The machine guns had been firing for a full thirty seconds.

The air in front of Rowan was packed with bullets, a dense cloud of metal.

Realizing there was no way he could break through that invisible "force wall," Ivan Vanko's heart finally sank. He lowered his arms and stopped firing on his own.

Rowan casually flicked a finger.

In the next instant, every bullet suspended midair shot back with terrifying speed faster than when they were fired.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Countless bullets struck Ivan Vanko's armored suit and the warehouse's alloy doors with resounding force.

Vanko crossed his arms, bracing for the impact, but it was no use. The kinetic energy embedded in those bullets was monstrous, and the sheer volume overwhelming. He lasted only half a second before he was violently blasted off his feet, hurled into the alloy door just like the Extremis warriors before him.

His once-pristine silver-gray armor was now covered in deep dents and gouges.

"…What the hell?"

Every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent watching froze in disbelief. A chorus of gasps echoed through the garage. Many instinctively swallowed hard.

Fury's chest rose and fell, his expression tense.

Rowan's telekinesis was beyond comprehension.

In his presence, firearms were practically useless.

Ivan Vanko staggered to his feet, battered but not yet broken.

He didn't say a word. His first move was to activate a micro missile launcher mounted on his shoulder.

It was the same design as the Iron Monger's weapon system a devastating long-range armament. This mini-rocket could easily destroy half the garage.

Vanko knew it probably wouldn't kill Rowan, but he figured the explosion might at least buy him a chance to escape.

Unfortunately for him, Rowan no longer had any patience for games.

The moment the launcher emerged from Vanko's shoulder, the Kroalloy dagger at Rowan's side streaked forward faster than anyone could react.

Clang!

With a crisp metallic snap, the launcher was sliced clean off.

The rocket itself was caught midair and diverted away by Rowan's telekinesis before it could detonate.

Vanko's face went pale.

"No way…"

He couldn't accept it. His armored suit, his life's work designed to be perfect was powerless in front of Rowan. It might as well have been a toy.

Driven by rage and desperation, Vanko made one last gamble.

All four of his limbs, along with the thrusters on his back, ignited in a flash. Channeling every ounce of kinetic force, he launched himself straight at Rowan.

He had realized long-range weapons were useless against this man. His only hope now was close-quarters combat.

Rowan's eyes lifted coldly as Vanko hurtled toward him.

The dagger began to tremble violently.

Rowan poured his full psychic strength into it.

The Kroalloy dagger shot forward like a bolt of black lightning, heading straight for Vanko.

Boom!

A metallic clang, deafening and sharp, reverberated across the garage.

Ivan Vanko's massive armored frame was sent flying backward on impact.

A spurt of crimson arced through the air behind him.

He had been pierced straight through.

But it wasn't over.

The moment the dagger passed through him, it reversed direction instantly, darting back through the entry wound and diving into the suit's inner structure.

Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.

In the span of two breaths, the armored suit imploded from within.

Ivan Vanko was torn apart along with it.

Crash!

Bits of machinery and chunks of flesh rained down across the floor.

Fury's single eye narrowed, a complex gleam flashing in his gaze.

He hadn't expected Rowan's telekinetically controlled blade to be this fast, or this powerful.

That meant… if Tony were to go up against him, he'd be taken down in an instant too.

And what about the Quinjet? Or the Helicarrier?

Just the thought of chasing Rowan last night in a Quinjet sent cold sweat dripping down Fury's back.

"Secure the scene."

Fury raised a hand and signaled the agents, who immediately fanned out, beginning the sweep and containment operation.

"Yes, sir!"

Fury then turned and walked toward Rowan with Hill and Natasha by his side.

"Rowan, are you alright?"

Hill jogged up to him, quickly scanning his body from head to toe.

Not a single scratch. Not even a speck of dust on his clothes.

Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"Relax. They couldn't hurt me," Rowan said with a small smile.

Hill lightly punched him in the arm.

"I get that you're strong now, but there's always a chance something unexpected could happen. Next time, you're not handling it alone."

Her tone was serious.

She had seen the aftermath of the explosions upstairs and didn't want Rowan getting that close to danger again.

"I know. But they were the ones who came knocking."

Rowan smiled again.

Still, he agreed with Hill. Even with all his power, he couldn't afford to be careless. Unexpected events could still unfold, especially with the kind of enemies he was dealing with.

Take Ivan Vanko, for example.

Rowan had been mentally prepared for this confrontation.

That was why, the moment he heard Vanko had built an arc reactor, he rushed over to the company to reestablish control.

What he didn't expect was for Vanko to act so quickly, and worse, to be working with Killian.

Although this incident was resolved easily, it served as a wake-up call.

These villains weren't going to follow the script. Rowan's presence had already disrupted the Marvel timeline, and it was clear now that a cascade of butterfly effects was in motion.

If he kept assuming he had full narrative control if he underestimated the villains of this world he really might find himself in trouble one day.

"Rowan, this… ability of yours. What do you call it?" Fury finally spoke up beside him.

"Psychic force," Rowan replied with a quick glance at him.

"Can anyone else learn it?"

That was the question Fury truly cared about.

"No. It's a talent. Innate."

Rowan was honest.

"Right…"

Fury sounded disappointed, but he also exhaled, slightly relieved.

For a moment, he had fantasized about what S.H.I.E.L.D. could become if its agents were trained in this kind of power. It would change everything.

"What's your next move?" Fury asked, looking down at the scorched corpses of the Extremis warriors.

"These guys were from Future Pharmaceutics. They were acting under orders from Aldrich Killian. I'm going to deal with him personally. Just clean up the mess afterward."

Rowan's tone was cool, matter-of-fact.

Killian had military connections. These Extremis warriors were all former soldiers.

Looping Fury in now would save a lot of headaches down the line.

"Future Pharmaceutics… Got it. Just try not to blow anything up too big."

Fury agreed without hesitation. In truth, he was more eager than ever to recruit Rowan into the Avengers Initiative.

With the battle over, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents quickly took control of the building, sweeping for any remaining threats or traps.

Rowan, meanwhile, set out alone for Future Pharmaceutics' main base.

After exiting New York City, he donned his goggles and stepped onto a reinforced riot shield.

With a surge of power, he took off flying toward Miami at nearly the speed of sound.

At this pace, it was far more convenient than taking a plane.

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