Slaughter carried out Liam's order with absolute seriousness.
Despite looking like the kind of nightmare creature that could make a child wake up screaming, he charged straight into the shopping mall without a moment of hesitation. The moment his massive body crossed the entrance, the entire place exploded into chaos. Screams rang out from every direction, people scattered in panic, and several shoppers nearly tripped over themselves trying to get away.
The prettiest women in particular were pressed tightly against the walls, their faces pale and trembling, all the poise and glamour they'd carried moments ago completely gone. In the face of a monster like this, beauty meant nothing. Everyone was equally terrified.
"Th-this thing isn't going to kill me, is it?"
In the middle of the crowd, a blonde girl had shrunk into the corner with her back against the wall. She stole a nervous glance to the side just in time to see Slaughter approaching her position, and her heart practically leaped into her throat.
Jessica Jones felt like her blood had gone cold.
Her face had already turned deathly pale, and she was mentally preparing for the worst when Slaughter walked right past her without even slowing down. Then, in a childish voice that completely clashed with his monstrous build, he pointed toward the milk tea counter and said, "Give me your best milk tea…"
"Uh…?"
Jessica froze.
Her mind went blank for several seconds. No matter how hard she tried, she could not process how such a giant, terrifying humanoid monster could speak in a voice that sounded like it belonged to a child. The contrast was so absurd that it short-circuited her fear for a moment.
And before anyone could recover, they heard him mutter again, patting his own head with the broad side of one of his oversized blades like he was trying to remember something important.
"Oh, and another serving of fries."
"They've all gone crazy… they've all gone crazy!!!"
Jessica was stunned.
Even if she gave her imagination complete freedom, she never could have predicted a scene like this. A giant monster had stormed into a shopping mall in the middle of a citywide disaster, and instead of slaughtering people, it was placing an order like a picky customer. The whole thing felt as ridiculous as seeing someone carrying a sniper rifle in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other while strolling through a battlefield.
She couldn't stop herself from looking at Slaughter a few more times, trying to burn the scene into her memory.
And then she heard something even more unbelievable.
"I wonder if the grown-up will like it…"
Slaughter carefully took the milk tea and fries after they were handed over to him. The staff even gave him a small extra item from the shop, perhaps because they were too scared to do anything else, but instead of looking happy, he seemed nervous. His entire demeanor was strangely cautious, almost anxious.
He was afraid Liam wouldn't be pleased.
After all, in his mind, Liam was practically a parent.
"Clang!!!"
Just as Slaughter was lost in thought, one of the oversized blades in his hand brushed lightly across the floor. That tiny motion alone shattered the once-smooth tile instantly, the crack racing outward as the blade bit deep into the concrete and even sank into the soil beneath.
The crowd sucked in a breath.
That was only an accidental touch. If that blade landed on a person, the result would be so brutal there wouldn't even be time to scream twice.
Jessica Jones stared at the ruined floor, her mind racing.
So this terrifying, bizarre creature was just a subordinate?
Then how strong was the person he called "grown-up"?
At this point, Jessica hadn't gained any powers. She hadn't gone through the major tragedies that would later harden her, either. Right now, she was just a normal girl who'd been dragged into a world of monsters and superhumans far too early.
That was exactly why this memory would stay with her so deeply.
The first time a normal person gets caught in a superhuman incident, the impression lasts forever.
Meanwhile, the Avengers were having an even worse time.
Natural lightning had always been regarded as one of the most violent forces in the world. That was why people called it divine punishment. It was sudden, merciless, and utterly beyond human control.
And now they were fighting something that controlled it like breathing.
After repeated attacks from the Thunder Qilin, Captain Steve was already completely unconscious. Hawkeye had been shocked so badly that even holding his bow properly had become difficult, while Black Widow's short hair stood on end from the repeated electrical blasts, making her look like a scorched hedgehog.
"Phew…"
Natasha exhaled a long breath, and a thin stream of black smoke came out with it.
Even as one of the Red Room's deadliest products, her body simply couldn't handle a dimensional gap like this. Being able to dodge and survive as long as she had was already proof of how skilled she was. Wanting more than that would have been arrogance.
At the scene, the only one still capable of truly resisting was Tony Stark.
His armor could convert a portion of incoming lightning into usable energy, which was the only reason he hadn't already been blown out of the sky. But even that had limits. After absorbing and releasing power over and over again, the Iron Man suit was approaching its critical threshold.
If this kept going, overload detonation was a very real possibility.
"If my entire Iron Legion hadn't already been wrecked… if the satellite cannon didn't need time to recharge…"
Tony glared at the lightning-wreathed Qilin in the distance and could only grit his teeth. He was furious, humiliated, and deeply unwilling to accept the situation.
"I am not ending up cornered like this."
When Peter saw all this, his eyes lit up immediately.
He had just been beaten nearly to death by the Avengers. He had been toyed with, judged, humiliated, and almost erased from existence. Now that these same people had been reduced to such a miserable state, how could he possibly pass up the chance to kick them while they were down?
"Venom," Peter asked through clenched teeth as he touched his battered side, "how much strength have you recovered?"
The black symbiote wriggled, and a skull-like face emerged from Peter's shoulder with a savage grin. "If it's about tearing those bastards apart, I'd be more than happy to."
"Then let's move."
Peter inhaled sharply, endured the pain ripping through his body, and let Venom flow back over him once more. The black substance spread across his wounds, wrapping him in a fresh layer of protection before he kicked off the ground and leaped forward.
No matter the situation, being able to crush your enemy when they're weakest was always worth doing.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Peter was the first to rush Captain Steve.
If there was one person in the Avengers he hated most, it was this hypocrite. In Peter's eyes, Steve was the kind of man who loved speaking in grand moral slogans while standing over other people's suffering like a saint carved out of marble.
"And you keep preaching about justice and protection. Disgusting."
Peter sneered and slapped him twice across the face.
He did not hold back.
Each blow landed with brutal force, and Captain Steve's face swelled almost instantly. That proud, handsome symbol of freedom and heroism was quickly turning into a pig-headed mess.
"Captain!"
Hawkeye's eyes immediately reddened.
As the only ordinary person on the Avengers roster, Clint had always admired Steve more than anyone else. To him, Captain Steve was the center of the team's spirit, the kind of man who made others want to follow. Seeing him humiliated like this felt personal.
It felt like his own dignity had been trampled on.
But Hawkeye was still just a human being. There was no overwhelming power inside him, no armor, no miracle mutation. All he had was his bow.
So he did the only thing he could.
With a sharp exhale, Hawkeye fired.
At that exact moment, Peter reacted with lightning-fast speed. He yanked Captain Steve upright and dragged him in front of himself like a living shield.
"Smack."
The arrow pierced straight through Steve's shoulder.
The sudden pain jolted him awake. His eyes flew open, and when he looked down and realized Hawkeye's arrow was sticking out of his own body, his face immediately twisted with anger and disbelief.
Peter burst into wild laughter.
"This is your precious camaraderie? What a joke!"
"Crack!"
At nearly the same moment, Tony Stark finally lost the battle against overload. His flight system sputtered, failed, and sent him crashing hard to the ground.
He looked up instinctively.
And what he saw was Peter's crazed expression turning toward him.
"The situation just got worse," Tony muttered.
He was right.
The spider demon had already fixed its gaze on him and began moving his way, murderous intent practically spilling off his body.
"I almost forgot about you…"
Far away from the battlefield, high above it all, Liam leaned casually against the side of the skyscraper and took another slow sip of milk tea.
"Glug, glug."
He followed it with a bite of fries, humming under his breath while watching the chaos unfold below like it was the best entertainment in the city. He gave a small wave in Peter's direction, quietly banking more gratitude and waiting for the perfect moment to step in.
Watching a good show really was one of life's great pleasures.
.....
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