S.H.I.E.L.D. took Adam very seriously. Starting the very next day, the number of agents assigned to monitor him increased tenfold... ten disguised versions of Dum Dum Dugan rotating shifts in the neighboring building.
Representatives from various factions also came knocking. On the surface, they were all polite, extending olive branches, but Adam gave none of them a straight answer.
That was to be expected. A battle of that scale, combined with the very public death of a general, couldn't be covered up. Everyone now knew about the Xenomorphs and understood their value as living weapons. Adam's status had skyrocketed as a result. He was fully entitled to say no.
The fact that he hadn't casually killed the people sent to approach him was already astonishing enough to surprise some of the more ruthless organizations.
"In the wake of the Broadway incident, newly appointed Deputy Director George visited the scene to comfort injured citizens and promised the people of New York that he would request special funding from the government to strengthen police presence and prevent such events from happening again…"
Adam read a snippet aloud before tossing the newspaper aside.
The entire article was filled with empty platitudes. The only part that interested him was that George Stacy had apparently been promoted. That was likely the sweetener Dugan had used to keep the man quiet.
"Compared to boring news reports, watching certain people put on their enthusiastic performances is far more entertaining. Even Kingpin sent someone. At least he's being upfront about wanting to build a relationship with money. No one turns down cash. But I really didn't expect anyone to sneak onto my territory. Was my hospitality lacking?"
Adam sighed, not even blinking. Yet the moment the words left his mouth, the Xenomorphs that had been lounging around him like oversized dogs shot to their feet. Their bodies tensed as they moved swiftly through the building.
Hidden in the shadows, Elektra's heart skipped a beat. Her pulse spiked for just an instant... long enough to give away her position.
She wasn't facing ordinary humans. She was up against someone who far surpassed normal people in every category and commanded several Xenomorphs as his minions.
Whoosh!
Several Xenomorphs moved with eerie silence, coordinating perfectly as if they shared one mind.
Elektra abandoned any hope of staying hidden. Facing the Xenomorphs' ruthless assault, she knew hesitation would get her killed. She inwardly cursed herself for taking this unnecessary risk and coming here on a mission.
A messenger Xenomorph appeared behind her. Its flexible tail lashed forward, ready to impale her like meat on a skewer.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Elektra spun as if she had eyes in the back of her head, drawing her guns and firing rapidly. She precisely hit the limbs of the two lead Xenomorphs while carefully avoiding the splashed blood. Her eyelids twitched violently as she watched the floor corrode into deep pits.
"Don't misunderstand! I was only following Kingpin's people and ended up here!" Elektra needed less than a second of combat to realize that playing tough would end badly.
Watching videos and running simulations was one thing. Actual combat was entirely different. And these were only the weakest Xenomorphs. If she faced the big one that resembled the Hulk…
What kind of strength did the man controlling them... Adam himself... actually possess?
"A smart excuse. At least it's more believable than a clumsy lie. So, should I assume you're here on behalf of the Hand to provoke me? Or will you deny it and claim your precious Hand knows nothing about me?" Adam clapped slowly.
"…"
Elektra's expression grew heavy. Standing in front of Adam, she felt strangely exposed, as if she were completely naked. "That's something for the 'Five Fingers' to decide. I'm just a ninja who carries out assassination orders. Personally, I don't think they'd be stupid enough to make an enemy of you."
"No. The fact that you're standing here already tells me exactly what those five old bastards are thinking."
"As far as I know, they're still discussing you. No decision has been made yet." Elektra finally offered a small piece of information.
It wasn't that she had abandoned her professionalism as a top-tier assassin. It was because three more Xenomorphs had silently emerged from the darkness, quietly surrounding her.
No matter how subtly she shifted her position or tried to prepare for a sudden breakout, a Xenomorph always blocked her path.
Elektra watched helplessly as thick, terrifying drool dripped from the creatures' jaws. She could only grip her guns and blades tightly.
From the footage she had studied, one of the Xenomorphs' most terrifying weapons was the small mouth inside their larger one... an organ resembling a tongue or bone with a vicious little maw at the tip. Its attack speed was faster than a bullet.
If she had to face multiple Xenomorphs at once... especially with more appearing silently... she would die horribly.
"Elektra, you really don't understand your five old bosses at all. You don't even know how they became so powerful or where they learned their sorcery and ninja arts." Adam looked at the beautiful woman in front of him.
Elektra... Daredevil's former lover, assassin for the Hand, and a world-class killer skilled in every form of death.
But at this level… Adam couldn't be bothered to pay her much attention. When it came to assassination, even the most highly trained ordinary human without superhuman abilities ultimately fell short.
She might be able to trade blows evenly with a basic Xenomorph using pure martial skill, but against a specialized one... even one born from a vampire... she would struggle.
Adam genuinely couldn't understand where the Hand got the confidence to send someone like Elektra to his doorstep.
Yes, Adam never believed in coincidences. Those five ancient creatures known as the "Five Fingers," who had stolen the power of the dragon from K'un-Lun for centuries of life and allied themselves with a hellish demon, would never act straightforwardly.
One of the key abilities the Hand gained from the "Beast" demon was resurrecting the dead and turning them into obedient assassins... somewhat similar to the Court of Owls from the neighboring universe.
In terms of sheer scale, however, they fell far short of the Court, which could open doors to the dark multiverse and indirectly allow dark gods tied to Batman's origins to enter the main multiverse.
The Hand had an obsessive interest in every form of assassination. With the Beast demon backing them, the moment Elektra appeared here, their stance had been made clear.
"Let her go. This Hand rookie probably doesn't know anything yet. I can offer some intelligence, though. Those five are quietly gathering information on both the Deviants and the 'Flying Man.'"
Coulson stepped out from the side, looking somewhat serious before blinking and adding, "This information is free."
"Come on, Coulson. I only needed money at the very beginning. Once I have enough startup capital, I won't need extra dollars. But maybe I misheard you… 'Flying Man'?"
"That's right. The mysterious man in the blue-and-gold suit who fought you, then fled after killing General Ross. Someone online dubbed him a T0-level super-criminal, on the same tier as Magneto." Coulson said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I don't think Magneto would consider Ikaris qualified to stand beside him. So after showing off his power, Ikaris earned the title 'Flying Man'? He's an extremely proud guy. He'll find out about this soon and start killing everyone who calls him that." Adam's expression turned wry.
"Ikaris?"
Coulson's eyes sharpened. He finally had an opening and didn't want to waste time on pointless chatter. He fired off questions rapidly: "Is that his name? You publicly accused him of being a Deviant. What exactly are Deviants? How many beings like Ikaris exist among them?"
Elektra felt relieved at being ignored. She slowly backed away, observing the newly arrived Coulson while occasionally glancing at Adam.
If not for the Xenomorphs precisely blocking every viable escape or attack route and pinning her in place, she would have tried to run already.
The two men casually discussing unrelated matters, neither paying her any mind, left the young assassin both grateful and somewhat frustrated.
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