Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.
S.H.I.E.L.D./Church of the Holy Light.
"Hey, Vice President Fuck, I'm here to pick up a quest."
Spider-Man lowered himself upside down on a strand of webbing outside the office's floor-to-ceiling window, giving Nick Fury a fright.
"Motherfucker, I think he's insulting me." Nick Fury's face darkened.
Natasha, standing nearby, consoled him. "Don't get so angry your eyepatch slips sideways, or you won't be able to see out of your other eye either."
As she spoke, she opened the window and let Mark inside.
"Thank you, Banana."
Mark greeted her, then went over to the television and tapped at the air a few times.
"Wow, today's quests all look pretty good. I'd better choose carefully." Mark was delighted.
Natasha: "..."
Nick Fury walked over to her, and the two studied Mark together.
"Natasha, I think we should give him a difficult assignment," Nick Fury said.
Natasha glanced at Nick Fury. "You mean...?"
"Yes. The thing Coulson described as a suspected alien life-form."
Nick Fury folded his arms. "Let's see if he can find it."
"Let's give it a try, then."
As she spoke, Natasha stepped forward and patted Mark on the shoulder.
"Hey, we've got a quest with a generous reward. Want to give it a try?" she asked.
Mark turned around and excitedly clenched his fists.
"Of course! I have a feeling this is a hidden quest."
"Yes, a very secret quest."
Natasha took out a handheld computer, brought up a visualization of the black liquid Coulson had described, and handed it to Mark.
"We need you to find this thing."
"No problem!"
Mark agreed without hesitation.
The system had already begun issuing the quest.
[Quest: King Locke's Bounty!] [Quest description: The Dark Soul Fighter Demon has possessed His Highness the noble prince. Demon Hunter, please travel to the Kingdom of Locke and exorcise the demon within the prince.]
"Wow, there's even a quest description this time."
Mark said to Natasha, "Thank you, Banana. I have a feeling the reward for this one will be really generous."
As soon as he finished speaking, a virtual arrow appeared on the floor.
Mark followed the arrow and hurried out of the office.
Watching Spider-Man leave, Natasha opened her mouth, then hesitated.
In the end, she gave up on explaining.
"Nick, can he find it?" She had a bad feeling about this.
Nick Fury frowned. "We're just giving it a try. Now, there's another assignment."
"What?"
"Coulson's report mentioned someone with superpowers named Makabaka."
"Mark Parker."
Natasha corrected him. "I've met the guy. He's just a magician."
"No, he does have superpowers. They just aren't very strong."
Nick Fury's expression grew serious. "The important thing is that he was also a patient at the Mental Hospital."
"Also?" Natasha seemed to catch on.
"Nick, are you saying Spider-Man might also have been a patient at the Mental Hospital?" she asked.
Nick Fury nodded. "Yes, that's my guess.
"Green Goblin had just blown up the Mental Hospital when that superpowered Maka... Mark Parker appeared. Spider-Man showed up around the same time."
Mark's abilities were far too different from Spider-Man's. He didn't think they were the same person at all.
So he issued a new order.
"Have someone investigate the Mental Hospital's survivors. We'll definitely be able to get more information about Spider-Man from them."
Nick Fury was very confident in his judgment.
He looked out the window, a glint passing through his eye.
"Something must have happened at the Mental Hospital that night. Just what brought about Spider-Man's emergence...?"
He murmured to himself.
Before he could continue his deep deliberations, Maria Hill suddenly burst into the office.
"Commander, something terrible has happened..."
"Agent Hill, as my assistant, you must remain calm at all times."
"Yes, Commander."
"Go on. What happened?"
"Spider-Man broke into the Captain's room."
"What?!"
Nick Fury's face drained of color.
Agent Hill said calmly, "Commander, you need to stay calm."
"Motherfucker, calm my ass! Hurry up and stop him!"
Nick Fury rushed out of the office.
Agent Hill and Natasha exchanged a glance, then helplessly spread their hands.
"The Captain was only just dug out of the glacier, and he's still asleep. We'd better go take a look."
"Right."
Meanwhile, as the last agent collapsed to the floor, twitching, Mark dusted off his hands, proud of his Holy Light Fist.
"That's me, the great Demon Hunter."
He hadn't expected the Dark Soul Fighter Demon to have planted so many demonic minions in Locke's royal palace.
But that was all right. He had already broken through the demonic minions' blockade and reached His Highness the prince's bedchamber.
"Bam!"
With a loud crash, Mark kicked open the door and immediately spotted the unconscious prince.
"Did he fall asleep after being possessed by the demon?"
Mark stepped forward and studied the handsome prince on the bed, looking thoughtful.
If it were a sleeping princess, there would only be one way to wake her.
True love's kiss!
He could manage that.
But the one asleep this time was His Highness the prince.
Then I should...
"Smack!"
He slapped His Highness the noble prince across the face.
The sound was crisp, and his skin felt cold.
"Huh? Still not awake?"
Seeing His Highness begin to frown, Mark figured he must be fighting a battle of wills against the demon inside him.
Mark decided he couldn't delay any longer.
"Wake up, Your Highness! Hey, wake up already!"
He shook the prince's shoulders hard, trying to drive out the demon with the most primitive method possible.
Nick Fury and the others arrived to find this scene and felt as though the sky had fallen.
That was the super soldier from seventy years ago, an idol to countless people!
How could he
treat him like that?
Nick Fury was about to stop him when Mark turned around and said,
"King Locke, I know you're anxious, but don't rush me. I'll drive the demon out of him."
Just then, under the violent abuse, the man on the bed snapped his eyes open.
Although his body was still very stiff, he instinctively unleashed tremendous strength.
"Shit..."
"No swearing."
Mark caught the incoming fist, then brought a knife-hand strike down on the man's shoulder.
"Ugh..."
In an instant, His Highness the prince, who had finally woken up, rolled his eyes back and passed out again.
Nick Fury couldn't help swallowing at the sight.
The legendary Captain had been knocked out just like that?
This guy's strength...
Right, it must be because he'd only just gotten up and hadn't had time for his morning exercises.
Behind him, Natasha leaned close to Agent Hill and said,
"Did you hear that...? The Captain's bones cracked."
Agent Hill thought for a moment. "I did. We can call a doctor now."
"No need to call in any other Demon Hunters."
Mark interrupted Agent Hill and stood up to reassure everyone.
"Although I haven't seen any information about the demon yet, he must still be inside His Highness. Let me try again. I'll definitely get that guy out."
As he spoke, he moved to resume his work.
Natasha hurriedly stopped Mark.
"Wait, Mr. Demon Hunter. If the treatment is too aggressive, the prince's body won't be able to take it."
Mark nodded thoughtfully. "Banana, you're right. I'll come back tomorrow and try again."
With that, he turned and left, leaving everyone exchanging shaken looks.
Nick Fury breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward to examine the Captain's shoulder.
"Steve, can you hear me?" he asked, trying to wake him.
He was in luck. Steve gave a muffled groan and slowly opened his eyes.
"Ugh... Where am I...? Who are you?"
He raised a hand to rub his aching shoulder, then looked in confusion at the black man before him.
Seeing that Steve hadn't gone berserk upon waking, Nick Fury relaxed.
He introduced himself. "Captain Steve, I'm your superior now."
"What the fuck?"
Steve froze for a moment, then punched Nick Fury in the face in fury.
"Nigger, you one-eyed old black bastard! If you're my superior, then I'm your God! Go home and pick cotton. The plantation owner's waiting for you with his whip!"
Still unsatisfied after that tirade, he moved to kick Nick Fury in the backside.
Natasha was the first to react.
"This is bad! Something's wrong with him! Stop him!"
"Don't get in my way, you little pieces of trash working for Red Skull! I'll rip your heads off and throw them into a fire, piss on them once they're cooked, then stuff them back up your asses..."
"He really was possessed by a demon!"
The room descended into chaos.