Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

Main Harbor District, Dockside.

"Boss, how'd you manage to leave the kitchen and come back with a little girl in tow?"

Graves chomped down on his cigar, puffing out a plume of indigo smoke as he eyed Neeko beside Duke. Duke shot him a sidelong glance. "Instead of poking your nose into my business, maybe you should worry about those bounty hunters closing in on you like sharks that smell blood."

"Heh, easy now!"

Graves hefted his double-barreled shotgun over his shoulder, flashing that signature roguish grin. "As long as you finish building me that new weapon, I don't care how many come at me. I'll blast 'em all."

"Don't get too eager."

Hearing yet another not-so-subtle hint to hurry up with the custom weapon, Duke resisted the urge to smack him. Did Graves really think he didn't see through that act?

The guy clearly just wanted to freeload.

If Duke finished building the weapon, Graves would bolt the very next second.

Did he think the magical signature Duke implanted in his body was for decoration?

Duke could hear every muttered complaint and sneaky thought Graves had. And judging from what he heard, this bastard was even thinking about using Duke's own creation to rob him!

If he dared act on that, Duke would make sure he regretted being born.

"Enough. Where's the Highmount Hotel?"

"Tsk, tsk, typical Piltover elite. That place is so high-end, even us locals don't dare look at it."

"Specifically designed to fleece out-of-towners like you!"

Graves winked at Duke, who remained unbothered, while also doing his best to stop Neeko from crawling on all fours like a raptor. She kept trying to walk hunched over, tiptoeing forward as if she were stalking prey.

"Duke, let Neeko walk how she wants!"

"No. The floor's too dirty. You need to adapt to human society."

Patiently correcting her posture, Duke and Graves stepped onto the pier, heading toward the highest point of Bilgewater where their expedition team was staying.

...

Main Port, the calmest waters of Bilgewater.

The Abyssal Maw.

The black-sailed ship bobbed on the tide like a monstrous sea beast, quietly waiting for its next target.

Inside the captain's quarters.

Creak.

The door opened. A grizzled man with a rotting smile and an eyepatch stepped in, nodding toward the barrel where the captain sat. The man was peeling the white fibers off an orange with deliberate slowness.

Wearing a tattered coat and a captain's hat, the man's muscular torso radiated menace. Even the way he peeled the fruit felt like the calm before a volcanic eruption.

"Captain, they've arrived."

"Those spineless Piltover rats?"

"Yes."

The one-eyed pirate stared at the floor, not daring to meet his captain's gaze. Plank's presence had that effect.

"Where's the ransom?"

Plank kept peeling.

"They didn't bring it."

"Didn't bring it, huh?" Plank finally looked up, a chilling smile spreading across his face. "So this is how those Piltover cowards reply?"

Sweat poured down the pirate's face, but he didn't dare wipe it.

"They're at the Highmount Hotel now. We're keeping eyes on them. From what we heard, the leader of the group is just some sixteen- or seventeen-year-old brat."

"A kid? In charge?"

"Hah! Hahaha!"

Plank crushed the orange in his palm. Crimson juice dripped between his fingers like blood.

As his raspy laughter echoed, a dagger suddenly pierced the wooden floor beside the pirate. Its hilt quivered.

Plank rose slowly and walked to the window, staring down at the glowing lights of Bilgewater.

"If that's the case, then go give them my regards."

"Yes, Captain!"

The one-eyed pirate pulled the blade from the floor and hurried out. Moments later, shouts erupted on the deck.

"Bored of standing around? Follow me!"

"Let's go deliver a message from the Captain!"

"Yeah! Let's see which fool dared provoke the mighty Plank!"

...

Highmount Hotel, guest room.

"Wow! This place is so high up!"

Neeko leaned over the window, gazing at the sweeping view of Bilgewater and the restless tides beyond.

"Neeko, don't get too close to the edge, you might fall!"

"Neeko not scared! Neeko turn into bird and fly back!"

"Haha, is that so?" Duke chuckled, sketching on his blueprint. "Then you really are amazing."

"Yup, Neeko is the best!"

Hands on hips, Neeko puffed her chest out proudly. Duke glanced at her, smiled, then refocused. He was working on Graves' weapon.

The request was simple: power, and lots of it.

As for what Graves was up to now?

Duke had sent him to Jayce. With city hall paperwork scheduled for tomorrow, Jayce needed protection while he prepared the hexgate proposal.

Meanwhile, Duke was gearing up to deal with Plank.

Miss Fortune still hadn't responded. But Duke wasn't worried. He held the chip she wanted most.

She'd bite eventually.

He figured she was trying to wear down his patience to gain the upper hand in negotiation.

But Duke had patience in spades. He'd outwait anyone.

Even knowing Graves was trying to freeload, he was still putting real effort into the weapon design.

Because in the end, he'd win.

He couldn't wait to see Graves' face when he realized he couldn't escape Duke's control.

Would he curse? Accept it? Or drag his buddy Twisted Fate down with him?

Let evil grind evil.

"If I add an electromagnetic rail, the projectile speed increases, and the damage multiplies. As for reloading, I can use a drum magazine with a rotary chamber..."

While lost in his thoughts, Duke's ears twitched. Shouting echoed from downstairs.

"I don't care! If I don't see money today, you're all going to the butcher's pier to feed the rabid sharkdogs!"

"You still want your cargo?"

"That ransom's non-negotiable! Pay up or die! This is Bilgewater, not your soft-spined Piltover! What're you gonna do, huh?!"

...

Amid the clamor, Graves burst in. "Boss, it's Plank's men!"

"I know."

"You know?"

Graves watched Duke calmly put away his design and raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to piss them off?"

"They seized a shipment we were sending from Ionia to Piltover, then demanded ransom."

"That cargo's long gone. I heard some of it's already being sold on the black market."

"Exactly why we never planned to get it back."

Duke stood, threw on his coat, and walked to the door. "Come on, let's see what they want."

Seeing Duke's cool demeanor, Graves wanted to say something but kept quiet. Even he wouldn't dare mess with Plank.

The man had nailed his own bounty poster to the town board when Graves was just a kid.

Neeko stayed in the room, puffing her cheeks angrily and hugging herself at Duke's desk. So much fun happening without her? She wasn't going to forgive him.

Unless he brought her... no, two slices of cheesecake.

Downstairs, Duke saw heavily armed sailors. These weren't ordinary thugs. They bore scars, missing limbs, and a bloodthirsty aura.

Their weapons were far superior to the street gang that had tried to rob him before.

Captain Lister, clutching a bleeding arm, was being helped by others. Several men lay groaning on the floor, wounded.

Seeing the scene, Duke raised his hand. From his inventory, Pride was summoned.

The mechanical beast let out a thunderous roar.

"Awoo!!"

Everyone turned.

Graves' cigar nearly dropped. "How many toys does my boss have hidden away?!"

"That thing... that's not something ordinary craftsmen can build! It's alive!"

Duke didn't spare him a glance.

"Leave one alive. Burn the rest."

Pride roared and charged. For it, Duke's orders were absolute. Anyone who dared offend its master would be torn apart.

Ignoring Graves' pale face, Duke waved at Captain Lister.

He had said it before: he doesn't seek trouble, but he's not afraid of it.

Plank had struck first, stealing over twenty million Goldsea's worth of goods.

That debt would be repaid.

And this was just the beginning.

If Duke was going to take down Plank, then not even a Dragon King could stop him.

He said it himself.

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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