Mr. J waited impatiently for confirmation from Assassin Aili.
The silence dragged on.
Something felt wrong.
He turned to leave—
CRACK—
A golden energy blast wrapped in deep-blue lightning arced upward at an angle, punching through asphalt, reinforced concrete, and ceiling layers in a perfectly calculated trajectory—
And obliterated his head.
Boom.
His headless body collapsed.
Through the slanted tunnel carved by the shot, one could see all the way down to the underground parking garage—
Where Tony Stark stood, casually flipping a one-dollar coin between his fingers.
"Not bad," Tony murmured with a smirk.
"First time using that move and I nailed it."
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. said gently,
"You appear to be… angry."
"Maybe a little."
Tony's voice lowered.
"If she hadn't targeted me…"
"If it had been Pepper."
"If Pepper hadn't taken the Superhuman Serum…"
He exhaled slowly.
"Leon was right."
"Sometimes you don't leave space for evil to grow."
"You crush it completely."
"J.A.R.V.I.S., tell Leon I approve the proposal I rejected before."
"Yes, sir."
Tony ascended to the rooftop to confirm the kill—
Only to freeze.
"What the hell?"
Instead of a human corpse—
A grotesque green-skinned goblin-like creature lay where Mr. J's body should have been.
Elsewhere—
Leon had spent an entire week "test driving" his newly upgraded partner.
Full throttle.
Nonstop.
Until—
Arcee began "leaking oil."
Maintenance was required.
Otherwise, Leon was fully prepared to deliver Captain America's legendary line:
"I could do this all year."
Unfortunately—
Arcee had upgraded herself with a hyper-sensitive pseudo-neural feedback system—set to 100% sensitivity.
Every minor bump in the road transmitted full feedback.
Her nearly infinite endurance had taken a serious hit.
So—
Pit stop.
Inside Leon's private lab—
He retrieved the two Heart-Shaped Herbs King T'Chaka had insisted he take.
He swallowed one.
Immediately—
[System Notification]
You have consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb.
Physical attributes slightly enhanced.
[System Notification]
You meet the selection criteria.
Entering the spiritual domain of Bast, the Panther Goddess.
[System Notification]
Until observed by Bast's spiritual form, you will remain in an unobserved shadow state.
—
His perspective shifted.
He stood in a dense, violet mist.
"Visibility less than 2.5 meters," he muttered.
"What am I supposed to see?"
He wandered.
Soon, he reached what appeared to be a swamp-like pool.
The water—
Crystal clear.
Depth: just barely covering his ever-present, indestructible fiber underwear.
Comfortably warm.
Perfect for a soak.
Naturally—
He dove in.
The moment he submerged—
Total darkness.
No panic.
Just exploration.
The deeper he swam—
The deeper the water became.
Soon he could no longer touch the surface.
Then—
He heard it.
A mature, alluring female voice.
Soft.
Humming.
Content.
Leon perked up immediately.
He swam toward the sound.
Visibility: zero.
Pure instinct navigation.
Then—
Thud.
He swam headfirst into something soft.
The humming stopped.
Suddenly—
An immense force clamped around his neck.
Like a divine steel vise.
"WHAT—?!"
The grip was powerful enough to momentarily restrain even Leon's near-Superman-level physique.
Realization dawned.
He kicked upward hard—
Dragging the entity with him—
And burst out of the water.
Splash!
Above the surface—
The mist had cleared.
Moonlight bathed the swamp in silver.
Leon tilted his head back—
And saw absolutely nothing.
"…What exactly is blocking my view?"
BOOM—
[System Notification]
You have been expelled from Bast's spiritual domain by the enraged Panther Goddess.
Back in reality—
Leon examined his reflection.
There was a distinct footprint on his face.
Perfectly formed.
Imprinted onto his real body.
He nodded thoughtfully.
"…Nice foot shape."
[Prompt: Perform today's check-in?]
Leon grinned.
"System. I think I want to raise a cat."
"Open."
[Check-In Complete]
Reward obtained: Bast's Collar
Bast's Collar
Allows unlimited entry into Bast's spiritual domain.
Defeat her, and you gain her eternal loyalty.
Quality: Indestructible
Description:Find me. Conquer me. Take me.
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