Action!

"This is a mistake, Skull."

Within a secret Hydra base, Doctor Doom and Red Skull strolled forward through a gloomy corridor. Watching the high-spirited Red Skull, Doctor Doom spoke quietly. "We should not have placed so much trust in a madman like Deadpool. We cannot even control that ‘thing.’"

"Our trust is not placed in ‘Deadpool,’ Mr. Doom, but in this ‘plan’—in the transformation Deadpool underwent. He will not betray us, because he does not even know what he is doing." Red Skull sneered.

"What about the others? Can you trust those people you recruited?"

"The others are insignificant. They only need to maintain their positions."

The two walked side by side, slowly entering the shadows.

"Just as I said."

"Trust the plan."

Neither of them noticed that, on the pipe catwalk above their heads, a girl in a pink combat suit was silently watching everything. She was none other than the famous Gwenpool.

Gwenpool, also known as Pink Ghost, was originally named Gwen Poole. She had come from a universe with no supernatural abilities whatsoever, where every superhero and supervillain was merely a fictional character from comic books, movies, and the like.

In that regard, her original universe was not too different from Zhang Ye’s before he crossed over. But later, due to an accident, Gwen had inadvertently traveled through the multiverse and arrived in the Marvel Universe where superheroes lived.

In order not to become a "background character," Gwen found someone to make her a combat suit resembling Deadpool’s. Calling herself Pink Ghost, she became a mercenary who operated between both sides of the law, just like Deadpool. It was also during that time that she learned some fighting skills from the villain Leap-Frog.

As for why Gwenpool was here now, it was because she had accepted a highly lucrative job.

That’s right, you bastards. Mr. Moon Knight will figure out this intelligence, and when that time comes, the Avengers will strike again and crush all of you schemers who only belong plotting in gutters.

Muttering to herself, Gwenpool quickly opened a connection to Moon Knight, snapped a photo of Doctor Doom and Red Skull’s departing backs, and swiftly sent it to him.

This photo proves nothing. I need more conclusive evidence.

To Gwenpool’s surprise, Moon Knight could clearly have gleaned crucial information from this photo. Yet, oddly enough, instead of signaling her to withdraw, he asked her to find more direct evidence.

"W-What do you mean?! Of course you can recognize them just by looking at the backs of their heads! Whose head looks like that?!" Gwenpool gritted her teeth in irritation, then muttered stubbornly, "Fine, whatever. I’ll take a better picture for you."

With that, Gwenpool carefully leaped down from her hiding place and crept in the direction Red Skull and Doctor Doom had gone.

Elsewhere, in the dense forests on the outskirts of Indiana.

"Damn it."

Looking at the photo Gwenpool had sent, Moon Knight frowned deeply. Red Skull and Doctor Doom were no ordinary opponents. For such powerful supervillains to gather together, whatever they were plotting must have exceeded everyone’s expectations.

More importantly, Gwenpool was in a dangerous situation. She might even have already met with disaster. She was a "nail" Moon Knight had gone to great lengths to plant among the villains.

"The signal has been cut off. Unless we receive another message from her, we should assume she is dead," Moon Knight murmured, seemingly speaking to Punisher beside him as well.

After this team once again discovered the bodies of Spider-Woman and her husband, Porcupine, Misty Knight had had enough of always being one step behind Deadpool. She believed that every time they showed up a night too late, they were putting those superheroes in danger.

After discussing countermeasures, they decided to split up into pairs. Cable and Misty Knight, the two cyborgs, formed one team. Hawkeye Kate and the street hero Jessica formed another. Finally, Punisher, whom no one wanted to choose, was paired with Moon Knight.

After splitting up, their efficiency had indeed improved considerably. Moon Knight and Punisher quickly found Deadpool’s next target because they had intercepted the signal Deadpool had launched into space.

"Did that girl leave coordinates?" Punisher asked, gripping his submachine gun.

"Mm." Moon Knight nodded.

"Then that’s enough. We know who is behind this now. It’s time to wipe them all out. I’m sick of always being one step behind Deadpool. He was just here! And we missed him again. He must have brought heavy weapons to carry out this attack."

Punisher glared furiously toward the fire-lit area in the forest. Several bodies lay limply amid the trees. One enormous humanoid plant still had flames rising from its chest, while not far away, a small animal had been skinned and hung from a branch.

"After all, the Guardians of the Galaxy were—or rather, had once been—difficult opponents to deal with."

That message had been sent by Deadpool to the heroes of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Using the news that heroes were being slaughtered, he had lured the Guardians of the Galaxy into this forest. When the group led by Star-Lord arrived, they were first met with Deadpool’s ambush.

Punisher had guessed correctly. With Deadpool’s abilities, killing aliens like Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot had been a little too difficult. So Red Skull and the others had prepared more specialized weapons for Deadpool.

The evidence was that, after massacring the Guardians of the Galaxy, Deadpool had left behind the body laser gun capable of piercing an alien’s Man of Steel physique.

"Looks like Deadpool left the murder weapon behind." Punisher spotted the gun. He put away his submachine gun and slowly walked toward the more advanced laser weapon. "I plan to take this and use it to blow up—"

Before Punisher could finish, a voice that belonged to neither him nor Moon Knight suddenly sounded beside him.

"If I were you, I would not touch that laser gun Deadpool tampered with."

The moment they heard the unfamiliar voice, Punisher and Moon Knight sprang into action.

They both rolled away from their original positions at once, guarding against a sudden enemy attack. Then, in one smooth motion, they drew their respective weapons and aimed toward the source of the voice.

Only then did Punisher and Moon Knight see the figure who had spoken—

It was a strange man wearing a Bird-Beak Mask, hidden in the darkness beneath a black trench coat.