"What about me? Does this mean I can finally go outside?"
Skye's eyes lit up with a mixture of hope and mischief.
Kurogai glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching faintly. She wasn't exactly wrong — if Rogue could remain here in the orphanage, then it stood to reason that Skye could venture out. But that wasn't the full story, and they both knew it.
The truth was, Kurogai had left Skye here not just for her safety, but for the safety of the orphanage itself. There was no pressing need for her to be out in the field yet, and more importantly, he trusted her to watch over this place in his absence. Skye understood that, even if she didn't like it.
She didn't actually resent staying here — this orphanage was her home too — but she wanted to prove herself to him. Skye wanted Kurogai to see her strength, to know she could carry part of his burden. That was why she pushed to join him outside.
"You'll have your time," Kurogai said, reaching out to ruffle her soft hair with a rare chuckle. "Just not yet. You'll be busy soon enough."
And he meant it. His long-term plan would require someone trustworthy to keep order among the New York underworld, controlling its criminal networks and turning them into an intelligence source. Skye had the skill and temperament for that job, but right now wasn't the right time.
Rogue's powers were too unstable to serve as reliable combat support, which left Skye as his best defensive anchor here. He had seen her unleash her seismic shockwave before — enough force to take down Sabretooth in a single engagement. Her presence made the orphanage safer.
"I get it," Skye sighed, accepting his reasoning. "But next time, I'm going with you."
"Next time," Kurogai promised. "It won't be long."
Satisfied enough for now, Skye and Rogue headed back toward the courtyard.
Kurogai was about to follow when a subtle shift tugged at his senses. The magical markers he had left on certain people had been disturbed. One was attached to Wilson Fisk — the Kingpin — meaning he had something urgent to report. The other was on a small silver bracelet belonging to Susan Storm.
"Two at once," Kurogai muttered under his breath. "That's never good."
Without delay, he opened a shimmering portal and stepped through, emerging in the marble-floored manor of the Kingpin.
"Sir," Fisk said immediately, already waiting for him, "you told me to report anything unusual in New York. Yesterday, something… unusual appeared."
"Go on," Kurogai said with a nod, his tone sharpening with interest.
"A massive green giant showed up out of nowhere. He clashed with the military — a full fight broke out in the streets. No clear winner, both sides pulled back."
Kurogai's brow furrowed. "A green giant? The Hulk? He's supposed to be in Monaco."
It didn't fit the timeline he knew. By rights, Dr. Bruce Banner should still be overseas, far from U.S. soil. Yet here the Hulk was, tearing up New York.
Before Kurogai could question it further, Fisk's communicator buzzed. He answered, listened intently for several seconds, then looked up grimly.
"The situation's escalated. Another giant just appeared. This one's more monstrous, almost skeletal. They're fighting in the streets as we speak."
Kurogai's eyes narrowed. "Skeletal… that would be Abomination."
Now things made sense. He was looking at the events of The Incredible Hulk — only much earlier than they should have happened. And that was… interesting.
"Did your men get a closer description?" Kurogai asked.
"Yes," Fisk replied. "They said the creature's body is covered in bone-like protrusions. More terrifying than the green one."
"Definitely Abomination," Kurogai murmured.
He thought back to his earlier interactions with Dr. Banner. Sending him to Monaco to meet Reed Richards had clearly altered his path. If Reed had convinced him to return to the States, and Banner now had better control over the Hulk thanks to Kurogai's earlier training, then Banner's movements would have changed… and so would the government's ability to track him.
The military must have found him sooner. Which meant Emil Blonsky's transformation into Abomination had also been triggered earlier.
"Is this the butterfly effect in action?" Kurogai wondered aloud.
Then another realization hit him like ice water.
"Susan…"
Her location marker was right in the middle of the chaos. That meant she was dangerously close — possibly caught between the Hulk and Abomination.
His decision was instant. "I'll handle this."
Before Fisk could reply, Kurogai sliced the air with a sweep of his hand. A circular portal shimmered into existence, showing a street already wrecked by the clash of titans. Sirens wailed in the distance. The ground shook under the impact of massive blows.
He stepped through without hesitation, vanishing from the Kingpin's manor.
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