Bullseye was an exceptionally gifted individual.
His throwing skills were so precise, they might as well have been called a superpower.
After all, no ordinary person could kill with something as simple as a paper airplane or a toothpick.
But even with his unique abilities, he had never seen anything like Carl, a man who could shoot beams of heat from his eyes.
Right now, though, Bullseye had no time to be surprised.
All he could do was scream in agony.
Earlier, even with a knife and two throwing stars lodged in his hand, he had forced himself to endure the pain in silence.
He was, after all, a battle-hardened mercenary and assassin.
But this…
Having his entire arm melted, that was beyond his threshold.
Carl ceased the heat vision.
Then, without a word, he stepped on Bullseye's mouth, silencing his cries.
With one foot pinning him against the wall, Carl calmly looked down at him and said,
"Be quiet. Understand?"
But this wasn't just a command.
It was a super-hypnosis technique, a power of the Silver Superman, capable of altering one's mind in an instant.
Bullseye's expression changed immediately.
He gazed at Carl with wide eyes, then began nodding obediently, face filled with reverence.
It was as if he were standing before his master.
Carl withdrew his foot.
"Now talk. Why did you come to my bar?"
Bullseye took several deep breaths, struggling not to scream.
The pain in his body was immense.
Still trembling, he managed to speak.
"It was… Kingpin. He sent me."
"Kingpin?" Carl raised a brow.
"And why would he do that?"
"He said… said this bar… would be his in two days. Told me to bring my guys and… get familiar with the place."
Carl gave a faint chuckle.
"Then take your men and get out. Immediately. Or suffer the consequences."
With that, Carl released the hypnosis and turned away.
He walked over to Skye, and in the next instant, the two vanished from the alley.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Bullseye collapsed against the wall, sliding to the ground, gasping for breath.
Even now, his mind was spinning.
He couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
That rich pretty boy he had dismissed earlier,
Not only could he catch throwing stars with his bare hands, he could shoot red lasers from his eyes?
That was insane.
So insane, he couldn't even believe it.
But the burning pain in his missing right arm reminded him, it was all real.
Even worse, Carl didn't even finish him off. He just… walked away?
"F*ck… What rotten luck."
After a long pause, Bullseye finally cursed and staggered to his feet.
He took out his phone and called the men still waiting inside the bar.
He told them to get out, now.
Because if they didn't do as Carl said… Bullseye wasn't sure if any of them would make it out alive.
What Bullseye didn't know was,
The only reason he was still breathing… was because of Skye.
If Carl had been alone, he would've killed Bullseye without hesitation.
But since Skye was there with him,
And she was just an ordinary girl, not yet the SHIELD agent she would one day become, and certainly not awakened to any superpowers,
Carl didn't want to traumatize her by killing someone right in front of her.
So, he let Bullseye live.
For now.
He still planned to settle the score with Kingpin, eventually.
Meanwhile, Carl and Skye returned to Smith's Tavern.
Carl ordered two drinks and leaned casually against the bar, watching the crowd dance under the lights.
Skye, however, kept staring at him.
Suddenly, Carl turned and smiled playfully.
"What? Am I that good-looking?"
"Ugh, get over yourself."
Skye scoffed, pretending not to look at him.
A moment passed. Then she couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.
"Wait, do you really have superpowers?"
Carl teased, "You mean money powers? Sure. You already know I'm rich."
Skye rolled her eyes. "No, I mean that eye-beam thing!"
"What else could it be? You saw it with your own eyes."
"…Fair point."
Skye nodded, still stunned by what she'd witnessed earlier.
She'd seen Carl use heat vision to melt Bullseye's arm.
"That's insane. What else can you do?"
"Let's see… flying, super speed, super strength, biological force field…"
Carl listed casually, not bothering to hide his powers.
"Sounds like that Superman guy from the comics," Skye said, eyes wide.
"Pretty much," Carl said with a grin.
Skye tilted her head.
"Can you… take me flying?"
After all, humans have always dreamed of flying.
Now that she had the chance, of course she wanted to experience it.
"Sure."
Carl drained his glass, then wrapped his arm gently around her waist.
In an instant, the two of them vanished from the bar.
And in the next blink, they were soaring through the sky.
As the cityscape below blurred past them, Skye gasped with joy.
They soon arrived at the top of the Empire State Building.
One of America's most iconic landmarks, standing over 400 meters tall, offering a breathtaking view of the entire city.
The night breeze brushed against them. Skye's mood soared with the wind.
Carl smiled at her radiant face.
"How about we step away for a moment?"
"Huh? Why?"
"You'll see."
He gently pulled her close, and in a flash, they were gone again.
Now they were in Carl's apartment.
He grabbed two glasses and a bottle of red wine.
In the next moment, they were back on the rooftop.
Carl uncorked the wine, poured it into the glasses, and handed one to Skye.
She laughed and raised her glass. "Cheers!"
They drank together.
A little tipsy, Skye leaned in, and kissed him.
Carl kissed her back.
Then, their figures once again disappeared into the night.
Carl figured…
It was time to test the new bed.
Three hours later.
Carl stepped out of the bedroom, leaving Skye fast asleep.
He headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Not bad, he thought. That new bed was definitely worth the price.
After washing up, he activated his supervision to scan the city.
It didn't take long to find Bullseye.
He was at a dock, surrounded by several dozen of his henchmen in black suits, looking every bit the classic gangster squad.
And sitting in a nearby stretch limousine, towering and built like a small giant,
Was a massive bald man, at least two meters tall, muscles rippling beneath his suit.
Kingpin.