PROMISES TO KEEP

Inside his lab, Miles Warren just saw Molten Man's defeat on the digital screen and shook his head with both disdain and disappointment. "I should've known that Allen would be of little use," he said to himself, then looked at his iPad, used his index finger to move the screen up and showed the blueprints of what appeared to be a digitized female wearing a black jumpsuit with a picture of a small, spider-like nanite on the side of it. "Well, let's see if Agent Belova will fair any better when she has her match."

Back in the Garden, the returning Luke was greeted with applause from his match, but Luke himself appeared preoccupied in finding Iron Man so he can ask him for a favor. One in which could determine the fate of the Molten Man's sister, Liz Allen. Once he approached his fellow Avengers, he respectfully nodded to them as they gave her phrase for winning his match, as well as give his Iron Fist a 'fist-bump,' but once he saw Iron Man himself, he soon approached the armored billionaire.

Something in which doesn't surprise Iron Man in the least, knowing that the 'Hero for Hire' would probably ask for a bonus after winning his match for the team. "Nice going out there, Cage," said the Shell-Head. "But if you're wanting to ask for a raise in pay..."

"Relax Stark, my fee is still the same," Luke interjected, but then looked at him with a slightly worried looked. "But I still need something from you."

This answer confused the rest of the Avengers, as well as Fist, but it caused Iron Man to raise a curious eyebrow behind his face-plate. "Which is?"

Now seeing that he has Iron Man's attention, Luke goes on with his request. "There's a girl in danger, and I need a few of your friends on the outside to help her. The girl is Molten guy's kid sister."

Suddenly, Spidey's eyes grew with shock when he heard Luke mention the girl who was not only Molten Man's sibling...but was also his ex-girlfriend as well. "Liz? She's in trouble?!"

This response is more than enough to get Luke's attention, thus making him turn to face the Web-Head. "You know her?"

"We...used to date," Spidey replied somewhat awkwardly but shook his head to regain his focus in the situation. "But really?! She's in danger?"

Luke was a bit confused about Spidey's response at first but quickly got back to the subject at hand. "Yeah, she is. During our match, that Molten kid told me that she was having one of her goons following her, and then she might be in some coffee shop in Queens where all the kids hang out, but he didn't tell me the name."

Spidey, being one of those 'kids' knew about the said shop, and more importantly, mentioned its name loudly. "The Coffee Bean!"

Luke, upon hearing the Web-Head, turned to Iron Man with a look of urgency. "Stark...!"

"I'm on it," Iron Man replied quickly, then quickly puts the inner circuitry to contact his trusty A.I. "J.A.R.V.I.S, get me Fury, now!"

Meanwhile, outside of the Coffee Bean, a sobbing Liz Allen is seen running out of the shop, no doubt traumatized on seeing the molten creature that was her brother on television, and with Sally in pursuit of her.

However, unknown to both teens, they are both being watched by a black-clad sniper that was stationed on n a nearby rooftop. He waited for Sally to finally stop Liz to talk to her, then aimed at the sobbing Liz's head. "Nothing personal, kid," said the sniper. "Strictly business."

Before the sniper could take the shot, he froze when he heard the clicking noises of handguns being loaded and near his head — handguns which belonged to two beautiful but tough women. The woman on the left was that of an African American woman with an afro and wearing a red jumpsuit named Misty Knight, and the other on the right being a blonde hair Caucasian woman dressed in white named Sharon Carter, who just so happened to be the very few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to escape being mind controlled.

Misty, with the barrel of her gun close to the sniper's temple, is the first to address the petrified assassin. "Don't even think about, baby!"

As for Sharon, she first looked at the sniper with anger and disgust on how he would be so willing to kill a teenager. "...' Nothing personal,'" Sharon quoted with disdain. "That's what all heartless cowards like you say to justify what you do." As much as she wanted to rid the world of one less scumbag, she knew that the bullets that were inside her gun were that of small tranquilizers, which she showed when she shot a small dart into the exposed sniper's neck, putting him to sleep. She then placed her index finger to her right ear to call the person she respected enough to be the one true director of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Commander Fury, we got the sniper. The girl's safe!"

Meanwhile, inside one of the many warehouses that served as a safe house from any enemies that compromised S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury is seen in front of the computer which was broadcasting Sharon's transmission. "Good to know, Carter," Nick replied in his usual calm but stone-faced demeanor. "Make sure she gets home safe, then get back here." With that reply, the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. pressed a button on the dashboard to end his call to Sharon, then turned to the screen to address the image of Iron Man. "You hear that, Stark? And if so, don't say I never did anything for you." At one point, Nick looked over his shoulder, and gazed upon the pale May Parker, still unconscious and resting on a specially made hospital bed. "Especially since I'm already using a lot of Life Model Decoys to help Parker's aunt..."

...a few hours before the tournament and in her hospital room in Manhattan General, a sleeping May was being tended to by a female nurse. Moments later, the nurse left her side to tend to other patients, and as she left the room, both Sharon and Quake, disguised as nurses, walked into the room. Afterward, Sharon pulled out a small circular object, then gently set it down on the floor, pressed a button on it's top and stepped back from it. It didn't take long for the object to built up piece by piece and form into a wheeled gurney. With the first part of 'Operation: Rescue' out of the way, they then proceeded with phase two, in that they both pressed buttons on their watches, which activated their holographic disguises, which were two of the hospital's male coroners.

The disguised Quake then gently grabbed May, picked her up off the bed and placed her on the newly constructed gurney, then gently placed a blanket to disguise her as someone who passed away. Sharon then completed the allusion by pulling out another circular object from her pocket, then placed it on May's now empty bed and pressed the button. Seconds later, a large number of tiny robots come crawling out of the device like water finally form into the Life Model Decoy of May Parker herself.

With the switch now done, Quake and Sharon then proceeded to wheel the 'departed' May out of the hospital room and into the hallway and just entered the elevator as a new male doctor and nurse stepped in and walked over to the May decoy, thinking that she's the real deal...

Back in the present, Nick crossed his arms as he continued his transmission to Iron Man. "And given our situation, I'm hoping that'll be your last favor."

Meanwhile, back in the Garden, Iron Man communicated with Nick via the intercom system in his helmet and answered with a smile. "Doubtful Fury, but thanks. And I'll try and pay you back...hopefully. I'll talk to you later." With that said, Iron Man mentally ended the call and switched his focus to the announcer, who by this time had taken center stage in front of the cheering crowd.

"All right, folks, who's ready for more excitement?!" asked the announcer, receiving a gleeful cheer in response. "All right then, let's move on to the next make, once in which instead of hand to hand, it must be fought with claw vs. blade! For we now have the clawed Avenger, as well as Wakandan King, the Black Panther, taking on the Thunderbolts' blade master, the Swordsman!"

The Panther did not seem too pleased or excited when he heard his name called. Instead, he looked more focused.

This did not stop the smirking teammate Hawkeye to turn and tease the Wakandan King. "Nervous?"

The proud Wakandan King turned to answer his arrow wielding teammate, all the while having his mask hid an equally sly smirk. "Never," he told Hawkeye, then turned and looked at Swordsman who was still in the Thunderbolts corner, twirling his sword for the Thunderbolts fans, as well as causing his teammates to cautiously stand back, then placed the sword into the scabbard in his back as he made his way to the teleportation pad. Behavior in which caused the battle-hardened Panther to say this about his soon to be opponent. "Skilled...but arrogant."

Hawkeye heard this analysis and looked at Panther with a curious expression. "In other words, somebody that the great King of Wakanda can easily handle?"

"Precisely," Panther replied confidently. "So much so that I can finish this match much faster than you finished yours."

Naturally, this response caused Hawkeye to smile as if Panther just started a 'friendly competition' between two teammates on who can win their matches quicker. "That I'd like to see."

The Panther looked at Hawkeye with a returning smile. "In that case, my friend, watch, and learn." With that said, the Panther walked over to the teleportation pad, where Swordsman was already waiting.

As he watched the Panther leave, Hawkeye's smile soon disappeared and looked worried, knowing that Swordsman, just like his fellow Thunderbolts, is not going to fight fairly. "Best of luck, tabby. Best of luck."

The Black Panther and Swordsman soon arrived at there pads, and a split second later, the two fighters vanished out sight, causing the riled up fans to cheer for their next upcoming match-up.