Marvel: Beginning with the Collection of Shinra Tensei

Han Yu spoke bluntly, leaving no room for pleasantries.

Pierce's expression shifted noticeably. While he was no stranger to veiled insults in the political arena, the sheer directness of Han Yu's words made his face twitch involuntarily. Aware of the power imbalance between them, Pierce swallowed his frustration and forced himself to continue.

"Truly, a hero among youth. It's no wonder even Nick Fury feels inferior to you," Pierce complimented, borrowing a phrase from Han Yu's homeland. But Han Yu's response made his face twitch even more.

"Hero my foot. If you've got nothing better to say, get lost. I've got a gift to deliver to the Captain."

Han Yu snapped back without hesitation, even reaching out to pat the Winter Soldier standing beside him. The deliberate act clearly provoked Pierce.

Finally losing his temper, Pierce shouted angrily, "You people are truly ungrateful!"

At his words, one of his bodyguards reached for the gun in his holster. However, just as his hand touched the grip, his vision blurred. He grabbed at thin air.

In the blink of an eye, Quicksilver appeared, holding several guns in his hands. The bodyguards instinctively checked their holsters, only to find them empty—the weapons in Quicksilver's hands were theirs.

"What's this? Looking for a fight? And at this level?"

Quicksilver quickly dismantled the firearms, reducing them to a pile of parts on the floor. His newfound knowledge of firearms, self-taught over recent weeks, had clearly paid off—he wasn't about to spend all his time immersed in video games.

"Incredible speed. So, this is the power granted by Loki's scepter?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Pierce's face. He knew Quicksilver and Wanda's origins well, including the fact that their abilities came from Loki's scepter.

The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances, their astonishment mirrored in each other's eyes. But they had a backup plan. Reaching for their concealed weapons, they drew another set of pistols.

The dark muzzles aimed squarely at Han Yu as flames erupted from the barrels. Yet Han Yu didn't so much as flinch.

Before the bullets could find their mark, they vanished into thin air. The next moment, Pierce and his bodyguards let out terrified screams as the floor beneath them transformed into a vertical wall. They scrambled to cling to the "wall's edge," panic evident on their faces.

Looking down, they saw a bottomless abyss stretching into darkness. Their grip tightened desperately, but their strength quickly drained.

"What's happening? What is this?"

Sweat poured from Pierce's forehead as he stared at the abyss below, his mind reeling. One moment they were on solid ground; the next, they were dangling over a chasm.

"It must be some kind of hypnosis! Yes, that's it—it's just a cheap trick!"

Pierce tried to comfort himself. Hydra wasn't unfamiliar with hypnotic techniques, and he knew intense pain could often break such spells. Clenching his teeth, he bit down hard on his tongue.

But when he opened his eyes again, the same deep, endless abyss stared back at him.

Then, a strange sensation brushed against his hands. He looked up to see countless crimson serpents slithering toward him, their forked tongues flicking menacingly. Their triangular eyes glinted with a predatory gaze.

The sudden appearance of the snakes sent a shiver down his spine. The visual shock was overwhelming. In an instant, the snakes lunged, baring fangs at Pierce. Overcome by terror, he screamed and let go. His voice echoed as it grew fainter, swallowed by the abyss.

The next moment, Pierce found himself sprawled on the floor. Gasping, he looked around frantically and realized he was still in the general store. As he raised his head, his eyes met Wanda's, the red glow in her gaze fading.

"Oh? So this is all you can handle? Is this the extent of Hydra's leadership?" Han Yu looked down at Pierce, his voice calm yet tinged with amusement.

"So, it really was an illusion?"

Pierce staggered to his feet, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He stood shakily, his posture awkward and unsteady.

The bodyguards who had accompanied Pierce were sprawled on the ground, their fingers desperately clawing at the tiny gaps between the floor tiles. Their nails were broken, and blood seeped from their fingertips, but they refused to let go.

Judging by the pained expressions on their faces, they were still battling the illusory snakes in their minds.

"Anything else? If not, you can leave now," Han Yu said with a faint smile. From start to finish, he remained calmly seated in his chair, never lifting a finger. Yet these people were already trembling, their legs weak and sweat pouring down like rain. If this were an actual fight, they wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder.

"Monsters! You're all monsters!"

Pierce, looking deranged, pointed at Han Yu and his group while shouting. As he took a step back, his wobbly legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. Still, he managed to crawl out of the general store on all fours. Once outside, he stumbled to his feet and ran off screaming, drawing puzzled glances from the passersby.

"Drugs, must be on drugs," one onlooker remarked.

"Look at him, all dressed up like that. Middle of the day, and he's high as a kite. The joys of being rich are beyond us common folk."

"Stay away, stay away. Anyone bold enough to get high in broad daylight isn't someone we want to mess with."

The crowd quickly parted, steering clear of the disheveled Pierce as he fled in panic.

Ultron and Quicksilver, watching Pierce's meltdown, couldn't help but burst into laughter. Quicksilver turned to the Winter Soldier and said, "The leader of Hydra? Really? This guy is pathetic. And he wanted to negotiate with our boss? These days, it seems any random nobody can be a leader."

The Winter Soldier said nothing, though he couldn't entirely disagree. He knew Pierce was a master manipulator, unshaken by typical crises. But the kind of psychological torment inflicted here? No ordinary person could withstand that. Honestly, it was impressive he hadn't passed out on the spot.

"Mr. Barnes, I'll leave these ones for you to clean up," Han Yu said, nodding toward the incapacitated Hydra agents on the ground. Assigning this type of "cleanup" to the Winter Soldier guaranteed it would be done thoroughly.

The Winter Soldier nodded in acknowledgment. After asking Ultron for some tools, he approached the Hydra agents and swiftly knocked them unconscious before starting his work.

Han Yu, Ultron, and Wanda headed upstairs, leaving Quicksilver behind. "I'll stay and learn how this is done," Quicksilver declared.

With his super speed, the cleanup process would naturally be faster. The Winter Soldier didn't refuse. Watching Quicksilver's earnest teaching demeanor, anyone unaware of the situation might have mistaken this for a legitimate classroom. If not for the bloodied men on the floor, it might've even seemed wholesome.

Five minutes later, the Winter Soldier and Quicksilver rejoined the group upstairs.

"All taken care of?" Han Yu asked.

The Winter Soldier sighed, looking mildly exasperated. "I felt like the assistant. He didn't even look up before he had it all done."

"As long as it's done," Han Yu replied with a nod. "Go clean up the blood on yourself. I'll contact Rogers to come pick you up shortly."

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