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[Frog] Chapter 135: An Angry Pikachu, Meeting Tony
🕑 Added 2024-10-28 17:34:14 +0000 UTCOn the projection screen, Thor approached the Destroyer, seemingly trying to communicate.
For a moment, it seemed the Destroyer was turning away, but then, out of nowhere, it swung a powerful slap, sending Thor flying and leaving his fate uncertain.
With a dismissive wave, Alan ended the projection. He had little interest in the petty family drama of Asgard.
“Red Queen, can you locate Tony for me?” he asked.
“Certainly, Master. Please hold on,” Red Queen replied.
Her AI capabilities now far surpassed JARVIS’s, making it simple to track Tony's current location. Within a minute, a map appeared before Alan, pinpointing Tony's seaside house.
“Surprising. Seems like the playboy is actually at home,” Alan mused, lifting his hand.
A golden glow enveloped him as his Emperor Armor assembled, and with a step, he vanished from sight, leaving his darkened lab behind.
---
Meanwhile, on the streets of New York, a group of bank robbers armed with submachine guns burst out of a bank they’d just looted.
“Quick, let’s go!” shouted the leader, his face obscured by a black nylon stocking, making his identity impossible to discern. “Spider-Woman could show up any second!”
Since Spider-Woman had appeared in New York, life had become a constant anxiety for robbers like them. But with money running low, they had no choice but to take the risk.
“Yes, boss!” one of his henchmen replied, firing a few shots into the air to intimidate the hostages inside the bank. With everything going smoothly, they began their escape.
Just as the leader stepped out the door, a henchman warned, “Boss, look out!”
But it was too late. Before the leader knew what happened, a shadow darted by, hitting him with the force of a truck and sending him flying backward.
The remaining henchmen raised their guns, pointing them at the bank’s entrance. Only one person could make them this nervous—Spider-Woman.
Gwen released her web and landed gracefully at the entrance. “Hey, did I just hear you talking about me?” she quipped. “Don’t you know crime in New York means getting smacked by Spider-Woman?”
“Spider-Woman, stay out of this!” shouted one of the henchmen, emboldened by their weapons, aiming directly at Gwen.
Meanwhile, their leader lay unconscious from the impact, his fall knocking him out cold.
Gwen raised her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, maybe we could talk this out? Or better yet, how about I introduce you to my new partner?”
“New partner?” The henchmen hesitated, puzzled.
Just then, a small figure flipped out from behind Gwen, landing in a perfect pose on the ground.
“Pika…”
The robbers stared at the tiny creature dressed in a mini Spider-Woman suit. One of them burst out laughing, clearly unimpressed.
“Haha! This little guy is your partner?” he sneered, growing bolder at Gwen’s faux surrender.
Hearing their mocking laughter, Pikachu’s cheeks began to crackle with electric energy, his anger rising.
Gwen offered a solemn look. “Alright, you guys went and made him mad.”
“You’re...” she began, pausing dramatically, “done for.”
The robbers laughed even louder at her supposed threat, scoffing at the notion that the small creature could do anything to them.
“Pika! Chuu!”
With a fierce cry, Pikachu unleashed two thick bolts of electricity from his cheeks, striking both robbers squarely.
The two robbers had no chance to react at the speed of electricity; they were fried to a crisp, unconscious on the ground.
After taking care of these annoying thieves, Pikachu turned to Gwen, flashing a victory sign before hopping back onto her shoulder. Seeing that the bank was clear of threats, Gwen shot a web and left the scene.
Once Gwen was gone, the bank staff finally pressed the alarm button to start cleaning up the mess. Swinging high above the city, Gwen looked at Pikachu and said, “Nice work, Pikachu.”
“Pika…Chu…” he replied proudly.
“We’ll patrol a bit more, and if nothing else pops up, let’s head back to find Alan.”
Crime in New York City, both large and small, was a daily affair. Especially with the fall of the biggest crime boss, Kingpin, the city seemed calm on the surface, yet hidden turmoil was everywhere.
Gangs that Kingpin had once suppressed were now expanding their operations, leading to all sorts of major gang conflicts.
Most of these incidents, however, occurred at night, which kept Daredevil, Matt Murdock, quite busy.
---
At his law firm, Matt took off his sunglasses, rubbing his temples. He hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in ages.
Although rubbing his temples, Matt’s attention remained on a specific corner of the office. He sensed a person standing there motionless, unsure of their intentions—perhaps a revenge seeker?
He was confident his identity as Daredevil was still secure, but even being a lawyer could be a dangerous line of work.
If a family wasn’t satisfied with a verdict, they might seek retribution. Maintaining a “wait and see” stance, Matt pretended to be massaging his temples, prepared to act the moment his visitor lost patience.
Fortunately, his assistant was away investigating a different case, sparing her any potential risk.
After a long silence, with the visitor remaining still, Matt’s brow furrowed. Maybe they weren’t here for revenge after all?
“Is someone there?” he asked tentatively.
Finally, the other person spoke. “Matthew Michael Murdock. I thought you’d planned to ignore me forever.”
From his voice and the figure’s posture, Matt quickly deduced the man was tall and solidly built.
“Sorry, I’m blind,” Matt replied. “If you’re silent, I can’t exactly know you’re there.”
The next line, however, made Matt’s face stiffen.
“You knew I was here the moment you came in. While you’re blind, your other senses are extraordinarily sharp—how else could you fight crime as Daredevil?”
Matt calmly put his sunglasses back on and said, “Sorry, sir, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. A blind man like me, Daredevil? Why not suspect I’m Spider-Woman, too?”
“Oh, Spider-Woman is a girl.”
Matt: “...”
The figure moved closer, prompting Matt to tense up.
“No need to worry,” the visitor said, raising his hands to show he was unarmed. “Let’s start with an introduction. I’m Nick Fury.”
Nick Fury stepped up to Matt, signaling he meant no harm. Although Matt couldn’t see him, he sensed the man’s non-threatening stance.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had already compiled extensive background information on Matt, tracing his family history back several generations.
“Nick Fury?” Matt asked calmly. “You’re not a client, nor have we met before.”
Outwardly, he kept a composed demeanor, though he remained alert, ready to act should this Nick Fury try anything.
Fury, noticing Matt’s caution, continued, “I’m the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., here to discuss a team collaboration.”
“S.H.I.E.L.D.? That agency?” Matt replied. Being well-connected, he’d heard rumors about special government organizations, including one on the ground and another in the sky, but this was his first direct encounter with one.
“So, S.H.I.E.L.D.,” he asked, “what business do you have with me?”
Fury came straight to the point. “I’m here to invite you to join the Avengers.”
(In the comics, Daredevil has also been an Avenger.)
...
“This… this goes beyond technological power…” Tony murmured, staring at the projection Jarvis displayed.
In the video, the blonde man appeared beaten and lifeless after taking a crushing blow from a metal behemoth.
But then, suddenly, a hammer flew in, reviving him entirely, allowing him to thrash that very metal creature in return.
As Tony marveled at the power of the two, Jarvis’s voice cut in again, “Sir, there’s a visitor upstairs.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes, sir.”
Jarvis quickly pulled up the live feed from upstairs, and after taking a look, Tony set everything aside and hurried upstairs. There, Alan was casually surveying the layout of Tony’s home.
“Impressive, Tony,” Alan commented. “You really know how to pick a spot.”
“Too bad there aren’t many places like this in all of New York.”
Just then, Tony came up from downstairs, noticing the Emperor standing right in his home. “Hey, how did you get in here?” He glanced at the still-locked front door, unable to hide his surprise.
Alan turned toward Tony, “Maybe Jarvis has some vulnerabilities.”
Tony chuckled awkwardly, recalling that even Nick Fury had once entered similarly. It seemed Jarvis’s system needed another thorough check-up.
With the Emperor’s sudden visit, Tony felt a little uneasy, a far cry from his usual cocky self. After all, this was his benefactor, a man who had saved his life several times.
“Uh… well… Mr. Emperor?” he stammered.
Alan nodded and got straight to the point, “I’m here to ask you for a favor.”
Hearing this, Tony exhaled in relief. Not one to enjoy being indebted, he actually felt more at ease knowing the Emperor was asking for help.
“No problem. As long as it’s something I can do, just say the word.”
“I’d like you to help me purchase something on the black market.”
Tony laughed, finding this request surprisingly easy. Given his past as a weapons dealer, he was quite familiar with the black market.
Even now, many black-market arms dealers reached out to him through various channels, hoping to get their hands on new weapons or even his Mark armor, though Tony had rejected every one.
The sellers respected his decision, knowing that Tony Stark was no longer just a playboy but the Iron Man, equipped with the world’s most advanced technology.
“Of course, that’s no problem. What are you looking to buy?”
Tony moved to the bar, poured two drinks, then, glancing at Alan’s armor, silently picked up just one glass for himself. “I’m guessing you don’t drink?”
Alan didn’t mind and responded, “Vibranium.”
Pfft! Tony almost spit out his drink.
“What? You want to buy vibranium?”
Tony’s reaction wasn’t unfounded. He was one of the few people aware of vibranium’s existence and its impressive properties.
This knowledge came from his father, Howard Stark, who had worked with vibranium to forge Captain America’s shield. Tony also knew vibranium came from Wakanda.
Years ago, he’d also looked into purchasing vibranium on the black market, though he’d put it on hold without a concrete plan. However, he had indeed found a black-market vendor with access to vibranium.
“That’s right. I have a use for it. Howard used vibranium to create a shield for Captain America, after all,” Alan replied. “I’m sure that, as Howard’s son, you can help me find some.”
Tony set down his drink, now even more curious about the Emperor’s true identity. He could tell that Alan wasn’t a threat, given he’d appeared multiple times solely to lend a hand.
“No problem. How much do you need?”
“Two kilograms.”
Two kilograms might be expensive, but it wasn’t a big issue for Tony. The real challenge would be finding a supplier with that amount of vibranium.
“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements,” Tony replied. “Jarvis…”
And with that, the process began.
...
