Thinking about Thor, Karl felt a rare trace of sympathy.
Thor's life was not smooth.
Manipulated by Loki.
Stripped of power.
Exiled to Earth.
Later losing Frigga.
Watching Odin fade.
Discovering Hela and the truth about Asgard's bloody past.
Destroying Asgard to stop Ragnarok.
Seeing Loki die at Thanos' hands.
Losing an eye.
Failing to stop the Snap.
For a so-called god, Thor endured far more tragedy than most mortals.
Karl still intended to meet him when he descended to Earth. Thor would eventually inherit Asgard. After Odin's death, the royal vault would become… vulnerable.
But that was later.
For now, Karl's attention shifted elsewhere.
Hell's Kitchen.
Specifically — beneath Manhattan.
The Hand.
In Marvel canon, the leaders of The Hand were known as the Five Fingers — Alexandra Reid, Madame Gao, Bakuto, Sowande, and Murakami. They were ancient warlords who once trained in K'un-Lun before being exiled for pursuing forbidden resurrection practices using dragon bone substance.
The "dragon bones" buried beneath Manhattan were not literal skeletal remains of a traditional dragon in the mythological sense.
They were the fossilized remains of an ancient, immense dragon — one that Iron Fist lore implies was connected to Shou-Lao the Undying or similar extra-dimensional dragon entities tied to K'un-Lun's chi.
The Hand used the powdered substance derived from those bones to extend life and accelerate regeneration.
Karl activated Shadow Ninjas and sent them downward through the earth.
Deep.
Past sewer systems.
Past subway infrastructure.
Past geological bedrock layers.
Nearly a kilometer below Manhattan, they detected it.
A massive fossilized structure.
Ancient.
Radiating faint golden chi energy.
Karl entered the Shadow World and descended personally.
What he saw confirmed it.
A colossal skeletal formation embedded within the subterranean cavern — enormous vertebrae and rib structures infused with residual mystical energy.
There was indeed a barrier.
But the Shadow World allowed bypassing spatial and mystical boundary restrictions without triggering defensive wards.
Karl placed his hand on a fragment.
He broke off a section and channeled internal energy.
Instead of raw power like vibranium, this energy felt… refined.
Mystical.
It resonated with life force rather than radiation or cosmic force.
He absorbed a measured amount.
Immediately, he felt an amplification in his internal energy circulation. His cryokinetic ability stabilized and deepened — not in raw destructive output, but in efficiency and control.
Interesting.
The dragon bone did not simply increase power — it enhanced energy throughput and regeneration.
That explained how the Five Fingers sustained centuries of life.
Karl instructed the Shadow Ninjas to begin extraction.
Telekinesis assisted with structural dislodging.
The operation lasted nearly a full day.
All accessible fragments were moved into the Shadow World.
When Karl returned to the manor, May and Raven did not question his sudden absence. They were accustomed to it.
Whether The Hand would notice the dragon bone depletion was uncertain.
But even if they did, they were no threat.
The Five Fingers possessed enhanced longevity and martial mastery — but their power level was nowhere near Karl's current threshold.
K'un-Lun would likely react as well once the imbalance was discovered.
Karl began controlled absorption cycles at the manor.
Not reckless consumption — measured integration.
The dragon bone energy enhanced:
Teleportation range stability
Telekinetic precision
Cryokinetic efficiency
Shadow Ninja manifestation capacity
After one full night of absorption, his teleportation evolved.
He could now carry additional individuals through spatial displacement without strain.
He stopped there.
His body reached temporary saturation.
Further absorption risked instability.
As for the origin of the dragon bones — speculation varied across lore.
There is no canonical confirmation that Celestials battled Eastern dragons beneath Manhattan.
Celestials did experiment on Earth in prehistory, altering proto-human genetics and seeding the Eternals and Deviants.
Dragons, however, are primarily mystical entities tied to K'un-Lun and other dimensional realms.
The bones likely belonged to a powerful chi-based dragon entity — perhaps related to Shou-Lao's lineage.
Not Celestial-tier.
But still ancient and formidable.
Karl dismissed further speculation.
Theories were irrelevant without direct confirmation.
He contacted Tony.
"Monitor New Mexico. Anything atmospheric, cosmic, or high-velocity impact — I want immediate notification."
Tony agreed and re-tasked Stark satellite systems to monitor anomalous energy signatures over the American Southwest.
Meanwhile, Rhodey delivered the Mark II to the U.S. military.
Political pressure against Tony eased significantly.
With an operational Iron Man platform in government hands, the Pentagon temporarily ceased aggressive pursuit.
Stark's political network also ensured containment.
Asgard.
Thor's coronation ceremony was underway.
The Allfather Odin sat upon the throne.
Frigga observed quietly.
Loki stood slightly behind.
Then — intrusion.
Frost Giants infiltrated the vault.
The timing was deliberate.
They sought the Casket of Ancient Winters, the relic that once empowered Jotunheim.
Before they could claim it, a concealed chamber opened.
The Destroyer emerged.
In film canon, it did not fire yellow lasers but unleashed concentrated energy blasts from its faceplate aperture.
It annihilated the intruders instantly.
The chamber resealed.
Odin arrived with Thor and Loki shortly afterward.
Thor saw only provocation.
Odin saw manipulation.
The Frost Giants had bypassed Asgard's defenses too cleanly.
The path to the vault was not accidental.
Frigga, skilled in seiðr magic, understood more than she revealed.
Odin remained silent.
Thor demanded retaliation.
Odin refused.
That refusal ignited Thor's pride.
Later, Loki whispered what Thor wanted to hear.
With Sif and the Warriors Three, Thor would soon cross the Bifrost to Jotunheim against Odin's command.
And destiny would move forward.
…
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