In a deserted location, Kurogai appeared, Wade's dual katanas still in his grip. Without hesitation, he commanded the Ultimate Pupil to absorb the rare carbonadium steel forged into the blades.
"It's still just short of perfection," Kurogai muttered, his brows furrowed. Even after draining the metal from Wade's weapons, the Sixth Pupil Ring remained incomplete. Yet, deep inside, his instincts screamed that only a small fragment of special metal was missing. Filling that final gap would bring the ring to full completion.
"That leaves me with only one option—the shield of Captain America," he whispered, eyes narrowing. "If Rogers has already been recovered from the ice… then his shield is the key."
The thought stirred another memory: the Cosmic Cube. According to what he knew, after Captain America's last battle with the Red Skull, the Cube—housing the Space Stone—was lost at sea. By now, it should either be in Captain America's possession or secured by S.H.I.E.L.D. Either way, Kurogai had no intention of letting such a treasure slip through his fingers.
Resolved, he left the desolate area and returned to his New York manor.
"Rogue," he said firmly upon arrival, "I need information. Track down everything on Captain America. His condition, his location—everything. This is critical."
Rogue blinked, caught off guard. "Captain America? But… wasn't he a World War II hero? He should have died decades ago."
Kurogai shook his head. "He's not that easy to kill. If S.H.I.E.L.D. found him frozen in ice, then he may already be awake. Focus on S.H.I.E.L.D. operations—start there. I want updates."
Though confused, Rogue understood the urgency in his voice. She wasted no time, personally directing her intelligence network to dig into every suspicious S.H.I.E.L.D. movement.
Two days later, her investigation bore fruit. Rogue entered the study and laid a thick report on Kurogai's desk.
"Recently, S.H.I.E.L.D. conducted a secret operation," she explained. "They retrieved something from a massive iceberg. Whatever it was, they treated it with extreme caution and transported it directly to one of their bases here in New York.
"Cross-referencing their movements with historical records, we found something else. The last battle between Captain America and the Red Skull ended near that same glacier. It's very likely that S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered his body—or perhaps even revived him."
Kurogai's eyes gleamed, a sharp smile tugging at his lips. "So, S.H.I.E.L.D. found him after all. If Rogers is alive, then his shield—and perhaps even the Cube—are within my reach."
He rose to his feet, already making preparations. "Give me the exact location of their base."
Rogue complied, sliding him the details without hesitation.
Kurogai gave a final nod. "Good. I'll handle the rest." With that, his figure shimmered and vanished from the manor.
Moments later, he emerged on a busy New York street, in front of a towering glass skyscraper. On the surface, it looked like a sleek corporate office, bustling with workers in suits. To most, it was nothing more than another financial building in the city. But Kurogai knew better. Behind the façade, this was a covert S.H.I.E.L.D. installation.
"Now then… where are you, Captain?" he murmured.
He activated his pupil ability, his eyes glowing pale as he scanned through the building's layers. His vision pierced walls and floors until he located a hidden chamber deep below ground level. The room was decorated to resemble an era long past, filled with objects from the 1940s. At its center stood a hospital bed.
And on it, a tall, muscular man sat upright, his body fully awake.
Kurogai's lips curled into a thin smile. "So… the legend has already opened his eyes."
_____
The rate at which I get little to no power stones, lol💀
Well, if you want to at least read (60+ to 90+) chapters in advance.
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