The moment Nick Fury secured the item, he ordered a full analysis.
It was a crystal—constantly radiating intense energy waves. According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data, anyone who wasn't special would instantly turn to stone the moment they touched it. Fury was dying to understand what its true purpose was.
"Fine," Lucas said, pointing at Natasha. "Let her come along. She already lives at the apartment anyway."
"That works," Fury nodded. "Then, Mr. Norman, we have a deal."
He extended his hand. Lucas shook it lazily.
"By the way," Fury added, his tone shifting to something more diplomatic, "you really won't consider joining us? And no, I don't mean S.H.I.E.L.D.—I mean a team composed entirely of extraordinary individuals."
He was, of course, talking about the Avengers Initiative. Ever since he'd witnessed Lucas transform into that golden-winged Garuda, that godlike being capable of leveling mountains, Fury had been obsessed. That raw power had burned itself into his memory.
Aside from her—the woman who claimed to carry the weight of the universe—no one else he knew could rival Lucas.
If someone like him could be recruited into the Avengers, there would be no mission too dangerous, no threat too great.
But Lucas just smirked. "Sorry, not interested in joining your little Bad Boys Club. I'm just a small business owner, remember? I run a detective agency. If you've got a job, you can hire me—just make sure the pay's good."
Same line, same attitude. Lucas wasn't one to fight for free, and he certainly wasn't about to abandon his office for some world-saving PR stunt.
Fury sighed. "Fine. I won't press the issue. Just… I hope that one day, you don't find yourself standing on the opposite side of that team."
"Relax," Lucas said, shrugging. "I'm human too, you know."
Inwardly, though, he couldn't help thinking: Yup, definitely persecution complex.
"So," Fury asked, "when do you plan to depart for the Middle East?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jet is fueled and waiting on standby."
"Whenever," Lucas replied casually. "I can leave right now."
He didn't need to pack—food, water, even lodging weren't an issue. Thanks to the Chocobo Space he had access to, Lucas could teleport back to his office at any time. It worked like his own personal interdimensional hub.
"Then let's head to the airport," Fury said. "The sooner you leave, the better. Every hour Stark stays missing, the risk grows."
Lucas waved his hand dismissively. "No need for the jet. Coulson's still stationed in the Middle East, right? I'll contact him when I get there."
Fury's brow arched. "You're not taking a plane? Then how exactly are you planning to get there?"
"You'll see," Lucas said with a smirk. "Don't worry about it. I'll call Coulson once I've arrived—tell him to stay put at the base."
He wasn't about to explain his methods.
Fury exhaled through his nose. "…Fine. Natasha, take him back to his office."
---
Back at the Devil May Cry Detective Agency, Lucas didn't bother hiding anything.
He told Skye directly that he was heading to the Middle East to rescue Tony Stark, and if all went smoothly, he'd be back within a few days.
"Oh, and when Stark's back," he added, "sell all the stocks. Every last one."
Skye just sighed and nodded. "Got it…"
Then Lucas pulled out the Chocobo Whistle and gave it a sharp blow.
"Wark! Wark!!"
Space twisted and shimmered, and with a gust of wind, Onion the Chocobo appeared, honking excitedly and nearly knocking Lucas over with its beak.
"I'm heading out. Hold down the fort while I'm gone, yeah?"
Lucas vaulted onto Onion's back.
"Alright, Onion—let's roll! Next stop, the Middle East!"
"Wark!!"
With a powerful kick, Onion launched itself skyward, breaking the sound barrier in seconds. The shockwave rattled windows for blocks as they vanished into the clouds.
---
In a S.H.I.E.L.D. safehouse, Fury watched the feed from one of his external surveillance drones.
"Where the hell did he get that thing?" Fury growled, staring at the footage of Onion rocketing into the sky. "And how the hell does it fly that fast?!"
Yes—S.H.I.E.L.D. still had its usual habits.
Even though they couldn't plant bugs inside Lucas's apartment or office, they had surrounded the entire block with hidden cameras, giving them a 360-degree view of his building.
Natasha smiled faintly. "No clue. First time I've seen that bird myself. Guess the boss still has a few surprises left."
Every time Fury looked frustrated, it lifted her mood.
"Tell Coulson to be on standby," Fury ordered, his face dark as night. "I want eyes on everything that kid does over there."
---
Meanwhile, Lucas streaked across the sky, leaving a sonic boom trailing behind him.
He didn't know exactly where Tony Stark was being held, but that didn't bother him. Onion had an ability—scent tracking. As long as it had something that carried Tony's scent, it could find him anywhere.
In less than two hours, Lucas reached the Middle East. He landed in a quiet stretch of desert, pulled out the phone Natasha had given him, and called Coulson.
"Yo, Agent Coulson! Guess what? I'm here."
The desert sun was brutal. Within minutes, Lucas was sweating and questioning all his life choices. But he'd made a promise—to Fury, and more importantly, to Skye—so there was no backing out now.
He sat in Onion's shadow, sipping an icy melon juice while his bird happily scratched at the sand, seemingly immune to the heat.
"I've sent you the coordinates," Coulson's voice crackled through the comm, nearly drowned out by background noise.
Lucas checked the screen—sure enough, a red dot appeared on the map.
"Alright, Onion. Let's move."
One flap of those massive wings, and they were gone in a golden blur.
Minutes later, they arrived over a U.S. military base.
"Enemy attack!!!"
Someone below shouted the moment they saw Onion's silhouette. Within seconds, anti-air turrets and missile launchers locked onto Lucas's position.
"Hey! Are you blind?! What the hell do you think I'm attacking you with, feathers? I'm friendly, damn it!"
Lucas ignored the weapons and landed smoothly in the middle of the base. Coulson hurried out just in time to wave the soldiers down.
"Stand down! He's an ally!"
The troops hesitated, then slowly lowered their weapons.
"You made good time," Coulson said, adjusting his tie as he approached. "And I assume this is your flying… creature?"
He eyed Onion cautiously, though he was smart enough not to touch it like Peter once had.
"Oh? So you already knew I'd be arriving this way?" Lucas asked, raising a brow.
Coulson gave a small smile. "The Director briefed me. Said you took off on a giant bird. He told me not to be too surprised when you landed."
Lucas smirked. "Yeah… something tells me those weren't exactly his words."
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