Gift

Bashir Riviera Lower City

As night Descent, the narrow, winding alleyways of the Lower City are filled with the damp smells of garbage, sweat, and cheap alcohol.

Bucky pulled his hat down low, and the collar of his black jacket turned up, obscuring half his face. His mechanical arm was hidden under his glove, but his fists were clenched, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

The walls on both sides of the street were covered with messy graffiti, some of which caught his attention as they were extremely small and hard to spot—a twisted skull enveloped in a ball of green flame. It was the symbol of the followers of the Dimensional Demon God Dormammu.

"The intelligence was correct," Bucky muttered to himself, continuing his steps.

Several drunkards leaned against the corner of the wall, their eyes glazed over as they sized him up, but Bucky's gaze merely swept over them coldly, and they instinctively looked away. Here, dangerous people often don't flaunt their presence, and the faint but palpable killing intent emanating from Bucky was enough to make even the most reckless thugs back down.

He turned into a darker alley, at the end of which stood a rusty iron gate, from which a faint purple light shone. Two burly men stood beside the gate, their arms covered in various tattoos, which, upon closer inspection, formed the symbol of Dormammu. Their waists were bulging, clearly concealing weapons.

Bucky didn't stop, and walked straight toward them.

"Stop." One of them reached out to stop him, his eyes wary. "Outsiders aren't welcome here."

Bucky slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of cold eyes. "I've heard that 'truth' can be found here."

The two men exchanged a glance, and one of them sneered, "You? An outsider, do you think you're qualified to seek the truth?"

Bucky didn't answer, but instead pulled a coin-sized metal piece from his pocket, engraved with the same cult runes. It was a token he had seized from Hydra Base.

The guard's expression changed. After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped aside. "Go in, but don't cause trouble."

The iron gate opened, Bucky stepped inside.

--Behind the door lies another world.

In the dim light, dozens of believers knelt on the ground, chanting obscure incantations in a low voice. In the center of the room, a man in black robes stood on the stage, surrounded by eerie purple energy. His eyes were as black as ink, as if they could devour all light.

"Another lost soul seeking power?" the black-robed man spoke slowly, his voice seeming to come from the abyss.

Bucky stared at him coldly. "I've come to find the answers."

"The answer?" The man in black laughed, a laugh like countless shards of glass rubbing together. "The truth of Dormammu is only bestowed upon the devout believer."

"I don't believe in God," Bucky said calmly, "But I've heard that you can awaken dormant powers."

The man in black narrowed his eyes, purple energy flowing between his fingertips. "What are you referring to?"

Bucky paused for a moment, then finally spoke:

"Mark-2-Devil Edition."

The air in the room froze instantly. After hearing Bucky's words, the man in the black robe suddenly let out a chilling laugh.

"Interesting..." His voice distorted. "It seems you are more valuable than I thought."

Bucky's mechanical arm clicked into combat mode, but the next second, the entire space began to twist and deform.

The walls flowed like melting wax, and eerie ripples spread across the ground. The surrounding scenery peeled away like shattered mirrors, revealing an alternate dimension composed of countless mirrors.

"Mirror Dimension?" Bucky looked around warily, only to see countless versions of himself reflected in the mirror—some as Hydra's Winter Soldier, others as blood-soaked killing machines.

The man in black robes had vanished. In his place, a man whose eyes were completely consumed by darkness stepped out of the mirror.

"Kaecilius ..." Bucky murmured the man's name.

"You're quite knowledgeable, Winter Soldier." Kaecilius's voice came from all directions, a strange smile playing on his lips. "I don't know where you got your information about the Mark-2-Devil Edition armor, but everything is preordained."

"Speak, what do you need?" Kaecilius's voice returned to normal.

"I know that the Dimensional Demon God's energy can activate that suit of armor."

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not. Apart from the earliest footage of killings in the Middle East, there is no other information about that suit of armor." Kaecilius waved his hand, and a tea table and four futons appeared between the two of them.

"But do you know about the armor that Whiplash in Monaco?" Kaecilius walked to a futon, sat cross-legged on it, and gestured for Bucky to sit down.

"I don't know much." Bucky didn't sit down, but instead put his hands in his pockets and walked to the opposite side of Kaecilius.

"That suit of armor is an experiment by Mephisto and Whiplash. It may not be a success, but it's at least somewhat close. So, I'll have Mephisto's representative explain it to me personally." Kaecilius didn't seem to care about Bucky's behavior.

"Aren't you afraid that I'm just bait?" Bucky was somewhat surprised that Kaecilius would be willing to tell him so much.

"A bait? The Ancient One hasn't walked the mortal realm in a long time. The Odin of Asgard is grieving the loss of his beloved. If it weren't for the mortal wounds inflicted on the Demons three years ago, this world might already be their paradise."

Kaecilius sneered, "And you, are merely a mortal body, a combination of flesh and machine."

As he spoke, he turned around in a circle to the side, and a circle of black and gold sparks appeared in the air. On the other side, there was only a dark red mist, and then a middle-aged man wearing a tailcoat and a top hat walked out.

He held a cane topped with a goat's head covered in demon horns, its eyes filled with two rubies.

His gait was extremely deliberate, each step perfectly timed, and the smile on his face was endearing.

He walked up to Kaecilius, removed his top hat, and bowed to Bucky and Casillas.

"Good day, gentlemen."

He sized up the suddenly appearing gentleman in English attire—the man's Oxford shoes, though placed in the Void of the Mirror Dimension, made real footsteps.

"Let me introduce myself," the gentleman said with a smile to Bucky. "William von Klaue, Earl of Dewen County." His English accent sounded like it came from the Victorian era. "Of course, nowadays my friends are more used to calling me—'the Merchant '."

Kaecilius scoffed, "The ruby you sold me last time turned three believers into walking candles."

William stroked the gemstone eye on the goat-head cane, a perfect smile playing on his lips. "Dealing with demons always comes at a price." He suddenly turned to Bucky, a strange light flashing in his ruby eyes. "This gentleman seems... complex."

"Enough with the nonsense, tell me how to activate that suit of armor." Bucky felt uncomfortable looking at this pretentious guy.

"Rude, impatient United States." William chuckled and waved his hand, conjuring a red mist that formed a high-backed chair beneath him. He sat down, crossing his legs. "But I prefer straightforward people, Bucky Barnes. I can offer you a little help to activate your armor, but..."

"Explain."

"Activating the armor doesn't mean you can use it for a long time. You need to bring it back. I think our lord would be happy to personally inscribe hellish runes on it to power the armor. At that time, you can get everything you want."

"So... what's the price?" Bucky frowned.

"The price? Yours, or Chen Tian's soul?" William rested his chin on his hand.

"Chen Tian? I'm no match for him."

"That's none of our business, Bucky Barnes. This is the necessary price of the contract. Either offer up a soul equal to yours, or offer up Chen Tian's soul." William smiled as he stared at Barnes, his crimson pupils like vortexes, ready to devour all souls.

"Deal. I will provide souls of equal value." Bucky nodded.

"Excellent!" William snapped his the Snap and waved his cane in the Void. A contract formed by crimson light appeared. William produced a quill pen from somewhere and handed it to Bucky. "Now, sign your name, and our cooperation can begin."

Bucky was silent for a moment, then took the quill pen and wrote his name on the contract.

After he wrote the last word, the contract suddenly burst into flames, then transformed into the shape of a goat-headed demon before dissipating into the air.

After William saw the contract disappear, he clapped his hands lightly. "Bravo, we're partners now, Mr. Barnes."

William raised his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing a line in the air, and a dark red crack appeared out of thin air. He probed into it, as if searching for something in some unseen treasure trove.

"Ah, I found it." He smiled and took a ruby out of the Void.

William examined the scarlet gemstone, which had a flowing light within.

Then it was given to Bucky.

Bucky caught it quickly. The gem was cut into a perfect polyhedron, only the size of a thumb. Bucky stared at it and instinctively felt uncomfortable—this gem didn't seem to be a product of Earth, but rather a fragment torn from some other dimension.

"A gift from hell," William's voice held a hint of excitement, "Shove it into the energy port on the chest of your armor, it will automatically adjust its size, and then..."

"Then you'll be able to activate your armor."

Bucky nodded, then turned to look at Kaecilius. Kaecilius understood, and with a wave of his right hand, a portal filled with black and gold sparks appeared.

Bucky stuffed the gem into his pocket and turned to leave.

"Mr. Barnes, remember, the gem can only activate the armor, but... it can't make the armor engage in much combat. Your goal is to steal the armor and come find me," William reminded Bucky as he was about to leave.

Bucky stopped and, after listening to William's words, entered the portal again.

"William, can that suit of armor kill Chen Tian?" Kaecilius was skeptical; he firmly believed in magic, and he never held any expectations regarding physical matters.

William spread his hands and shrugged. "What does it matter to me whether I can or can't? I'm just a 'Merchant'."

Bucky's figure reappeared in the alleyways of the Rio de Lower City favela.

The damp night wind, carrying the stench of rotting garbage, rushed towards us, creating a stark contrast to the eerie smell in the Mirror Dimension.

He subconsciously touched the ruby in his pocket; it was radiating an ominous warmth.

"It's time to go." He pulled his hat down low. In the distance, he could hear sirens and gunfire from gang shootouts, but the street violence gave him a sense of relief—at least this was the chaos of the human world, not some damned magical trick.

Five hundred meters away, Ban stood atop the water tower, his entire figure blending into the darkness.

He pressed the button on his earpiece, "2B, the Zhongshan Wolf has left the satchel."

A calm voice came through the headset. "Received. Master said... it's appropriate to inform Mr. Dongguo before the Zhongshan Wolf finds its fangs."

Ban gave a cold laugh. "Received."

The figure vanished into thin air.

Arbitrator Tower - Chen Tian's Private Bathroom

Chen Tian lay in the large bathtub, the warm water enveloping his body, with a few soothing aromatherapy leaves floating on the surface.

He closed his eyes, his breathing steady, as if he had fallen into a half-dreaming, half-awake state.

2B stood behind him, her slender fingers gently pressing on his temples. She was wearing a black school swimsuit, and her short, silver-white hair was slightly damp with water vapor.

"Master." Her voice was soft, as if afraid of disturbing his rest, "Ban has done as you instructed."

Chen Tian didn't open his eyes, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a faint smile.

"2B," he began slowly, his voice languid, "What do you think... would be the best way to get Tony out of his and Pepper's love nest?"

2B's fingers paused for a moment, then continued massaging, "Send them on a trip?"

"Tony definitely won't be interested." Chen Tian gently raised his hand, his fingertips tracing the surface of the water, creating ripples. "Tell Melina that Killian can begin his 'revenge'."

2B's red eyes flickered slightly. "What do you mean?"

Chen Tian finally opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his dark pupils. "In the plan I gave Melina, with so many years of funding, the Extremis Virus is more stable than we thought. I think Killian is already itching to take revenge on Tony."

2B nodded. "Master, I have already relayed the message to Ms. Melina."

"Very good, the plot of Iron Man 3 may have been delayed, but it's finally here, isn't it?" Chen Tian closed his eyes again.

Wanda gently pushed open the bathroom door. In the steamy air, she stepped barefoot onto the marble floor, her long legs appearing even more alluring under the shape of her lingerie. A deep red silk bra clung to her graceful curves, and a semi-transparent shawl slipped off her shoulders with each step, revealing her delicate collarbones.

"Is the water temperature suitable?" Her voice was extremely alluring, like that of a fox spirit from ancient Dragon Country.

Chen Tian lifted his wet arm from the water, hooked Wanda's waist chain and gently tugged, causing the witch to fall into the bathtub, splashing water that soaked 2B's swimsuit.

"Master..." 2B's voice became soft as Chen Tian pulled her into the bathtub.

Suddenly, playful noises filled the bathroom.

"Holy crap, Wanda! You've got some serious skills! Isn't this something a child would wear?"

Do you like it?

I love it so much!

"Wow! You idiot, you can open a shop here?"

"Master, this is how you open this suit of armor..."

(30,000 words omitted here. Please subscribe to VIP to view. Even with VIP, it's still not available...)

(This is the only chapter this morning. The remaining two chapters will be posted simultaneously this afternoon. Tomorrow, I will try to post all three chapters at once. The reason for posting them one by one is that I don't have any drafts saved up, and I'm worried that readers will have to wait too long. But I think it's too uncomfortable to read them one by one, so after some consideration, I've decided that it's better to post them all at once. So starting tomorrow, I will post three chapters at a time.)

(If you, dear readers, have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment. I will revise the story accordingly if I feel it's appropriate. Alternatively, readers can vote among themselves, and the suggestion with the most likes may be appropriately modified in the later chapters.)

(Once again, please give me good reviews, urge me to update more, and give me gifts~ Love you all~)