As Lin Fan's final syllable echoed through the air, he thrust his hands forward. A brilliant orb of searing light, shimmering with chaotic energy, burst from his palms.
The energy wave carved through the air like a comet, trailing a blazing tail behind it. The Black King's retaliatory shockwave, dragon-like in shape and strength, collided with Lin Fan's blast—only to shatter like brittle glass under a hammer.
The orb pierced the veil of space and slammed directly into the Black King's chest.
"Absorb it! Absorb it all!!" the Black King shrieked, a futile command echoing into oblivion.
But it was hopeless.
In the blink of an eye, his body ballooned grotesquely—then detonated in a violent eruption of flesh, erased from existence by demonic power.
A deafening explosion tore through the night.
Lin Fan, his form flickering with instantaneous speed, dashed through the collapsing castle like a phantom. Each flash of light marked a rescue—one more person ripped from the jaws of destruction.
By the time the blast wave reached its peak, not a soul remained in the old castle.
BOOM!
The ancient fortress disintegrated into ash.
The devastating sphere of light surged into a vertical beam, burrowing straight through the mountain's core, then erupting from the far side. Whole mountain ranges split open like cracked eggshells, the earth collapsing into itself. A new, massive canyon was born in the heart of the wilderness.
The explosion's roar was heard over a hundred kilometers away—reaching the bustling metropolis of San Francisco.
Windows rattled. Citizens woke in panic. Curtains were yanked open.
Half the night sky glowed with the light of catastrophe.
News spread like wildfire. Within hours, social media boiled over. Hashtags trended worldwide:
#SkyFire, #Blast, #MeteorFall?
---
The Next Morning
"According to NASA," the news anchor reported calmly, "last night's anomaly appears to have been caused by a meteorite roughly 100 meters in diameter. No casualties have been reported."
The public bought the cover story.
People gossiped over breakfast:
"How much would that meteorite fetch?"
"Are more meteors coming?"
"Should we build shelters?"
But deep in the mountains, the truth was under investigation.
---
At ground zero, a swarm of black-suited agents encircled the enormous crater. Their badges bore a silver eagle—S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, elite and in full force.
Leading them:
Agent Phil Coulson – Level 8, future candidate for Director.
Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye – Level 7, marksman with uncanny perception.
Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow – Level 7, lethal and brilliant as ever.
The presence of three of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most senior operatives meant only one thing: this was a global threat.
Coulson removed his sunglasses, eyes narrowing at the yawning abyss before them.
"Natasha," he said, "any intel from the Tech Division?"
She exhaled slowly, checking her data pad. "We've got a read. The energy signature matches a nuclear-level event—estimated yield: 50,000 tons."
Gasps rippled through the field agents.
Even for seasoned veterans like Coulson and Natasha, the number was chilling. A standard city would be obliterated with one-fifth of that energy.
They needed answers. Fast.
Suddenly, Hawkeye knelt by the scorched earth and dug something out—blackened, misshapen by heat.
A chess piece.
The Black King.
Coulson's expression tightened. "Sebastian Shaw?"
Clint nodded grimly. "Confirmed. Code name: Black King. Real identity—Sebastian Shaw, an Alpha-level mutant. He absorbs kinetic energy and turns it into raw power."
Natasha's eyes narrowed. "Wasn't he tied to the Hellfire Club?"
"The Inner Circle," Coulson added, "a secret cabal that's manipulated events from the shadows for centuries. They're not just political puppeteers—they're dangerous."
"This is bigger than S.H.I.E.L.D.," Clint said. "We'll need help."
Coulson was already dialing.
"Time to call in the X-Men."
---