The fallen ninja dissolved into a pile of mud upon hitting the ground.
Alex watched it happen, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Is this some secret technique of the Hand? Turning to mud after death?"
He didn't stop to ponder further—there was no time.
In a flash, he was beside another ninja, the barrel of his gun aimed squarely at their head.
The ninja froze in shock, attempting to flee.
But it was pointless.
They were far too close.
There was no escape—only the trigger.
Bang!
A high-speed bullet tore through the ninja's skull.
"Two."
Alex continued his onslaught.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Three!"
"Four!"
"Five!"
One by one, with surgical precision, he shot the ninjas in the head.
Each time, they collapsed into mud and scattered with the breeze.
The remaining ninjas stared in horror.
"This guy's a monster! That speed is insane!"
"We can't fight him—we're no match!"
"If we stay, we die!"
"Run! Now!"
That was the only thought left in their minds.
Without another word, they scattered in every direction, desperate to escape.
Alex watched them bolt.
He shook his head.
"Turning your back to me? That's still a dead end."
"If you can't see where my barrel is pointing, how are you going to dodge?"
He didn't even bother to chase them.
He simply stood still.
And opened fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four consecutive shots.
Four more ninjas crumbled into mud.
"All done," Alex said as he gave the barrel of his gun a flick. A wisp of smoke curled into the air.
Daredevil stood nearby, still frozen in the pose from his initial attack.
He hadn't even gotten the chance to move.
His mouth twitched. "I... I didn't realize you were this strong."
"I guess I was worried for nothing."
"I said I owed you a favor—but turns out, you didn't need any help at all."
Alex replied, "Thank you."
"But I will need your help with something else soon."
Daredevil nodded. "Alright. Just let me know."
Alex checked the time. "I'll find you later. There's something I need to handle right now."
And with that, he turned and left.
Daredevil raised his hand slightly. "Wait, you—"
But before he could finish, Alex had already vanished into the alleyway.
Daredevil let out a sigh. "You don't even know who I am... How are you going to find me again?"
He shook his head and disappeared into the shadows.
Somewhere in New York.
Inside a car, Dr. Rice sat across from Caliban.
"Can you sense the locations of mutants in New York?" Rice asked.
Caliban gave a small nod. "Yes."
"Good. Lead us."
Without delay, Caliban gave directions, guiding Dr. Rice and the others toward the mutants' location.
Alex sprinted across rooftops, using webbing to swing forward.
He glanced at his phone.
A blinking red dot glowed on the screen—it was his tracker.
The signal was ahead.
He burst into full speed again, racing toward it.
Soon, he caught up with a convoy.
Below him, a fleet of military vehicles rumbled forward.
Among them, a specially armored truck.
Inside it—Luke Cage.
Alex trailed the convoy silently.
They eventually left the city and headed north.
Their destination: a hidden military base, nestled behind a mountain.
Alex perched in a tree, overlooking the secret facility.
Some structures sat on flattened terrain, but most of the base was tucked inside the surrounding mountains—camouflaged and secure.
The place was heavily guarded, bristling with cameras and patrols.
Alex squinted.
"So this is it..."
"The defenses are tight. Getting inside unnoticed would be almost impossible."
"I'll have to wait for the right opportunity—or get stronger."
He let out a soft sigh.
"For now, I can't access Luke Cage's data."
"Life always throws curveballs."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Let's at least set up surveillance."
He pulled a mechanical button from his pocket—a tiny camera with limited battery life.
Three days max on standby.
He affixed it to a tree branch, angling it toward the base.
Checking the feed on his phone, he confirmed the whole compound was within view.
With nothing more to gain, he turned and left.
"I suppose, for now, I'll work on replicating enhanced hearing."
Rather than waste time, he called Kurt.
"Get me a secure bio-research lab. Immediately."
Kurt responded, "On it, boss. I'll set it up right away."
Meanwhile, under Norman's direction, Osborn had launched the wound plaster series with full force.
He began by securing third-party validation of the product's effectiveness.
Then, using his influence, Norman brought in renowned experts to endorse the plasters publicly.
The product worked—really worked.
Online buzz exploded, with people divided between amazement and skepticism.
Osborn's marketing team leaned into the debate, knowing controversy drives traffic.
The result?
Massive anticipation for the product's release.
Once it hit the shelves, the plasters sold rapidly.
And as customer trust built, a positive feedback loop was created.
The stock soared.
In just days, Osborn's value had doubled.
And Alex's investment had more than paid off.
He was on the path to becoming a millionaire.
Back in New York, Alex paid a visit to Daredevil.
He had already asked Kurt to locate Matt Murdock's home and office.
Late at night, Alex arrived at Matt's apartment.
Matt wasn't home.
"Out being a hero, huh?"
Alex shrugged, sat on the couch, and closed his eyes.
After a while, the door creaked open.
Matt stepped in, sunglasses on.
"So, you know who I really am," he said.
"You said you needed my help. I'm guessing now's the time."
Alex nodded. "I'm a scientist. I need your assistance for a project."
Matt chuckled. "Unless it's a legal issue, I don't know how I can help with science."
"You don't need to. I just want to study your unique abilities."
Matt paused.
"You mean... experiment on me?"
Alex gave a calm nod. "Yes."
Matt gave a bitter smile. "That's quite a favor."
Alex nodded again. "It might be a little uncomfortable."
"A little?" Matt murmured.
Alex said seriously, "Believe me. It won't be unbearable."
"And afterward, I'll return the favor—I'll cure your eyes."
Matt's heart skipped.
He swallowed hard. "Wait... Are you serious?"
Alex looked him in the eye. "Completely. I'll restore your sight."
Matt felt it. The sincerity. The resolve.
He asked, cautiously, "If I said no... would you force me?"
Alex didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Nightcrawler (nearby): "..."
"I won't harm you," Alex continued. "Even if something goes wrong, I can restore you."
With the Lizard Optimization Formula in hand, Alex was confident.
Daredevil shivered slightly, sensing the weight of Alex's honesty.
"...Alright," he finally said. "I'll do it."
"I've survived worse."
He extended a hand. "Happy to cooperate."
Alex smiled faintly and shook it. "Happy cooperation."
"Let's go. I'll take you to the lab."
Daredevil hesitated. "Don't we rest first? It's late."
"I'm not tired," Alex replied.
"...You might not be, but I am."
Alex said cheerfully, "Don't worry, your law firm won't have any clients for a while."
"I may have arranged for your clients to be picked up by top firms—at my expense."
"You've got plenty of free time now."
Daredevil sighed. "...Let's just go."
At the secret lab prepared by Kurt, Alex gestured.
"Lie down on the operating table."
"Operating table?" Daredevil tensed.
"Just for tests and scans," Alex assured him.
After sedation, the examination began.
Full-body diagnostics. Blood samples. Minor surgery.
Alex quickly discovered the secret to Matt's enhanced hearing.
After the chemicals blinded him, Matt's other senses overcompensated.
Particularly his hearing.
His ears had evolved, adapting to pick up ultra-faint sounds, high-frequency vibrations, and even sonar-like signals.
He could map spaces using sound, identifying pulse patterns and minute movements from afar.
A biological marvel.
And exactly what Alex was looking for.