I Have a Girlfriend in Marvel

Not far from Geese Tower, on a quiet street, Su Ye released his webline and set Mary down. They were close to the bar from earlier, so Mary could easily make her way back.

Tonight had been a whirlwind of events. By now, with emotions running high, it wouldn't have been surprising if they decided to "deepen their bond."

With someone as straightforward as Blue Mary, it was unlikely she'd refuse.

After all, their relationship had quickly risen to [60 (Friendly)]. A friendly hookup seemed perfectly reasonable.

But Su Ye had other plans. He didn't want a fleeting encounter. His goal was a deeper connection, one that would lead to greater satisfaction later.

Only by building emotional intimacy first could things progress naturally.

Moreover, Su Ye had business to attend to.

Geese Howard's death left behind a mountain of wealth. Su Ye figured he should claim part of it—not for himself, but as compensation for Terry's mother.

He was also intrigued by the contraband—Black Crystal.

Though different from Scarecrow's fear toxin in Batman Begins, Black Crystal's ability to drive people into a frenzy made it a potent weapon for chaos.

Su Ye had another motive: finding out where the Black Crystal came from.

According to King of Fighters: Destiny, it was stolen by Mature, one of Orochi's Eight Heads, and given to Geese Howard.

If Su Ye intercepted the shipment, Mature would likely come after him. And where Mature went, Vice wouldn't be far behind.

Two deadly secretaries, both highly efficient… Su Ye, as a major shareholder of Oscorp, had yet to enjoy the company of a secretary.

Ahem. Purely professional interests, of course.

Seizing the chaotic moment, Su Ye snuck back into Geese Tower. He grabbed the safe from Geese's office and loaded it onto a catering truck.

Through Harry, he arranged for Oscorp staff in New Mexico to transport the contraband overnight to Dr. Fox in New York.

With that handled, Su Ye returned to Muse Bar.

Terry and Joe Higashi had left, likely to check out the chaos at Geese Tower. To Su Ye's surprise, Mary was still there.

"Hey, why are you still here? It's so late. Won't your family worry?"

Mary smiled, her expression tinged with melancholy. "I've never had a mother, and my father's always busy in D.C. I rarely see him, so whether I go home or not doesn't make much difference."

"I see…" Su Ye nodded, then impulsively said, "How about coming with me to New York? It's close to D.C., so you could visit your father."

Mary's eyes lit up, though Su Ye began to feel uneasy.

New York already had Gwen, Mai Shiranui, and an as-yet-unseen Catwoman. Adding Mary would make four. Would they start playing Mahjong together?

Still, what was done was done. He'd just have to handle it.

Geese Howard's sudden death caused a massive stir in South Town.

His position as the de facto ruler meant his demise left a power vacuum, sparking turmoil in both the criminal underworld and legitimate circles.

Su Ye had no interest in the ensuing scramble for Geese's assets. The safe he took held valuables worth millions, which he handed over to Terry as compensation.

Terry, once poor and now motherless, decided to use the money to open an orphanage.

Su Ye fully supported this idea.

However, one major question remained: would the KOF tournament continue?

That's what the KOF Tournament is all about.

Many of the invitations to the KOF tournament had already been sent, and several participants had traveled from different countries to South Town. With the tournament's organizer suddenly dead, questions arose: Would the event still happen?

More importantly, what about the appearance fees? Some fighters had come solely for that five-figure payout.

For instance, King, who had called Mai Shiranui to London, was now planning to travel from London to South Town for the tournament, accompanied by her sick younger brother.

Aware of King's situation, Su Ye had already contacted Mai and redirected them to New York. With his newfound wealth, any illness curable with money wouldn't be a problem.

For the teams that had already arrived in South Town, Su Ye made an effort to visit them. He even managed to get a photo with Athena Asamiya from the Psycho Soldiers team.

He also invited their leader, Chin Gentsai, to visit New York and reconnect with his old friend, Tung Fu Rue.

The two elder martial artists were both esteemed masters and had a long-standing relationship.

Just as everyone was preparing to leave South Town, a remarkable event occurred late one night.

A radiant streak of multicolored light shot across the night sky, crashing into the "Enchanting Desert" near South Town.

Su Ye immediately recognized what this meant. South Town's proximity to New Mexico wasn't just a coincidence.

This was where Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, had landed. The timeline matched perfectly.

Without hesitation, Su Ye gathered his crew. He drove out of South Town with Joe Higashi and Terry in the back, Mary in the passenger seat.

To his surprise, the other fighters, disappointed by the canceled tournament, had also decided to head to the crash site for some excitement.