"I say! Has this guy just let himself go?"
Artoria pointed at Reed and Susan's brother, who were letting loose on the dance floor. After being cornered by beautiful women, these two guys started letting themselves go, completely ignoring their newly recovered bodies and engaging in all sorts of awkward dancing. It was so cringe-inducing that Artoria said to Susan, who was pretending she couldn't stop them, that the two of them looked like Huskies running wild.
"Let them make a scene; it's relaxation after a narrow escape."
Unexpectedly, Artoria didn't see any signs of Wrath from Susan. Shouldn't you two like each other? Why is it so casual? Has this CP ceased to exist? Seeing Susan's reaction, Artoria thought so. However, a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; don't try to guess it. Unless she tells you herself, your guesses will be completely off the mark.
"How is your physical recovery going?"
Setting aside Susan's little thoughts, Artoria spoke meaningfully, wanting to know if these guys had felt the mutations in their bodies. But looking at Susan's expression and the performance of Reed and the others—most importantly, Ben was still a burly man—it all suggested their bodies were in the middle of a mutation and hadn't fully changed yet.
"It's recovering very fast! I don't know why; maybe the Doctor's medicine was just right."
Susan was also confused about how quickly she recovered. When she was first rescued, she felt like she was going to die. Every part of her body felt an indescribable burning sensation, but her mind was extremely cold—like the 'ice cream headache' from eating a dozen ice creams at once in the summer. She didn't expect to recover from being half-dead in just a few days. At first, she thought the medicine used by the Doctor was excellent, but her mental state over the last two days had been abnormally good.
Although she didn't know what happened, she knew it was definitely not normal. She could only use the excuse that the medicine was effective to comfort herself, but her heart always felt a bit uneasy. She had been asking Artoria out these past two days because only by Artoria's side could she feel at ease and calm the restlessness in her heart.
"Why didn't Victor come over?"
Observing carefully, that guy who was as flashy as her older brother hadn't appeared yet, which meant he had drifted apart from the other four. This could be considered a formal separation!
"He's probably very busy right now. I've already resigned, and all the specific matters have been handed over."
"By the way, Artoria, could you give me a job at your place recently?"
Suddenly remembering she was now a free agent and could jump ship to Artoria's side, Susan put down her cocktail and spoke to Artoria as if joking, but internally she really hoped Artoria would agree to let her join her company.
"What boss wouldn't welcome a subordinate as capable as you? You can rest for a couple of days before reporting to the company."
Regarding Susan's words, Artoria indicated that if she wanted to come over, she should. She warmly welcomed Susan's arrival. After all, whether in terms of appearance or personality, having the Invisible Woman around was pleasing to the eye. A beauty, even if just a 'decorative vase,' is good for the soul.
"I don't need two days; I can go tomorrow."
Susan stated she didn't need that much time and could go to work tomorrow. Susan's cheerful attitude made Artoria raise an eyebrow, looking at her with interest. This girl's attitude was a bit urgent; why? But it seemed her 'benefits' were about to disappear—what should she do?
"It's so noisy here."
After clinking glasses with Susan, Artoria quietly watched the cheering and bustling dance floor. She still felt it was too loud. The guy DJing wasn't very professional; he wasn't as hyped as that old man! She'd go back after finishing this drink. Thinking this, Artoria soon bid farewell to Susan. Declining Susan's offer to see her off, Artoria walked quietly down the street. She didn't call Saturday to bring the car over; she just walked quietly.
"I'll give you a count of three. If you don't want to die, get out of my way!"
Actually, the moment she entered that hotel, Artoria had sensed she was being followed. She could easily distinguish that small amount of malice; the other party didn't seem to intend to kill her, so there was no killing intent at all. However, many of those gazes were filled with lewdness, which made Artoria feel disgusted.
"Artoria Stark, sister of Tony Stark, please come with us!"
The leader, a guy dressed in black, spoke to Artoria in fluent English, but that strange lilt at the end of his sentences wasn't a mistake a native speaker would make. So, were these guys outsiders?
"It seems you didn't understand what I said?"
"Sharingan, activate."
Blood-red pupils replaced the emerald green, and a strange power entered the leader's mind.
"Who are you? What is the name of your organization, and who sent you?"
"We are the Ten Rings. Lord Chu sent us here."
Pure Mandarin. These people were from China. Hearing Artoria's questioning and seeing their boss's eerie state, the surrounding guys pulled out handguns. Their previously lewd gazes vanished, replaced by terror. They looked at Artoria with horror, as if she were a demon.
"Witch! Is this the power of a monster?"
"Boss is bewitched! What do we do?"
"You're so noisy! Just shut up right here!"
Looking at these guys acting like they'd never seen the world and calling her a witch, it seemed they hadn't been baptized by transcendent powers! They were probably just used to gang wars; once they encountered power beyond their comprehension, were these guys just cannon fodder? Artoria's strength had already been exposed during the Battle of New York, yet they still sent ordinary people to deal with her. The Ten Rings? It seems The Mandarin has made his move.
Slash!
"You all can stay here!"
Drawing her as-yet-unnamed blade, Artoria cut down the leader with a single strike. Foul-smelling blood quickly stained the ground. How could a group of small fry be Artoria's match? In twelve seconds, all the guys lay on the ground, lifeless. It seems that without Maya's Extremis, the events of Iron Man 3 won't happen. As for this Lord Chu—well, whether The Mandarin is a fake or the real deal remains to be seen. At the very least, anyone who uses a bunch of ordinary people against someone with transcendent powers can't be that formidable.
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