Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

"Big Sis Tatsumaki, just call me Ai. Fubuki's told me all about you. You're even more beautiful in person than I imagined."

Haibara Ai spoke warmly and affectionately. That one "big sis" almost melted Tatsumaki's heart on the spot. Fubuki had always been a source of joy for her, and now with another "little sister" around, that joy was doubled.

Especially since Haibara Ai's current height and childlike appearance made it easy for Tatsumaki to relive the experience of being a protective "big sister."

As the two newcomers chatted away with Kizaru and the sisters, Xiao Mei, who had been encouraged by Brother Xiao Yan to come along and explore, suddenly felt a little regretful.

But kids' thoughts shift quickly. Xiao Mei was soon distracted by all the unfamiliar machines and equipment around her.

That was when she spotted the old man and old lady locked inside a telekinetic cage.

Especially the old man with the huge buck teeth—he looked hilariously ridiculous and kept muttering nonsense under his breath.

"Spatial transmission? Quantum tunneling? How is this even possible?"

Unlike Tatsumaki—who, while surprised, didn't fully grasp how absurd crossing worlds really was—Dr. Bofoi had seen it with his own eyes.

As one of the most advanced scientists on Earth, Dr. Bofoi could confidently swear that human technology was still several hundred years away from achieving spatial teleportation!

So if it wasn't technology, could it be… some kind of superpower?

First, his secret base was discovered and effortlessly invaded by Swift Flash. Then he witnessed mind reading, and now—spatial teleportation?

The number of shocks Dr. Bofoi had endured in just one day was excessive. The man looked half-possessed at this point.

His curiosity and desire to research were eating away at him like a hundred claws scratching his insides. If he'd known this would happen, he never would've messed with Kizaru.

"Grandpa, why are you and grandma locked inside a cage?"

Xiao Mei blinked her eyes as she squatted in front of the cage, just like a child at the zoo watching lions and tigers.

But if anyone mistook this seemingly harmless little girl for someone easy to bully, they'd be taught a harsh lesson in no time. Among everyone present, if no one used weapons or superpowers, only Kizaru could actually defeat her.

Of course, that wasn't because Xiao Mei was particularly strong—it was more that Tatsumaki and Fubuki relied heavily on their psychic powers, and Iron Man's strength came entirely from his suit.

"Well, of course it's because they're the bad guys… one's a mad scientist, and the other's a puppet master behind the scenes…"

Before Dr. Bofoi or Lady Perus could say anything, Kizaru's voice sounded from behind Xiao Mei.

"Wow, such a classic combo—just like those totally evil villains in Hollywood movies. Lemme guess, illegal human experiments and abuse of authority?"

Tony Stark lifted the faceplate of his Iron Man armor, a bit curious as he reached out and touched the telekinetic cage, seemingly trying to figure out what kind of material it was made from.

"Correct. If Orochimaru had shown up like I'd asked, I was going to have him bring a snake or two along…"

Kizaru shrugged. On second thought, bringing Groribas over would've been a hassle—feeding him to snakes might've been simpler.

Who knew Orochimaru would have no interest in mechanical constructs? Oh well, having him send over a snake later worked just as well.

"So cliché. A mad scientist and a shadowy manipulator? Even post-80s Hollywood gave up on that trope… whoa, there's a lot of good stuff in this base! Jarvis, back up all the relevant data!"

Tony Stark easily located the base's central computer and pulled up all its detailed data and control systems.

Even someone as prideful as Iron Man couldn't help but praise what he saw—Dr. Bofoi's research was undeniably impressive.

Even though the two Earths' technological levels weren't too far apart, Dr. Bofoi's technology was outstanding on any world—far beyond imagination.

"What you're seeing is just a portion of my research. If you want the rest…"

Dr. Bofoi's heart was bleeding as he watched years of his work get snatched away by that damned mustache. Still, he forced himself to act unfazed, even trying to use his tech reserves to bargain with Kizaru.

"The remaining data is stored in Bases 4, 8, 17, and 35. Just go on your way in peace—I promise I'll make full use of your legacy."

Kizaru chuckled softly. Thanks to Dr. Bofoi constantly scheming against him, the intense malice he radiated made it easy for Kizaru to "see" through everything with his malice-sensing ability.

"Damn you! That cursed mind-reading!"

Dr. Bofoi finally snapped and shouted. He still had no idea how Flash's mind-reading ability worked—he'd done his best not to think about the hidden base locations, but this guy still saw through him completely.

"Well, that's great news. I'd better speed things up. It'd be a shame to miss out on so many goodies…"

Tony Stark grinned as he spoke.

If the "victim" here had been Dr. Kuseno, Tony would've never even thought about touching the data.

But Kizaru had already told him about Dr. Bofoi's crimes—and with someone so utterly deranged, Mr. Stark felt no need for mercy.

"I'd like a copy of the research related to biology and pharmaceutical chemistry as well… just not the ones that cross ethical lines."

Haibara Ai also walked over at that point. Seeing Kizaru and Tony Stark dividing the spoils, she didn't hesitate to ask for a share of the data.

In any case, she planned to share the findings with her fellow chat group members. Mutual benefit like this didn't count as anyone taking advantage of anyone else.

"No problem, but let me finish backing everything up first. I'll have Jarvis compile and organize it for you."

Tony Stark agreed without hesitation. His strengths lay mainly in mechanics and computer technology—anything outside those areas wasn't much use to him.

He couldn't publish the data to earn fame anyway. Even the parts that caught his eye would only be incorporated into his Iron Man suits.

Technology developed by villains—there was no better use for it than to strike down other villains.

---

"Let me out!! I'll help you organize everything. That data represents years of my work—you better not mess it up!"

At that moment, Dr. Bofoi, still trapped inside the telekinetic cage, suddenly shouted.

"Are you insane?! They'll never spare you, and you still want to help them?!"

Madam Perus couldn't help but scream in rage. Her hysterical expression was like that of a prisoner falling into utter despair.

"We're dead anyway. Might as well ensure my life's work gets passed on. Let those ignorant fools see just how brilliant Dr. Bofoi's technology really is!"

Dr. Bofoi spoke proudly. Hearing this, even Mr. Stark was a little moved. As a fellow scientist, he could empathize with Bofoi.

If one day he had to die in a similar way, he'd probably pass on his Iron Man suit to someone worthy—so the world would remember the name Tony Stark.

Just as Stark was silently nodding, even ready to speak on Bofoi's behalf, Kizaru, who had been watching with cold eyes, suddenly chuckled.

"Nice performance. You almost had me fooled... almost."

Kizaru drawled, unhurriedly. Dr. Bofoi, true to his status as a genius with sky-high IQ, had figured out a way to counter Kizaru's malice-sensing ability in such a short time.

Not only that, he had somehow coordinated silently with Madam Perus through means even Kizaru hadn't noticed. Together, they had staged a flawless act that even tricked the unsuspecting Stark.

The most impressive part? The execution. Their acting was nearly perfect—Kizaru himself had almost been deceived.

As it turned out, Bofoi's guess was correct: if one avoided actively thinking about something, Kizaru couldn't read it through malice perception.

Unfortunately, the human brain hadn't evolved enough for that. Selectively controlling thoughts and avoiding certain topics was too difficult.

With no better option, Bofoi and Perus had filled their minds with clutter—endless irrelevant thoughts—to try and throw off Kizaru's ability.

Ironically, that clutter made Kizaru even more suspicious.

One person rambling in their head was normal. But two people doing it at the same time, like they were intentionally hiding something? That screamed guilty conscience.

---

"What do you mean? They're plotting something?"

Tony Stark's face changed slightly. He felt deceived.

After all, he had genuinely believed in Bofoi's "performance" just moments ago—even empathized with him.

Now Kizaru was telling him it was all an act?

"I don't know the full details, but it's definitely not some noble gesture... Hmph. Isn't all that mental babble exhausting?"

Kizaru stared at Dr. Bofoi for a while, but all he could "see" were jumbled, nonsensical thoughts. Even with their plan falling apart, Bofoi still clung on with sheer willpower.

Madam Perus, on the other hand, had already broken. But she didn't know the full plan—she was just following Bofoi's instructions, trying to help him escape from the cage.

---

"If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have lost to you so easily!"

Dr. Bofoi glanced darkly at Kizaru, speaking with lingering resentment.

He believed he had figured out how to counter Kizaru. If he could escape from here, the final victory was still within reach.

At the very least, he'd never give Kizaru another easy opportunity to catch him. As long as he kept testing and probing, he was bound to discover Flash's weakness—and defeat Kizaru with the superhuman intelligence of his brain!

"Just the whimpering of a defeated dog."

Kizaru sneered in disdain, replying casually.

Of course, he knew Bofoi was unwilling to accept defeat—but what did that have to do with him? Was he supposed to let this lunatic go so he could crawl back underground and cause more trouble later?