Bullseye had always been known for one thing, his lethal precision.
His throwing skills were so sharp, they practically counted as a superpower. After all, no ordinary man could kill someone with a paper airplane… or a toothpick.
But even with all his years of experience, even with all the lives he'd taken, he had never seen anything .
A man who could shoot searing beams of heat from his eyes?
That was straight out of comic books.
Still, there was no time to be shocked.
All he could do… was scream.
Earlier, even with a knife and two throwing stars buried in his palm, Bullseye had forced himself to endure the pain without a word.
He was a hardened mercenary. An assassin used to torture and gunfire.
Having his entire arm melted off was pain on a level he had never known.
Carl stopped the heat vision.
Then, without a word, he calmly stepped forward, planting his foot firmly against Bullseye's mouth and pinning him to the wall.
"Be quiet. Understand?" he said.
But this wasn't just an ordinary command.
This was a powerful form of [Super Hypnosis], one of Silver Superman's terrifying abilities, capable of rewriting a person's thoughts in an instant.
Bullseye's eyes widened.
His hostile glare faded… replaced by blank obedience.
As if Carl were his god.
He nodded frantically, like a loyal hound. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
Only then did Carl withdraw his foot.
"Now talk," Carl said coolly. "Why'd you come to my bar?"
Bullseye's body trembled.
He was in such agony he could barely breathe.
Still, through gritted teeth and ragged gasps, he answered, "It was… Kingpin. He sent me."
Carl raised an eyebrow. "Kingpin?"
"Y-Yeah… he said this bar would be his in two days. Told me to bring the crew… and get familiar with the place…"
Carl chuckled softly, eyes narrowing with cold amusement.
"Then here's your last warning."
"Take your men… and get out."
"Otherwise, next time, I won't let you crawl away."
With that, Carl deactivated [Super Hypnosis] and turned his back.
He walked over to Skye.
And in the blink of an eye, they both vanished from the alley.
Bullseye collapsed against the cold wall, sliding down like a crumpled rag doll.
He gasped for breath, drenched in sweat, his entire body trembling.
His thoughts were a mess.
Nothing made sense anymore.
That rich boy he had mocked earlier?
Catching throwing knives mid-air was already ridiculous…
But shooting laser beams from his eyes?
What kind of sci-fi joke was this?
Still, the pain radiating from his missing right arm made it all too real.
Worse than death was humiliation.
Carl hadn't even finished him off.
He just… walked away like he wasn't worth the effort.
"F*ck… What rotten luck," Bullseye hissed, after what felt like an eternity.
Gritting his teeth, he staggered to his feet.
With his remaining hand, he pulled out his phone and called the men still inside the bar.
"Get out," he growled. "NOW."
Because if they didn't obey Carl's warning?
Bullseye had no doubt, none of them would leave alive.
What Bullseye didn't know… was that the only reason he was still breathing
Had Carl been alone, Bullseye would have been reduced to ash.
But with Skye present…
Not yet the SHIELD agent she was destined to become.
Just a woman caught up in something far beyond her understanding.
Carl didn't want her to witness a killing firsthand.
So, for her sake… he spared Bullseye.
But that didn't mean he'd forgotten Kingpin.
That score would be settled, soon enough.
Carl and Skye returned to Smith's Tavern.
He casually ordered two drinks and leaned against the bar, watching the crowd sway and spin under the lights.
Skye, on the other hand, hadn't taken her eyes off him since they reappeared.
After a while, Carl turned with a smirk.
"What? Am I really that handsome?"
"Ugh, don't flatter yourself."
Skye rolled her eyes and turned away, trying to act cool.
A few seconds passed… but she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Wait, seriously. Do you actually have superpowers?"
Carl teased, "You mean the power of money? You already knew I was loaded."
Skye groaned. "No! I mean the laser-beam-from-your-eyes thing!"
Carl shrugged. "Well, you saw it. What else would it be?"
She nodded slowly, still in disbelief.
She'd watched him melt a man's arm.
"Messed up" didn't even begin to describe it.
"What else can you do?" she asked, her curiosity finally bubbling over.
Carl thought for a moment. "Hmm… flight, super speed, super strength, heat vision, biological force field…"
He listed them like items on a grocery list.
"That's… literally Superman."
Carl smiled. "Pretty much."
"Can you… take me flying?"
It was a simple request.
But deep down, Carl knew, every human dreams of flying.
So of course she would ask.
Carl finished his drink, then gently wrapped an arm around her waist.
In an instant, the two vanished again.
A moment later, they were soaring through the night sky.
Wind rushing past, city lights shimmering below.
Skye clung to him at first, but then let go, spreading her arms wide as laughter filled the air.
They soon landed atop the Empire State Building.
Over 400 meters tall. One of America's most iconic landmarks.
The view was breathtaking.
But Skye's smile was warm and bright.
Carl looked at her with quiet satisfaction.
Then whispered, "How about we head somewhere more private?"
He gently pulled her close.
And again, they vanished.
Now, they stood inside Carl's apartment.
He grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses.
And with another blink, they were back on the rooftop.
Carl popped the cork, poured the drinks, and handed her one.
Skye laughed and raised her glass. "Cheers!"
They drank beneath the stars.
Skye leaned in for a kiss.
Carl didn't hesitate to return it.
And just like that, their figures disappeared once more into the night.
It was time to properly test the new bed.
Carl stepped out of the bedroom, leaving Skye peacefully asleep.
He went to the bathroom to freshen up.
Not bad. That bed really was worth the money.
After washing up, he activated [Supervision] to scan the city.
It didn't take long to locate Bullseye.
He was by the docks, surrounded by dozens of black-suited men.
Classic gangster vibes.
And not far from them… was a limousine.
Inside sat a towering man, nearly two meters tall, bald, and built like a walking tank.
A black suit barely contained his massive frame.