Mysteries On Marvel

Eren had long lost interest in the Iron Monger's head after failing to glean anything useful from it. He tossed it into a corner of his room, but as far as he was concerned, what was his would always remain his.

Even if he abandoned it forever, no one was allowed to steal it.

At the exact moment Crossbones drew his last breath, a crisp notification sounded in Eren's mind.

Ding!

[Host has killed the Fated Supporting Role "Crossbones" Brock, slightly altering the trajectory of fate. A portion of the fate energy on the target, before being reabsorbed by the River of Fate and spawning new Fated Supporting Roles, has been intercepted by the Balance of Fate. Gained 500 Fate Points.]

Eren, who had just returned home, froze momentarily at the sound. When he "shared" the memories from his avatar, he finally understood what had transpired.

After a brief moment of reflection, Eren recalled who "Crossbones" Brock was and let out a faint sigh.

"Come to think of it, Crossbones is supposed to be a pretty notable character. But how is it that he only gave me 500 Fate Points? That's not even a sixth of what Obadiah yielded. His Hydra affiliation feels so underwhelming."

Still, despite the disappointment, Eren's smile deepened as he counted the extra 500 Fate Points.

"Not bad. Just a few more, and I can try another ten-pull draw."

Meanwhile.

After clearing out the Hydra agents, Eren returned to the third floor, where Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, lay unconscious.

Eren approached him, the freshly reloaded M500 revolver in hand, and idly pointed the gun at Bucky's head, as if contemplating the most efficient spot to shoot.

"If killing Crossbones got me 500 points, taking out this guy should yield even more, right?"

Just as the barrel of the gun aligned with Bucky's forehead, the Winter Soldier's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Unexpectedly, after a brief moment of instinctive resistance, Bucky's gaze shifted, and he closed his eyes again.

In that fleeting instant, Eren saw something within Bucky's eyes: a mix of pain, regret, and a clear desire to die.

"Huh? What's this? I haven't even pulled the trigger, and you're already giving up on life?"

Displeased by the sight, Eren lowered the gun and slapped Bucky across the face, forcing him to open his eyes.

When Bucky saw the clown mask on Eren's face, he rasped in a hoarse voice, "Kill me!"

Eren's eyes narrowed.

"Are you giving me orders?"

The word "orders" struck a deep nerve in Bucky, triggering memories of the countless commands he had followed during his time under Hydra's control. The anger surged within him, and he lashed out like a cornered beast.

His high-tech metal arm, forged from an unknown alloy, whirred with immense power as it swung toward Eren's face with a sharp, slicing sound.

Eren, however, didn't flinch. The smile beneath his mask vanished as he coolly raised the M500 and fired at the incoming metal fist.

The specially crafted bullet, powerful enough to kill a rhinoceros, only managed to produce a shower of sparks upon impact, leaving the metal arm unscathed.

Still, the sheer force behind the bullet momentarily stalled Bucky's movement. Seizing the moment, Eren delivered a fierce roundhouse kick to Bucky's side, sending him flying across the room.

Bucky rolled upon hitting the ground but quickly got back up, charging at Eren again with clenched fists, seemingly determined to fight to the death.

Eren dodged the flurry of punches with ease, occasionally striking back to keep Bucky at bay. Yet, the clown frowned slightly.

Beneath the furious onslaught, Eren sensed something else—a subtle, desperate longing for death.

"This guy isn't fighting to kill me," Eren mused silently. "He's looking for someone to end him."

Realization dawned on him as he continued to evade Bucky's attacks.

Those three Dread Gaze strikes… did they break Hydra's control over him? Did they restore his true self?

If so, everything made sense.

Bucky had woken up to find himself burdened with decades of atrocities, carried out as a tool for the very enemy he once despised.

His friends and family were long gone, and he was left stranded in a world that no longer resembled the one he knew.

Such a profound mental blow would drive anyone to despair. Without any tether to life, seeking death seemed like the only escape.

And yet, Eren noted, if given the chance, Bucky wouldn't hesitate to kill him before taking his own life.

Understanding this, Eren's grin stretched wide beneath his mask, a glimmer of excitement lighting up his eyes.

"Oh, this is going to be fun."

(End of Chapter)

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