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When the call came through, people at the White House were stunned.
The rescue team, who had been prepared to depart, breathed a collective sigh of relief, especially the biochemical expert among them, who silently thanked God.
He was just a biologist, not a special forces soldier, and certainly not some superhero who could breathe fire.
This was… resolved just like that?
Although skeptical, the White House still instructed the San Francisco team to confirm the situation as quickly as possible and send out the rescue squad.
Since it was so close to San Francisco, the police arrived by boat at Devil's Island within half an hour. After confirming that General Hammer and his men had indeed been captured, everyone fell silent.
Next, after checking all the tourists and taking statements, the whole incident ended abruptly without a clear resolution. Thanks to this, Coulson received a moderate amount of credit, which, for him, was a pleasant surprise.
On the rescue boat, Clark and the others watched the freed tourists, feeling incredibly happy.
No one knew they were the ones behind it. This secret heroism felt pretty good.
"The sun's about to set!"
Hope exclaimed, "Our plans got ruined! We won't get to enjoy the delicious afternoon tea anymore, and the cakes there were so good."
Looking at the sun that was about to dip below the horizon, the little ones looked as if they were deflated, like frost-hit eggplants.
Mike smiled and said, "The afternoon tea is gone, but we can go watch the night view instead."
"Really?" Hope exclaimed excitedly. "I've wanted to go for so long, but Hank never allowed it."
Mike looked at the nearby dock and said, "Now's the perfect time."
"Uncle Mike! You're the best!"
Hope cheered, and Clark and the others laughed joyfully.
Mike couldn't help but smile as he watched them.
Although the events on Devil's Island hadn't left any deep psychological scars on the kids, they still needed an outlet to release their emotions.
And just to clarify, he wasn't taking them there to see anything inappropriate for their age.
"Ding ding ding!"
At that moment, a sweet sound came from Hope's backpack.
Hope pulled out her phone, causing Clark and the others to look on enviously.
Although cell phones weren't exactly rare at that time, they were a prized possession for kids their age. Hope, however, had one—no, the latest model—making the others envious beyond measure.
When she answered, an anxious voice came through.
"Hope, are you okay? I just got the news!"
"I'm fine now," Hope huffed. "You've really disappointed me, Hank! You promised you'd come immediately if I were in danger!"
Hope pouted as she spoke.
Hank Pym, still at the hospital, was left speechless. Then, holding his head in pain, he apologized, "Sorry, Hope."
"I'm not talking to you anymore! I'm going to North Beach with Uncle Mike!"
"North Beach!?" Hank Pym yelled, suddenly sitting up. Then, groaning in pain, he collapsed back onto the bed, gritting his teeth and saying, "At a time like this? You're letting that jerk Mike talk to me?"
Mike answered the call, and as he listened to Hank Pym's threats and curses on the other end, he furrowed his brow. "Hello? What did you say? The signal's bad, I can't hear you clearly! Hmm, got it. I'll contact you again."
He then immediately hung up.
"What did he say?" Hope asked, taking the phone with curiosity.
Mike smiled and replied, "He told us to enjoy ourselves."
Hope nodded in agreement. "Now that's more like it."
While they were talking, the boat came to a stop, and once they disembarked, they hurried to North Beach, which was not far from where they were.
...
Meanwhile, at the hospital where Hank Pym was staying:
After Mike hung up the phone, Hank Pym's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but curse.
"That damn bastard! How dare he hang up on me!"
"Wait until I find you... you're dead!"
As Hank Pym cursed under his breath, he quickly changed clothes, ignoring the doctor's objections and advice. Ignoring the pain, he made his way toward North Beach.
By the time he reached North Beach, it was the busiest time of the day. He pressed one hand against a particularly painful spot, scanning the crowd for Mike and his group, looking absolutely miserable.
"Damn it, still not answering my calls," Hank muttered under his breath.
Slap!
Suddenly, someone slapped him on the backside.
The sharp pain made Hank stiffen. He turned around and saw a muscular, tall man standing behind him, staring at the spot where Hank's hand was.
When Hank turned his head, the man's eyes lit up, and he grinned mischievously, "Hey, handsome, wanna have some fun?"
Hank's veins bulged as he growled, "Get lost!"
The man mumbled curses and walked away.
Hank continued searching, but not long after…
Slap!
Slap, slap!
"I'm going to kill you, Mike Kent!" Hank roared in frustration.
Finally, before anyone could slap him again, he found Mike and his group inside a cake shop.
Seeing this, Hank sighed in relief, then glared at Mike as he stormed over.
Mike, feeling a little nervous, smiled awkwardly and said, "The cake's really good, wanna try a piece?"
"I'm going to kill you!" Hank shouted, quickening his pace, and lunged at Mike, hands outstretched to strangle him.
"Hey, Hank! Are you feeling better?" Hope suddenly slapped Hank on the back.
Hank froze, then turned to his daughter, forcing a smile that was more painful than a grimace. "Call an ambulance for me!"
With that, he collapsed onto the table.
Hope, seeing this, winked at Mike.
Mike blinked in surprise and then chuckled.
The day's exciting and stimulating adventure ended perfectly with Hank Pym being hospitalized once again.
For the next week, Mike and his family enjoyed their time in San Francisco. After Hank Pym was discharged from the hospital, they said their goodbyes to him and Hope and boarded their return flight.
Before leaving, Mike made sure to call Coulson, who had left his contact information, and learned that Coulson wasn't planning on returning soon. Only then did Mike confirm their flight details.
Sure enough, the return journey was smooth and uneventful.
This only made Mike more convinced that Coulson was some kind of bad luck charm.
Back home, the Kent family cleaned up the house before settling back into their regular routines.
And Mike's abilities had finally leveled up.
Yes, after years of waiting, his abilities had reached LV3!
It was a huge improvement.
*Host:* Mike Kent.
*Newbie Gift:* Assassin's Time.
*Ability:* Memory Fantasy Manifestation.
*Current Ability Level:* LV3.
*Current Upgrade Progress:* 1%.
*Son:* Clark Kent (Kryptonian).
*Son:* Eric Kent (Mutant, awakened).
*Son:* Charles Kent (Mutant, awakened).
Six years, and six more years… Do you know how I spent them?
Mike was ecstatic.
Because with this upgrade, he had finally achieved an epic enhancement!
In addition to manifesting even more powers, the tools and skills that couldn't be manifested before were now possible. He also gained new items that could now be manifested.
Bloodline, abilities, or occupations… none of these terms quite fit.
Because now, he could manifest the full power of a person!
(End of Chapter)