Four Seasons Hotel, Eighth-Floor Ballroom
Carl had one hand locked tightly around Zach's wrist.
In his other hand, he held a wine glass, tilting it just enough to pour the deep red liquid straight over Zach's head.
Carl chuckled lightly as the wine splashed down.
『Carl』: What a waste of a good glass of wine.
The glass was a Burgundy goblet.
Wide, deep, and elegant, meant for swirling fine reds.
Its volume?
At least double that of Zach's champagne flute.
Carl hadn't filled it to the brim, of course, but it still held more than enough to drench someone.
Truth be told,
From the moment Isabella had walked away, Carl had kept his eyes on her.
Naturally.
This Hollywood starlet hadn't had a boyfriend before meeting him.
And Carl knew that… because he was the one who'd confirmed it, personally.
So he wasn't about to let her be harassed.
He hadn't eavesdropped on her conversation.
He didn't need to. His super vision made that unnecessary.
He didn't bother listening either. From the look of it, it was just some guy trying to flirt.
Not worth his attention.
At first.
But when that guy lost his temper and tried to splash her with champagne?
That was another matter entirely.
Carl had stepped in immediately.
Blocked the throw,
And repaid it in kind.
A toast… reversed.
He didn't claim to be a hero.
But if someone dared raise a hand,
They'd better be ready to lose it.
Inside the ballroom…
Zach's scream pierced the air, loud and sharp.
The entire ballroom turned.
Every guest's gaze landed on the scene,
Carl standing tall and calm.
Zach, dripping with wine, a humiliated mess.
The crowd buzzed with murmurs.
『Guest A』: Whoa, what happened over there?
『Guest B』: Looks like an old grudge. That guy's totally soaked.
『Guest C』: Damn... the guy in the wine-colored suit is hot.
『Guest D』: What a scene. I didn't expect this kind of drama at such a formal event.
『Guest E』: I heard high-ranking execs are here tonight. This could blow up big.
『Guest F』: These rich kids really don't know how deep the water is…
This wasn't your typical party.
Everyone here was either an elite professional or the guest of one.
In short: everyone had power.
Yet despite the drama unfolding before them,
not one person stepped in.
If anything, they were interested to see what would happen next.
Isabella and Erika had also noticed.
They quickly made their way over.
Isabella glanced at Carl and gave him a warm, appreciative smile.
She could guess what had happened.
After all, Zach's vulgar curse had been loud enough for half the room to hear.
She figured Carl had stepped in for her.
She wasn't worried, though.
She knew how terrifyingly strong Carl was.
Erika, however, was completely confused.
One moment she'd been chatting with Carl…
The next, he vanished.
And now? Screaming.
Zach finally managed to wipe the wine from his face,
And locked eyes with Carl.
At the same time, he noticed the stares.
Everyone in the ballroom was watching. Whispering. Judging.
He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he didn't have to.
He knew.
They were laughing at him.
Even Isabella, the very woman he was trying to impress, was watching this unfold!
His face burned.
He had never been humiliated like this before.
Well... maybe once. By Tony Stark.
But even Tony had never drenched him in public.
And this guy?
Who the hell was he?
『Zach』: FUCK!!
He roared and lunged at Carl, throwing a wild kick.
He didn't know who Carl was. Didn't care.
None of that mattered.
All that mattered now was one thing,
Revenge.
『Zach』: I swear I'll make you pay! If I have to crawl to my dad to do it, I'll bury you!
But just as that thought formed,
CRACK!
A sharp snap rang out.
Followed by searing pain.
Zach's leg, his right leg, had been broken.
『Zach』: AAAAAAHHHHH!!
He screamed in agony.
He couldn't believe it.
One kick, and his leg was gone!?
Was this guy a monster!?
Did he even know who Zach was!?
How dare he!?
But the truth was,
Carl didn't know. And he didn't care.
He hadn't used telepathy.
Hadn't activated super hearing to spy on Isabella's conversation.
Most of the time, he left his enhanced senses turned off.
When he used them, he could hear across galaxies. It was too much.
So no, Carl didn't know who Zach was.
Not from this world…
And not from his previous one either.
Even in the Marvel films he'd seen, the name Zach Stane had never come up.
It didn't matter.
You try to hurt someone?
You pay.
If Zach hadn't been so weak, just a regular human,
Carl wouldn't have stopped at a broken leg.
He would've killed him on the spot.
Because even before he had powers, Carl had lived by a simple rule,
Strike first. End it fast.
And if they can kill you?
Kill them first.
『BANG!』
Carl followed up with a straight punch to Zach's gut.
Zach collapsed.
Body curling in on itself, groaning and retching from the impact.
Carl looked down and laughed lightly.
『Carl』: Looks like your parents forgot to teach you basic manners.
You don't know how to treat a lady with respect?
Just then,
A deep, low voice echoed across the ballroom.
『Obadiah Stane』: I admit...
I never taught him how to treat women with respect.
『Obadiah Stane』: But that still doesn't give you the right to lay a hand on my son, does it… Carl?
The crowd turned.
At the far end of the ballroom, a bald man with a greying beard strode forward, face dark and thunderous.
Beside him walked another bald giant,
Massive, broad-shouldered, with a staff in one hand.
He moved like a mountain draped in muscle.
And the tension in the room suddenly spiked.
Because Obadiah Stane had finally arrived.
The Iron Monger, was here.
(End of chapter)