"Frickin' jerks..."
"You guys are total bad news!"
Jade was BEYOND pissed—and there was gonna be some serious payback!
After that whole moose fiasco just now, she was starting to crack the code on how these talismans actually worked.
If...
If the Rat Talisman could breathe life into dead objects AND supercharge them with abilities...
A calculating gleam flashed across Jade's eyes as she turned to eye the massive statue tucked away in the corner of the stairwell.
If she brought THAT thing to life—
Maybe it could take down these creeps... and rescue Uncle!
Then!
She'd be the absolute HERO of the day!
"Heh heh~"
"Super Moose, this one's for you!"
Jade's lips curled into a determined smirk as she spoke, the Rat Talisman clutched in her right hand beginning to pulse with energy again.
This time, the light blazed even more intensely than before, bathing the shop in an eerie glow that cast long, dancing shadows across the walls.
"Oh crap!"
"She's firing up the Rat Talisman again!"
Wolverine's expression darkened instantly. They'd barely managed to take down that overpowered moose, and the last thing they needed was another supernatural heavyweight entering the ring. The mission objective was clear: secure the talisman and get out—everything else was just noise!
"Stop her. Now."
Wolverine launched forward like a bullet, adamant about shutting down whatever Jade was cooking up.
But—
"Hey hey! You still gotta get through ME first, bub!"
Uncle came sliding in with a scrappy grin, throwing everything he had into blocking Wolverine's path, desperate to buy Jade those precious few seconds she needed.
'Come on, come on, hurry it up~'
'I can't hold these yahoos off much longer!'
Just as Uncle was internally freaking out, a strange sound crept up from behind him.
Crack... crack...
The statue started shedding its stone skin like a molting snake.
Its dull, lifeless surface began to transform—as if some invisible artist was painting it with vibrant colors, bringing it to life frame by frame.
WHOOSH—
The thunderous sound of massive wings unfurling filled the room.
A gust of wind exploded outward as an ancient, towering deity slowly awoke from centuries of dormancy.
"Who DARES..."
"Disturb my slumber?" A voice deep as canyons and commanding as thunder reverberated through the air, dripping with divine authority.
A cyclone of wind swept through the room, its pressure as crushing and tangible as being buried under an avalanche.
"What the—?!"
Wolverine's eyes widened in shock. He could feel the hair on his neck standing on end as waves of terrifying energy rolled off this... whatever it was.
"This is seriously bad news!"
Captain America's expression tightened as he raised his vibranium shield, immediately shifting into full defensive stance.
He stared ahead, every muscle tense and ready.
Towering before them stood a massive green figure easily ten feet tall, wrapped in magnificent feathered wings.
Its colossal form nearly scraped against the ceiling's wooden beams.
The feathers across its back rippled and danced like living banners caught in a hurricane—each subtle movement seemed capable of summoning storms from clear skies.
Under that penetrating, ancient gaze...
Captain America felt like he was being sized up by some apex predator from before humans walked the Earth. The raw power radiating from this being made Wolverine's intensity feel like a match flame next to a forest fire.
And it wasn't just affecting them—
Even Uncle stood frozen in complete shock.
That STATUE...
It wasn't just moving—it was ALIVE!
And—
More importantly—
If his memory wasn't failing him, that statue by the stairs was just some random trinket the Old Man had picked up for cheap at a weekend flea market...
"Quetzalcoatl?!"
"The supreme deity of the Mayans? Master of the Morning Star, keeper of sacred calendars, bringer of abundance... The all-powerful god of the Maya—Kukulkan himself?!"
Uncle's jaw dropped as the blood drained from his face.
Jade, oh sweet merciful heavens, JADE!
What kind of cosmic can of worms have you opened THIS time?!
The overwhelming presence in the room made it feel like gravity itself had doubled. Just breathing required effort.
That godlike entity didn't have the friendly vibe of the cartoon moose—this was something ancient, powerful, and potentially catastrophic.
Was Jade in immediate danger?!
Clenching his jaw, Uncle threw himself between Jade and the deity, absorbing the full brunt of the Feathered Serpent's aura.
No matter what kind of cosmic disaster your kid triggers—you shield them first, ask questions later!
But—
Instead of unleashing divine wrath, the Feathered Serpent shifted its gaze—
Completely ignoring Uncle—and looked beyond him. Its stern, otherworldly expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"My princess~"
"It has been... many, MANY moons!"
The resonant, time-worn voice of Kukulkan filled the room like rolling thunder, and only when his eyes settled on Jade did those cold, reptilian pupils grow gentle, filled with ancient memories and profound reverence.
"Princess?"
Jade blinked rapidly, pointing at herself with genuine confusion. "Who, me?"
She had absolutely ZERO clue she was apparently royalty to this... whatever it was.
"Indeed, my precious princess!" Kukulkan nodded with solemn certainty. "You have awakened me from my slumber—are you facing peril and require my intervention, Your Highness?"
"Intervention?"
Jade's eyes widened with sudden understanding. "Can you beat the absolute stuffing outta these guys? They've been totally bullying Uncle and trying to rob Old Man's shop—they're complete and total LOSERS..."
She balled her small fists with fierce determination. "Take those jerks DOWN!!"
She was holding the mother of all grudges!
They destroyed her awesome moose—and now these clowns were gonna PAY!
And kids always have that uncanny sixth sense about who means them harm. Something deep inside told her that Kukulkan was on her side. Maybe... maybe he could be exactly the backup she needed?
"Invaders?"
Kukulkan's expression hardened to stone as a crimson glow flickered to life in the depths of his eyes.
"This is gonna get ugly real fast!"
Wolverine tensed every muscle in his body, practically vibrating with anticipation of the coming storm.
This mysterious statue-turned-deity...
The intensity of its glare left zero doubt about what was coming next!
If...
If this really WAS the actual Feathered Serpent straight out of ancient legend?!
The mere thought of going toe-to-toe with a bona fide North American deity made even Wolverine's adamantium-laced spine tingle with dread.
However!
Before he could even formulate a battle plan—
That bone-chilling voice returned, cold and merciless as a midwestern blizzard carrying death on its winds.
"As you command, my princess!"
Kukulkan bowed with elegant grace to Jade. When he straightened and turned to face Wolverine and the others again, his smile had transformed into something truly horrifying.
"Worthless intruders must be DESTROYED!"
The temperature in the room plummeted instantly, like someone had opened a portal straight to the Arctic.
Perhaps because Captain America had already chosen to stand with Uncle and Jade—
The crushing divine pressure seemed to deliberately flow around him, focusing its full, terrible might exclusively on Wolverine.
"Son of a—!"
"So THIS is what happens when you back the wrong horse?"
Wolverine growled through clenched teeth.
Now—
There was no time left for second-guessing.
Before him...
Kukulkan raised both massive hands toward the ceiling, summoning a terrifying tsunami of emerald energy. The power was so concentrated it manifested as visible waves of force, surging forward like a dam breaking, majestic and utterly devastating!
Kukulkan—the mighty Feathered Serpent!
Not just a deity of abundance and creation—he was also the supreme LORD OF BATTLE! The GOD ABOVE ALL GODS!
The epic showdown between mortal and immortal—
Had officially begun!