Peter wasn't the kind of person to overstep boundaries. He knew this place was Lucas's home after all, and even though he now had a key, he had no intention of coming by all the time.
Lucas, however, got a chill down his spine when he saw the pitiful, heartbroken look on Peter's face—as if he were watching his dog get taken away.
"Uh… could you not look at me like that? I never said you couldn't come over, you know~"
The moment Peter heard that, his mood flipped instantly. He threw an arm around Lucas's shoulder and laughed like he'd just won the lottery.
"I knew it! You're not that cold-blooded after all! You're my bro—Peter Parker's one and only best brother! Wahahaha!"
Lucas almost couldn't resist the urge to kick him across the room. The guy was so damn annoying.
A flash of light later, the four of them returned to the DevilMayCry Office, startling Felicia, who had been left to guard the place. Gwen and Skye immediately pulled her into a whirlwind of chatter, leaving Lucas and Peter completely forgotten in the background.
They talked for a while longer before realizing it was nearly midnight. Peter and Felicia finally decided to head home, while Gwen planned to stay overnight—after all, she already had her own room upstairs.
After calling her dad, George, Gwen went upstairs hand in hand with Skye, while Lucas silently followed behind them.
Time, as always, passed like a paycheck—just when you started to enjoy it, it was gone in a blink.
Soon, Gwen and the others were off to start the new semester. George drove them, along with Peter's Aunt May, all the way to Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The once lively DevilMayCry Office suddenly became quiet and almost empty. Now it was just Lucas and Skye most days, with Natasha dropping by occasionally since she practically lived there.
Then one afternoon, as they sat lazily at their desks, Skye suddenly cried out in alarm.
"Boss! Come look at this!! That narcissistic playboy just got kidnapped by terrorists!!"
Lucas shot upright like he'd been hit by lightning and zipped over to her side in an instant.
"What?! Let me see!!"
He pushed Skye slightly to the side and fixed his gaze on the monitor.
On-screen, a newscaster was speaking rapidly, covering the shocking headline. The footage switched to a video clip—Tony Stark, captured and surrounded by armed men.
"Finally!! This is it!! This is my chance!!"
Lucas threw his fists in the air, grinning like a madman, as if he had been waiting for Tony Stark to get kidnapped.
"Skye, listen carefully—buy as many Stark Industries shares as you can! Throw in everything! Every cent I have, and mortgage this whole building too! Put everything into Stark stock!!"
Skye stared at him in disbelief. "Boss, have you lost your mind?! Do you even know how much Stark Industries has crashed these past few days? Buying now is financial suicide!!"
Lucas waved his hand dismissively. "Trust me! Just buy! You'll thank me later! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
No matter how much Skye protested, Lucas wouldn't budge. In the end, she gave in and did as he said—investing all of his savings, even mortgaging the building to the bank.
"Boss, if this backfires, we'll be sleeping on the streets…" Skye pouted miserably. She'd just gotten used to living a peaceful life, and now they were about to lose everything again.
"Don't worry, Skye. Trust me on this."
Lucas said it with utter confidence. After all, he knew how the story went—Tony Stark would be rescued soon enough.
"Oh right—keep a close eye on the stock prices. The moment Tony Stark gets rescued, sell everything. Don't keep a single share."
Skye felt her brain short-circuit. She blinked and reached out to touch his forehead.
"Boss, please don't scare me like that… Did something happen to you? You're not having a breakdown, are you?"
Her voice trembled. Over the past few months, she'd grown closer to Lucas—without realizing that what she felt for him had long gone beyond simple friendship.
Lucas smiled faintly and gently squeezed her hand. "Just trust me, Skye. When Tony Stark is saved, that's when we'll really make a fortune."
He tilted his head up at a dramatic forty-five degrees, looking every bit the strategic mastermind—completely unaware that he was still holding Skye's hand.
Skye didn't pull away. Worst-case scenario, they'd go back to living on the streets like before. It wasn't anything new to her.
She sighed softly and decided to let him do as he pleased. For now, the best she could do was keep an eye on the market. Maybe, just maybe, they'd minimize the damage. Though it really was a shame about the office—they'd put the entire place up as collateral.
"By the way," Lucas said suddenly, "where's Natasha been lately? Her vacation over already?"
Skye frowned, thinking for a moment. "Not sure. I haven't seen her in days. Her lease isn't up yet, though."
Lucas nodded. "Hmm. Probably got called back by S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony Stark's kidnapping isn't a small deal. The son of one of their founding members being taken by terrorists? There's no way they'll sit this one out."
He considered whether to take the initiative and reach out to S.H.I.E.L.D.—maybe help them locate Tony's whereabouts in exchange for a fat payout.
But then he shook his head. Nah, better not. Showing up out of nowhere might make him look suspicious, maybe even like one of the kidnappers. Better to wait.
They'd come to him eventually. And if not—no big deal. Tony would still be rescued, and Lucas would still get rich either way.
The day passed in their usual routine—Lucas goofing off, Skye glued to the stock tracker.
By evening, Skye had gone upstairs early, exhausted from staring at numbers all day.
Lucas was about to head up himself when a sudden orange light bloomed behind him, sparkling like embers in the air.
He didn't even need to look to know who it was. That bald figure—so different from Nick Fury—could only be one person: the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One.
He turned around, and sure enough, there she stood in her yellow robes, serene as ever.
"It seems you're not at all surprised by my arrival."
Her voice was calm, tranquil—a tone that made Lucas feel like he was floating on a quiet lake, peaceful and still.
He smiled politely and gestured toward the couch. "Master Ancient One, please, have a seat."
She smiled softly. "Anything to drink?"
Lucas nodded, walked over to the fridge, and took out two steaming cups of rooibos tea.
"Please—try some."
He placed the cups carefully on the table between them, the rising steam curling in the warm office light.
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