Howard Stark had seen Rorschach arrive earlier with a middle-aged man.
Because of that, Stark already had a rough idea of who Rorschach's "friend" was and where he might be. There was no need to ask unnecessary questions.
"Of course," Stark said immediately. "No problem at all."
Agent Peggy Carter watched the exchange quietly from the side. Her expression remained calm, and she didn't object.
However, she casually glanced toward several nearby SHIELD agents.
The meaning in that look was perfectly clear.
After Rorschach disappeared into the tavern's back hall, the agents moved immediately. They slipped out quietly and positioned themselves near the bar's rear exit.
If Rorschach tried to slip away, they would know.
Of course, Rorschach had absolutely no idea that Carter had arranged this precaution. He wasn't a trained agent, and he lacked the instinctive observational awareness that intelligence officers developed over years of work.
Even if he had noticed, he probably wouldn't have cared.
After all, he had no intention of running.
And if he did want to leave, a few agents lurking near the back door wouldn't make much difference.
While Carter's agents quietly took their positions, Rorschach walked down a narrow hallway behind the tavern.
The passage was long and dimly lit.
At the very end stood a small door, partially hidden by shadows.
Rorschach couldn't help feeling a little speechless.
Caliban had arranged this place like some kind of underground fortress. Anyone unfamiliar with the situation might think he was hiding from an international manhunt.
This level of caution went far beyond ordinary paranoia.
Creak.
The moment Rorschach pushed open the door, something cold pressed against his forehead.
It was the large man who had earlier gone to bring Raven inside.
The man held a pistol firmly against Rorschach's head.
"Don't move," he growled. "Try anything funny and I'll blow a hole through your skull."
Rorschach simply smiled faintly.
Without saying a word, he reached up and grabbed the barrel of the gun.
Then he squeezed.
Click… click… click…
The sound of metal twisting filled the room.
When Rorschach released his grip, the barrel of the gun had been flattened like soft clay. Several clear fingerprints were pressed deep into the metal.
The big man stared at it in horror.
He inhaled sharply as if he had just seen a ghost.
Rorschach ignored him completely.
He walked past the stunned guard and entered the hall beyond.
"Rorschach!"
Raven's voice rang out immediately.
Inside the room, she was seated in a chair.
But a long sword rested against her neck.
The blade was held by a woman with long hair and a cold, sharp aura.
Psylocke.
Beside her sat Caliban, who watched the scene with a stern expression.
Rorschach blinked in confusion.
"What exactly happened here?"
He had only come in to ask Caliban for help locating someone. How had the situation escalated into this kind of standoff?
"Caliban was about to ask you the same question."
Caliban stood up slowly and opened a drawer beside him.
He pulled out a pistol and pointed it directly at Rorschach.
"What's going on?"
"Caliban, you've got this wrong," Raven said nervously. The sword pressed against her throat prevented her from making any sudden moves.
"We don't know what's happening either. I swear."
Caliban's eyes remained cold.
"Then why did a gunfight break out the moment you arrived?"
His voice carried obvious suspicion.
"You wouldn't expect Caliban to believe that was just a coincidence."
"Caliban, let Raven go," Rorschach said calmly. "If we really meant to harm you, do you think you'd still be sitting there comfortably right now?"
He felt a slight headache coming on.
This situation really was nothing more than terrible timing.
"So why didn't you explain your intentions earlier?" Caliban demanded. "Why bring armed agents here to Caliban's place?"
Rorschach fell silent.
At this point, explaining everything would only make the situation messier.
So he decided not to explain at all.
Instead, his gaze shifted toward the gun in Caliban's hand.
Two beams of heat shot from his eyes.
Fsssh!
The pistol instantly melted and collapsed into useless metal.
Psylocke's expression changed immediately.
One hand continued holding the sword against Raven's neck, but her other hand suddenly formed a glowing purple psychic blade.
She slashed toward Rorschach without hesitation.
Whoosh!
But in the next instant, Rorschach was gone.
The spot where he had been standing was suddenly empty.
Before Psylocke could react, he had already appeared several meters away.
Fsssh!
Two more heat beams flashed out.
The sword in Psylocke's hand shattered and flew from her grip.
Her eyes widened.
It was instantly clear that the young man standing in front of her was far stronger than she had expected. Fighting him while restraining Raven was impossible.
Without hesitation, she released Raven.
The psychic blade in her hand transformed into a glowing purple energy whip.
Snap!
The whip cracked through the air as she lashed it toward Rorschach.
But Rorschach moved like a nimble cat.
He slipped around the attack effortlessly.
Snap!
The whip struck the floor instead, leaving a deep mark in the ground.
Psylocke spun again and lashed out repeatedly.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Three consecutive strikes tore through the air.
Each one missed.
Instead, Rorschach slipped closer.
By the time Psylocke realized what was happening, he was already right in front of her.
Not good.
The thought flashed through her mind.
The young man moved with slippery, unpredictable speed. None of her attacks had even slowed him down.
She prepared to strike again—
But a hand suddenly grabbed her by the throat.
Psylocke froze instantly.
Her life was now completely in his grasp.
If he wanted, he could break her neck in an instant.
"Raven," Rorschach said calmly, "did you get the answer we needed?"
Raven nodded from nearby.
"Everything was actually going fine," she explained. "Caliban loves money, so once I paid him he helped sense the area immediately."
Her expression shifted slightly.
"But just as I was leaving, gunfire suddenly erupted outside."
Caliban, already suspicious by nature, had instantly assumed Raven was involved and ordered his men to detain her.
"Rorschach, let's go," Raven said.
She had no interest in escalating the misunderstanding any further.
Rorschach felt the same.
This had all started as a misunderstanding, and neither Psylocke nor Caliban had actually harmed Raven.
So he released Psylocke's throat.
Without another word, he turned and walked out with Raven.
"Raven," Rorschach asked as they left, "did Caliban sense Sebastian Shaw?"
Raven shook her head.
But her face carried a clear hint of excitement.
"No," she said. "Shaw isn't within Caliban's sensing range."
Caliban's hideout wasn't far from Xavier Manor. Since his ability could cover a radius of twenty-five miles, the result was extremely reassuring.
If Shaw couldn't be sensed from here, it meant one thing.
Shaw had never discovered Xavier Manor.
And that was very good news.
.....
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