The streets of Harlem were in ruins.
Burned-out cars, collapsed buildings, deep craters, and scattered debris told the story of the terrifying battle that had just taken place.
General Ross stood in the middle of the destruction with a grim expression. His daughter Betty had already been taken away by ambulance. The soldiers were busy cordoning off the area and searching for survivors.
Abomination had been completely flattened into a thin layer of green paste at the bottom of a massive crater. Even the strongest forensic team in the world would have a hard time identifying what was left of him.
General Ross stared at the crater for a long time, his face twitching. He had personally created this monster, and now it had been crushed into something unrecognizable. The sight filled him with complicated emotions.
He had lost Blonsky, but at least the immediate threat was gone.
"General, what should we do with the body?" a soldier asked.
"Bag it up and take it back for study," Ross replied coldly.
The soldier swallowed hard. Bag that up? There was barely anything left to bag…
Meanwhile, in the sky above, Ronin flew at full speed on his jetpack, heading straight home. He didn't dare stay a second longer.
The battle had been too chaotic. He had no idea how many people had seen Winston tonight. If word got out that Winston had also appeared in the real world, the media would go crazy.
More importantly, S.H.I.E.L.D. would definitely come knocking again.
He had barely landed on his balcony when the doorbell rang.
Ronin canceled his transformation, changed into casual clothes, and opened the door. As expected, it was Phil Coulson standing there with his usual polite but fake smile.
"Mr. Ronin, may I come in?"
Ronin stepped aside without a word. He was too tired to argue.
Coulson walked in, glanced around the living room, and sat down on the sofa. "You look exhausted. Rough night?"
"I was watching a movie and fell asleep on the couch. What brings you here so late, Agent Coulson?" Ronin asked, rubbing his temples.
Coulson took out a tablet and played a short video clip. It showed a giant gray gorilla with black-rimmed glasses flying through the air on a jetpack, then later sitting down hard from an extreme height and crushing something into oblivion.
"Care to explain this?" Coulson asked calmly.
Ronin stared at the screen for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Looks like Winston. Pretty cool special effects, right? The guys at Overwatch Films really outdid themselves this time."
Coulson didn't smile. "Mr. Ronin, we both know this isn't a movie scene. This footage was taken less than an hour ago in Harlem. The same place where a green monster and another unidentified giant creature fought a brutal battle."
He leaned forward slightly. "Soldier: 76 has appeared multiple times to protect you. Now Winston has shown up as well. Both characters were created by your company. Don't tell me this is all just a coincidence."
Ronin leaned back on the sofa and sighed. "Agent Coulson, I've already explained this to you before. I don't know why these characters are appearing in the real world. I'm just a filmmaker. If I had the power to make fictional heroes real, I'd be ruling the world by now."
Coulson stared at him for a long moment, then switched to a different angle. "During the battle, you—Winston—used a weapon that fired electricity. That weapon looks exactly like the Tesla Cannon from the Winston movie. Care to explain how you obtained it?"
Ronin raised an eyebrow. "You're assuming I'm Winston now? That's a pretty big leap, don't you think? Maybe someone built a replica. Or maybe it's all just advanced special effects and practical props. You know how Hollywood works."
Coulson's expression remained unchanged. "Mr. Ronin, Director Fury is very concerned about these incidents. He believes there is a connection between you and these 'heroes.' If you're hiding something dangerous, it would be better to tell us now. S.H.I.E.L.D. can help."
Ronin let out a tired laugh. "Help? The last time I talked to your Director, he basically told me to stay out of trouble and not cause any surprises. Now you're saying you want to help? Which is it?"
Coulson was silent for a moment. "We want to prevent disasters before they happen. The green monster tonight was extremely dangerous. If Winston hadn't intervened, the casualties would have been much higher."
Ronin nodded. "Then you should be thanking Winston, not interrogating me."
Coulson stood up. "We will be keeping a closer eye on you, Mr. Ronin. For your own safety—and everyone else's."
He walked to the door, then paused. "One more thing. Director Fury asked me to pass on a message: 'Don't become the next problem we have to solve.'"
With that, Coulson left.
Ronin locked the door and collapsed onto the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
"These S.H.I.E.L.D. guys are like cockroaches—they just won't go away," he muttered.
He had known this day would come eventually. Too many appearances by Overwatch heroes had drawn too much attention. But he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
He needed to be more careful from now on. No more casual transformations unless it was absolutely necessary. And he definitely needed to find a more secure place to live.
His phone suddenly rang. It was Lucy.
"Mr. Ronin, are you okay? I just saw the news about the monster fight in Harlem. The company is fine, but a lot of staff are scared. Should we issue a statement?"
Ronin sat up. "No need for a statement yet. Tell everyone to stay home tomorrow if they can. We'll resume normal operations the day after. And Lucy… thank you for worrying about me."
Lucy was quiet for a moment. "Just… be careful. Good night."
After hanging up, Ronin walked to the window and looked out at the city lights.
The Marvel world was becoming more dangerous by the day. Hulk had appeared, and soon Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the rest would follow. The Avengers Initiative was probably already in motion behind the scenes.
He couldn't keep playing the lazy CEO forever. He needed to get stronger—fast.
Winston's form had proven useful tonight, but it wasn't enough. He needed more heroes. More power.
He opened the system interface in his mind and checked the Faith Points.
The recent battle and the public appearances of Soldier: 76 and Winston had generated a huge surge. The numbers were impressive.
"Looks like it's time to unlock the next hero," he murmured.
But which one?
He scrolled through the available options, his eyes finally stopping on one name.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Time to bring in some real firepower."