Looking at Captain America lying on the ground after being electrocuted, Electro Max froze for a moment. He spread his arms helplessly, wearing an almost innocent expression.
"My God, please believe me, I really didn't mean to do that. It's all because…"
He stammered for a long moment before blurting out, "It's uncontrollable! I really can't control it!"
"Okay, okay…" Rogers finally regained his senses. He raised a hand, refusing Max's attempt to help him up. "It's just a minor issue. I'll train you to control yourself."
"That's amazing!" Max lit up instantly. He turned toward the others, unable to contain himself. "Did you hear that? Captain America is going to train me personally! Can you believe it? What are you waiting for? Would Kingpin ever give you something like this?"
Sandman Flint hesitated for two seconds, clenched his teeth, and stepped out from the group to stand at Captain America's side.
With two of their strongest stepping away, and the rest looking increasingly uneasy, Kingpin could no longer sit still.
He strode forward, his massive frame rising like a mountain between the two sides. Ignore the prison uniform, and he radiated the oppressive aura of a true king of the underworld.
"Two tigers can't share one mountain. Since you're having trouble choosing, why don't I settle it with him? Let's see who walks out of here today."
Hearing him declare that publicly, Captain America's lips curled into a subtle, meaningful smile. He was a serum-enhanced cyborg now—close enough to be called a "Newtype." And Kingpin wanted to challenge him?
Even if the guy was built like a brick wall, how many direct hits could he really take?
"Kingpin, think this through. He's not an ordinary man," Bullseye warned with a hint of concern, though excitement simmered beneath his voice. He had betrayed Kingpin once already—there would be payback sooner or later.
If he'd had any other option, he wouldn't have come to free this man in the first place.
So he fully supported a fight for leadership. After hanging around Loki for so long, his tongue had become sharper anyway, sarcasm dripping from every syllable.
Kingpin shot him a glance, not believing for a second that Bullseye was genuinely worried.
But he was already at a disadvantage. If he backed down now, Captain America would crush his authority completely—and that was something he would never accept.
That was why he demanded the duel.
"I accept your challenge."
Rogers hesitated only for a breath before meeting Kingpin's gaze directly, smiling with a feral glint in his eyes, his blood running hot.
The members of the Evil Alliance hurriedly backed away as the prisoners formed a wide circle. Black, white, tattooed, scarred—every one of them was grinning, hungry for the spectacle.
One was America's legend.
The other, an emperor of the criminal world.
No matter who won, the show alone was worth screaming over.
"Take him down!"
"Kill him, Kingpin!"
The shouts exploded all at once, and the crowd erupted into wild cheering. Even Doctor Octopus—short, pudgy, and usually composed—was shouting like a man possessed.
The feverish energy stirred something deep within Steve. A long-buried fire roared awake.
He tossed aside his shield and sidearm, dropped into a fighting stance, and raised an eyebrow at Kingpin.
That was the signal.
At the same instant, both men surged forward and swung.
Bang.
Their fists collided with a dull, brutal thud.
In the very first exchange, Kingpin and Captain America were evenly matched.
Seeing his punch fail, Rogers immediately shifted tactics. He seized Kingpin's right wrist with his left hand and yanked it back like a leash, pulling the massive man off balance and forcing his torso to lean forward.
Captain America followed with a sharp left high-kick aimed at Kingpin's jaw.
But Kingpin—no stranger to close combat—blocked the kick with his left arm and suddenly barreled forward like a charging rhinoceros. Using his sheer mass as a weapon, he smashed into Rogers before the captain could regain his stance.
Rogers, still recovering from the high kick, staggered under the impact. Yet decades of training, battlefields, and bouts with every kind of master had tempered his reflexes to something near instinct.
Staying calm, Rogers drove his left foot down onto Kingpin's knee with the precision of a gazelle's leap. Both hands still held Kingpin's wrists, keeping his body anchored. Borrowing the force of his stomp, he launched his right knee upward, slamming it cleanly into Kingpin's chin and sending the crime lord reeling backward.
Moments like this decide battles between experts.
Capitalizing on the opening, Captain America spun forward and delivered a flying kick that crashed into Kingpin's chest, toppling the still-dizzy giant to the ground.
The crowd responded with mocking jeers.
"Get up! I bet money on you!"
"Keep fighting! Don't let him show off!"
Under those disdainful stares, Kingpin pushed himself up, fury etched across his face. "You'll regret ever crossing me," he snarled.
"Stop talking tough like a scared girl," Rogers shot back, waving him forward with a taunting flick of his hand. His smirk made it clear he hadn't even tapped into his full strength. Kingpin was dangerous, sure—but nowhere near the level of the monsters Rogers had stood against. He had held back Thanos himself; Kingpin was still just a man.
Enraged, Kingpin lunged first.
He sprang off the ground with surprising agility for someone his size, his entire bulk coming down like an avalanche. His arms spread wide, hands like steel clamps, reaching to crush Rogers' throat.
A grip like that could snap his neck.
In that split-second, Rogers surged forward, slamming into Kingpin's chest. His hand shot up like a striking serpent, grabbing Kingpin's collar as he pivoted, preparing to throw him over his shoulder.
But Kingpin wasn't unprepared. Whether he anticipated the move or had baited Rogers into taking it, he reacted instantly—curling his massive body inward and locking his arms around Rogers' waist. Thick veins bulged along his forearms as he squeezed with everything he had, intent on breaking Captain America's spine.
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