— Outskirts of Monaco.
In a desolate wilderness, a lone figure dressed in tight-fitting attire, Kagura Hitomi, walks alone.
As she approaches a patch of overgrown vegetation, the surrounding grass and shrubs begin to warp unnaturally.
The experintal static optical camouflage deactivates, revealing a sleek, silver-gray, sci-fi-looking transport ship before her.
"The operation was a success. All the new equipnt's trics are normal and stable. Congratulations, Master."
Kagura boards the aircraft, and Cortana's voice echoes through the cabin.
"The suspect who attacked Tony Stark has been captured and is being sent to Prison #4 in Monaco."
The crisis at the racetrack is now over, and her debut as a superhero has been a success.
She's certain that tomorrow's major news outlets will feature her shining figure, with the na "Flashblade" appearing repeatedly in headlines.
But despite the success, Kagura can't seem to find any joy.
For her, the world is veering further from its original course, and her intelligence advantage over the future is slowly being disrupted.
The path ahead is becoming unclear.
In this Monaco attack, a mysterious force secretly helped Ivan Vanko, enabling him to easily defeat the Mark V Iron Man armor.
If she hadn't arrived in ti today, Tony Stark might have died here.
If Iron Man falls, it could trigger monuntal changes in the future—changes Kagura won't allow to happen.
So why is this happening?
Could it be her fault?
She furrows her brow, contemplating.
Could her very presence be altering the course of the world's developnt?
If the butterfly effect is unavoidable, her future actions will have to be even more cautious.
"Cortana, any updates on the origin of Ivan's equipnt?"
Kagura opens the aircraft's database to begin investigating Ivan Vanko's background.
"The tracking investigation is still ongoing. Based on further analysis of the scene, we've found that the exoskeleton technology Ivan Vanko used appears similar to so of Obadiah Stane's designs."
"Similar to Obadiah?"
Kagura recalls the past. Obadiah Stane had acquired the Ark Reactor by hiring the Winter Soldier.
If the people who helped Obadiah, those who tried to steal Vibranium from S.H.I.E.L.D., and those secretly assisting Ivan Vanko are all the sa group, then this force is likely Hydra.
It seems Hydra has never truly quieted down.
Kagura continues her analysis.
If Hydra helped Obadiah to gain Stark Industries, and assisted that fool to acquire Vibranium, now that they've lost the Winter Soldier's fighting power, are they trying to find a new asset?
Her eyes flicker with realization.
If Hydra is behind this, not only can they acquire the technology for the Ark Reactor from Ivan, but they can also use his hatred to mold him into a new Winter Soldier.
That makes sense.
With the clues now clear, it's simple to verify this hypothesis—just "ask" Ivan himself.
"Cortana, where is Ivan Vanko now?"
"Based on available intelligence, Ivan Vanko is currently in the high-security inmate section of Prison #4 in Monaco. Tony Stark entered the facility 3 minutes and 57 seconds ago to interrogate him."
"I see. I think I need to pay a visit to the prison."
Kagura shuts off the computer terminal inside the cabin and steps out of the aircraft.
According to the original MCU tiline, Ivan Vanko would soon be secretly rescued from prison by Justin Hamr, and then develop unmanned Iron Man suits for Hamr Industries.
If she's going to extract information about Ivan's backers, ti is running out.
As for whether Ivan will talk, that's no longer up to him.
Kagura possesses the "ntal Interference" ability, which allows her to directly access soone's mories.
If she can find Ivan before he's moved, she can use this ability to learn who's backing him and what their goal is.
"Do you want to stop by and check on Tony Stark?" Cortana asks.
"Psychologically, this event might have a significant impact on him."
"No, there's no need."
Kagura begins walking away from the ship.
"I shouldn't be seen here. If I suddenly approach Mr. Stark, it will only create unnecessary problems."
"Understood, Master." Cortana confirms.
"Optical camouflage activated. Safe travels, Master."
The transport ship's surface generates a perfect simulation of the surrounding scenery, effectively blending into the wilderness.
Kagura currently doesn't have a legitimate identity in Monaco.
Whether she goes as "Flashblade" or tries to fabricate a reason like "administrative assistant from Rhode Island Industries," she doesn't have a convincing enough excuse to enter the prison.
That leaves her with only one option.
Kagura activates her holo-UI to check her skill nu.
Her current QP (Quest Points) totals 20.
10 points ca from Natasha's task, and the other 10 ca from saving Tony Stark.
She selects the defensive skill, [Full Spectrum Electromagnetic Invisibility/10].
This skill allows Kagura to beco perfectly invisible—ideal for sneaking into the prison to find Ivan Vanko.
[Skill: Full Spectrum Electromagnetic Invisibility/10, activation successful]
QP automatically drops by 5 points.
Alright then.
Kagura sighs lightly, gazing into the distance.
[Core Energy Remaining: 63%]
Ti's running out. Better move quickly.
[Short-term Active Acceleration: Activated]
Boom—
With a gust of wind, she disappears instantly, riding the shockwave.
..........
— In a dim underground room.
"Flashblade…"
A man in a suit sits in a chair, watching Kagura's fight with Ivan Vanko on a computer screen.
"One Iron Man wasn't enough; now another one shows up."
He narrows his eyes, showing a vicious glint.
"It looks like Nick Fury's plan is going quite smoothly."
"What should we do?" Another voice asks.
"The more smoothly his plan goes, the harder it'll be for us."
"Don't rush. We have plenty of trump cards. Let's see if Ivan Vanko's revenge succeeds first."
"Understood. Hail Hydra!"
"Hail Hydra!"
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