After lights out, Liu A'dou transformed into Kaitou Kid and slipped away right under the noses of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Between using Microcosmos and his glider, he still preferred gliding—slow and easy, giving him time to enjoy the view.
Compared to Gotham City, New York's night sky had more color. Originally, Liu A'dou had considered settling down in the same neighborhood where Spider-Man lived, but on second thought, that entire area was crawling with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—even the school. Better not. Spider-Man was one of Director Fury's key proteges. He might not be ready to join the Avengers due to his age, but Fury was clearly grooming him.
The glider landed on the roof of the Empire State Building.
"You're early," Liu A'dou said.
Elsa looked him up and down. It was the first time she'd seen A'dou fully dressed as Kaitou Kid. Sure enough, the vibe was totally different. "Why meet up here?"
Obviously, it matched his Moonlight Magician persona—hence the Empire State Building rooftop. "That's not important. What matters is the thing we discussed before. Have you thought about it?"
"I've thought about it. I don't think I can perform a concert," Elsa said. "I was sent by Zeus to monitor you. I'm a divine envoy, here to oversee your recruitment of Saints. I've already crossed the line many times."
That was bad news. Liu A'dou had already asked Iron Man to help clear a space at the Expo grounds for a concert venue.
"Elsa, you've known us—me and Ada—for a few months now. What do you think of us?"
The sudden question caught Elsa off guard, but she quickly found the answer. "Very well."
"Then you should know we'd never harm you. Do you really want to spend your whole life shut off from the world, playing the ice queen with no friends?" Liu A'dou said. "Tell me honestly—do you want to sing? Do you want more people to hear your voice?"
The wind brushed past their ears, lifting her golden hair. Elsa still wore her signature braid. She had never really thought about what she wanted. But when she sang, she felt at ease. Especially when singing while using magic—then, she felt a kind of clarity, like she was stepping into a whole new world. She knew, deep down, she did want to sing. But doing so would mean defying Zeus's orders.
Liu A'dou saw the hesitation on her face and understood. So he said, "You don't need to worry about Zeus. He's not going to care what you do. Just be yourself. I'm Liu A'dou and I'm also Kaitou Kid. When I want to be a good guy, I step in to save people. When I want to be a thief, I can steal anything from anyone. Just follow your heart—what matters most is that you're happy." He nearly added, And I'll treat you to noodles afterward.
Elsa's eyes flickered. She looked out over the lights of New York and stayed silent. Liu A'dou stood behind her without pushing. He could tell from the look she wore onstage that she longed to be accepted. Sure, she had mutant friends now—but it wasn't enough. She was a queen. A queen destined to stand atop the world.
Losing her kingdom and her sister had only solidified her path. She wasn't going to sink into despair.
Was it snowing?
Liu A'dou blinked. Yeah, it was snowing.
It was January, so snow wasn't weird. But the sky was clear, the stars fully visible. No clouds at all. That made the snow unusual.
Elsa's mood could affect the weather. The snow was soft, not carried by any wind. So Liu A'dou figured her heart was beginning to open.
She hadn't made her own decisions in ten thousand years.
Now she didn't know how.
"It's settled then. You need to learn a few more songs, and I'll arrange your concert," Liu A'dou said. This would also be how he paid back the favor from Iron Man.
Elsa didn't object, which basically meant she agreed. Liu A'dou handed the naturally gifted singer sheet music and lyrics. "Practice more for now. The concert should happen this summer."
Elsa nodded.
"Alright, you head back to the academy for now."
"What about you? What are you going to do?" Elsa asked. "Even if I've agreed to be a star, you can't forget about the Saints."
"Didn't I already tell you? Learn to master your Microcosmos first," Liu A'dou said, exasperated. "Only Saints can train Saints. You have to become one first."
It was a convenient excuse, sure, but Elsa's own cultivation had indeed been progressing slowly, so she didn't argue. She jumped off the edge of the Empire State Building, her arm brushing against the wall and leaving behind a trail of frost as she slid down smoothly.
Watching her, Liu A'dou had only one thought—people in this world really loved showing off.
No point standing on the roof freezing. He transformed into the white-winged moonlight bird and took off into the sky once more.
Aboard the flying aircraft carrier, Natasha submitted her full report from the day. After reviewing it, Director Fury made no comment. Whether he believed it or not didn't matter. What mattered was whether the higher-ups believed it.
And that higher-up was Secretary of Defense William Stryker.
Stryker hated and envied mutants so much that he turned his own mutant son into a mindless puppet—and personally murdered his wife. His hatred for mutants had become a full-blown fanatical obsession. As long as he lived, his crusade against mutants would never end.
Stryker also loathed humans like Liu A'dou—people who sympathized with mutants. When he saw Liu A'dou's talk of divine blessings and his so-called logic about humans fearing mutants out of ignorance, Stryker tore the report to shreds in a fit of rage.
All that nonsense about being blessed by Athena, and about people only fearing what they didn't understand—it was all garbage.
To Stryker, Liu A'dou was a traitor to humanity. He had to die. It was time for the mutant assassins to act again. He wanted the world to see just how monstrous mutants were—that even humans who sympathized with them wouldn't be spared. They were parasites on Earth, born only to bring death.
Despite his hatred, Stryker controlled a group of mutants with drugs, forcing them to act as assassins. He used them to eliminate political rivals while also stoking public fear of mutants. He was the one who had bonded adamantium to Wolverine's skeleton and erased his memories. He was also the warden of the plastic prison.
"Disgraceful. It's because of people like him that mutants remain so hard to wipe out," Stryker growled, murder flashing in his eyes. "Nightcrawler, I want you to bring me his head."
In the darkness, a blue-skinned mutant with a devil-like tail bowed low. "Yes, Master." Because of the drugs in his system, Nightcrawler was completely obedient to Stryker.
"Go."
Nightcrawler vanished in a puff of blue smoke. His power was teleportation, and he could take people and objects with him. He could even chain his teleportation with no cooldown to simulate flight. His abilities were terrifyingly effective.
Liu A'dou had no idea that trying to make some money and gain goodwill from mutants had already earned him an assassination order.