After the two great demons left one after the other, a deathly silence fell over the scene, and the faces of everyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. turned utterly grim.
Why had they gone to all this trouble planning everything? All they had wanted was two more allies.
Well, great. Now both allies had simply run off. Could anything be more fucked up than that? Banner was so angry he almost transformed on the spot.
Just then, the last remaining member of the three great demons, Mephisto, walked over to Steve.
He sized Steve up with a greedy gaze, then said in a voice full of temptation, "You need help, don't you?"
"Never mind those two idiots. I can help you."
"Whatever you want, I can make it happen. All you have to do is offer me your soul afterward."
As an expert in manipulating souls, Mephisto had recognized the exceptional quality of the soul inside Steve at a glance.
If he could obtain Steve's soul, he wouldn't mind lending a hand.
Steve laughed in exasperation at those words. For a moment, he had no idea what to say.
Of the three allies he had paid dearly to recruit, two had run off outright, and the last would only help in exchange for his soul. What kind of freaks had he managed to find?
Still, on reflection, Steve was willing to trade his own life for Tony's. So, after he finished laughing, he nodded without hesitation. "You want my soul? Simple. Help me finish off Tony today."
Mephisto was delighted to hear that, and a contract instantly appeared in his hand. It was a devil's contract stipulating each party's obligations. In short, its terms were highly unfavorable to Steve.
Still, it included one fundamental clause: if either party failed to complete or fulfill