The meeting at Trident Headquarters concluded in a heavy atmosphere.
"Go back and stay with Pepper for now; she needs you," Lin Huai said to Tony, who was still feeling uneasy.
Tony nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
"Mage Russell," Lin Huai turned to the Kamar-Taj mage, whose face was still a bit pale, "those two uninvited guests shouldn't reappear for a while, but I still need to trouble you to use the Sanctum's monitoring network to keep an eye on their movements at all times."
After Russell agreed, he opened a portal and returned to the New York Sanctum.
"As for us," Lin Huai's gaze finally fell on Dr. Banner and Natasha Romanoff, who had remained silent throughout, "we need to go see a key figure."
Coulson had already arranged everything for them; a cloaked quinjet on standby would provide them with the most efficient logistical support... In Texas, a grand motorcycle carnival was underway.
Accompanied by mountain-shaking cheers, Johnny Blaze rode his beloved harley, soaring up the towering jump ramp like Varus's Piercing Arrow.
In mid-air, the whole World seemed to enter slow motion.
However, in that brief moment of suspension, a scene he had buried deep in his memory burst into his mind like the most vicious Nightmare—his father, Barton Blaze, falling painfully from a speeding motorcycle during another stunt that should have been flawless.
That momentary lapse in concentration was fatal in mid-air.
Johnny forgot he was in the middle of a jump, and his landing posture spiraled severely out of control.
Boom—!
The heavy harley motorcycle, carrying his body, slammed violently onto the hard ground, tumbling over a dozen meters as metal parts and flying dust merged into a mess.
"Oh my god!"
The entire audience erupted in terrified screams; everyone thought they were witnessing a live death.
But just a few minutes later, amidst a dead silence, the man covered in injuries actually pushed aside the heavy bike pinning him down and stood up, wobbling. He staggered as he walked, clearly having taken a bad fall, but he stood up nonetheless.
The silent scene was instantly drowned out by cheers even more fanatical and hysterical than before.
"Johnny the Immortal! Johnny the Immortal!!"
After the performance, Johnny's manager handed him an interview request. When he saw the reporter's name on the invitation, Johnny's heart began to race.
Roxanne Simpson.
That was the name of his first love, the only sunlight that could briefly dispel the Nightmare when he woke from his dreams at midnight.
The interview took place in a temporary lounge. When that familiar yet somewhat strange figure walked in, Johnny recognized her instantly—it was her.
Roxanne Simpson clearly recognized him as well, an undisguisable mix of emotions flashing in her eyes.
"Long time no see, Johnny."
"...Long time no see, Roxanne."
The interview was completed in such a unique atmosphere. Johnny thought that after all these years, that terrifying freak with the cane had never appeared again, and life seemed to have finally returned to normal. A surge of unprecedented courage welled up from the bottom of his heart.
"Tonight... are you free to have dinner together?" he asked expectantly.
As night fell, Johnny rode his motorcycle, heading toward the city center with Roxanne. Along the way, he listened to Roxanne complain about why he had left without saying goodbye all those years ago, heartlessly abandoning her. Johnny, however, could not explain the Darkness contract that had haunted him his whole life, exchanged for his father's life.
But halfway through the ride, Johnny keenly sensed something was wrong.
It was too quiet.
The town, usually bustling at this time, was now plunged into an eerie silence. The streets were empty, with only the streetlights futilely casting a dim, yellow glow.
Johnny stopped in the middle of the street. While feigning Calmness to comfort the somewhat frightened Roxanne, he stared intently at the empty Darkness of the street ahead, every muscle in his body tensed.
"Tap... tap... tap..."
Strange footsteps, sounding as if they came from another World, drifted from the Darkness, and an elderly figure leaning on a cane slowly emerged.
The Nightmare that had haunted him for half his life appeared before him once again.
Mephisto.
As he drew closer, the streetlights behind him were extinguished as if by an invisible hand, one by one, silently going out.
He walked up to Johnny, a kind and amiable smile on his wrinkled face: "My rider, long time no see."
"Stay away from us!" Johnny's hair stood on end like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He nervously shielded Roxanne behind him and shouted with all his might, "Why are you looking for me again! I don't want anything to do with you anymore! The moment my father died, I didn't owe you anything anymore!"
Mephisto's kind mouth slowly opened, revealing rows of fine, sharp teeth like a shark's. Roxanne turned pale with fright, instinctively covering her mouth, her eyes filled with extreme terror.
"I fulfilled my promise and cured his cancer," Mephisto's voice remained gentle yet possessed an unquestionable demonic quality. "But he died in an accident; that was not within the scope of our contract. And you, my rider, you have not fulfilled your mission. That useless bastard son of mine wants to challenge my authority; he wants to take a contract from me. Go, bring the zarathos contract back to me. Once I've recovered the contract, we will truly be even."
Just then, Mephisto suddenly showed a curious look. As if he had discovered something interesting, he tilted his head slightly and looked toward the other end of the street.
There, the trio of Lin Huai, Dr. Banner, and Natasha were also slowly walking out from the Darkness.
Lin Huai's gaze was locked onto Mephisto; he was scared to death inside, but his face wore a relaxed and playful Joker-like smile.
"Everyone, on such a beautiful night, I wonder if I could be so bold as to join your company meeting?" He spoke up, breaking the stalemate. "Allow me to introduce myself: Lin Huai, a... Joker with a few secrets."
Ignoring the shocked gazes of Johnny and Roxanne, he looked directly at Mephisto: "I originally came to discuss some matters with Mr. Johnny here, but seeing as you, old gentleman, look kind and easy to talk to, I think we might be able to chat as well."
"Old man, that son of yours is searching the whole World for an ancient contract belonging to you, and he's even reached a cooperation with a powerful entity of unknown identity for it. I wonder if you, sir, are aware of this?"
In Mephisto's bottomless eyes, a flicker of genuine surprise appeared for the first time: "Oh? It seems you know who is supporting him? Interesting young man. You're quite good; are you interested in working for me? A formal contract, social security, and excellent benefits."
"Oh, old man, I already have a boss and am not considering changing jobs for now." Lin Huai spread his hands exaggeratedly. "However, we seem to have a common goal: we both want to send that somewhat profligate son of yours back where he belongs. These days, one doesn't fear a son being like useless mud that can't stick to a wall; one fears a son having too much ambition. Wouldn't you agree?"
Mephisto was actually amused, letting out a low chuckle: "You can always change bosses. I'm very sincere, and I'm liking you more and more. You're right, kid; my family fortune isn't bad. As long as that brat doesn't have so many damn ideas, when I die, won't all those things be his anyway?"
Before his voice could fade, a terrifying aura erupted from Mephisto, crushing toward Lin Huai's trio like Mount Tai pressing down.
Instantly, a layer of faint gray fog quietly emerged from Lin Huai. Within the gray fog, a magnificent Angel phantom with twelve pure white wings quietly appeared, spreading wings large enough to blot out the sun and moon, completely shielding the three of them.
The powerful spirituality impact collided head-on with that terrifying aura from hell. Mephisto's figure was actually forced to sway slightly, and several web-like fine cracks appeared on that kind old man's face, with a hint of pure magma and sulfur scent uncontrollably leaking from the fissures.
"It seems your boss really likes you.." The Calmness in Mephisto's eyes was completely shattered. For the first time, he truly looked at the mortal before him, his tone carrying a hint of fear he hadn't even noticed himself. "I wonder which one your boss is? Perhaps I even know them."
A look of near-manic, heartfelt fanaticism instantly appeared on Lin Huai's face.
In an ancient and tongue-twisting Hermes Language, he chanted that familiar prayer:
"My Lord's name is the Fool, the mysterious ruler Above the Gray Fog, the king of yellow and black who wields good luck!"
Mephisto seemed to sense something taboo enough to make even him feel uneasy from that strange language and Lin Huai's fanatical posture. His expression changed drastically, and he uncharacteristically spoke up quickly to interrupt the chanting.
"Enough! I understand!" He took a deep look at Lin Huai and the Angel phantom behind him that was about to dissipate—a phantom whose mere aura made him feel uncomfortable. "That stupid son of mine, do with him as you wish! But the zarathos contract, remember to bring it to me; that is the contract between Johnny and me!"
He pointed his cane at Johnny: "My rider, I'll lend him to you for the time being. However, he has never used the power I bestowed upon him. Now, let him get familiar with it first."
As he spoke, Mephisto lightly tapped his cane on the ground.
"Ah—!!!"
Johnny Blaze instantly let out a heart-wrenching scream, his whole body slamming to his knees as his body convulsed and deformed violently, as if thrown into a furnace.
At the same time as Johnny's scream, Mephisto's figure turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished without a trace, as if he had never appeared.