hotmtlnovel Chapter 67: 67 Simple Intelligence Deduction
Chapter 67: 67 Simple Intelligence Deduction
Chapter 67: 67 Simple Intelligence Deduction
— Outskirts of Monaco.
In a desolate wilderness, a lone figure dressed in tight-fitting attire, Kagura Hitomi, walks alone.
As she approaches a patch of overgrown vegetation, the surrounding grass and shrubs begin to warp unnaturally.
The experimental static optical camouflage deactivates, revealing a sleek, silver-gray, sci-fi-looking transport ship before her.
"The operation was a success. All the new equipment's metrics are normal and stable. Congratulations, Master."
Kagura boards the aircraft, and Cortana's voice echoes through the cabin.
"The suspect who attacked Tony Stark has been captured and is being sent to Prison #4 in Monaco."
The crisis at the racetrack is now over, and her debut as a superhero has been a success.
She's certain that tomorrow's major news outlets will feature her shining figure, with the name "Flashblade" appearing repeatedly in headlines.
But despite the success, Kagura can't seem to find any joy.
For her, the world is veering further from its original course, and her intelligence advantage over the future is slowly being disrupted.
The path ahead is becoming unclear.
In this Monaco attack, a mysterious force secretly helped Ivan Vanko, enabling him to easily defeat the Mark V Iron Man armor.
If she hadn't arrived in time today, Tony Stark might have died here.
If Iron Man falls, it could trigger monumental changes in the future—changes Kagura won't allow to happen.
So why is this happening?
Could it be her fault?
She furrows her brow, contemplating.
Could her very presence be altering the course of the world's development?
If the butterfly effect is unavoidable, her future actions will have to be even more cautious.
"Cortana, any updates on the origin of Ivan's equipment?"
Kagura opens the aircraft's database to begin investigating Ivan Vanko's background.
"The tracking investigation is still ongoing. Based on further analysis of the scene, we've found that the exoskeleton technology Ivan Vanko used appears similar to some of Obadiah Stane's designs."
"Similar to Obadiah?"
Kagura recalls the past. Obadiah Stane had acquired the Ark Reactor by hiring the Winter Soldier.
If the people who helped Obadiah, those who tried to steal Vibranium from S.H.I.E.L.D., and those secretly assisting Ivan Vanko are all the same group, then this force is likely Hydra.
Kagura activates her holo-UI to check her skill menu.
Her current QP (Quest Points) totals 20.
10 points came from Natasha's task, and the other 10 came from saving Tony Stark.
She selects the defensive skill, [Full Spectrum Electromagnetic Invisibility/10].
This skill allows Kagura to become perfectly invisible—ideal for sneaking into the prison to find Ivan Vanko.
[Skill: Full Spectrum Electromagnetic Invisibility/10, activation successful]
QP automatically drops by 5 points.
Alright then.
Kagura sighs lightly, gazing into the distance.
[Core Energy Remaining: 63%]
Time's running out. Better move quickly.
[Short-term Active Acceleration: Activated]
Boom—
With a gust of wind, she disappears instantly, riding the shockwave.
..........
— In a dim underground room.
"Flashblade..."
A man in a suit sits in a chair, watching Kagura's fight with Ivan Vanko on a computer screen.
"One Iron Man wasn't enough; now another one shows up."
He narrows his eyes, showing a vicious glint.
"It looks like Nick Fury's plan is going quite smoothly."
"What should we do?" Another voice asks.
"The more smoothly his plan goes, the harder it'll be for us."
"Don't rush. We have plenty of trump cards. Let's see if Ivan Vanko's revenge succeeds first."
"Understood. Hail Hydra!"
"Hail Hydra!"