Rory didn't spare so much as a glance at Wilson Fisk, who lay sprawled on the floor like a dog after a car crash.
Instead, he pulled out a syringe, only to find the needle wouldn't pierce Fisk's skin anymore.
Unfazed, Rory switched to a vibranium-tipped one.
This time, it worked.
He drew a full vial of blood, enough to kill an ordinary person from blood loss, and turned back to analyze Fisk's post-enhancement sample.
Meanwhile, the man himself finally dragged his huge body upright, threw a towel over his shoulders, and weakly asked,
"So… how'd it go? Did it work?"
Rory didn't even turn around.
"Yeah. Your genes have been successfully fortified. When you get home, run a full-body analysis and send me the report. I'll schedule your second enhancement phase."
Fisk clenched his fists. Whether it was placebo or genuine, he definitely felt stronger.
His body still ached, but mentally? He was flying.
"What happens in the next phase?" he asked.
Rory continued typing, focused entirely on the lab screen.
"You'll get significantly stronger. Probably stronger than Captain America. Without his shield, he wouldn't stand a chance."
That made Wilson pause.
"Wait… you've met Captain America?"
Rory smirked.
"Of course. He's a rigid, self-righteous old boy scout. You two wouldn't get along."
He finished inputting Fisk's data and shifted focus to a new simulation, this time modeling Thanos's serum properties.
People underestimated Thanos because he looked like a giant purple tuber. But genetically speaking, he still shared a humanoid framework.
The Celestials created both the Eternals and Deviants from human DNA. When the Eternals splintered, one branch settled on Titan, and Thanos was their evolutionary result.
Same roots.
That's why Rory could merge with Thanos's genes so successfully.
Having said his piece, Rory ignored Fisk completely after that.
Bored and sore, Fisk eventually got dressed and left the lab.
Outside the penthouse, Fisk slid into the back of his car.
His trusted right-hand man, Wesley, stared at him, startled.
"Boss… what happened to your eyebrows?"
Fisk waved a dismissive hand.
"Drive. Take me to the gym."
Their car cruised down 8th Avenue into Hell's Kitchen. They stopped near 41st Street, next to a crumbling underground boxing gym, an old stronghold of Fisk's, one of the places where his empire had first taken root.
Inside, he stripped off his coat and handed it to Wesley.
"What's the status on that masked vigilante?" he asked casually.
Wesley, always two steps behind but never out of the loop, answered immediately.
"We've coordinated with the precinct. The moment he shows his face, he'll walk right into our trap."
"Don't let him dig any deeper," Fisk warned. "And that female employee too, get rid of her when the time's right."
He stepped up to the punching bag and started warming up.
Thud.
Thud.
With each punch, the sound deepened, reverberating harder against the bag.
Just then, Wesley's phone rang. After a short conversation, he turned grim.
"Boss. The Italian mob got hit. A couple of street punks raided one of their hideouts. Donato and his entire crew were found dead in the basement."
Fisk's motion paused, just for a second. Then,
BOOM!
He unleashed his full power into a punch, splitting the heavy bag clean in two.
Sand and stuffing spilled everywhere.
Wesley stared, jaw agape.
"Holy crap…"
He'd known the boss was strong, but this? This was something else.
Fisk flexed his knuckles and let out a dangerous smile.
"Find out who did it. I want names."
Someone was targeting the city's underworld.
He'd just cleaned out the Russian mob. Now the Italians were gone too?
No way that was a coincidence.
"Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."
Hell's Kitchen might be a playground for crime, but not on his turf.
Washington D.C. , The Triskelion Headquarters.
Agent Maria Hill burst into the Director's office, documents in hand.
"Director Carter, you need to see this."
Peggy looked up from her desk, where her ever-present white mouse was curled beside her.
"What is it?"
Hill handed over the folder.
"Based on your request to monitor energy surges, eight hours ago, there was a significant power spike in Manhattan. And then again, just one hour ago. Both originated from the same location."
She pointed to the marked spot on the map.
Peggy's expression hardened instantly.
"Do not send anyone near that location. I don't want to spook him."
Hill didn't understand why her boss was so on edge. But as a seasoned agent, she knew better than to ask.
Peggy narrowed her eyes in thought. After a moment, she turned.
"Contact Nick Fury. I need a full readiness report on Captain America. Immediately."
Hill gave a nod and left the room.
Peggy gently lifted the white mouse and walked to the window. She stared across the Potomac River and whispered:
"Steve... I found him. Why haven't you come back yet?"
The truth was, Steve Rogers had already been recovered from the Arctic.
Peggy had him.
But she hadn't woken him up.
Not yet.
Because she knew Steve. She knew if Rory showed up, the Steve from the future would come back too.
And if that happened, two Steves, standing in front of her?
What then?
She loved Steve Rogers.
But she couldn't love two Steve Rogers.
Peggy sighed, heart heavy with regret.
Now that Rory had reappeared and the future Steve hadn't, she had no choice.
She had to unfreeze the one she had.
Ten minutes later, Nick Fury arrived, a folder in hand.
"Director Carter. All systems are green. We're ready to thaw the Captain whenever you say the word."
Peggy signed her name at the bottom of the clearance report.
"Proceed. Once he's awake, I want a full psychological evaluation. If he checks out, bring him to me."
"Understood."
Peggy knew Steve probably couldn't defeat Rory on his own.
But right now, he was all S.H.I.E.L.D. had.
Meanwhile,
Rory was completely unaware that he'd already fallen back onto S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar.
Eight hours earlier, after completing Fisk's first enhancement, Rory had crunched the data and decided it was time for his own second dose.
Now, shirtless and wrapped in nothing but a towel, he sat at his workstation, examining his own post-enhancement blood sample.
And somewhere, in that vial of crimson and blue, was the key…
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