The next morning, Axel climbed out of bed.
As he passed by the bed, he casually slapped Selina on the butt. A maid helped him dress, and after putting on his clothes, he headed to the dining room. Rachel was already there waiting, dark circles under her eyes as if she had barely slept.
Axel sat down and began eating breakfast.
While cutting into a steak, he asked casually, "Where's Bruce?"
Rachel hesitated before answering.
"He's… studying you."
"Oh."
Axel rolled his eyes.
"He told you to say that, didn't he?"
Rachel nodded nervously.
"Bruce said you don't care about facts, only deception."
For a second Axel stared at her, then burst out laughing.
"Just like Bruce. Haha, that kid really gets me."
He continued eating his steak with obvious satisfaction.
Rachel watched him for a moment. Seeing how casually he spoke, she gathered her courage and looked him directly in the eyes.
Axel noticed immediately.
He paused, then waved his hand with a chuckle.
"Don't look at me like that. I usually don't mess with a friend's wife, but that's only usually."
Rachel's face turned bright red.
"No, no, no, that's not it!"
She hurriedly tried to explain.
"It's like this, Wraith… Boss."
Axel frowned.
"Call me Big Brother."
"Big Brother."
"Damn it."
"Sorry! Sorry, Big Brother Axel!"
Rachel took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
"I was wondering if you've heard of a doctor named Jonathan. He's one of the people in charge of Arkham Asylum. In recent years he's been sheltering criminals there under the excuse of medical treatment. I wanted to ask if you could…"
"What the hell are you asking me for?"
Axel almost laughed.
He tapped his fork against the plate and looked at Rachel with amusement.
"Let me guess. You want me to punish evil?"
He snorted.
"Rachel, I'm the biggest piece of evil in Gotham. Hell, maybe in the entire United States. Should I punish myself too?"
"No, no! I wouldn't dare!"
Axel grinned.
"So it's wouldn't dare, not don't want to."
He leaned back slightly.
"You shouldn't be coming to me for this kind of thing. Unless that kid pisses me off personally, I don't interfere like some damn superhero."
He stabbed another piece of steak.
"But if that guy is unlucky enough to run into me, I promise he'll end up kneeling and licking my shoes."
Axel laughed.
"So what reason would I use to kill him? Because he didn't lick them clean enough?"
Rachel didn't know how to respond.
Axel tapped his plate again.
"Besides, Bruce is perfect for this kind of thing. Arkham Asylum was built with Wayne money leading the investment."
He continued calmly.
"And it's not just Arkham. Places like Indian Hill too. The Wayne family owns major shares in half the shady institutions in Gotham."
Axel smirked.
"So instead of coming to me, maybe you should drain Bruce dry in bed."
Rachel nearly choked.
"The Wayne name alone solves ninety nine percent of the world's problems."
He pointed a finger at himself.
"As for me, your Big Brother only cares about the last one percent. The most troublesome kind of fun."
Axel resumed eating as if the conversation was over.
Rachel lowered her head, thinking.
At that moment, Bruce walked into the dining room.
He looked exhausted, but his eyes were sharp and alert.
Seeing Rachel and Axel sitting together made him pause for a moment. He still hadn't gotten used to this strange new reality.
After a brief hesitation, he sat beside Rachel.
"Morning, Axel."
Axel nodded.
"Morning."
Bruce looked awkward but continued speaking.
"Axel, are you busy later?"
Axel wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"I'm heading out for a trip."
Bruce blinked.
"A trip?"
"Yeah," Axel said casually. "The kind where I go mess around in other universes."
Bruce froze.
Axel continued as if it was nothing.
"While I'm gone, look after the Dead Souls Gang for me. I think you're capable."
Bruce jumped to his feet.
"What?!"
Axel frowned impatiently.
"What are you yelling for?"
He gestured lazily with his fork.
"The Dead Souls Gang is the strongest force in Gotham right now. We have five nuclear bombs, hundreds of tanks, dozens of aircraft, and hundreds of thousands of gunmen."
He shrugged.
"What does that mean? It means we've basically gathered every bastard in Gotham under one banner."
Axel looked directly at Bruce.
"I've handed you the night of Gotham. You already control the day."
He smirked.
"Didn't you say you wanted to change Gotham? Well congratulations. This is your starting point."
Bruce looked completely stunned.
Axel leaned back in his chair.
"Listen carefully. Gotham belongs to me."
Then he added calmly,
"But Gotham isn't my entire world."
He tapped the table.
"You don't expect me to waste all my time here, do you?"
Bruce shook his head slowly.
"That's not why I'm surprised."
He took a breath.
"Yesterday, when your friends traveled to other universes, I already guessed you wouldn't stay in Gotham forever."
He hesitated.
"I'm just surprised you're leaving so suddenly."
Axel raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
A grin spread across his face.
"Are you actually going to miss me?"
Bruce answered instantly.
"Absolutely not."
He paused.
"I'm just curious about inter-universal travel."
Axel laughed.
"Fair enough."
He stood up.
"The gang is yours for now."
Axel grabbed a toothpick and began picking his teeth.
"I'm full. I'm leaving."
He walked toward the door with an easy swagger.
Bruce and Rachel watched as he stepped out of the dining room.
The moment Axel crossed the doorway, he disappeared.
Just like that.
---
At the same time, on a major street in New York City, Axel appeared out of thin air.
He stood on the asphalt, still picking his teeth.
Before him, chaos filled the city.
The Chitauri were rampaging through the streets.
Explosions echoed through Manhattan while terrified civilians screamed in every direction. Blood stained the roads and buildings alike.
Anyone who believed the Battle of New York would have zero casualties was an idiot.
An invasion of this scale could never be handled by six heroes alone.
Looking up, Axel could see Iron Man and Thor flying in the distance.
Every now and then an explosion in the sky revealed Hawkeye's position.
The Hulk was somewhere among the buildings, smashing things out of sight.
As for Black Widow and Captain America, they were completely hidden by the endless Chitauri swarming the streets.
Axel glanced to his left.
Dozens of civilians were hiding inside a coffee shop.
They weren't there because they wanted to be.
There simply wasn't anywhere safer to run.
Every street was a battlefield.
Even New York City Hall had been overrun within minutes of the invasion.
Stark Tower, one of the most advanced buildings in the world, had already fallen.
Even the roof of the New York Sanctum had been attacked by Chitauri forces.
The situation across the city was catastrophic.
Dropping a nuclear bomb here wasn't just a crazy idea. Some people genuinely thought it was the only solution.
As Axel appeared, several survivors nearby noticed him.
The strongest reaction came from a fast food restaurant across the street.
Inside, Chitauri soldiers were slaughtering civilians.
Red ketchup bottles had burst during the attack, splattering the windows so badly it almost looked like blood.
The few survivors inside were too weak to shout.
They could only stretch their hands toward Axel from the floor, desperately crawling in his direction.
Even a few seconds of safety felt like salvation.
Axel stood calmly in the middle of the ruined street.
The asphalt had been bombed and torn apart several times already.
He tossed away the toothpick and started walking toward the restaurant.
"Damn," he muttered.
"Something felt missing this morning."
He clicked his tongue.
"Alfred's team cooks great food, but they never prepare the important stuff."
He pushed open the broken door.
"Like iced cola."
A survivor grabbed his ankle desperately.
Axel kicked him aside without even looking.
The man screamed as he rolled across the floor.
Three Chitauri immediately turned toward Axel and fired energy blasts.
Flames flickered around Axel's body for a brief moment.
Then he was already standing in front of the soda machine.
He grabbed a stack of paper cups.
After choosing one that wasn't covered in blood, he filled it with cola.
Axel took several large gulps.
He sighed in satisfaction.
"Now that's refreshing."
Behind him, the three Chitauri who had fired earlier were gone.
Only green alien fluid splattered across the wall remained.
After finishing half the cup, Axel walked back out of the restaurant.
Cola in hand, he headed toward the area where the Avengers were fighting.
Turning a corner, he encountered a group of civilians being escorted by soldiers and government agents.
The officer leading them noticed Axel immediately.
"Hey! You!"
He waved urgently.
"Get over here! Don't stand in the street alone!"
The officer continued firing at Chitauri soldiers flying toward them on a small airship.
"If you get the chance, grab a gun and help! At least then you'll die with some dignity!"
A dozen soldiers joined him, unleashing concentrated fire.
Finally the Chitauri airship exploded in mid air.
But its wreckage still crashed toward the street.
The burning craft smashed into the road and rolled straight toward Axel.
Several civilians were crushed beneath it as it skidded forward.
Axel watched the wreckage approaching.
Then he grinned.
"Now this," he said, taking another sip of cola,
"is a real 5D blockbuster."
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