Chapter Summaries

Umbrella continued expanding under Red Queen’s careful control while Kurumi enjoyed a quiet afternoon. After Red Queen told her that Stark had invited her to the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, Kurumi accepted and learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to exploit Stark’s emotions.

• Umbrella’s pharmaceutical success brought in huge amounts of foreign currency, and the company began advertising as it expanded into other fields.
• Red Queen roused Kurumi from her afternoon rest by pretending Black Cat had knocked over her tea, and Black Cat pointed its tail at Red Queen in response.
• Kurumi told Red Queen that she was content to enjoy her current life while continuing her magic studies.
• Red Queen told Kurumi that Stark had invited her to the F1 Monaco Grand Prix and that S.H.I.E.L.D. had contacted him repeatedly, hoping to exploit his emotions.
• Kurumi accepted Stark’s invitation, saying she had nothing else to do.

Kurumi met Tony at the Monaco Grand Prix gathering and recognized how badly his impending death had changed his outlook. As Tony went to prepare for the race, Kurumi watched the venue while Justin Hammer noticed her from across the room.

• Kurumi arrived at the venue with Andre, her bodyguard, and reflected on her attachment to Shi Yi and Shi Jiu.
• Tony approached Kurumi, but Andre blocked his attempted hug; Tony said he would send her information about his energy converter after the race.
• Kurumi warned Tony that his change in mindset was serious, and Tony said he hoped to win the Grand Prix before heading to the changing room.
• Kurumi asked Andre to bring her tiramisu and black tea, then sat down to watch the large screen.
• Justin Hammer drank wine, brooded over his rivalry with Tony, and narrowed his eyes as he noticed Kurumi.

Justin Hammer spoke with a Wall Street tycoon’s son, who urged him to approach Kurumi and use her ties to Umbrella to protect Hammer Industries’ position with the military. Hammer agreed to seek advice after learning Umbrella had joined the military in developing weapons logistics.

• A young man invited Justin Hammer to race after the Grand Prix, but Hammer remained distracted by Kurumi.
• The young man noticed Hammer watching Kurumi and teased him about his interest in her.
• The young man encouraged Hammer to approach Kurumi, noting that Stark had already spoken with her.
• Hammer agreed to hear the young man’s advice after learning that Umbrella had joined forces with the military on weapons logistics.

Justin Hammer and a young tycoon approached Kurumi, but Andre’s crushing handshake turned their introduction into a painful grip contest. Kurumi stopped Andre before Hammer was seriously injured, leaving Hammer wary of him and the tycoon’s son suspicious of Kurumi’s status.

• Justin Hammer and a young man approached Kurumi’s table and introduced themselves, while Andre took Hammer’s business card and hand.
• Andre identified himself as Umbrella’s head of security and overwhelmed Hammer in a handshake, leaving Hammer’s hand bruised and nearly immobile.
• The tycoon’s son watched the grip contest and wondered whether Andre was Kurumi’s relative, while Hammer speculated about Andre’s mercenary reputation.
• Kurumi asked Andre to open a bottle of red wine, prompting him to release Hammer’s hand and step away.
• The tycoon’s son sat farther from Kurumi and suspected she was connected to Umbrella’s leadership, while Hammer hid his injured arm and vowed not to shake Andre’s hand again.

Kurumi met with Sila Moore and Hammer, whose reactions to her were strongly affected by her Charm. Andre interrupted their conversation, breaking the spell and leaving Moore suspicious of what had happened while Kurumi wondered whether there was something on her face.

• Kurumi asked Sila Moore and Hammer what they wanted, and Moore introduced himself and described his connection to Hammer Industries and Stark.
• Kurumi’s Charm made Moore and Hammer become entranced by her, while Moore imagined abandoning his plans to win her over.
• Kurumi leaned back as Andre brought wine, and his presence jolted Moore out of the Charm’s influence.
• Moore stared at Kurumi, puzzled by his sudden change in feelings, while Hammer regretted failing to speak with her.
• Kurumi touched her cheek and asked whether something was on her face.

Kurumi held Moore's attention at a gathering while Andre's watchful presence kept him and Hammer in check. She recognized Moore's skill with women and asked whether he knew Moore Manor, leaving him poised to answer.

• Moore and Hammer admired Kurumi while Andre stood nearby and watched them.
• Kurumi asked Moore his name, and he introduced himself as Sira Moore.
• Kurumi remarked that Moore was skilled with women and suggested he and Stark might become friends.
• Kurumi asked Moore whether he knew Moore Manor.

Kurumi spoke with Moore and Hammer about Hammer Industries and the military, then left to watch the F1 race after spotting a suspicious man in a work uniform. Andre stopped Moore and Hammer from following her, leaving them to wonder what her name was.

• Moore and Hammer were confused when Kurumi referred to an estate as Moore Manor, and she told them not to worry about it.
• Moore asked Kurumi whether she knew the military planned to terminate its contract with Hammer Industries, and she said she did not manage company affairs.
• Hammer considered befriending Kurumi and forming an alliance with Umbrella, while Andre's presence kept Moore on edge.
• When the F1 broadcast began, Kurumi spotted a suspicious man in a yellow work uniform and headed for the exit.
• Andre blocked Moore and Hammer from following Kurumi, and Hammer realized he had forgotten her name.

Kurumi watched Anton Vanko attack Tony Stark at an F1 race, then considered how to disrupt S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efforts to win Stark's favor. At Umbrella's lowest-level laboratory, she grew worried about the Sacred Armor Centipede King's connection to Zadkiel and learned that Red Queen needed a powerful energy source to test a virtual illusion.

• Andre blocked people in the VIP section from approaching Kurumi as Tony raced on the track.
• Anton Vanko attacked Tony with a glowing whip, but Tony put on his Mark armor and defeated him.
• Tony crushed Vanko's miniature energy reactor and flew away without noticing Kurumi.
• Kurumi asked Andre whether he could beat Tony, then decided she wanted to interfere with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plans to gain Stark's goodwill.
• Kurumi visited Umbrella's laboratory, saw researchers studying the Sacred Armor Centipede King's remains, and worried about the Zadkiel that had revived her.
• Red Queen told Kurumi that the virtual illusion based on the divine spark would soon be ready, but needed an energy source powerful enough for an exploration spacecraft.

Kurumi and Little Red concluded that only the Cosmic Cube could power their planned global deployment, while Little Red's calculations overloaded a cloud computing base. Kurumi then searched for Captain America and the Cosmic Cube as Tony's health continued to deteriorate.

• Kurumi asked Little Red whether they could build large-scale energy reactors, and Little Red calculated that a global deployment would require about thirty-seven reactors and face political obstacles.
• Kurumi and Little Red concluded that only the Cosmic Cube could supply enough energy for Kurumi's plan.
• Little Red's calculations overloaded a nearby cloud computing base, but she recovered and Kurumi teased her before they returned to the office.
• Tony visited Anton Vanko in prison and later continued to hide his severe palladium poisoning as he recklessly indulged in his wealth and fame.
• Kurumi used satellites to search suspicious locations for Captain America so she could find him before S.H.I.E.L.D. and take the Cosmic Cube.

Kurumi visited Tony Stark and offered to help him survive his palladium poisoning, arguing that his death would leave Pepper facing a dangerous struggle over Stark Industries. Tony’s determination to spend his remaining time having fun began to weaken as he considered her offer.

• Kurumi asked the Red Queen to arrange breakfast and tell Stark she wanted to meet him at his home.
• Tony transferred his holdings to Little Pepper and canceled his flight after learning Kurumi wanted to discuss his health.
• Kurumi met Tony at his home, where he offered her the energy converter and said he wanted to enjoy his remaining half month.
• Kurumi proposed a deal and told Tony he had a long time left if she wanted him to live.
• Kurumi warned Tony that his death could leave Pots vulnerable to capitalists fighting for control of Stark Industries.

Kurumi revealed that Tony was dying from palladium poisoning, prompting Little Pepper to demand that he seek help. Tony accepted Kurumi’s offer to help him survive, and she directed him toward discovering a new element before mysteriously disappearing.

• Little Pepper overheard Kurumi reveal Tony’s poisoning and tearfully confronted him about hiding it.
• Little Pepper urged Tony to go to the hospital, but he doubted doctors could help; he eventually agreed to accept Kurumi’s offer.
• Kurumi asked Tony to obtain a material and its production method, promising it would not harm him, Stark Industries, or his principles.
• Kurumi told Tony to study his father’s materials and the future-city model to discover a new element that could stop the poisoning.
• Kurumi vanished, leaving Little Pepper stunned, and Tony asked her whether she believed in magic.

Kurumi discussed acquiring Adamantium and Vibranium while Red Queen updated her on the search for the Tesseract and plans for a worldwide mental-energy breakthrough. Red Queen then revealed a doll-like body she had created, leaving Kurumi examining its projected design.

• Kurumi considered trading with Wakanda for Vibranium or taking it by force, and expected Stark to help locate Adamantium.
• Black Cat visited Kurumi, who picked it up and carried it to her desk despite Red Queen's ongoing rivalry with the cat.
• Red Queen told Kurumi that Umbrella was investigating locations its satellites could not verify and that the virtual combat illusion was nearing completion.
• Red Queen explained that the planned worldwide mental-energy project could support Kurumi's breakthrough if one percent of the population participated.
• Red Queen showed Kurumi a beautiful doll-like body made by fusing machinery and flesh with a Magic Imprint, and confirmed that the model was life-sized.

Kurumi flew Nightmare toward the frozen site where Umbrella had found Captain America, hoping to locate the Tesseract and collect a blood sample from Steve. She arrived above the site and spotted Steve shivering in a coat, wearing flip-flops.

• Red Queen reported that Umbrella found frozen Captain America and steel wreckage but no Tesseract, so Kurumi decided to inspect the area herself.
• Kurumi piloted Nightmare at extreme speed toward the marked location while Red Queen struggled to crack satellites and several countries detected the unidentified aircraft.
• Kurumi flew over icy seawater and resolved to obtain a vial of Captain America's blood even if she failed to find the Tesseract.
• Steve shivered at the site in a coat after arriving underdressed for the freezing conditions, while his companions waited for the higher-ups' personnel.
• Kurumi noticed Steve beneath Nightmare and stared at his exposed leg hair and flip-flops.

Kurumi and Red Queen discovered that Steve had mistakenly packed for a warm seaside trip, while Steve’s squad awaited the company’s arrival in the Arctic. After Nightmare landed, the team collected blood from another Steve and restored the crash site, leaving Kurumi with the sample and preparing to head for the surrounding waters.

• Red Queen’s analysis revealed that Steve had packed sunglasses because he had assumed the mission was somewhere like Hawaii.
• Steve spotted a black object in the sky, and his squad learned from Red Queen that company higher-ups were approaching.
• Nightmare landed on the ice field, and the middle-aged man told the squad to keep everything about the mission secret.
• The squad extracted black blood from another Steve and cleaned up the wreckage to make the site look undisturbed.
• Kurumi obtained the blood sample and prepared to head for the surrounding waters.

Kurumi searched the sea for the Tesseract and concluded it had likely been recovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. or Howard Stark. During a call, she bargained with Tony Stark for Adamantium and its data in exchange for protecting Pepper, while warning him that Whiplash was alive and preparing something with Hammer Industries.

• Kurumi ordered the Red Queen and Umbrella's New Humans to search for the Tesseract's energy fluctuations near New York.
• Tony Stark called Kurumi to show off his new energy reactor, but she stopped him from taking off his shirt on camera.
• Kurumi demanded fifty kilograms of Adamantium and the complete data, and Tony protested that the material was difficult to obtain.
• Kurumi warned Tony that Whiplash was alive and that Hammer Industries was preparing for an expo with military involvement.
• Tony agreed to provide one hundred kilograms of Adamantium and all the data if Kurumi protected Pepper, then asked her to delete the video.

Kurumi prepared to steal the Tesseract during Hammer Industries’ exhibition while a disguised young man equipped himself at Umbrella headquarters. The exhibition erupted into chaos when Vanko’s Iron Men attacked Tony, leaving Hammer and the military scrambling.

• Kurumi learned the Tesseract was near New York and planned to retrieve it during Hammer Industries’ exhibition, sending a puppet to Pots and having Nightmare stand by.
• Kurumi disguised herself as a young man, examined the damaged Twilight Morning Star, and prepared for the mission with equipment supplied by Red Queen.
• The young man leaped from Umbrella headquarters toward the Tesseract’s location as Red Queen erased his traces from the city’s surveillance systems.
• Tony arrived at Hammer Industries’ exhibition in his Mark suit, drawing cheers from the crowd and angering Hammer.
• Vanko ordered the Patriot and the Iron Men to open fire on Tony, plunging the exhibition into chaos and making Hammer realize he had been set up.

Coulson and the others were trapped in a parking garage by Hammer Industries' Iron Men while Tony fought elsewhere and Red Queen infiltrated Hammer Industries' network. As the group faced defeat, Umbrella's Nightmare arrived and crushed an Iron Man, revealing that reinforcements had come.

• The military bigwigs fled as they feared Hammer intended to take them down with him, while Coulson's agents protected Pots and Umbrella's young lady.
• Red Queen infiltrated Hammer Industries' network as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fought Iron Men and Coulson waited for reinforcements.
• Two Iron Men spotted Coulson's group and pinned them down; an agent destroyed one Iron Man's electronic eye but was then shot dead.
• Coulson urged Pots and Miss Brooks to flee, but the garage exits were blocked and more Iron Men approached.
• Andre told Coulson that Umbrella's reinforcements had arrived, and Nightmare descended and crushed an Iron Man with its foot.

Nightmare destroyed the attacking Iron Men while Coulson watched, revealing the mech’s overwhelming strength and its connection to Kurumi and the Red Queen. After Nightmare knelt for Kurumi, she headed toward the decrepit building where the Tesseract was located.

• Coulson recognized Nightmare as the mech that had defeated Obadiah, while Andre identified himself as Umbrella’s head of Security.
• The Iron Men attacked Nightmare, which cut and smashed through them as Coulson and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents watched.
• Kurumi told Nightmare to stop playing around, and it destroyed more than a dozen Iron Men in little over ten seconds.
• Nightmare knelt before Kurumi, who patted its armor, before it stood again.
• Kurumi asked the Red Queen whether the Tesseract was beneath the decrepit building.

Kurumi infiltrated a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, knocked out its agents and researchers, and stole the Tesseract. When armed agents cornered her, she used the darkness to evade their gunfire and launched herself away.

• Kurumi entered the underground base and found agents guarding researchers who were studying the Tesseract.
• Kurumi silently put the agents to sleep, then distracted the researchers with a speech blaming Fury for their late hours before sending them to sleep as well.
• Kurumi tore apart the instrument holding the Tesseract and took the glowing object as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rushed into the room.
• Kurumi vanished from the agents' sight, evaded their gunfire in the darkness, and shattered the floor as she pushed off.

Kurumi escaped with the Tesseract while the Red Queen disrupted S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cameras and covered their tracks. Back at their hideout, they watched the aftermath and located Fury, who was heading to the base Kurumi had raided.

• Kurumi overwhelmed the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guarding the Tesseract and escaped without being caught.
• The Red Queen split her attention between arranging Kurumi’s escape, transferring Hammer Industries’ illicit funds, and controlling Nightmare to protect Hammer.
• Kurumi ran through New York as the Red Queen disabled cameras across the city, leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. with only a broad idea of where she was.
• Coulson’s team arrested Hammer and used Jarvis to attempt to control Nightmare while Tony fought Vanko nearby.
• At their hideout, Kurumi watched the S.H.I.E.L.D. base through the Red Queen’s screen and learned that Fury was on his way there by helicopter.