Kingpin's heavy gaze shifted back to the pale figure standing across from him. His voice carried a casual weight, as if he were discussing business rather than hosting a room full of dangerous criminals. "You're the Joker from Gotham, aren't you?" he asked calmly, studying the painted grin.
The clown tilted his head slightly, the corners of his red mouth curling upward. "And you're Kingpin?" he replied instead of answering directly. The question came out lightly, but the mockery behind it was impossible to miss. A thin giggle slipped from his throat as he rocked back on his heels.
Kingpin chuckled in response, though the sound held more menace than amusement. "No one has ever dared speak to me like that before," he said slowly. His eyes swept across the group again, lingering on each of them for a moment. Then he leaned back slightly and continued in a conversational tone. "So, let's skip the theatrics. Tell me why you came to see me."
The Joker's grin widened a little further, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "You were the one backing Hydra during their attacks on S.H.I.E.L.D. and the New York shelter, weren't you?" he asked, the words sounding almost playful.
Kingpin laughed again, louder this time. "What's this?" he said mockingly. "Did you change careers and become a cop?"
Beside the Joker, Scarecrow leaned closer and whispered with obvious irritation. "Brother, I don't like this guy. That old bastard is such a show-off. He laughs even more than you do."
The Joker shrugged lightly and glanced toward Kingpin again. "I don't like it either," he said lazily. "Why don't you go up there and teach him a lesson?"
Scarecrow nodded immediately, almost eagerly. "Works for me." With that, he stepped forward.
The moment he moved, several of Kingpin's men snapped their rifles up and aimed them directly at him. The sound of metal sliding and safeties clicking filled the room.
"Put the guns down," Kingpin ordered without even turning his head. His voice was calm but absolute. "Guests are guests. Your behavior will make people think I'm afraid of them." He snorted faintly before looking back at the approaching figure. "I don't like fighting with nobodies. What's your name?"
Scarecrow spread his arms theatrically. "You don't recognize me, Kingpin?" he asked smugly. "I'm Gotham's infamous Scarecrow. The King of Terror himself."
Kingpin gave a brief, uninterested nod. "Oh," he replied flatly. After looking the thin man up and down, he clearly lost interest. Turning toward the rest of his people, he asked lazily, "Anyone feel like playing with him?"
A middle-aged man stepped out of the crowd. A long scar shaped like a centipede stretched across his face, making his expression permanently intimidating. He stopped in front of Scarecrow and spoke confidently. "My name is Smith. I used to be a combat instructor in the Marine Corps."
Scarecrow tilted his head as he examined the scar. "Oh," he answered lightly. Then he raised a finger and pointed directly at Smith's face. "You got beaten up like that, so you can't be that impressive either."
Smith's eyebrow twitched, irritation flashing across his eyes. "The brat who left this scar on my face had his neck snapped," he said coldly. "I tossed his body into the ocean to feed the fish."
"So you're saying you're pretty capable?" Scarecrow asked with an amused smile.
Smith crossed his arms and sneered. "Why don't you let me throw the first punch and find out?"
Scarecrow chuckled quietly. "How about the other way around? Dare you let me throw the first punch?"
Smith laughed dismissively. "One punch? Ten punches wouldn't matter. Honestly, I don't even need my hands to deal with someone like you." With that, he placed both hands behind his back and stood there like a confident martial arts master.
Scarecrow nodded approvingly. "You said it yourself," he replied. "Here comes the punch."
He stepped forward and swung his fist toward Smith's face.
Smith didn't move at all. His body remained completely still, his eyes filled with mockery as he waited for the blow.
The fist stopped about eight inches from his face.
A thin wisp of smoke suddenly slipped out from Scarecrow's sleeve and shot directly toward Smith's nose and mouth.
Smith coughed violently almost immediately. The choking gas forced him to stumble back two steps as his body reacted instinctively. Once he managed to steady himself, his face twisted with fury. "You bastard!" he roared. "You cheated! I'll break your—"
The rest of his sentence died halfway through.
His expression froze as unnatural terror flooded his eyes. His breathing became ragged, and his hands started trembling uncontrollably.
"What do you want?" Scarecrow asked smugly, watching the reaction.
Smith's fear intensified instantly. Within seconds, his features twisted into pure horror. He screamed and clutched his head before collapsing into a crouch. His voice trembled as he begged desperately. "No… don't come closer. Please… don't come closer. Stay away… stay away from me!"
"A Marine Corps instructor?" Scarecrow scoffed. "Is that all the skill you've got?"
He stepped forward again.
"Ah!" Smith shrieked. He turned and tried to run blindly, only to slam straight into Kingpin.
A sharp crack echoed through the room.
Kingpin had already snapped his neck before anyone realized what happened. Smith's lifeless body dropped to the floor like a broken puppet.
"Useless trash," Kingpin muttered, glancing down at the corpse. Then he lifted his gaze back toward Scarecrow. "You do have some tricks. But those cheap methods won't work on me."
"Let me handle him," Bane said as he stepped forward.
Now the situation became more interesting.
Kingpin leaned his cane against the chair and slowly clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles as he faced the towering figure. Bane's physique was nearly identical to Kingpin's—both massive, both heavily trained in combat.
However, Bane possessed something Kingpin did not. The venom running through his body granted him terrifying superhuman strength.
They exchanged only a single move.
A heavy thud echoed across the room as Kingpin was slammed violently into the floor by Bane.
The surrounding henchmen immediately raised their guns again.
Before they could fire, every weapon suddenly flew out of their hands. The barrels twisted around midair and pointed directly back at their own heads. Terrified, the men instantly raised their hands.
Li Jie calmly walked over to Kingpin, who was still pinned beneath Bane's grip. His voice dropped to a quiet, cold tone. "I didn't come here to chat."
He leaned slightly closer. "Tell me where you hid those mutated superheroes. Otherwise…"
A gunshot suddenly rang out.
One man who had been secretly reaching for something collapsed instantly with a bullet through his skull. The pistol drifted through the air afterward and slowly aimed itself at Kingpin's forehead.
In that moment, Kingpin had only two choices. He could die for his pride, or he could speak.
He sneered.
"Shoot," he said without hesitation. "If I blink, I'm not Kingpin."
Another gunshot echoed.
But Kingpin's head remained intact.
Just as he had said, he didn't even blink. His expression suggested he was completely ready for death.
"This guy's tough," Bane muttered.
"No," Li Jie said quietly. "He's being mind-controlled."
As he spoke, he placed his hand on Kingpin's head and used his own mental abilities to break the influence controlling him. The moment the manipulation disappeared, Kingpin suddenly inhaled sharply.
Cold sweat covered his forehead as the memories of what had just happened flooded back.
"Let me go," Kingpin said after struggling briefly. His voice was tense but controlled. "I'll give you whatever you want. But you have to promise me one thing."
"Let him go," Li Jie told Bane.
Bane stepped aside.
Kingpin stood up and straightened his suit slowly before speaking again. "The one behind all this was a man wearing green armor and holding a crescent-shaped scepter," he said through clenched teeth. "You have to help me kill him."
Li Jie already knew the answer before the name was spoken.
"What's his name?" he asked anyway.
"Loki," Kingpin said bitterly.
Just as expected.
Loki had originally been born a frost giant. Later he was discovered and adopted by Odin, the All-Father of Asgard, where he grew up alongside Thor. Ambitious and cunning, he had always coveted the throne of Asgard and was infamous as the god of mischief and deceit.
At the same time, Loki was also the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard, capable of wielding countless forms of magic.
Li Jie hadn't immediately suspected him when he realized Kingpin had been mind-controlled. But after hearing the description, the answer became obvious.
"Where is he?" Li Jie asked.
"I don't know," Kingpin admitted with a shake of his head. Then he added quickly, "But those mutated superheroes are still in my custody. He'll definitely come back for them."
"Where are they?" Li Jie pressed.
"Follow me," Kingpin replied.
He led them through the building until they reached a heavily reinforced underground vault.
"Open it," Kingpin ordered the guards standing outside.
With a heavy metallic groan, the vault door slowly swung open.
As Li Jie walked past the guards, one of them suddenly pulled out a dagger and stabbed it toward Li Jie's lower back.
The blade struck with force.
Then it snapped in half.
The guard froze in shock as Li Jie turned and grabbed him by the throat.
"Loki," Li Jie said calmly.
The guard smiled.
In the next instant, his appearance shifted. His hair slicked back, his clothing transforming into a perfectly tailored black suit.
It was Loki.
At that exact moment, a shield suddenly shot out of the vault.
Li Jie caught it instantly.
A second later, Captain America—wearing the red, white, and blue—charged straight toward him.
He wasn't alone.
Spider-Man, Iron Man, and more than twenty other superheroes poured out behind him.
"Oh my God," Scarecrow shouted in shock. "What the hell is going on?"
Li Jie's eyelids twitched slightly as he realized the truth. Every one of these heroes had been mentally controlled by Loki.
They had become his puppets.
And now the reason Loki stole them was obvious.
He was building an army of superheroes.
With that army, Loki could conquer Earth—and eventually march back to Asgard itself.
....
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