Wade stared at him with narrowed eyes, suspicion written all over his face. That oath had been way too specific, almost absurdly detailed, and yet that was exactly what made it feel real. He searched Rex's expression again and again, trying to find even a trace of deception, but all he saw was steady, unflinching sincerity.
"Even if I say yes," Wade muttered, lowering his voice, "there are too many of them. One more person won't change anything. We still can't win."
Rex let out a cold snort, his gaze sharpening. "The only real threat is the speedster. I'll handle him. When you see three flashes, that's your signal. The moment it happens, you switch sides."
Wade inhaled deeply, his chest tightening as the reality of his situation weighed down on him. Ever since the diagnosis, he had been like a fish thrown into the desert, gasping for survival with no water in sight.
"…Fine," he said finally, jaw tightening. "You call the shots."
"Good," Rex replied, his tone steady. "Don't forget—double pay, cancer treatment, and someone looking after your girl. Now move. Get their attention and give me cover."
"Got it."
Wade stepped out from behind the pillar, taking several exaggerated strides before suddenly raising his voice.
"Hey! Who's there? Show yourself!"
Every head snapped toward him instantly. The shift in attention was immediate and total, and Rex didn't waste the opening. He adjusted his position silently, slipping through the shadows as he closed in on his next target.
Wade raised both hands quickly, putting on an apologetic grin. "My bad, my bad. Thought I saw something. Just a big rat. For a second I thought it mutated and grew fur or something…"
A few of the others rolled their eyes, clearly used to his nonsense, while the tension eased just slightly.
Rex had originally planned to take Black Widow from behind, but she wasn't some amateur. As a seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, her awareness was razor sharp. The moment he got close enough, she reacted.
She flipped backward smoothly, dropping her center of gravity while hooking his leg with precise timing. Her movements were fluid, efficient, and lethal in their simplicity. Before Rex could fully stabilize, her arm snapped around his neck, locking him in place.
The chokehold tightened instantly.
Rex sucked in a sharp breath, pain flaring through his chest. If not for his current injuries slowing him down, she wouldn't have caught him so cleanly.
For a split second, he registered the soft pressure against his back, the warmth of her body behind him.
Then reality snapped back.
This woman is choking me out.
His fingers clamped onto her forearm as his voice came out strained and hoarse.
"Bucky… is still alive."
"What?"
Black Widow froze, just for an instant.
Rex blinked, equally caught off guard. Wrong line. That didn't land right.
He forced out another sentence, correcting himself immediately.
"Dreykov… is still alive."
Her entire body stiffened.
That name hit like a trigger.
If the Winter Soldier was a beacon of hope in Captain America's darkest years, then Dreykov was the shadow that haunted Natasha's past. He was the architect of everything she had suffered, the man she believed she had destroyed in Budapest alongside Hawkeye.
"…That's impossible," she said, her voice barely steady.
"His Red Room is still operating," Rex pushed through the pressure, forcing the words out. "Your sister—Yelena—is still under their control."
Her grip faltered.
The hesitation was slight, but Rex didn't need more than that.
He twisted sharply, reversing their positions in one fluid motion. The momentum shifted instantly, and now it was him behind her, locking her arms and pulling her into a tight hold.
His hand snapped over her mouth, silencing her before she could call out.
They struggled briefly on the cold concrete floor, bodies twisting and pressing against each other as they fought for control. Rex forced her down, pinning her firmly despite the strain tearing through his injured body.
The pain made him exhale hard, his breath brushing against her neck. Her body stiffened slightly at the contact.
The faint scent of her skin reached him, distracting for just a fraction of a second.
Focus.
"Do you have backup outside?" he murmured close to her ear. "Why aren't they moving? Kingpin is about to walk away with this."
"Mmph?!"
"Stay quiet and I'll let you speak."
"Mmh!"
"You people are really something," Rex continued, loosening his grip just enough. "Working with a criminal who deals drugs, kills, kidnaps—where's your line?"
He removed his hand from her mouth.
A short, sharp breath escaped her as she responded immediately. "That's not cooperation. It's leverage. Once we take you down, Kingpin goes with you."
Rex scoffed. "And what exactly did I do to deserve this kind of attention?"
"You poisoned Manhattan and slaughtered dozens of people."
"That 'poison' was a misunderstanding," Rex shot back, irritation flashing in his eyes. "And the people I killed? They deserved it. I'm doing the job you, the police, and the FBI keep avoiding. If anything, I'm cleaning up your mess."
She opened her mouth to argue, but Rex cut her off, tightening his hold slightly.
"Work with me," he said, his voice dropping again. "Once I'm out of here, I want a conversation with your agency. About Dreykov. About the Red Room. About your past."
She went silent.
Seconds ticked by, tension hanging heavy between them.
"…Fine," she said at last.
Rex held her for another three seconds, weighing the decision. It wasn't trust—it was calculation. Dreykov mattered too much to her for her to ignore this.
He loosened his grip slightly, his breath brushing her ear again.
"When you see three flashes," he whispered, "you move. Right now… you're my prisoner."
"I've got him!"
Her voice rang out immediately, clear and controlled.
Footsteps converged from all directions as the others closed in. Wade lingered just half a step behind the group, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.
Kingpin laughed, satisfied. "Well done, Natasha. I might even consider giving you a raise."
"Thank you," she replied calmly, stepping aside.
Kingpin gestured casually.
The woman who had remained silent until now—the elegant figure in black, known as the Nine Spider Bride—finally moved. Her hand flicked with precision, and a thin needle shot through the air.
It struck Rex in the chest.
He reacted instantly, yanking it out, but his expression darkened as he saw the needle had already turned a sickly blue-black.
Poison.
Behind him was a solid wall. In front of him, a semicircle of enemies closed in. Injured, surrounded, and running out of options.
Kingpin tapped his cane lightly against the ground, a smile creeping onto his face.
"So," he said, voice thick with satisfaction, "did you see this coming, Devil Face?"
He paused, savoring the moment before continuing.
"You shouldn't have crossed me. Not in the gallery. Not by using my territory to spread poison."
Rex rolled his eyes, exhausted. That again. Burning drugs had been a misunderstanding from the start, but no one seemed interested in hearing that.
Fine.
He was done explaining.
His gaze lifted, meeting Kingpin's eyes briefly before sliding past him—locking onto the Speed Demon.
That was the real threat.
Even through the mask, Rex could feel the hostility radiating from him. The man was still irritated from earlier, still itching for payback.
Perfect.
Rex had already decided how to deal with him.
Lightning.
The problem was landing it. With that level of speed, a direct hit wasn't guaranteed. He needed the right moment.
And now… everyone thought he was at his weakest.
The moment had arrived.
He coughed lightly, then spoke, his voice carrying just enough disdain.
"I'll admit it," he said, lips curling. "The dogs you brought today aren't completely useless."
His words were aimed broadly, but his eyes never left the Speed Demon.
Within that gaze was a carefully crafted mix—mockery, contempt, challenge.
The reaction was instant.
The Speed Demon's temper snapped.
Kingpin noticed the shift immediately. A flicker of alarm crossed his face as he raised his hand to stop him.
But it was already too late.
The Speed Demon moved.
A blur surged forward, crossing the distance in a fraction of a second. His fist, moving faster than the eye could track, drove straight toward Rex's face.
What he didn't expect—
Was Rex stepping forward.
Arms open.
No defense.
It looked like an embrace.
A stunned silence rippled through the group. Even Kingpin's expression twisted with confusion.
"Oh~" Wade let out under his breath, the sound dripping with inappropriate amusement.
The punch landed.
Pain exploded through Rex's chest, sharp and immediate. But at the same time, his arms closed, locking the Speed Demon in place.
Got you.
A grin spread across his face despite the pain.
Then—
Crackle.
Silver-white arcs of electricity burst into existence, dancing wildly between them.
"Zzt!"
"Zzt!"
"Zzt!"
Three flashes.
The Speed Demon's body convulsed violently, muscles locking as the current tore through him. In an instant, all that speed, all that power, collapsed. His body went limp, dropping like a broken puppet into Rex's arms.
Wade moved the moment he saw it.
His blade shot forward without hesitation, piercing straight through Sowande's waist before she could react.
At the same time, Black Widow spun, striking Maya from behind with precise force. The blow landed cleanly, and Maya collapsed instantly, unconscious before she hit the ground.
In a single heartbeat—
The entire situation flipped.
....
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