The Quinjet slowly descended, engines roaring softly as it touched down.
Melinda May and Phil Coulson stepped out, walking across the battered courtyard toward Kai, who stood beside the fallen creature.
Coulson glanced at the orc sprawled across the ground.
"He's not dead?"
Kai shook his head. "He's still breathing. Fast regeneration, good burst strength — but his endurance is trash. He can't sustain a long fight."
Coulson nodded. "Alright. Kai, take him aboard the Quinjet and keep him contained. Melinda and I will check in with the villa's owner."
"No problem," Kai replied casually.
He grabbed the unconscious orc by the arm and dragged him effortlessly toward the Quinjet.
As Kai left, Melinda looked around at the courtyard — littered with debris and bodies. "Coulson, I'm really starting to appreciate your decision to bring Kai onto the team."
Coulson smirked. "Yeah… me too."
Inside the Quinjet
The orc lay sprawled across the cabin floor, breathing raggedly. For a long while, only the hum of the ship filled the air.
Then came a sound — crunch, crunch.
The creature stirred, forcing his eyes open, and saw Kai sitting nearby, casually eating an orange.
"Hey… Flashman," the orc rasped weakly. "Mind sharing half of that orange?"
Kai tilted his head, thought for a moment, then broke the fruit in half and tossed a piece over.
"Sure — if you're planning to cooperate."
The orc let out a dry laugh. "Do I even have a choice? Once you fall into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hands, cooperation is kind of mandatory."
He snatched the orange half and shoved it into his bloodstained mouth.
After chewing, he grimaced, "So sour. You didn't buy this from the fruit stall on Austin's Main Street, did you? There's this old lady, Barbara — sells the sweetest fruit you'll ever taste."
Kai chuckled. "Nah, I like them sour. And from the way you talk, sounds like you're pretty familiar with both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Austin."
"Of course," the orc said bitterly. "I'm from Austin. As for S.H.I.E.L.D., I heard about you guys from that lunatic scientist."
He turned over with effort, staring up at the Quinjet's ceiling. "My real name's Derek Levins. I used to be a soldier."
His tone hardened. "Lost both my legs on a failed mission."
He gave a harsh laugh. "You know how the Austin City Council treats disabled veterans like me? At first, they came with flowers and cameras — all smiles for the press. Then, when the reporters left, they looked at me like I was trash."
"My hospital bills piled up. The government stopped caring."
Kai silently broke open another orange and handed it to him. "And then?"
"Then?" Derek scoffed. "My allowance couldn't even cover food, let alone the meds I needed. One day, a group of people approached me. Said they were running human enhancement experiments. Promised they'd fix my legs and pay me big money."
He clenched his fists. "I agreed. And the price was… this."
He gestured weakly to his monstrous form. "Neither man nor beast."
Kai popped a slice into his mouth. "So what — you're telling me this hoping for leniency?"
Derek shook his head. "No. I just want you to know — I'm still human. Not an orc. Not a monster."
He tried to sit up but stopped when he met Kai's calm, piercing gaze. With a sigh, he sank back down.
"I hate that people online call me a monster," Derek muttered. "I'm a person too."
His voice grew quieter. "I don't regret attacking Korok Moses or this guy's villa. But I never wanted to kill innocent people. It was those lunatic scientists. They'd strap some electric device on my head — I'd black out, and when I came to, everyone was dead."
He shut his eyes tight. "Every time I wake up, I see their faces. The civilians I slaughtered… their screams, their tears, their pleas for mercy. I tore them apart like rag dolls."
His voice cracked. "I even bit a little kid apart with my own teeth… oh God…"
Kai silently pulled out another orange and offered it to him.
This time, Derek didn't take it. He just kept whispering prayers under his breath.
"Ever think of running away?" Kai asked quietly.
"I tried," Derek sighed, "but there's no escape. You wouldn't understand, Flashman. You've never been under their control."
He looked away, voice trembling. "I'm not the man I used to be. Maybe I really am the monster they made me."
After a pause, he added, "And I'm not the only one. There are at least a dozen more like me. The only difference is — I still have my mind. The others… they're gone. Pure killing machines now."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "Who are they? Where's the lab?"
Derek didn't hesitate. He told Kai everything — the names, the locations, every detail he could remember.
By the end, his voice was almost a whisper. "I just want freedom, Flashman. That's all."
Inside the Villa
Meanwhile, Coulson and Melinda listened intently as Collins Mack recounted his story.
"Mr. Collins," Coulson said, "you're certain the Brian couple is connected to Congressman Murdoch — and even the new mayor, James Rondeau?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Collins snapped. "Look around! If you and the Avenger Flash hadn't shown up, I'd be in pieces right now!"
He slammed his fist on the table. "After Korok Moses was attacked, I reached out to everyone I knew — even members of Congress! One congressman tried to send the National Guard, but that bastard James Rondeau blocked it!"
His voice dripped with anger. "Ungrateful snake! I financed his entire damn campaign!"
Collins grabbed a handful of documents from his desk — business cards, contact numbers, even personal correspondences — and shoved them toward Coulson.
"Here. Everything on the Brian couple, Congressman Murdoch, and Mayor Rondeau. These—" he slammed a thick ledger down "—are records of every favor, every payment, every person who turned their back on me!"
His voice rose, trembling with rage. "If they want to destroy me, fine! Then we'll all go down together!"