On the rooftop of Wayne Tower, three men sat along the edge with their legs dangling over open air. The city stretched out beneath them, quiet and dim under the fading evening light.
Bruce Wayne held out a case of beer toward Superman. "Do me a favor," he said casually. "Chill these."
Superman leaned forward and exhaled softly. A wave of icy breath rolled over the bottles, instantly coating the glass with a thin layer of frost.
Li took one of the bottles and twisted it open. After taking a long sip, he leaned back comfortably.
"Sitting on a rooftop drinking cold beer," he said with satisfaction, "with a living quick-freezing machine beside me… this is actually pretty great."
After another sip, he glanced at the other two.
"I've come up with an idea. Want to hear it?"
Bruce and Superman clinked their bottles together.
"Li," Bruce said, "just say what you want to say. Stop beating around the bush."
Li glanced sideways at him and smirked slightly.
"Wayne, I've always heard that you and Superman have a pretty good relationship," he said lightly. "But now that I've seen it with my own eyes, it seems your relationship is even closer than the rumors suggest."
"That's nothing special. We—"
Bruce paused halfway through the sentence as something clicked in his mind. His expression stiffened slightly before he quickly corrected himself.
"My relationship with Clark is actually very ordinary."
As he said that, Bruce stood up and moved to a different spot on the rooftop. Originally he had been sitting between Li and Superman, but now he relocated to the other side of Li, as far away from Superman as possible.
Li watched the movement silently and thought to himself, Wayne, Wayne… you're trying a little too hard to hide it.
Superman, meanwhile, looked completely calm.
"Wayne is actually a very good person," he said earnestly. "He's upright and reliable. He just throws the occasional little tantrum."
Li blinked slowly. The tone sounded strangely familiar, like someone commenting on their stubborn spouse.
"Li," Bruce interrupted quickly, clearly unwilling to continue that topic, "what exactly were you trying to say earlier? Can you hurry up?"
Li shrugged and got to the point.
"Wayne, the problem with our resurrection plan lies in the human body."
He gestured with the bottle in his hand.
"The experiment failed because an ordinary human body simply can't withstand the enormous energy produced by the Mother Box."
Bruce nodded slightly. That much had already become obvious during the previous experiment.
Li continued.
"So here's the question. What would happen if we could find someone whose body can withstand that kind of energy?"
"Obviously they'd be resurrected," Bruce replied casually.
Then he suddenly froze, realizing what he had just said.
"Wait… Li," he said slowly, "who exactly are you planning to experiment on?"
Li answered calmly.
"There are plenty of potential candidates."
He took another sip before listing them.
"For example… Captain America. The Hulk. Or Thor."
Superman nodded almost immediately.
"I think this idea is worth trying," he said. "Thor, for example, is from Asgard. His body could definitely withstand the energy from a Mother Box."
He paused briefly.
"And if Thor really could be resurrected, maybe he could return to Asgard and find a way to solve this crisis from there."
Bruce shook his head and poured cold water on the idea.
"The question is whether Thor even got infected in the first place," he said. "If he became a zombie like everyone else, how are we supposed to find him?"
Li nodded.
"You're right," he said. "Thor might have escaped the disaster entirely if he stayed in Asgard."
He paused before continuing.
"But I know for certain that both Captain America and the Hulk are currently under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control."
He looked at Bruce.
"So we can choose one of them as our test subject."
Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"Who would you pick?"
"The Hulk," Li replied without hesitation.
He explained his reasoning calmly.
"If we revive the Hulk, then Dr. Banner might be able to solve the problem of controlling the Mother Box's energy output."
Li took another drink.
"Banner is one of the smartest people on Earth. If he joins the research, our chances of success increase dramatically."
Bruce considered that and slowly nodded.
"And Captain America?" he asked.
Li shrugged.
"That old guy isn't exactly known for his scientific brilliance," he said bluntly. "He's stubborn and old-fashioned. Temporarily resurrecting him wouldn't help the research."
There was another reason Li didn't say aloud.
The Hulk had died by Li's own hands, which meant his body should already be preserved. Captain America, however, was still wandering around as a zombie.
Coulson would never willingly hand him over.
"Alright," Bruce said, finishing his beer and standing up. "Then let's use the Hulk for the experiment."
He stretched slightly before continuing.
"I'll head back to Metropolis for now. Contact me when everything is ready."
Superman stood up as well.
Without another word, he stepped off the rooftop and shot into the sky toward Metropolis.
Bruce snorted.
"That guy only cares about women. He definitely rushed back to see Lois."
Then Bruce looked down at Li awkwardly.
"Well… actually…"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I suddenly remembered there's something I need to handle at the shelter."
He quickly added, "You're already familiar with Coulson anyway, so I'll leave the Hulk matter to you."
Li silently stared at him.
Wayne… do you really think I can't tell you're rushing back to report to Catwoman?
Before leaving, Bruce turned around and shouted from the Batplane.
"Li, when the Hulk resurrection experiment starts, you absolutely must include me!"
Then the aircraft roared away into the night sky.
Li watched the plane disappear and muttered under his breath.
"Those two heartless bastards only care about women."
He finished the last of his beer, slipped on his magic ring, and opened a glowing portal.
Moments later, he stepped through it.
—
"Li!?"
Coulson jumped slightly when Li suddenly appeared behind him in the office.
"My God," Coulson sighed. "I'm drowning in work every day. There are problems everywhere and not enough people to handle them."
He looked up hopefully.
"Li, you arrived at the perfect time. Maybe you can help me solve some of these issues."
"I'm actually here to solve one of your problems," Li said calmly.
"Superman has been resurrected."
Clatter.
The stack of documents in Coulson's hands slipped and scattered across the floor.
He stared at Li in disbelief.
"Li… I'm not sure I heard that correctly," Coulson said slowly. "Could you repeat it?"
"I said," Li replied calmly, "Superman has been resurrected."
Coulson's voice began trembling.
"Can you… explain exactly how that happened?"
Superman's resurrection was extraordinary news.
Li described the process, carefully omitting certain details.
"So the Mother Box's energy combined with the Kryptonian repair fluid can revive someone?" Coulson asked nervously.
"In theory, yes," Li answered.
"But there's a problem. Ordinary human bodies can't withstand the Mother Box's massive energy output."
He then explained the purpose of his visit.
Coulson frowned deeply after hearing the proposal.
"Li, you've already discovered ways to resurrect Batman and Superman," he said sincerely. "That's incredible."
He hesitated before continuing.
"I'm willing to support your next experiment as well. If we can revive more heroes, that would be amazing."
"But…"
"Coulson," Li interrupted, "can you just give me the Hulk's body?"
Coulson smiled bitterly.
"Li… I wish I could."
"What do you mean?"
Li frowned.
"It means the Hulk's body isn't in my possession."
Coulson sighed.
"Not just the Hulk," he continued. "Captain America and Iron Man aren't here either."
He explained what had happened.
After the previous Hydra attack, all of the zombie superheroes held by S.H.I.E.L.D. had mysteriously disappeared.
At first Coulson believed Hydra had stolen them.
But after interrogating several Hydra members, he confirmed they had nothing to do with it.
According to Hydra, they had no use for those zombies.
"Any leads?" Li asked.
Without those bodies, not only would the resurrection experiment fail, but Li would also lose a huge amount of potential skill rewards.
Coulson nodded.
"That's actually the favor I wanted to ask you about."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I suspect the disappearance might be connected to Kingpin."
Coulson rubbed his temples.
"I'm dealing with too many problems right now and don't have enough manpower. I simply can't spare anyone for the investigation."
He looked directly at Li.
"So… could you help me look into this?"
"Kingpin?"
Li thought about it for a moment.
"Alright," he said. "I'll handle it."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
"Li!"
Melinda almost collided with him in the hallway.
Li nodded briefly but didn't stop walking.
"Why was he here?" she asked after entering Coulson's office.
"He agreed to investigate the missing superheroes and look into Kingpin," Coulson replied.
Then he frowned slightly.
"But this time he didn't negotiate anything with me."
"That actually makes me uneasy."
"Should I go with him?" Melinda asked.
Coulson thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"No. The priority right now is finding those missing heroes. I don't want Li to misunderstand anything."
—
Because Li had previously rescued Coulson and the other survivors from Hydra, the Expendables had been given their own living quarters inside the shelter.
The room even came with a small private garden.
When Li arrived, Bane and the Joker were lounging under a sun umbrella while Scarecrow—wearing an apron—was busy grilling food nearby.
"Boss!"
Scarecrow rushed over with enthusiasm.
"These chicken wings turned out perfectly. You should try one."
It was obvious he had suffered quite a bit while Li was away.
After all, he had once worked with Hydra.
Scarecrow insisted he had only infiltrated Hydra as an undercover agent, but Bane and the Joker clearly hadn't believed that excuse.
They had given him a brutal beating.
Li took a bite.
"Not bad."
Then he gave a simple order.
"Finish eating and get ready to work."
He looked at the three men.
"No matter what methods you use, I want Kingpin located immediately."
"Kingpin?"
The Joker sat up with interest.
"If you're talking about that big fat guy," he said with a grin, "then I actually know exactly where he is."
Kingpin wasn't truly fat. His body was built almost entirely from muscle, giving him incredible strength.
Rumor had it that Kingpin practiced hand-to-hand combat with professional fighters every day, and each sparring session never lasted more than twenty seconds.
Anyone who fought him ended up severely injured—or worse.
The Joker continued explaining.
"More than forty percent of this city's crime is connected to Kingpin."
He smiled coldly.
"The last Hydra attack on S.H.I.E.L.D.? Kingpin funded that."
"I didn't cause trouble for him earlier because I didn't have your permission."
Li nodded slowly.
"Then we're going to pay him a visit."
He raised his voice slightly.
"Grab your weapons. We're leaving."
—
The Joker's clown-themed car drove in front, followed by Li in an armored vehicle.
Eventually they stopped in front of a heavily fortified building.
Kingpin, one of the most powerful figures in New York, was also the mortal enemy of Spider-Man and Daredevil.
As the Joker had said, nearly half the city's crime flowed through his network.
Whenever Spider-Man or Daredevil shut down an illegal casino or dismantled an arms deal, they were essentially declaring war on Kingpin.
Because of that, Kingpin had never shown mercy toward superheroes.
After the zombie outbreak began, he had used his wealth and influence to build an enormous fortress.
Its defenses and living conditions were even better than the S.H.I.E.L.D. shelter.
As Li's vehicle approached the entrance, gunfire suddenly erupted.
Bullets struck the pavement in front of the car as a warning.
The Joker calmly stepped out.
He casually shot two nearby zombies before walking forward and giving a theatrical bow.
"Please inform Kingpin," he called loudly, "that the Joker from Gotham would like to meet him."
Although the Joker had spent most of his life in Gotham, his reputation had long spread to New York.
—
Upstairs, Kingpin was eating sashimi when one of his men reported the message.
"Joker?" Kingpin frowned.
"What does he want here?"
He waved his hand and dismissed the woman in a kimono who was serving the food.
"Bring them up," he ordered.
—
Downstairs, Kingpin's men surrounded Li and his companions with guns drawn.
"Kingpin has agreed to meet you," one of the guards said.
"However, you must surrender all weapons before going upstairs."
Scarecrow immediately exploded in anger.
"Hand over our weapons?" he shouted. "Kid, you clearly don't know who we are or how dangerous we can be."
"If you expect us to—"
"Do it," Li interrupted calmly.
He stepped forward and handed over his pistol, dagger, grenades, and other equipment without hesitation.
He even allowed the guards to scan him with a metal detector.
Seeing this, the others reluctantly followed.
"Careful with that," Scarecrow warned as he handed over a container of fear gas.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. That stuff contains biological agents. One tiny leak and everyone here dies."
The guards immediately panicked at the mention of bioweapons.
"A bunch of ignorant fools," Scarecrow muttered.
Led by a subordinate, the four men took an elevator up to Kingpin's private floor.
Kingpin stood waiting in the center of the room.
He was over two meters tall and even bulkier than Bane, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure.
His gaze first landed on Bane, silently measuring the powerful physique in front of him.
Then he looked toward the Joker.
But after only a brief glance at Joker and Scarecrow, Kingpin's eyes moved past them and settled directly on Li.
He had already sensed something important.
Among the four men standing there, the quiet figure at the very back was clearly the most dangerous one.
....
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