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North of New York.
In a hidden Stark Industries basement, temporarily repurposed as a base for the Avengers, the atmosphere was heavy. With Captain America still receiving treatment in the hospital, the remaining five Avengers sat together, somber.
Iron Man had just finished showing the group the video he'd uncovered. The disturbing footage cast a tense silence over the room.
Black Widow, her expression wooden, broke the quiet with a confused tone: "Tony, so… the bastard we've been chasing this whole time… I actually caught him?"
"But he just walked out with the ambulance, plain as day?"
Iron Man nodded grimly, "That's right. You could say that."
Banner, shaking his head in disbelief, muttered, "No… my God. Steve was in the basement with that man… It's unbelievable!"
"I'm starting to think this guy has some kind of terrifying foresight."
Hawkeye, arms crossed and leaning against the wall, spoke solemnly: "No matter what, we're dealing with a truly terrifying enemy this time."
"Something that goes beyond our understanding."
He then turned toward Iron Man. "Tony, is there any lead on that guy from the hospital?"
Iron Man shook his head. "No trace. No one even remembers seeing him."
"If he's as meticulous as I think, there's no way he'd leave any clues behind in a place like that."
"Now, everywhere you look, people are spitting on us. News reports are ready to crucify us."
"The heroes of yesterday are now the rats scurrying through the streets."
He paused, looking around at the group. "Guys, I think it's time we did something."
Thor leaned in, locking eyes with Tony. "So, do you have any idea where this man is?"
"Do you want us to go after him tonight and take his head?"
"If that's the case, I'd be very interested."
Iron Man smirked, "Thor, if I knew where he was, we'd be having a party in a hotel right now, celebrating."
"And his body would be hanging at the door."
Thor gave a chuckle, "Great imagination, but what's your plan?"
"Are you going to curse him to death with your mind?"
"I don't remember you having superpowers."
Iron Man sat down slowly, pressing a button on his arm. A new image appeared on the screen—a man in a white cap, standing in front of a base they hadn't yet destroyed.
"Think about it, guys. We know next to nothing about this man."
"That's why we're so passive." He pointed to the screen. "If blowing up our base was just his way of saying hello…"
"But this criminal case—it's the first time he's really fought us."
"We need more information. We need to observe."
The room remained quiet as they watched Jackson Chen's fluid movements and his calm, confident expression in the video. Even after seeing it multiple times, the Avengers were still struck by the almost artistic precision of Jackson's actions.
His plan had been flawless—meticulous to the extreme.
Then came the explosions in New York the next day.
Each moment replayed quickly in the Avengers' minds. While they hadn't realized it then, they now understood immediately.
From the beginning, Jackson Chen's true target had been Captain America.
The distant explosions had been distractions, diverting Iron Man and Thor, while guiding Captain America step by step into that bank building.
The explosions throughout New York, even the ones at S.H.I.E.L.D., were just pretexts.
Jackson Chen clearly had a special fascination with superheroes like them.
He even seemed to understand each of their personalities and methods.
As the video ended, the group sat in silence, a cold feeling lingering in the air, alongside a trace of fear.
"I think it's clear," Iron Man finally spoke, breaking the silence. "This guy has a profound interest in people like us with special abilities."
"He took down Steve without even breaking a sweat."
"The scariest thing about him is that we can never predict his next move. His ability to strategize is beyond anything a normal human should be capable of."
"I'm almost certain that while we're still processing this, he's already planning his next move."
"Today, it was Steve. Who's next?"
"And don't forget—he said there would be thirty crimes in a month. Today is only the first day!"
"Starting tomorrow, who's going to be his next target?"
Iron Man's gaze swept over the group. For the first time, the Avengers felt a life-threatening crisis looming over them—a sense of dread that echoed deep within their hearts.
Hawkeye, shaking his head in disbelief, chimed in, "This guy is omnipotent."
"He doesn't just have a special interest in us—he's completely indifferent to everything else."
"He nearly blew up all of New York. This is a madman who cares about nothing but his own agenda."
"And let's not forget—he managed to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D. and even altered Jarvis' surveillance footage directly."
A heavy silence hung in the air once more, as the Avengers tried to grasp the enormity of the situation unfolding before them.
"It means he has this intrusive nature—not just in the real world but also in the digital one."
"For someone like him, nothing is off-limits. There's nothing he can't break into or destroy!"
"He's far too dangerous. With abilities like that, if he's allowed to go unchecked, the entire world could face disaster."
Iron Man exhaled deeply, his expression tight. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
"Whether it's us or anyone else, it feels like there's no such thing as a secret in front of him."
He scanned the room uneasily. "I even have this feeling… that he's been watching us the whole time."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the dim screen flickered, and two lines of text appeared eerily:
"Well analyzed, Avengers."
"I look forward to our next encounter."
With just those two sentences, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. A cold dread swept through the team, and for a moment, it felt as though their very souls had been shaken.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Phoenizbeelze
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