"You haven't gone out lately, and sometimes you just want to check on how the group is doing."
After Betty came back, she hung her coat and leather bag to the side. By tomorrow morning, they would be washed—though she still didn't know how that mysterious servant managed to make the clothes look brand new every time.
"What's so great about the group? Isn't it thriving and developing? Who could possibly stir up trouble for us now?"
Kain shrugged indifferently, then pulled Betty into his arms. As his strength increased, Kain came to understand a certain truth: greater power doesn't eliminate desire.
Even the legendary Gods fathered a child with a woman—though they had their reasons.
"But Laura might not be able to keep going," Betty said, concerned. "There's too much on her plate. Unless you split up the business and let different people manage things, the current Pent Group isn't what it used to be. It now handles energy, medicine, arms, industrial manufacturing, space exploration, and more."
She had visited Laura earlier that day. Despite her best efforts with makeup, Laura's exhaustion was plain to see. Some things only she could handle—especially after Hydra fell. And the hungriest beast left standing was the Pent Group.
A true American giant.
Civilians at the bottom might not realize it—Kain kept a low profile, unlike Stark, who was always in the news—but the top brass of the U.S. government and politicians worldwide knew.
They understood all too well: the Pent Group was now the world's largest military security company, the most powerful pharmaceutical giant, the top arms supplier.
They were also energy moguls, industrial titans, and key players in the space race—with deep ties to the U.S. president.
Unless the United Nations immediately expelled the U.S. and dozens of countries formed a coalition to take down the Pent Group in a blaze of glory… the rest of the world would simply have to get used to being quietly ruled by them.
"You should help Laura find a proper assistant," Betty said, slapping away Kain's wandering hand. "And maybe help improve her physical condition too. I'm being serious—don't distract me. If you keep this up, we won't get through any of this."
"Oh, by the way, Pepper Potts's case is closed. 179 ruled there's no chance of an appeal. But she sent a message—she wants to meet you. Said you owe her a chance."
Betty's eyes were full of suspicion. She knew Kain too well. He'd had a thing for her even when she already had a boyfriend—and back then, he was her boss. One thing led to another...
That Pepper Potts was a bit too attractive for her liking. Betty's guard immediately went up. She couldn't help it. She also knew she didn't stand much chance—her own stamina wasn't enough to satisfy Kain, and she ended up passing out almost every time.
"What are you implying?" Kain asked, feigning innocence. "I'm doing this for the company. I'm interested in her skills, nothing more."
He wore the look of a man wrongfully accused, though he had plenty of women in other worlds. In this Marvel one? He was still far behind the real playboys.
"I've started expanding into space," he continued. "If I can find Nidavellir, I'll go there first. I need the dwarves to help forge a wand."
"Nidavellir? What kind of place is that? And why do you need a wand forged?"
It was the first time Betty had heard Kain talk about places beyond the universe—about dwarves and magic wands. Her curiosity was immediately piqued. She'd heard him mention space exploration before, but never in such detail.
"Nidavellir is the dwarves' homeworld. Think of Earth as under Asgard's rule. And as for the wand—well, if you want to know more, you'll have to trade for it… with your posture. You understand."
Kain's hands hadn't stopped moving. Betty's breathing was starting to grow unsteady. Tonight, Kain had a few new poses he planned to try—with her.
On the plane heading toward the island prison, Phil Coulson's face remained calm, but the anger simmering in his heart couldn't be suppressed. He hadn't expected that the people who captured him would turn out to be his former colleagues—so familiar, so close.
As they neared the prison, Coulson couldn't hold back anymore.
"Carter, what happened? Why are you doing this?"
"People always climb upward, Coulson. We can't fight against a government,"
Sharon Carter replied coldly, clad in a new uniform. Her actions today marked her allegiance to the Super Personnel Bureau.
Of the three people being transported to the island prison—Coulson, Victoria Hand, and Pecks—only one wasn't a high-ranking Level 7 agent.
"The Avengers—Fury's so-called trump card—were all captured by the U.S. military. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra are both considered enemies, and we've lost the support of every nation. What can we possibly do now?"
Sharon hadn't wanted to betray her roots. She hadn't wanted to run. But with no allies left, hunted by former friends, she'd had no other choice but to turn to Kain for protection.
Coulson fell silent.
When they arrived at the island prison, the three prisoners were handed over to the Super Personnel Bureau for processing.
Originally the most secure prison in the U.S., the island facility had been upgraded by the Pent Group—reinforced with special alloys and defensive systems specifically designed to neutralize superhumans.
Even if Bruce Banner turned into the Hulk, it wouldn't be enough to break out.
The system monitored Bruce Banner's heartbeat continuously. At the slightest sign of transformation, the entire cell would flood with a powerful hypnotic gas.
And even if he did transform, a special spray made with Joy Potion could revert him back into Bruce Banner in moments.
Aside from Nick Fury, every high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. official was now locked up here. Hydra's leadership was imprisoned in the adjacent sector.
"Coulson, Carter—you're here too?"
Steve Rogers stood up when the cell door opened, surprised to see who had arrived. But after only a few words, he noticed something was wrong.
Coulson and the others had electronic shackles on their wrists. Sharon Carter walked behind them with her hands clasped calmly behind her back—clearly in command. The agents flanking her were unmistakably her subordinates.
"Carter, you…"
"Obviously, Captain," Tony Stark cut in with sarcasm. "She's a government big shot now. SHIELD's finished, and you still expect everyone to stay loyal to it? Of course they're looking out for themselves."
He was bitter—and for good reason. Among the Avengers, Stark had lost the most. Imprisoned here without even being allowed legal counsel, he'd already filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government for violating due process. And still, no word from Pepper.
Sharon Carter stopped outside Steve Rogers' cell.
"SHIELD is done, Captain," she said quietly. "If you're willing to join the Super Personnel Bureau, I can put in an application for you."
She'd grown up on stories of Captain America. She still held deep affection for him. Things between them might be impossible now, but if there was even a sliver of a chance to save him, she would take it.
"No."
Steve Rogers turned away firmly.
"I won't work for a private organization. And I doubt you're lacking common super soldiers, Ms. Carter."
Sharon stiffened at the retort, her expression unreadable. Without another word, she turned on her heels and walked away, her high heels echoing in the corridor. After locking up Coulson, Hand, and Pecks, she headed toward the exit.
But as she passed Tony Stark's cell, he called out one more time.
"So… how many ranks did you climb by capturing the three of us? That kind of credit must be worth a lot."
Sharon Carter stopped in her tracks, then slowly approached and said,
"It's true, the credit isn't small—but I'm already the Deputy Director of the Super Personnel Bureau, in charge of special operations. There's no higher position for me to be promoted to. I know what you want to ask—Pepper Potts is fine. It seems she's joined the Pent Group. Don't worry."
Boom!
Tony Stark slammed his fist into the reinforced glass wall, making a deafening noise. But Sharon Carter wasn't startled.
After all, it was Tony who had mocked her first. She calmly adjusted her uniform and turned to leave the island prison.
As for Pepper Potts—Sharon hadn't lied. She really had seen Pepper walk out of prison.
"Ms. Potts, you should know the cost of being rescued. If you aren't cooperative… well, you can imagine where you'll end up next."
Kain paused. The threat sounded weak and beneath him, so he dropped it. There was no need to say more—Pepper Potts understood the consequences.
"I know, Mr. Pent. I understand."
Pepper Potts sounded defeated. She had once believed Tony would save her. But after their brief conversation—where he'd only asked her some questions—he never contacted her again, even during her trial.
After that, she was thrown straight into prison. Her world collapsed. From the height of luxury and power, she had been thrown to the bottom, and she couldn't adjust. The news of Tony's arrest was the final blow that broke her.
Kain looked at her and said,
"Do your job well. You'll find out your assignment when you arrive. If your performance is good, the rewards will come."
"I understand. Is that all… Mr. Pent?"
Seeing Kain continue reading his book without another word, Pepper hesitated. Before being brought to him, she had been ordered to shower and change into new clothes, which made her fear she might be subjected to something degrading. But now… nothing?
"What else do you need?" Kain asked without looking up.
"No, nothing at all."
Pepper quickly bowed slightly, then turned and left the Kain estate.
After she left, Kain suddenly opened his system panel.
A new trading dimension had been unlocked—one that hadn't appeared in a long time. He wasn't even sure what had triggered it this time.
Among the rapidly flashing images in the system, nearly all depicted war.
But not war between humans—it was war between humans and monsters. Hideous, alien-looking beasts were charging at soldiers, while humans used all kinds of advanced weapons to fight back.
"The tech level seems decent. But what kind of monsters are those? Mutated by radiation? Their strength doesn't seem too high…"
Kain tried to deduce the nature of the world from the brief glimpses. But it was hard to identify a universe from tech alone.
"Still… where there's war, there's profit. If they've got laser weapons like that, it could be a good harvest. And Betty's space journey should be starting soon anyway. I still don't have the coordinates for Nidavellir."
…
patreon.com/Vks_sh