After returning to the manor with Extreme Speed, Juggernaut, and Raven, the atmosphere gradually settled.
Juggernaut immediately went back to the detached house to check on his SUV. Speed followed him, already analyzing structural weaknesses from the last "test drive." The vehicle was reinforced with the best commercially available alloys, but against Cain Marko's strength, even aerospace-grade steel bent eventually.
Karl watched them briefly before leading Raven inside.
He wasn't certain whether Wakanda would attempt retaliation. In the comics, Wakanda rarely acted rashly; they preferred strategic patience. But if they ever chose open hostility, Karl would not hesitate.
He had not gone all out in Wakanda.
There had been no need.
It was vibranium — valuable, yes — but not worth genocidal escalation. Wakanda was also spiritually protected by Bast, the Panther Goddess, whose influence manifested through the ancestral plane and the Heart-Shaped Herb. While Bast did not intervene casually in mortal conflicts, Wakanda was not defenseless on a metaphysical level.
Karl understood that.
But he was not a destroyer of nations.
Hundreds of thousands lived there — civilians, farmers, children, elders, tribes uninvolved in royal politics. He could eliminate armies. He could crush regimes. But exterminating an entire population was something else entirely.
Months ago, he had been an ordinary man.
Even now, despite his power, he remained human.
He had slaughtered gangs and assassins before — criminals who knowingly chose violence. That was different from wiping out a country.
He was not a machine.
If Wakanda chose peace, so would he.
If they chose war, he would end it decisively.
There was already a Shadow Ninja embedded within T'Chaka's shadow. Every major decision made in the palace would reach Karl instantly. He wasn't reckless enough to leave blind spots.
With that safeguard in place, he allowed himself to focus on something far more ordinary.
Tomorrow was Christmas.
The manor had been decorated extensively. Multicolored lights wrapped the columns, garlands lined the stair railings, and a towering Christmas tree stood in the main hall. Karl himself wasn't particularly attached to the holiday — culturally it meant little to him — but May and the children were enthusiastic.
If it had been Lunar New Year, he might have been the one leading preparations.
…
The next day.
Karl spent the morning buying last-minute gifts for Wanda, Pietro, and Peter. He had nearly forgotten until May reminded him.
In the evening, Tony arrived with Pepper in a sleek sports car.
"Hey, Tony, get over here," Karl called immediately. "I need help."
Tony stepped out, adjusting his jacket.
"You can build dimensional storage and fight kingdoms, but you can't wrap a present?"
Karl glared at the ribbons and decorative paper in mild frustration.
"Why is this so complicated? I should've made the store wrap them."
Tony laughed and began expertly folding the wrapping paper.
"Has Yinsen arrived yet?"
"Any minute. He and Samuel are coming together."
Right on cue, another vehicle pulled in.
Karl and Tony exchanged a look.
Yinsen.
They stepped outside.
Yinsen exited the car with Samuel beside him. Karl hugged him firmly.
"Perfect timing. Everyone's here. Let's eat. Tank! Yelena! Come inside!"
Inside, the long dining table was covered with food — roasted turkey, ham, seafood platters, desserts, and several cuisines prepared by the expanded kitchen staff.
With Karl and Juggernaut present, portion sizes had long since been adjusted.
Tony glanced around at the lively room.
"You know," he muttered to Yinsen quietly, "this is the first real Christmas I've had in years."
At his Malibu mansion, Christmas had usually meant silence. Pepper handled decorations. Obadiah used to visit before things fell apart. But it was never… like this.
Yinsen gave him a knowing smile.
"Then enjoy it."
They took their seats.
Karl stood, raising a glass.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas!"
Glasses clinked around the table.
Even Juggernaut lifted his oversized glass carefully. Yelena followed, slightly stiff at first.
For Yelena, this scene was unfamiliar.
No surveillance. No handlers. No orders. No missions.
Just… people.
Juggernaut, surprisingly, waited until May and the others began eating before fully indulging. He was loud, but not disrespectful. When he laughed, it was genuine.
The meal lasted long.
Conversation flowed easily — Tony teasing Peter about robotics, Wanda debating Pietro over dessert portions, Raven quietly observing while occasionally adding sharp commentary.
Then came the gifts.
Wanda, Pietro, and Peter were ecstatic. Tony had gone overboard as usual, purchasing something for nearly everyone. Yinsen and Samuel had also brought thoughtful gifts.
Juggernaut and Yelena looked momentarily uncertain.
Juggernaut suddenly stood.
"Wait."
He stomped out, returning minutes later carrying three boxed vehicle models — high-end sports cars and SUVs encased in clear display packaging.
He handed them awkwardly to the kids.
Wanda smiled warmly despite the obviously "car-themed" choice.
"Thank you."
Juggernaut scratched the back of his head.
Yelena hesitated until Pepper quietly approached her.
Pepper handed her three wrapped boxes.
"Give these to them," Pepper said gently.
Tony, in typical fashion, had over-purchased gifts and left extras in the trunk.
Yelena distributed them.
For the first time that evening, she genuinely smiled.
The night wound down gradually.
Tony and Pepper left first.
Yinsen and Samuel followed not long after.
Shadow Ninjas silently began cleaning the manor once guests departed.
Later that night—
While Juggernaut rested in his detached house and Yelena in her assigned quarters—
Large cases quietly appeared inside both residences.
Inside each:
Stacks of cash.
Millions.
Not as charity.
Not as pity.
But as recognition.
They were no longer hired tools.
They were part of the household.
…
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