Chapter 69: The Reluctant Wanted Criminal
A brilliant flash of golden light erupted from Jessica Jones's apartment as a figure crashed through the brick wall onto the street below.
The energy blast hadn't come from Ryan, but from Iron Fist Danny Rand. Despite his injuries, Danny had channeled his chi into a devastating strike that caught Ryan off-guard, sending him crashing through the wall and onto the asphalt.
Far from being angry, Ryan actually smiled with genuine fascination.
"So chi energy is another form of cosmic power! Interesting."
A split second later, Ryan leaped from the crater his impact had created, vaulting back through the destroyed wall into the apartment.
Jessica Jones charged forward with her enhanced strength, fists swinging wildly, only to be caught mid-strike by Ryan's casual backhand.
"Do you really have a death wish?"
Before Jessica could respond, Ryan lifted her high into the air and slammed her down onto the hardwood floor.
THUD
Jessica's head snapped back from the impact, and she fell unconscious instantly.
Iron Fist's remaining hand blazed with soft, flowing chi energy—far different from Ryan's harsh cosmic manifestations.
WHOOSH
A massive rectangular energy shield suddenly materialized in front of Ryan.
CLANG
Danny's chi-powered punch slammed into the barrier, leaving both combatants unharmed while the redirected energy blast tore through Jessica's apartment, reducing furniture to splinters.
WHOOSH
The golden shield vanished as quickly as it had appeared. In the same instant, a crystalline energy rapier formed in Ryan's opposite hand, piercing Danny's torso before the martial artist could react.
"Don't move a muscle! If I withdraw this blade, you'll bleed out in under three minutes. Are you absolutely certain you want to keep fighting?"
These street-level heroes were simply outclassed against Ryan's cosmic abilities.
Jessica Jones only knew how to throw wild haymakers with her super strength—no technique, no strategy. Even if Iron Fist hadn't been injured from their previous encounter, he posed no real threat to someone of Ryan's power level.
With Danny's life literally in his hands, resistance became impossible.
Minutes later, military transport vehicles delivered both Jessica Jones and Danny Rand to the secure compound. A military medic sutured Iron Fist's puncture wound before throwing him into a reinforced containment cell within the base.
Ryan, now wearing fresh tactical gear, approached the holding area carrying blood sample collection equipment.
After drawing a vial of Danny's enhanced blood, he issued a stern warning: "Don't even consider escaping. If that sorcerer Strange opens a portal to extract you, I strongly advise against going with him. If I have to hunt you down again, you won't survive the encounter."
With that, he departed the detention area with the blood samples.
Jessica suddenly rushed to the reinforced bars, gripping them tightly. "Wait! Have we met somewhere before? You seem familiar..."
Ryan paused mid-stride, then shook his head firmly. "No, we haven't. You've got the wrong person entirely."
As Ryan walked away, Jessica couldn't shake the feeling that she'd encountered him before, though the memory remained frustratingly elusive.
Back in his laboratory, Ryan subjected Iron Fist's blood sample to comprehensive analysis, monitoring dozens of cellular and genetic markers.
As expected, he discovered significant differences.
Danny Rand's cell membranes contained the same energy-conducting materials found in Eternal physiology, confirming that Iron Fist's chi powers were indeed another application of cosmic energy.
However, Danny's method was crude and unfocused—he could only channel the power to enhance his physical strikes rather than manifesting it as Ryan could with his advanced techniques.
Under microscopic examination, Ryan discovered that while the energy-conducting cellular materials were identical, Danny's were substantially thicker and more developed. If this substance functioned like electrical wiring, Danny's superior conductivity would explain his enhanced energy channeling abilities.
"Could this be the result of mystical training and meditation?"
Ryan was immediately excited by this discovery.
If he could identify the specific differences, there might be a pathway to even greater power. The problem was, he had no knowledge of K'un-Lun's ancient training methods.
"Is cellular transplantation possible? Or do I actually need to master these mystical disciplines?"
The next morning, Ryan practiced basic meditation techniques in the compound's courtyard before returning to his quarters for a shower, breakfast, and the morning news briefing.
[According to a Congressional spokesperson, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s recent actions have been classified as organized sedition, and the Pentagon has formally submitted documentation to the UN Security Council suspending all S.H.I.E.L.D. operations worldwide.]
[Avengers members, including Hawkeye Clint Barton, War Machine James Rhodes, Dr. Bruce Banner, and others, have been placed on international wanted lists.]
[Military leadership has made it clear that acts of defection against lawful authority will not be tolerated.]
[According to intelligence sources, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury personally planned and organized the assault on Military Research Facility Echo-7, located 124 kilometers northeast of New York City.]
The overwhelming majority of news coverage focused exclusively on superhero-related developments.
Ryan found himself puzzled. Although he'd had limited direct contact with Nick Fury, the current version seemed completely different from his expectations.
How could the master strategist—the legendary spymaster who'd outmaneuvered HYDRA for decades—have made such catastrophic tactical errors?
RING RING
Ryan's contemplation was interrupted by his secure phone.
"Yes?"
"Sir, psychological evaluations for subjects Martinez and Payne have been completed successfully. What are your orders regarding their disposition?"
Ryan replied casually, "Process their military integration paperwork, and prepare a vehicle for me. I need to make a personal trip."
Ryan had previously promised to allow Payne supervised family visitation. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been neutralized and the Avengers were scattered fugitives, Ryan felt comfortable enough to venture outside the compound for some well-deserved relaxation.
Marcus Payne had been a corporate accountant before his imprisonment for falsifying financial records and embezzling company funds.
He'd only been employed for a month when the entire previous year's accounting irregularities were pinned on him. Anyone familiar with corporate scapegoating would understand the situation.
Payne's family lived in the suburbs of Princeton—a working-class household with his wife and three young children. The neighbors knew their family had fallen on hard times. With the breadwinner in prison, they kept to themselves, and even the children faced social discrimination from classmates.
That afternoon, three military Humvees rolled into the quiet suburban neighborhood, drawing considerable attention when they stopped directly in front of the Payne residence. Curious neighbors emerged from their homes, gathering in yards to observe the unusual military presence.
Everyone, including Payne's family, remained inside their homes, watching nervously through screen doors and windows.
The Castle Doctrine provided some psychological comfort—for ordinary citizens, home represented the safest possible refuge.
CLICK
The lead Humvee's door opened, and Marcus Payne stepped out in civilian clothes.
His wife Alia, seeing her husband through the door, covered her mouth in disbelief before rushing outside.
"Marcus!"
"Alia!"
The couple embraced tearfully as their children came running from the house.
Just as the family reunion was reaching its emotional peak, a Stark Industries missile suddenly streaked from the sky, striking Ryan's Humvee with devastating force.
BOOM
The military vehicle erupted in flames, spinning 720 degrees through the air before crashing back to earth in a blazing wreck two meters high.
CRACK
The burning Humvee split in half. Ryan emerged from the flames with a grim expression, his gaze turning skyward.
He tore away his civilian shirt, revealing a matte black tactical suit underneath. Ryan had recently acquired this high-temperature, ballistic-resistant gear specifically to prevent wardrobe malfunctions during enhanced combat, though he hadn't expected to need it so soon.
War Machine James Rhodes hovered overhead, then positioned himself at optimal firing range, raising his arm-mounted weapons systems for another missile strike.
BANG
A sudden rifle report sent War Machine's armor tumbling through the air.
Rhodes' targeting systems went offline, and the micro-missile launched from his shoulder pod grazed Ryan's cheek before detonating against a nearby oak tree.
"BZZZZT! RAT-A-TAT-TAT!"
Twin M134 Gatling guns suddenly opened fire, unleashing a devastating barrage against War Machine's armor plating.
Ryan's four enhanced soldier escorts had immediately launched a coordinated counterattack upon coming under hostile fire.
SLAM
One of the gun-wielding soldiers was suddenly launched skyward by an invisible force, spinning helplessly through the air.
Simultaneously, an orange portal opened beneath another enhanced operative, and the soldier carrying anti-materiel weaponry disappeared through the dimensional gateway.
"Strange!" Ryan snarled, his enhanced senses scanning for threats.
The next instant, another portal manifested directly behind Ryan as Black Panther T'Challa and Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes charged through simultaneously.
CLANG
Ryan's hand blazed with cosmic energy, forming a massive golden shield that blocked their coordinated assault.
"Well, well! It seems you people just refuse to learn!"
Black Panther T'Challa, seeing no possibility for negotiation, struck with his vibranium claws across Ryan's chest, only to have the attack absorbed by golden energy armor.
WHOOSH CLANG
The defensive armor vanished, replaced by an enormous two-handed energy sword that swept downward. T'Challa had no time to dodge and could only raise his arms defensively.
The combatants were mismatched in raw power. T'Challa dropped to one knee under the immense force, barely managing to prevent the blade from cleaving him in half.
Ryan maintained pressure, pinning the Wakandan king with the energy weapon.
Behind him, Winter Soldier Bucky charged with his cybernetic arm swinging in a devastating arc.
CLANG
The metal limb struck Marcus Payne, who had moved to intercept.
His steel-hard skin easily deflected Bucky's enhanced blow without showing so much as a scratch.
Payne grappled with the Winter Soldier in close combat. Bucky was a seasoned assassin who'd mastered every fighting technique imaginable, while Payne was a newly empowered test subject with zero combat experience. Although Payne was essentially invulnerable to conventional weapons, he lacked the skill to land decisive strikes against such an experienced opponent.
While Payne held off Bucky, the two surviving enhanced soldiers continued their Gatling gun pursuit of War Machine through the suburban sky.
Ryan pinned Black Panther with his energy blade, grinning coldly. "You gave up a throne to die here. Was it worth it?"
"The only one dying today... is you!" T'Challa strained against the sword, fighting to speak through gritted teeth.
A moment later, Ryan felt something small and annoying strike him repeatedly. The impacts weren't painful, but they were increasingly irritating.
"Ant-Man! Really?!"
That explained why his soldier had been launched skyward—Scott Lang had been causing microscopic sabotage.
Ryan scanned the area but couldn't visually locate the size-shifting hero. He called out, "Scott, I strongly suggest you reconsider your involvement here. Don't forget you have a family and a daughter. Are you absolutely certain you want to escalate this situation?"
Ant-Man's family represented his greatest vulnerability, especially after missing five crucial years of his daughter Cassie's childhood during the Blip. The guilt of that loss still haunted him.
Sensing that Ant-Man had ceased his interference, Ryan maintained his pin on Black Panther with one hand while materializing an energy dagger in the other, preparing to deliver a killing blow to T'Challa.
Suddenly, two dimensional portals opened simultaneously to Ryan's left and right.
WHOOSH SLAM
Captain Marvel Carol Danvers rocketed from the right portal at light speed, tackling Ryan and carrying him directly through the left portal.
WHOOSH
Both gateways vanished instantaneously.
Ryan, caught completely off-guard by the interdimensional tackle, suddenly found himself in a completely unfamiliar environment surrounded by endless arctic wilderness.
He hurled Captain Marvel away from him, and she tumbled several times through the deep snow before coming to rest.
Besides Captain Marvel, the frozen battlefield contained Doctor Strange, Dr. Bruce Banner in Hulk form, Emil Blonsky as Abomination, and an Asian man wearing ten distinctive rings on his hands.
Ryan surveyed the assembled heroes and asked, "Where's Thor? Why isn't the God of Thunder joining this little intervention?"
"Hmph, we're more than sufficient to handle you!" Captain Marvel Carol snarled, her body blazing with binary energy as she launched herself forward.
CLANG
A golden energy greatsword materialized instantly, swatting Carol out of the sky like an annoying insect.
Unable to control her momentum, Carol crashed through a distant snow-covered mountain peak.
Strange's Eldritch whips lashed forward but were effortlessly shattered by Ryan's cosmic constructs. For some inexplicable reason, Strange abandoned his ranged mystical advantages and summoned the Sword of Vishanti for close-quarters combat—a tactical decision more suicidal than an elderly person attempting bungee jumping.
ROAR
Dr. Banner in Hulk form bellowed and charged at Ryan, but suddenly stopped mid-charge and slammed his massive fists together.
CLAP
A tremendous shockwave erupted, whipping up massive clouds of snow and ice.
CLANG
Ryan drove his energy sword into the frozen ground, the blade barely wavering under the Hulk's thunderclap attack.
End of Chapter 69
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