"They were never truly yours," Lock said calmly, his tone like still water. "Without the restraint of bad luck binding them to you, they'll naturally return to the world."
"Damn brat! Talking like that pisses me off! Let's see if you're still so smug after I beat you down!"
The Evil God's body flickered—vanishing like a shadow slipping through space.
He reappeared behind Lock, a fist shrouded in dark, corrosive energy driving straight for the back of Lock's head.
But before the blow could land, a hand appeared in the Evil God's vision.
It looked small—ordinary even—but in that instant, it seemed to fill the entire sky.
SLAP!
The Evil God was smacked out of the air and crashed into the ground, carving a massive crater into the bloodstained soil.
The energies that had moments ago swirled around his body tore free, scattering into the atmosphere before dissolving entirely.
The Evil God coughed up blood and glared upward. "What kind of power is that?! How can you strip away my energy like this?"
Lock didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed on something unseen, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Interesting.
By cleansing part of the Evil God's misfortune, his own luck had actually risen back above five digits again.
When the Evil God saw Lock standing there, completely ignoring him, rage flared.
This damned kid… I robbed him twice before, and now he dares to look down on me like this?!
"Jie jie jie… let's see how many hits you can take!"
He pulled out a vial of glowing blue Super Soldier Serum and downed it in one gulp.
Power surged through his veins—but he wasn't satisfied.
He grabbed more bottles—drinking them one after another like cheap milk.
Then he turned to Pierce. "Pierce! Get Wanda to bring more serum!"
Pierce's eyes gleamed. They'd stockpiled nearly three hundred vials of the serum—two hundred of them real, the rest cheap imitations.
The Evil God had already injected dozens. His body shimmered with unstable energy—muscles twitching, skin glowing faintly.
Even he could feel that another dose might tear him apart from the inside.
Still, he grinned madly. Almost there… just a bit more and I'll crush that smug bastard.
Pierce couldn't help but feel a twisted admiration. Even though the Evil God was being overpowered, he was still fighting the King of Apocalypse to a standstill.
A man who could survive a clash with him was no ordinary monster.
Pierce grabbed his communicator and barked, "Wanda! Bring the super serum now! The Evil God needs it to fight King Apocalypse!"
The Scarlet Witch hesitated at the order.
She hated Hydra's senseless killings. Whenever she joined a raid, she always avoided harming ordinary soldiers.
But Pierce and the Evil God didn't tolerate disobedience. They'd forced her to handle logistics instead—fetching supplies, moving weapons.
So she complied.
A dark crimson aura surrounded her as she soared across the sky, carrying a silver alloy case in her arms.
Black Widow's voice crackled through Lock's comms:
"Lock—be careful with this woman. She can tear apart vibranium alloy… from a distance."
Lock nodded slightly.
So this is the Scarlet Witch, he thought.
It was their first meeting.
Her face was delicate and pale, European features softened by youth. Her red aura danced around her like flames, but her expression was shy, uncertain—more like a quiet neighbor than a weapon of destruction.
She descended lightly, handing the case to the Evil God. Then, unable to resist, her eyes drifted toward Lock.
The King of Apocalypse—this was the man whose name terrified the world.
But when she met his eyes, she saw not cruelty, but calmness—and a strange kind of warmth.
Lock smiled faintly. "Wanda. Your hatred… is misplaced."
Her brows knit together. "What do you mean?"
"Your parents died because of a bomb built by Stark Industries," Lock said evenly. "But the real cause wasn't the man who made the weapon—it was the one who fired it. You hate Stark, but your hatred is pointed in the wrong direction."
Her breath caught.
Images flashed through her mind—two terrified ten-year-olds crouched under rubble, their parents crushed beneath stone and flame. The Stark Industries logo on the unexploded shell beside them burned into her memory forever.
She clenched her fists. "If Stark hadn't built those bombs, my parents would still be alive. I will make him pay for it!"
Lock tilted his head slightly. "What if I told you… I could find the real murderer?"
Her crimson eyes flickered with uncertainty. "The real… murderer?"
"If I can help you uncover who truly destroyed your home," Lock said softly, "would you still want revenge on Stark?"
Wanda hesitated. The thought pierced something deep within her.
For years, she and Pietro had blamed Stark because he was the only target they could reach—the only name they had.
But if someone else was truly responsible…
She bit her lip, torn.
Just then, Pierce's sharp voice came through her earpiece.
"Wanda! Don't forget—where's your brother?"
Her eyes widened.
Her parents were gone. She couldn't lose Pietro, too.
Pierce's voice pressed on, cruel and manipulative.
"If I die here, your brother dies with me."
A burst of gunfire crackled nearby. Black Widow had found Pierce's location and was closing in fast.
Lock didn't stop Wanda when she turned and flew away. He could see the fear in her eyes—she wouldn't rest until her brother was safe.
Moments later, as Black Widow lunged at Pierce, a crimson blur swept between them.
Scarlet Witch extended her hand, unleashing a wave of chaos magic that lifted Natasha into the air and hurled her back dozens of meters.
"Kill her," Pierce barked.
Wanda shook her head firmly. "I told you—I won't kill anyone."
"Humph!" Pierce growled, clenching his fists in frustration.
He'd tried before to force her to kill, but even under threat of her brother's life, Wanda wouldn't cross that line.
Now the battlefield reached a stalemate—Scarlet Witch shielding Pierce, Black Widow recovering at a distance, neither side able to finish the other.
And above them, where the air rippled with power—
The Evil God was still there.
While Lock and Wanda spoke, he'd quietly uncorked the rest of the serum vials.
Dozens.
He downed them all in one go.
His veins glowed a furious red. Energy crackled across his skin like lightning.
The ground trembled.
And Lock looked down upon him with quiet pity.
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A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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