Natasha watched "Vincent's" back as he walked away. The sudden coldness, the dismissal—it frightened her. It felt like she was losing something she hadn't realized she valued.
She took a deep breath.
People are strange, she thought. You only realize what you need when it's gone.
She drove recklessly back to Oscorp, but stopped halfway.
She saw a blonde woman—young, vibrant, full of life—clinging to the real Vincent Hall outside the building.
Natasha didn't confront them. She turned the car around and drove back to her office, her heart sinking. The "Vincent" inside the building was a fake. The Vincent outside was real, and he was with someone else.
Outside Oscorp Tower.
Vincent turned back, sensing Natasha's departure.
"What is it, Vin?" Gwen asked, hugging his arm.
"Nothing." Vincent shook his head. Natasha came back? Sooner than I expected.
He refocused on Gwen.
"Exams are over?"
"Yes! I'm officially a high school graduate!" Gwen beamed.
"Congratulations."
"It's a shame we can't go to college together," Gwen sighed.
"You know Oscorp needs me," Vincent said gently. "The next four years are critical. I can't waste time in a classroom when I have an empire to build."
"I know," Gwen said, nuzzling his neck. "You've changed, Vin. In just a week."
"I'm a billionaire now," Vincent smirked. "I have to be mature."
"And you're the best boyfriend ever."
They went back to his villa. After days of separation, the spark between them ignited instantly. It was a long, passionate night.
Hell's Kitchen.
Jessica Jones slumped onto her couch, exhausted.
The Alias Investigations agency was taking all her time. She tried not to think about Vincent.
She felt guilty. When they first met, he was just a kid. Now, he was her closest "friend"—with benefits.
"God, just take him away," she muttered. He hadn't called in a month.
Suddenly, a smoke grenade shattered her window.
Crash.
Jessica moved instantly.
The Hand?
Her apartment door was kicked open. Elite soldiers in tactical gear stormed in, weapons raised.
"Surrender or die!"
Jessica didn't hesitate. She slammed through the drywall into the next apartment, sprinted through the living room, and jumped out the window, landing heavily on the street below.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Vincent.
He didn't answer. (He was busy with Gwen).
She typed a frantic text: HELP.
As she turned a corner, she ran into a short, pale man in a military uniform.
"Jessica Jones. Stop running. We just want to talk."
"Who are you?" Jessica panted.
"Captain Emil Blonsky," the man smiled politely. "But you don't need to know me. You just need to know the Ice Demon."
"I used to be a believer," Blonsky continued, his smile fading. "But after the Vatican fell... I accepted General Ross's offer."
Jessica tried to send the text.
Blonsky sneered. His body began to swell. Bones cracked, skin turned green and scaly. He grew into a massive, hulking monstrosity.
The Abomination.
BOOM.
He punched Jessica. The shockwave shattered every window on the block. Jessica flew backward, crashing through a brick wall.
Before she could recover, soldiers swarmed her, clamping a power-dampening collar around her neck.
Blonsky shrank back to human form.
"Take her," he ordered.
"Why her, sir?" a soldier asked as they loaded Jessica into a van. "Why not Gwen Stacy?"
"Gwen Stacy is just a girlfriend," Blonsky said coldly. "If we take her, the Ice Demon might sacrifice her. But Jessica Jones... she is his woman in the shadows. And she is strong. He will come for her."
"Also," Blonsky added, " kidnapping Gwen might make him kidnap the President. We need leverage, not war."
"Is the dirty bomb ready?"
"General Ross has authorized the 'Nuclear Test'," the soldier confirmed.
"Good. God will forgive me," Blonsky whispered. "We are killing a demon."
He believed that Vincent's hydro-kinesis was the ultimate threat. Even as Abomination, Blonsky was biological—mostly water. Vincent could dehydrate him instantly. The only way to win was to vaporize Vincent with a nuke before he could react.
Next Morning.
Vincent finally checked his phone while Gwen was in the shower.
Text form Jessica: HELP!!!
He frowned. He drove straight to her apartment. Police tape everywhere.
"Looks like I need a lawyer."
He drove to Nelson & Murdock.
"Karen, coffee," Vincent ordered as he barged into Matt Murdock's office.
Matt paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. He heard the heartbeat. Strong. Powerful. Terrifying.
"Mr. Hall?"
"Matt. You know why I'm here."
"I don't—"
"Don't lie to me, Daredevil," Vincent said, his voice dropping. "I wired a million dollars to your account. Tell me who took Jessica Jones."
Matt sighed. "Emil Blonsky. The Abomination. He's working for General Ross."
"Thank you."
Vincent walked out. His phone rang.
"I assume you're looking for me, Mr. Hall," a raspy voice said.
"Abomination," Vincent said, his voice dripping with murder.
"Meet me in Nevada. I sent you a photo."
Ping.
A photo of Jessica, broken, bloody, and strapped to a bomb. The timer read 30:00.
"If you're late, she dies. If you don't come, I kill her and then myself."
"Tell Ross," Vincent said calmly, "that he just opened the gates of Hell."
Blonsky hung up.
Nevada. 4,000 km away.
Vincent had 30 minutes.
"You're testing my speed," Vincent realized. "You want to confirm I'm the one who froze the Vatican."
Only someone with supersonic flight or teleportation could make that trip.
Vincent didn't hesitate.
He drove to the beach, dived into the ocean, and used Water Release Teleportation to surge to the West Coast. He emerged in Los Angeles and launched himself into the sky.
[Mera Mera no Mi: Flame Emperor Flight]
A streak of crimson fire tore across California, shattering the sound barrier.
Nevada Test Site.
Blonsky watched the radar.
A massive thermal signature was approaching at Mach 5.
"The fish has taken the bait," Blonsky said. "Detonate the EMP. Prepare the nuke."
He sat in the center of a "Kill Box"—a trap designed specifically to kill a god.
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