Death of Moonstone

Hearing Zhang Ye say something so terrifying in such a casual tone, Moonstone grew uneasy.

She shifted her gaze to Melissa, seemingly unable to understand why this old friend had betrayed her and brought such a terrifying person here to make trouble for her.

"Melissa, I thought we were friends."

Moonstone’s tone was icy.

Melissa, the Songbird, merely shook her head and replied evenly.

"We were never friends. After that incident, we were all sinners."

"Don’t make yourself sound so noble! You took part in that too. You can’t escape it either!" Moonstone retorted frantically, as though Melissa’s words had pierced her heart. At the same time, she shifted her gaze and spotted Barton.

It did not take much effort. At first glance alone, Moonstone recognized Hawkeye. Now, she knew why these people had come looking for trouble with her.

"What’s wrong, Clint? Not happy to see your old lover?"

As soon as Moonstone spoke, silence fell over the scene.

If Moonstone were still as beautiful and captivating as she had been back then, perhaps those words might have set people’s imaginations running wild.

But Moonstone now looked like a mummy. Her shriveled body was no different from a skeleton, and the pus on her skin could only be wrapped in bandages, making her look utterly revolting.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Barton at once, as if they were taking pleasure in his misfortune.

Even Ashley could not help looking at her father, her eyes full of contempt and disdain. She could not accept that the father who had brought her into this world had once had a relationship with something like that.

"Oh, God." Old Barton did not particularly care about everyone else staring at him, but his daughter was right there. He did not even dare imagine Ashley’s expression. Old Barton could only explain stiffly.

"I swear, Kara Sofen looks completely different now from how she used to."

"So this is your goal? You want revenge for the Avengers? Heh. Then tell me, Clint, why don’t you kill Melissa first? She’s no different from me." Moonstone tried to shift the conflict onto Songbird.

"She’s very different from you. At least she didn’t do it herself.

"And you—you disgusting bastard obsessed with power—how could you stab your friends in the back? Sam and the others trusted you deeply!" Old Barton said angrily.

"Look, this was the key to your defeat: your ridiculous trust.

"Don’t you understand yet, Clint? The most important thing in this world is power. Only by rising above everyone else can you get what you want. Friendship and family? They’re nothing but bargaining chips to be traded."

"Say that one more time!"

Before Moonstone could finish, Old Barton raised the bow in his hand, the arrowhead aimed straight at Moonstone’s head.

Yet Moonstone did not seem afraid in the slightest. She turned to Pietro.

"Look at him, young Quicksilver. I’m quite certain Pietro left no descendants back then. Where did you find this clone? So, are you planning to rebuild the Avengers?"

"I think your last words are a little too long," Pietro replied.

"Do you think I’ll just sit here and wait to die?"

Moonstone sneered as rapid currents of energy erupted from her arms.

"You’re not the first ones to try to kill me. Baron Zemo spent years trying and never harmed me in the slightest. And you think you can end me? I admit, killing all my followers did surprise me a little. But killing a few ordinary people proves nothing. I am a god!"

As Moonstone unleashed her power, the few remaining followers beside her all dropped to their knees, their faces filled with devotion.

Perhaps they had already been bewitched by Moonstone, who excelled at hypnosis and manipulating hearts and minds. They had completely abandoned their own thoughts and wholeheartedly regarded Moonstone as their one true god.

In their twisted minds, Moonstone was also invincible. Her mighty supernatural power could destroy every enemy who angered her and cast them into hell.

"I do remember a Moon Goddess who founded a cult, but I’m certain she wasn’t a monster like you."

Zhang Ye spoke calmly, then stepped forward a few paces and continued.

"Soffen, since you don’t have long to live, hand over the Moonstone in your body. I can give you a quick death and end your long suffering."

"In your dreams!"

Moonstone roared, and the Moonstone in her chest instantly erupted with blazing light.

Sensing that she was about to launch a terrifying attack, Zhang Ye narrowed his eyes, his fingers dancing lightly through the air as though he were playing a piano.

The next moment, Zhang Ye’s shadow writhed rapidly, like bizarre tentacles rushing toward Moonstone at an utterly terrifying speed.

The energy blast Moonstone unleashed struck the shadows viciously, but to everyone’s surprise, those shadowy tentacles were unaffected. The waves of energy could not even slow the dark tentacles down.

Soon after, Soffen was engulfed by shadows. Black demonic patterns spread over her skin-and-bones body, and even the Moonstone that glittered with cosmic energy was gradually stained by the darkness of the shadows.

"You! What did you do!?"

The instant the shadows touched her, Soffen’s mental world was thrown into turmoil. It felt as if someone had dealt her a heavy blow to the head, leaving her mind a complete mess.

She barely broke free of the brief dizziness, only to discover in shock that she had already lost control of her body.

Without wasting words on her, Zhang Ye directly linked the Touch of Shadow to the Time Twister, continuously extracting the cosmic energy carried by the Moonstone under Miss Minutes’s control.

"Stop! Stop… it."

The dizzying sensation struck again. Soffen felt her ears ringing and her vision going dark, while her voice grew weaker and weaker.

No one else made a move. They all watched the scene in silence.

Hawkeye Barton and Melissa, the Songbird, in particular watched their old friend gradually walk toward death, their feelings incredibly complicated.

No one wanted things to come to this, but they had to admit that some vile seeds in this world did not deserve forgiveness. Their minds were different from ordinary people’s, and keeping people like them alive would only leave behind a hidden danger.

Clint Barton stared blankly as Kara Sofen stopped breathing, his gaze distant, as though recalling his past with Moonstone.

But in the end, Old Hawkeye’s eyes hardened.

The final member of the Thunderbolts on the list had paid the price she deserved.

Now, it was time to take revenge on the one who had started it all.

Zemo