The flashbang exploded in an instant. The piercing noise and blinding white light robbed Natasha of her sight and hearing at once; she was the closest to it.
A few seconds after the flashbang went off, the grocery store door was forced open, and several figures rushed inside in an orderly fashion. But the scene in the store made them pause.
Natasha was the only person injured by the flashbang. When the intruders rushed in, they saw Han Yu, Quicksilver, and Ultron staring straight at them, making the situation a little awkward for a moment.
There were three intruders, all sharing the same features: they wore hoods and carried matching longswords on their backs, like ninjas.
Those features brought an organization to Han Yu's mind: the League of Assassins!
Could people and things from other universes be merging into this universe too?
Han Yu murmured inwardly. The League of Assassins wasn't a product of the Marvel Universe; it existed in the DC Universe, the universe with Batman and Superman.
It was an assassin organization no less formidable than Marvel's Hydra, with influence across the globe. Its members were known for their hoods and face coverings and their use of bows or longswords. The intruders looked very much like the ones Han Yu remembered.
As Han Yu sized them up, they were sizing him up too.
The three assassins exchanged glances. One of them said, "That's the guy. Kill him, then find the Mind Stone!"
The assassins drew their swords at the same time and charged straight at Han Yu. Though the space was cramped, the three moved together without crowding one another, advancing in perfect coordination, one behind the other.
Han Yu stepped forward to Natasha's side, pulled her back, and tossed her onto the sofa. At the same time, he raised his right arm in front of him. Three cold, gleaming sword edges struck his arm.
"Hmph, you actually dared to come straight to my door and attack? You're courting death!"
Han Yu hadn't wanted to attack mortals without good reason. Strictly speaking, he was no longer human. If he wanted to be arrogant, there would be nothing wrong with calling himself a god. His physical abilities had also far surpassed those of ordinary humans, and his strength was more than they could withstand.
An utterly straightforward palm strike landed on the chest of the assassin on the far left. A muffled sound came from the man's throat. Though a black mask covered his face, a little red liquid could still be seen seeping through it.
That one strike killed the assassin on the spot.
The other two assassins saw their companion killed, and a flicker of surprise passed through their eyes. They hurriedly retreated a short distance and watched Han Yu warily.
"Hey, your boss is being attacked. How come neither of you is the least bit worried?"
Natasha crouched behind the sofa, using it as cover. She looked at the tense confrontation in front of her, then turned to look beside her. Ultron and Quicksilver were hiding there too, but they were actually playing a game, as if their store weren't under attack.
"Aw, what's the big deal? Our boss is so strong, taking care of them will be easy. Anything else can wait, but gaming can't. I'm about to win!"
Quicksilver's fingers flew across his phone screen, unleashing skill after skill in the game. A glance at his record—well, he talked as fiercely as a tiger, but his score was 0/5.
Are they really his employees? They care way too little about their boss's life, don't they?
Natasha was a little speechless. It was her first time seeing employees like these, so she ignored them and looked up at the scene in front of her again.
The two assassins had seen Han Yu kill their companion with a single strike. After exchanging a glance, the one on the right showed a ruthless look in his eyes. He raised his hand, and pale purple energy poured from his arm, solidifying into a purple longsword.
Natasha and Han Yu were both somewhat startled. Metahumans were uncommon in this world, and Natasha was quite surprised that the assassin in front of them could materialize energy into a longsword.
Han Yu, however, was startled because he had thought of a possibility: this probably wasn't a superpower, but a Mutant Gene!
A Mutant? That's not right. Mutants haven't appeared in the Marvel Main Universe yet. Could it be because the timeline changed?
A cold glint flashed in Han Yu's eyes. He needed to settle this more quickly and see whether the man had done it with advanced technology or his own ability.
Without another word, the two assassins charged at Han Yu after the suspected Mutant among them formed a purple blade.
The ordinary assassin in front flicked his hands to either side. At some point, two small black balls had appeared between his fingers. They struck Han Yu and released a thick cloud of smoke.
Within the dense smoke, the other side's vision didn't seem to be affected. The moment the smoke billowed up, the purple blade appeared before Han Yu and slashed straight down at his head.
Before the blade could reach Han Yu's head, two fingers wrapped in Green Lantern Energy caught the purple blade between them.
Though Han Yu's body was tough, he couldn't grip a weapon formed from energy with his bare flesh. Only a means that likewise covered him in energy could do that.
"Very good speed. If I were an ordinary person, that really might have killed me. Unfortunately, you picked the wrong target."
Han Yu smiled faintly and twisted his two fingers, breaking the blade. Then he kicked the assassin in the abdomen. The tremendous impact sent him crashing straight into the door, where he lost consciousness.
Though he was a Mutant, his physique was only that of an "ordinary person who had trained for a long time." His ability to take a beating wasn't much to speak of.
Seeing that even his teammate had been defeated so easily, the other assassin knew he couldn't possibly stand a chance. He turned and ran.
"I'll have someone go after him!"
This was a chance to prove herself. Natasha immediately used her earpiece to order the S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers outside to arrest the assassin, while she turned her attention to the one inside the store.
Han Yu crossed to the assassin in a few strides and crouched down to search him. He found no advanced device that could gather and release energy, leaving only one possibility: the man really was a Mutant!
"Now this is getting interesting."
Han Yu murmured. Since the League of Assassins was here, and so was this Mutant—the first he had seen—his deduction wasn't wrong.
This world was gradually merging with other worlds. It might not be merging with them in their entirety, but some forces from other universes would also emerge in this one.
A force like the League of Assassins was one thing, but if something more powerful appeared—if a Krypton appeared in this universe—then Superman might very well come to Earth too!
Han Yu had no interest in Superman. After all, they were both grown men; wouldn't it make him seem a little perverted if he were interested? He was, however, somewhat interested in Superman's older cousin.
Kara Zor-El, the one known as Supergirl!