Kyle removed his jacket and draped it over Alice, who stood beside him. The young girl wore an off-the-shoulder dress, which Kyle's jacket now protected from the falling debris and gravel.
Four ropes descended through the blasted holes in the ceiling, and eight individuals, clad in dark green camouflage uniforms and wearing animal masks, slid down with precision. The masks—lion, rhino, zebra, crocodile, scorpion, and others—gave them a menacing, almost theatrical appearance.
Boom! Boom!
The leader, wearing the lion mask, fired two shots into the air, the sound echoing through the grand hall. His voice, hoarse and commanding, rang out: "Everyone here, you are now our hostages. If you value your lives, hand over your mobile phones."
The attendees were no ordinary crowd; they were prominent entrepreneurs and figures from New York's elite. Under normal circumstances, they would never bow to such demands. But this was no ordinary situation. These masked intruders held the power of life and death over everyone present. A single misstep could mean a bullet to the head.
"Red Queen, scan the room, call for backup, and gather intel on these individuals," Kyle ordered calmly, his voice steady despite the chaos. The AI, Red Queen, immediately began processing the request. Even without his command, the explosions would have already alerted external authorities.
One by one, the hostages began surrendering their devices. Gasco, Kyle's trusted ally, and Alice followed suit, though Alice's hands trembled as she handed over her phone.
"Boss, we found him," announced two of the intruders, their masks resembling a rhino and a zebra. They dragged in Tony Stark, his suit torn and his forehead bleeding. The billionaire genius had been knocked unconscious by falling debris during the initial explosion and had been lying unnoticed behind the podium.
"Good. Secure him. We're leaving," the lion-masked leader commanded. His tone was cold, calculated. He knew time was against them; reinforcements would arrive soon.
"What about the others?" the rhino-masked henchman asked, gesturing to the hostages.
"Eliminate them," the lion mask replied without hesitation, his voice devoid of emotion. He began securing Tony Stark with a rope, preparing for their escape.
The room erupted in panic. Kyle's expression darkened. He had intended to remain a passive observer, but the intruders' decision to execute everyone left him no choice. He couldn't stand by while innocent lives were taken.
At that moment, a young man, his face smeared with dust but still carrying an air of arrogance, stood up defiantly. "You think you can just kill us? Do you know who I am? I'm—"
**Boom!**
A single gunshot cut him off. A crimson flower bloomed between his eyebrows, and he collapsed to the ground.
"My son!" A man and woman burst from the crowd, their cries piercing the air. They fell to their knees beside the young man's body, their grief palpable.
Kyle's eyes locked onto the lion mask. His right hand subtly reached for Gasco's calf, where a concealed short knife was hidden. "Get ready. You handle the other seven. I'll take the lion," Kyle whispered.
Since discovering he was in the Marvel universe, Kyle had trained relentlessly. With Gasco, a seasoned veteran, by his side, he had honed his skills to near-perfection. Though not yet an adult, his physical prowess and combat abilities rivaled those of seasoned fighters.
"Understood, young master," Gasco replied, drawing a compact pistol from his waist. The security had been tight, but Gasco had managed to smuggle in the weapon.
Alice, standing behind them, looked on in confusion, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in their demeanor.
Using a fallen table as cover, Kyle maneuvered to the left flank of the lion mask. He signaled Gasco, who immediately sprang into action, targeting the scorpion and crocodile masks. The two intruders, caught off guard, fell to Gasco's precise shots.
The remaining six, including the lion mask, turned their attention to Gasco. "Now's my chance," Kyle thought, gripping his short knife. He lunged forward, knocking the zebra mask off balance and driving the blade into his neck. Blood sprayed across the room, staining the luxurious carpet.
"Boss, we're under attack!" the rhino mask shouted, dropping Tony Stark and drawing his pistol. He fired at Kyle, but the young fighter used the lion mask's body as a shield. The bullet struck the leader's bulletproof vest, sparing Kyle from injury.
"Boss!" the rhino mask cried out, his voice tinged with panic. The operation was unraveling, and the mastermind—the lion mask—was now incapacitated.
Before the rhino mask could react, two shots rang out, and his hands were pierced by bullets. He dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.
"Master, are you unharmed?" Gasco asked, approaching Kyle with his pistol drawn. The remaining intruders had been neutralized, leaving only the rhino mask for interrogation.
The hostages, still in shock, began to realize they had been saved. The tension in the room slowly dissipated.
---
Half an hour later, inside the New York Police Department.
"Mr. Kyle, your actions have been corroborated by all the witnesses. You won't face any charges," a male officer informed Kyle, who had been chatting with a female officer in the interrogation room.
After the confrontation, the police had arrived, breaking down the locked doors and rescuing the hostages. Kyle and Gasco had been separated for questioning, but their heroism had been acknowledged by all.
"Officer, did you uncover the identities of those intruders?" Kyle asked, his curiosity piqued.
The male officer's response sent a chill down Kyle's spine. "They were mercenaries, hired by an unknown party. But their leader… he wasn't just a common criminal. He was a former SHIELD operative gone rogue."
Kyle's mind raced. This was no ordinary kidnapping. It was a calculated move, and Tony Stark had been the target. The Marvel universe was far more dangerous than he had imagined.