‘Like Before’

"Hey, Count, you know dragging this out won’t change the outcome."

Pietro pulled down his hood. He did not understand why the old man kept adjusting his already ill-fitting costume over and over, nor did he understand why Zhang Ye had not acted when he could have ended this directly.

It was like a stupid performance, a circus act without an audience. Yet Zhang Ye seemed prepared to carry this childish joke through to the end. From what Pietro knew, Zhang Ye was not that kind of person.

Zhang Ye did not react to Pietro’s words. He merely took one sip after another from his glass of red wine.

The times had changed. With heroes gone, these supervillains had lost their reason to survive as well. Heroes and villains had always existed in a symbiotic relationship. When one side vanished, the other would fade away with it. It had always been so.

In a sense, was that not a tragic ending as well?

Count Nefaria’s actions were absurd and laughable, like those of a Joker. Yet watching this scene, it was hard to find the joke amusing.

"Don’t rush. Don’t rush, it’s almost done. Almost done."

Count Nefaria was incredibly excited. He was even trembling all over. After tying the drawstrings of his cape for the seventh time, he carefully checked his gloves, then smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes. Only then did he raise his head and ask Pietro.

"How do I look?"

Pietro paused slightly. He knew that this old man had once been an immensely powerful villain, perhaps even one who had given the heroes no end of trouble.

But now, he was old. No matter how straight he stood or how neatly he dressed himself, he could not return to what he once was, just like the faded, patch-covered costume on his body.

Pietro glanced at Zhang Ye. Seeing him still drinking alone, he shook his head slightly and looked away.

"Not bad, I guess," Pietro said casually.

Yet those obviously perfunctory words made Count Nefaria even happier. He showed a childlike smile, though the wrinkles on his face had already bunched together.

"That’s good. That’s good."

Count Nefaria nodded repeatedly. He wanted to look more imposing now, but there was nothing he could do. He had tried his best. Fortunately, Quicksilver acknowledged him.

His fists clenched and loosened, then loosened and clenched again. Count Nefaria steadied his ragged breathing, then let his gaze drift between Pietro and Kara before finally settling on Pietro’s young face.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. We can begin now… like before."

"Like before?" Pietro did not understand.

"Yes, yes, like before." Count Nefaria merely smiled. Then he slowly turned to look at the bewildered bartender standing behind the bar.

Noticing Count Nefaria’s gaze, the bartender did not know what expression to make. He had no idea what was happening. These people seemed to know the Count, but he had never seen Count Nefaria like this before.

"Count, you’ve had too much to drink. You really should leave," the bartender said.

"…Kid, you’re not like them."

Ignoring the bartender’s words, Count Nefaria only showed an expression that was impossible to tell whether it was sorrow or pity. He stared directly at the bartender’s face and continued in a voice only he could hear.

"…I’m sorry."

The next moment.

Two optic beams suddenly erupted, slamming into the bartender’s head with unstoppable force and blowing it apart on the spot.

Blood splattered everywhere. The bartender seemed to retain his blank expression for a moment before his head was blasted into fragments like a bursting watermelon!

"Oh my God—"

Most of the people in the bar had been minding their own business, but they were not completely oblivious to what was happening around them. Ever since Count Nefaria had begun his ridiculous behavior, quite a few had turned their eyes toward him.

Now, seeing Count Nefaria suddenly kill the bartender, these petty thugs, who did not even qualify as gangsters, were scared out of their wits.

They screamed as they fled their seats. A few frantically cowered into corners, terrified that Count Nefaria’s next attack would target them. But more of them surged toward the front door in a panic.

"What are you doing?" Pietro was dumbfounded. He had already prepared himself to fight, but he had not expected the optic beam to be aimed anywhere but at them.

"…Like before! Hahahaha—cough, cough, cough…!!"

Old Count Nefaria laughed hoarsely. Destructive energy gathered in his eyes as he fired straight at the bar patrons scattering in all directions.

"Let’s begin, Quicksilver boy! I’ll kill the troublesome ones, and you… you’ll stop me!"

Pietro stared at Count Nefaria. In the brief moment he froze, the optic beams tore through the crowd and severed the beam above the doorway. The ordinary people who had not yet made it outside were smashed into pieces by the optic beams, the falling beam, and flying debris.

"Stop me! Hahaha!!"

Count Nefaria laughed wantonly. At that moment, he seemed to have regained the vigor of his youth. The ordinary people could only flee in terror before him, while the heroes would appear at the most critical moment.

"It’s time to act." Kara patted Pietro on the shoulder, then charged forward ahead of him.

She threw a devastating punch, its immense force reaching Count Nefaria in the blink of an eye. But Kara was surprised to find that the old man had caught her fist firmly.

Fist and palm collided with a deafening, muffled boom.

Kara had nearly slaughtered her way through half the planet in the previous world, and she believed she had gained a sufficient understanding of the power in this universe. Yet when she saw her full-force strike blocked, she still could not help but freeze for a moment.

But in that instant of hesitation, Count Nefaria struck, launching Kara into the air with a direct uppercut.

Count Nefaria threw his punch and was just about to withdraw his strength when pain suddenly flared in his abdomen. A silver flash passed before his eyes, and he was knocked back several steps.

He shakily steadied himself and raised his head again. Through his hazy vision, he saw Cyclops, leader of the X-Men, standing before him.

"It’s time to end this, Nefaria. We’ll stop you!"

Cyclops declared righteously. Then he raised a hand to adjust his special visor, and optic beams burst forth.

"Then come and try!"

Old Count Nefaria retorted arrogantly. His eyes narrowed, and he fired optic beams as well.