Ronin drove the stolen car back to his villa in one piece.
The moment he stepped through the door, he collapsed onto the sofa like a sack of potatoes. Today had been exhausting—first the fake attack at S.H.I.E.L.D., then the real Hydra ambush on the way home. Even with his transformations, dealing with that level of nonsense drained him mentally.
He grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge and chugged half of it in one go.
"These Hydra guys are really something," he muttered. "They even have people inside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. No wonder the organization is rotten to the core."
He had known about Hydra's infiltration for a long time, but seeing it firsthand still felt surreal. Nick Fury was running around trying to save the world while his own house was on fire.
A soft knock came from the balcony door.
Ronin looked up and saw Thomas standing outside, looking a little sheepish.
"Come in," Ronin called.
Thomas slid the door open and stepped inside. "Boss, I heard there was trouble on the road. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Coulson ran away like a scared rabbit and left me behind. I had to handle it myself." Ronin waved his hand dismissively. "How did you know?"
"Lucy called me. She said S.H.I.E.L.D. dragged you away and she was worried. I came as fast as I could, but you were already gone."
Thomas scratched his head. "I also saw the news about the big fight in Harlem. Was that you?"
Ronin nodded. "Winston showed up. Hulk and Abomination were going at it. I jumped in to help. It got messy."
Thomas's eyes widened. "You fought both of them?!"
"Not exactly both at the same time. I mostly handled Abomination. Hulk was… well, Hulk. Big green rage machine." Ronin took another sip of water. "Anyway, the point is, things are heating up. Hydra is making moves, S.H.I.E.L.D. is suspicious of me, and the big monsters are starting to appear. We need to be more careful."
Thomas nodded seriously. "Understood. I'll stay close from now on. No more joyriding in your cars without permission."
Ronin chuckled. "Good. Because next time Coulson tries to drag me somewhere, I might just let Winston sit on him."
The two of them shared a laugh, but the mood quickly turned serious again.
"Boss, what's our next move?" Thomas asked.
Ronin leaned back and thought for a moment. "First, we keep a low profile. No unnecessary transformations unless it's life or death. Second, I need to speed up unlocking more heroes. The more power we have, the better we can protect ourselves when the real storms hit."
He opened the system interface in his mind and checked the Faith Points. The recent battles and public appearances had generated a massive surge. The numbers were climbing fast.
"Looks like we're close to unlocking the next one," Ronin murmured with a small smile. "Maybe it's time to bring in someone with a little more… firepower."
Thomas tilted his head. "Who are you thinking of?"
Ronin didn't answer right away. He just grinned mysteriously.
Meanwhile, at the Triskelion…
Nick Fury sat behind his desk, rubbing his temples. The report from Coulson lay in front of him, detailing the fake test, the real Hydra ambush, and Ronin's casual handling of the situation as Winston.
"This kid is becoming more trouble than he's worth," Fury muttered.
Coulson stood across from him. "He handled the Hydra team single-handedly. No casualties on our side. But he's clearly hiding how he does it. One moment he's a normal guy, the next he's turning into Winston. We still don't know the mechanism."
Fury leaned back in his chair. "Soldier: 76, Winston… and who knows how many more. If he can turn into these characters at will, he's already one of the most powerful individuals on the planet. The question is whether he's on our side."
"He doesn't seem interested in joining S.H.I.E.L.D.," Coulson said. "And after today's little 'test,' I doubt he'll trust us anytime soon."
Fury's one eye narrowed. "Then we watch him. Closely. If he's connected to these heroes, we need to know how. And if Hydra is targeting him, that means they see value in him too. We can't let them get their hands on him."
Coulson nodded. "I'll assign a team."
"No," Fury said firmly. "Keep it light. I don't want him feeling like we're breathing down his neck. For now, just monitor. And Coulson…"
"Yes, Director?"
"Next time you take him for a ride, try not to get ambushed. It's bad for our image."
Coulson gave a small, embarrassed smile. "Understood."
As Coulson left the office, Fury stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh.
"First Stark, now this kid. Why do all the powerful ones have to be such headaches?"
He picked up the phone and made another call.
"Get me everything we have on Overwatch Films, Ronin, and any connection to Soldier: 76 and Winston. And start digging deeper into Hydra's recent movements. Something big is coming, and I want to be ready."
Outside the Triskelion, the sun was setting.
Ronin stood on his balcony, looking out over the city lights.
The Marvel world was waking up. Heroes and villains were starting to appear, and the board was being set for a much larger game.
He smiled softly.
"Alright then… let's see who can put on the best show."