[Ding, congratulations to the host, the trial is over!]
[Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained the clone skill!]
[Ding, congratulations to the host, you have obtained the quick healing skill!]
The familiar system prompts rang in John's ears like a sinister lullaby.
He stood still outside the blazing wreckage of Stark Bank, eyes half-lidded in satisfaction as the structure crackled and burned behind him. The glow of the fire lit up his painted clown face, casting eerie shadows that danced across the street.
At his feet lay a man on the verge of death. Blood soaked the man's torso, staining the pavement beneath him. His chest barely moved. The name tag still pinned to his uniform, though drenched in blood, read: "Captain of Stark Security Team – Ian."
John crouched slowly beside him, casually patting the man's cheek.
"Hey, wake up," he said in a sing-song voice, tapping Ian's face a few more times.
Ian stirred, just slightly, and his eyes opened into narrow slits. The moment he saw the painted face looming above him, his pupils shrank in terror.
"You... you're..." Ian's voice was hoarse and fractured, breath shallow and scattered.
Even in his state, he remembered.
John was the masked figure he'd seen before—back when Ian had risked his life to grab a weapon and fight back against the robbers. Back then, the masked man had stood silently watching him, making no move to intervene, expose, or help. Just watching, always watching. Ian hadn't forgotten those eyes.
"You... you won't get away with this..." Ian spat, every word taking everything he had left. He could barely lift his head, but the fury in his gaze was unwavering. "You... you'll regret this... I swear..."
John stood up slowly, brushing imaginary dust from his pants, and looked down at him with a half-smile. "I don't expect you to let me go," he said, sounding almost amused. "That's not the point."
Raising the pistol in his hand, John aimed it squarely at Ian's forehead.
Ian closed his eyes.
He wasn't afraid. He'd already guessed how this would end. He didn't even feel regret—only the shame of failure. If death was the price, so be it.
Click—
The cold metallic sound of the trigger being pulled echoed in his ears.
But nothing happened.
No pain. No final breath.
Ian opened his eyes, confused. The clown was still standing over him, the gun now slowly lowering. No bullets.
"W-why...?" Ian rasped.
John chuckled as he slipped the empty gun back into his pocket. "I think letting you live will make the story far more... interesting," he said with a smirk. "Killing you now would just be boring."
He bent down, grabbed the two black duffel bags lying nearby, and turned away.
"You...!" Ian tried to scream, but his body failed him. He lay motionless, forced to watch John's back fade into the smoke.
A heavy, raw humiliation gripped Ian's chest.
He couldn't stop him.
He couldn't even die with dignity.
And John knew it.
John, on the other hand, felt great. He hummed lightly to himself as he walked down the smoke-filled street, bouncing with every step like he had just won a lottery.
But his relaxed stroll came to a halt when a familiar silhouette appeared at the end of the alley.
Short curly brown hair. Tight black suit. Cold eyes.
Black Widow.
Of course she came.
John remembered her well—she'd confronted him on Halloween night. He'd slipped away using invisibility, but he'd done his homework later. After infiltrating Eagle's team, he learned her name and role.
No mistake—tight suit, curly hair, face like thunder. Black Widow.
She didn't say a word.
Without hesitation, she took out a thin cable—something like a grappling line—and charged at him.
Before she reached him, a deafening BOOM split the sky overhead.
The sound made her pause.
John looked up.
From the clouds, a red and gold streak cut through the sky.
Iron Man.
His metal suit gleamed under the firelight as he descended between them, jets hissing as he landed.
John couldn't help it.
He burst out laughing.
The sound rang out through the chaos and fire like a bell at a funeral.
"Oh," he chuckled, eyes glinting. "Now this is getting interesting."
Iron Man and Black Widow—together.
What a party.