly to swear: "Several hundred armored vehicles have completely surrounded our Hell's Kitchen, not even a fly can get out!"
"Tell everyone to come back, and absolutely do not provoke the military!"
Wilson realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately turned to pick up the phone on the desk.
The military was coming aggressively; he at least needed to know some inside information.
After dialing a number, Wilson carefully chose his words, trying to sound as gentle as possible: "Is this Senator Charles? This is Wilson Fisk."
"Wilson? What Wilson? I don't know you, don't make random calls!"
To his surprise, the congressman on the other end of the phone directly denied knowing him and hung up.
"???"
An ominous premonition surged in Wilson's heart.
He quickly dialed a second number, but the result was almost the same; this time, no one answered at all.
The third, fourth, up to the tenth call, either went unanswered or was directly denied.
Bang!
Wilson smashed the phone with his fist, veins throbbing, his entire face turning purplish with rage.
"I paid so much money, and in the end, they're all useless! Useless!" The furious roar echoed through the large office. Wilson's fists, like iron bowls, shattered the two-meter-long jujube-red wooden table, showing just how terrifying his strength was!
"N-no, this is bad, BOSS!"
Just as Wilson was at the peak of his anger, the subordinate who had gone out earlier returned, this time with a mournful face, as if a loved one had died.
"What is it? Speak!"
Wilson growled impatiently, glaring at the subordinate.
"The a-army has all driven in and is heading towards the Fisk Building!"
"Their target… is me?!"
Wilson's pupils suddenly constricted, then became ferocious: "Damn it, what the hell happened? Why is the military coming for me?!"
He didn't understand how the military had managed to bypass Congress and openly seal off Hell's Kitchen.
Had that damned group of congressmen on Capitol Hill thrown away their brains?
But the current situation didn't allow Wilson to think too much.
"BOSS, why don't we fight them?"
The subordinate suddenly had a flash of inspiration and suggested to Wilson.
Fight?
Wilson almost laughed at him.
Fight the military? What did he take him for?
He was the Mafia Emperor, not Superman. What could he use to fight against professionals?
Even if a hero came, you'd have to ask him if he could withstand a shot from a main battle tank's cannon.
Moreover, the military was clearly prepared; armored vehicles and tanks had arrived, and it was quite possible that fighter jets were ready for takeoff. What could he compare with them?
"Get lost!"
Wilson ignored him, slapping the idiot away.
Just as he was about to leave through a secret passage, his keen intuition, honed over many years, suddenly gave off a strong warning of danger!
Almost instinctively, Wilson's massive body curled into a ball, rolling to the corner of the room like a dung beetle.
Boom!!!
In the very next second, the specially reinforced office wall was suddenly blasted with a huge hole.
Amidst the swirling dust, a huge shadow burst into the office: "Wilson Fisk, get out here now!!"
At first, Wilson was furious and, in his rage, was about to rush out to teach this bastard a lesson.
To tell him with an iron fist who the Mafia Emperor of Hell's Kitchen truly was.
However, as soon as he poked his head out and saw the shadow that had burst into the office, Wilson immediately dismissed that unrealistic idea.
It was a humanoid mecha about two meters tall, but unlike the sleek bodies in previous sci-fi novels, this mecha's size was enormous!
And the number and types of weapons mounted on it had reached a terrifying level!
A six-barreled Vulcan cannon was mounted under its left arm, a grenade launcher under its right arm, a miniature cannon on each shoulder, and an exaggeratedly shaped gun at its waist.
"Motherfucker."
Wilson's eyelids twitched as he watched, thinking, did the military really need to use this thing to deal with him?
It couldn't even be called using a cannon to kill a mosquito anymore; it should be an atomic bomb to kill a mosquito!
"My friend, is there some misunderstanding between us?!"
Just by looking at it, Wilson knew that this thing was not something a human could fight, so he decisively chose to beg for mercy.
"Misunderstanding? No misunderstanding!"
Tony, with nowhere to vent his anger, directly raised his left arm, the Vulcan cannon poised to fire.
The whirring sound of machinery was like the God of Death ringing his bell!
Wilson cursed wildly in his heart, what heinous deed had he committed to make the military go to such great lengths to deal with him?
"Hello, hello, are you there?"
Suddenly, Emrys' voice rang out in the armor, interrupting Tony's killing intent.
"Did you find Pepper?!"
Tony was a little surprised, so much so that he ignored Kingpin.
"No, but soon." Emrys said unhurriedly: "I'm just reminding you, remember to leave Kingpin alive for me, don't kill him."
Glancing at Kingpin, who was sneaking away, Tony gritted his teeth in anger: "Alright, I'll leave him for you, hurry up!"
With that, the Vulcan cannon mounted on his left arm lightly swept, directly cutting off Kingpin's attempt to escape.
But no matter how he thought about it, Tony couldn't swallow his anger. He glared fiercely at Kingpin, then simply threw away the equipment mounted on his arms, clenching his fists together, producing a dull clang: "Come on, aren't you the Mafia Emperor? I heard you're a great fighter, let me see how good you are!"