Kingo and Makkari flew out of formation.
Two short energy swords gleamed gold in the sunlight in Kingo's hands.
A wild smile tugged at his lips.
"I've always wanted to fight the Avengers."
Makkari said nothing. His body became a streak of golden light and vanished.
The next instant, he appeared at the Quinjet's hatch, less than a meter from Steve.
Steve reacted fast. His shield spun from his hand toward Makkari's head.
Makkari leaned aside. The shield skimmed past his ear, severing a few strands of hair.
He seized Steve's wrist and twisted hard.
Steve's blue eyes widened.
The strength the Super-Soldier Serum had given him was no match for Makkari's grip. He might as well have been an ordinary man facing a brute.
The bones in his wrist creaked, and his fingers spread against his will.
Makkari's face was inches from his: black eyes, brown skin, and a cold, expressionless face like a machine's.
"You're too weak," Makkari said, his voice rough and quick as a gust of wind.
He hurled Steve out of the Quinjet. Steve tumbled through the air several times as his shield bounced off the ground and returned to his hand.
An instant before he hit the ocean, he struck the surface with his shield and used the recoil to spring back into the air.
His arm trembled. A dark purple handprint marked his wrist where Makkari's fingers had gripped it.
Kingo did not charge at Tony.
He hovered in the air with his arms crossed over his chest. Two short energy swords floated around him like loyal guards.
He looked at Tony, his smile widening.
"Iron Man, that armor of yours is beautiful. Mind if I see what's inside?"
He flicked a finger. One sword became a streak of golden light and shot