Chapter 22: Power Assessment - The Hand's Fatal Miscalculation
After his second serum enhancement, Ryan could distinctly feel his body growing stronger. Without a proper baseline for comparison, however, the exact extent of his newfound power remained unclear.
In terms of MCU power scaling, Ryan estimated that aside from cosmic-level entities, only Thanos wielding the completed Infinity Gauntlet deserved S-tier classification.
Scarlet Witch and Thor at full power occupied the A+ tier.
Base-form Thanos, Captain Marvel, and Hela ranked in the A-tier.
Ultron, Vision, and the Hulk fell into the A- category.
Iron Man in his advanced suits and Doctor Strange belonged in B+ tier, while Captain America, the Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, and Spider-Man held solid B-tier positions. Black Panther and Star-Lord rounded out the B- tier.
Street-level fighters like Kingpin, Crossbones, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Daredevil occupied the C-tier—enhanced but still fundamentally human in their capabilities.
Using this framework, Ryan estimated his current power level at solid B-tier, potentially higher.
Of course, power rankings on paper didn't account for real combat variables. Equipment, strategy, and circumstances could dramatically shift the balance—Captain America with his vibranium shield was vastly more dangerous than without it.
Nevertheless, Ryan felt considerably more confident after his latest enhancement.
The second phase of his genetic amplification protocol was complete. Now came the preliminary work for phase three—a complex undertaking since baseline human genetics couldn't support full Eternal-level enhancement without careful, incremental progression.
During his research breaks, Ryan kept tabs on current events. Stark Industries dominated the news cycle following Tony's weapons division shutdown. The company's stock had plummeted, and Obadiah Stane was desperately trying to reverse the decision while Tony himself had seemingly vanished from public view.
Nearly two weeks passed in isolation. Ryan rarely left his penthouse laboratory, knowing the area bristled with surveillance cameras. If S.H.I.E.L.D. had tracked him down, detection would spell disaster.
Late one night, Ryan had just finished his experiments and was preparing for bed when he heard faint footsteps on the rooftop above.
The rooftop? He was on the top floor. Who would be prowling around up there at this hour?
Creak!
The locked window was pried open from outside, and two dark figures slipped into his laboratory. The footsteps overhead continued, indicating additional intruders.
Initially, Ryan assumed S.H.I.E.L.D. had found him, but when he noticed the figures wore traditional ninja garb, he revised his assessment.
Click!
Ryan flipped the lights, flooding the laboratory with harsh fluorescent illumination.
The two ninjas, who had been searching through his equipment, froze momentarily before barking commands in what sounded like Japanese.
Standing at the second-floor railing, Ryan called down calmly, "Mind telling me what you're looking for?"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Ryan instinctively dodged left as three shuriken embedded themselves in the metal framework behind him.
Shing!
Both intruders drew katanas and charged toward the stairs.
"Not only do you break into my home, but you try to kill me too?"
Ryan was no longer the defenseless scientist from months ago. Instead of retreating, he met their charge head-on.
He sidestepped a sword slash and countered with a devastating right hook. The first ninja flew backward, crashing through a laboratory table and scattering expensive equipment across the floor.
The second attacker swung his blade in a wide arc, but Ryan caught his wrist mid-strike. The ninja tried to pull away but couldn't break free from Ryan's enhanced grip.
Ryan lifted the captured assassin and slammed him into the concrete floor.
CRACK!
The ninja's ribcage collapsed under the impact—clearly a fatal blow.
The remaining attacker struggled to his feet and made a desperate dash for the window. Ryan grabbed the dead ninja's katana and hurled it with tremendous force.
Thunk!
The blade pierced completely through the fleeing assassin, pinning his body to the wall with such violence that his feet dangled inches off the floor.
Looking up at the ceiling, Ryan noted the chaotic footsteps rapidly fading—the remaining Hand operatives were retreating.
He grabbed his phone and dialed Wilson Fisk. Given the late hour, it took several rings before the crime lord answered.
"Kingpin, get over here. Now!"
Fisk mumbled something incoherent, still half-asleep, but the line went dead before he could respond properly.
"Shit," Wilson Fisk muttered, forcing himself out of bed.
When Kingpin arrived at the laboratory, he was stunned by the carnage—overturned equipment, blood spatters, and two very dead ninjas.
Ryan emerged from the bathroom, toweling his hair dry as he descended the stairs.
"I know you have arrangements with the Hand. Find out what this means. Also, get your people up here to clean up this mess."
Wilson Fisk nodded and immediately called his cleanup crew, then contacted Madame Gao from the Hand.
The conversation lasted approximately three minutes before he hung up, his expression troubled.
Meanwhile, Ryan had secured all his blood samples and serum vials in a reinforced case, along with his research data and computer hard drives.
After packing everything essential, he turned to face Wilson Fisk expectantly.
"I'm sorry, Ryan. This situation is partially my fault," Fisk began reluctantly.
Ryan remained silent, waiting for the full explanation.
Fisk sighed heavily. "I encountered some trouble recently—had a run-in with that vigilante, Daredevil. Although I managed to handle the situation temporarily, the Hand noticed changes in my capabilities. They used my equipment purchases and past activities to trace the source back here. They wanted to understand the nature of my... improvements."
"And that's your excuse?"
Wilson Fisk was an experienced fighter who could read combat aftermath. The crushed ribcage and the ninja pinned to the wall told him everything he needed to know about Ryan's current power level.
This wasn't the time to make an enemy.
After several seconds of consideration, Fisk said, "I'll handle the Hand, but it'll take some time."
"You have three days. Maximum."
Ryan's primary concern remained S.H.I.E.L.D.—he didn't want to waste energy on what should be a minor problem. However, if Wilson Fisk couldn't provide a satisfactory resolution, Ryan wouldn't hesitate to deal with the Hand personally.
Fifteen minutes later, Wesley arrived with a cleanup crew. They removed the bodies, scrubbed the blood, and helped restore the laboratory to working order.
The next day, Ryan dressed in casual clothes, added a baseball cap and sunglasses for concealment, and left the apartment carrying his case of serum samples and research data.
He needed to find a secure location to continue his work, away from both S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance and the Hand's attention.
The moment he stepped onto the sidewalk, Ryan sensed trouble.
Pedestrian traffic appeared normal, but several individuals seemed to be paying him unusual attention.
Acting casually, he hailed a taxi and climbed in. Through the rearview mirror, he confirmed his suspicions—two black SUVs pulled into traffic behind them, maintaining a careful distance.
End of Chapter 22
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