Chapter 134 – The Leverage
"I'm here to secure some guarantees for a few Devil Fruit users."
Qin Xiao's tone was matter-of-fact, as if he were discussing the weather.
Agent Hill stared at him, bewildered. "What do you mean, 'guarantees'?"
"I am the Devil Fruit consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., aren't I? It's only right that I provide some security for the users," Qin Xiao replied. "The ones currently on your payroll are already logged, but there are others. This aligns perfectly with your goals, doesn't it? You want every single fruit user registered and under your thumb."
Qin Xiao had cut straight to the heart of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agenda: surveillance. Ever since he had dumped Dr. Banner on them, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been struggling under the immense pressure of managing people they didn't fully understand.
"Why do this now?" Hill asked, her voice turning stern. This was a massive shift in the power dynamic.
"Look at the scale of today's catastrophe. You'll have to explain this to the public," Qin Xiao said. "The Avengers can cover for a lot, but many other fruit users were spotted out there. Without an official narrative, neither you nor the users will have any peace. If you register them, you can frame them as heroes. It protects them from being targeted by idiots using 'improper' excuses, and it saves you the trouble of hunting them down. It's a win-win."
Hill let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "I understand. I'll handle the paperwork."
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "You're handling it personally? I thought you'd dump it on Coulson."
"I'm curious," she admitted. "How many more are there?"
"Follow me, and see for yourself." Qin Xiao turned and walked back through his portal.
The group gathered in Stark Tower hesitated. They were still in the middle of handling the Loki situation—he was supposed to be taken to Asgard by Thor to face judgment, along with the Tesseract. But Qin Xiao's intrusion had thrown everything into disarray.
"Come on in! Loki isn't going anywhere," Qin Xiao promised.
Thor, Loki, Natasha, Coulson, Barton, Tony, Pepper, Hulk, Betty, Captain Rogers, and Hill all stepped through. As they walked, Hill realized that nearly everyone present—save for herself and Captain Rogers—was a fruit user.
They emerged into the Mirror Dimension. The space was a kaleidoscopic nightmare of shifting, glass-like shards. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents immediately locked eyes on the figures gathered there: Logan, Frank Castle, and Abomination.
But there were new faces, including a gargantuan Mammoth.
"A Mammoth?" Tony Stark muttered, his eyes wide with fascination. "How is that even possible?"
"He's a user, too," Qin Xiao explained. "His situation is… unique. Let me introduce them properly. This is Kingpin, who held the line in Hell's Kitchen. And this is Sabretooth, who defended the other side of the city. They've made massive contributions today; they deserve their guarantees."
Hill's face paled. She knew their files well—both were classified as high-risk, dangerous individuals. Fisk was an untouchable titan of the underworld, and Sabretooth was a wild card associated with Magneto. The idea that they were now "heroes" under the Envoy's umbrella was difficult to process.
"I can process their identities," Hill said, her voice shaking slightly. "But I need to know their capabilities first. We need to evaluate the threat level."
"Of course," Qin Xiao said. "Today is about showing you that the strength of a fruit depends on the user's development. S.H.I.E.L.D. has the most users, but frankly, your people are lacking in imagination. Abomination, stop playing—we have an audience."
Abomination, who had been pummeling the Mammoth, stopped and grinned. "More people to fight? Who's next?"
He scanned the group. The Hulk caught his eye, then Thor. He ignored Natasha.
"Kingpin, Sabretooth," Qin Xiao called out. "You need to show S.H.I.E.L.D. exactly why you're worth the trouble. If they know you're too dangerous to mess with, they'll be happy to clear the path for you. If you don't do something stupid, they'll guarantee your rights. Think of this as your tribute—and a warning."
Qin Xiao didn't wait for a response. He opened a portal to a desolate wasteland.
"I'm giving you all the information you need, S.H.I.E.L.D.," Qin Xiao said, turning back to Hill. "But remember: they aren't to be trifled with. If you make a mistake and get bitten, that's on you."