Neither Natasha nor anyone else in S.H.I.E.L.D. had the faintest idea that sorcerers were walking right among them. Right there in New York stood one of the three Sanctums, guarded by mages of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. And in the distant stronghold of Kamar-Taj, countless more magicians had watched over Earth for thousands of years, defending it from the corruption of other-dimensional demons.
They were the true protectors of Earth. Compared to them, S.H.I.E.L.D. was little more than a noisy children's club—running around playing hero, calling themselves the "guardians of the planet." If the sorcerers ever bothered to listen, they'd probably laugh themselves to death.
"Anything else you want to ask, Director Fury?" Lucas said lazily, though the question was clearly aimed at the earpiece Natasha was still wearing.
Natasha paused briefly, then asked,
"Besides Skye, how many Inhumans are out there? And where are they now?"
Lucas certainly couldn't tell Fury that the Inhumans were living on the dark side of the moon. If S.H.I.E.L.D. actually found that out, they'd send a fleet up there tomorrow—and then Black Bolt would probably scream them all into dust. Literally. The guy's voice could shatter worlds.
Besides, Lucas wasn't even sure if the Inhumans truly existed in this version of reality.
He spread his hands. "No idea. For all I know, Skye might be the only descendant left in this world. Magic's powerful, sure—but it's not omnipotent. If you want to find them, you'll have to do it yourselves."
Natasha nodded, then switched off the comm link. Fury had gotten all the answers he was going to get—and none of them were useful. The man sat at headquarters, listening to the feed, feeling like he'd just wasted his time.
"Listening to him talk," Fury muttered darkly, "is like listening to a wall."
---
"Finally!" Natasha groaned, stretching as she made a beeline for the fridge. "I thought that interrogation would never end. I'm dying of thirst."
She poured herself a tall glass of chilled fruit juice and took a long drink before turning to Skye.
"So, Skye, how do you feel? Any side effects from awakening your powers?"
Skye smiled. "Not really. Other than my ability being a bit dangerous, I feel completely normal."
"Oh?" Natasha raised a brow. "And what's your ability exactly? It sounds like it's pretty strong."
Skye nodded proudly. "It is. When I first awakened, I could shatter a stone the size of a water tank with my bare hands."
Natasha blinked. "You did what?"
Skye's grin widened. "Lucas calls it 'seismic energy' — like an earthquake."
For a moment, Natasha just stood there speechless.
Earthquake-level powers? If that wasn't terrifying, she didn't know what was. If Skye ever lost control, she could probably level a city block in seconds.
"Lucas," Natasha asked after a moment, "can I awaken powers like hers?"
Lucas looked up from the couch, eyebrow raised. "You? No. You're a normal human. Skye's method won't work for you."
Natasha crossed her arms, half pouting. "Then what about your magic? Can you teach me that?"
"That's even less possible," Lucas replied flatly. "My magic can't be replicated. No one else can learn it."
He wasn't lying. His magic came directly from his mysterious system — it wasn't something that could be passed on or studied.
Natasha sighed in defeat. "Figures. I guess I'm stuck being a regular human forever."
Moments later, she and Skye linked arms and announced they were going shopping, leaving Lucas alone in the office.
He'd been invited, of course, but refused instantly. "Shopping with two women?" he'd scoffed. "What am I gonna do, carry bags?"
He'd learned long ago: once a woman starts shopping, she becomes a tireless, perpetual-motion machine — one that never runs out of energy.
---
Lucas was just about to take a nap when his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the caller ID — Tony Stark.
"Yo, Tony! How's the new armor coming along? My suggestions were brilliant, weren't they—"
He didn't get to finish before Tony's anxious voice cut in.
"Lucas, I need your help. Pepper's in danger."
Lucas's expression hardened immediately. His mind flashed to the timeline he remembered — there were two incidents involving Pepper after Tony's return. One when she broke into Obadiah Stane's office to steal files, and another when she investigated that secret Stark Industries warehouse that wasn't listed in the company records.
Since it was still daytime, it had to be the first one. Pepper must've been caught stealing the files.
"Don't worry," Lucas said quickly. "I'll head to Stark Tower right now. I'll bring Pepper back to my office — she'll be safe here."
"Thank you, Lucas. Seriously, thank you," Tony said, the relief in his voice palpable. In times of crisis, there was only one person he trusted without question — Lucas.
The moment the call ended, Lucas leapt onto his mount, the big yellow Chocobo he affectionately called "Onion," and shot across the city toward Stark Tower.
When he arrived, he spotted Pepper Potts stepping out of the building with Agent Coulson beside her. Her expression was tense, frightened.
"Lucas?! What are you doing here?" Pepper and Coulson said in unison when they saw him.
"Tony called. Said you were in danger. I'm here to take you somewhere safe," Lucas said briskly. "No time to waste. Coulson, you're coming too."
Coulson nodded, and the three quickly piled into a car, speeding off toward Lucas's office. Lucas rode Onion close behind, keeping watch from the air.
Once they arrived, Pepper still looked pale and shaken, clutching a black USB drive tightly in her hand.
"Relax," Lucas said softly. "You're safe here. No one can touch you while you're under my roof."
He immediately called Skye, telling her and Natasha to come back.
The two women had barely stepped into the mall when they got the call — and, sighing in frustration, turned right back around.
When they arrived and learned Pepper was in trouble, both of them snapped to full alert.
"What happened?!" Skye demanded.
"Yeah, what's going on with Pepper?" Natasha asked as Coulson filled them in.
Pepper had snuck into Obadiah Stane's office to steal confidential files and was caught in the act. Stane had chased her down himself, and she'd only escaped because Coulson happened to arrive at the right time.
In the car, Pepper had shown Coulson the contents of the stolen files — detailed records proving Stane had been secretly selling Stark Industries weapons to terrorists and had even been involved in Tony's kidnapping.
Lucas's expression darkened. "Give me the USB. I'll take it to Tony myself. You stay here — Skye will protect you."
He wasn't taking chances. For all they knew, Stane might've already sent assassins or snipers after her. If Pepper so much as stepped outside, she could get a bullet through the head — and Tony would lose it.
Pepper hesitated, then handed Lucas the drive. Coulson stood as well, ready to move.
"I'll go with you," he said. "And I'll have agents shadow Stane. With the evidence you found, he's finished. Selling weapons to terrorists? That's enough for the death penalty."
Lucas nodded, tucking the USB safely away.
The two men headed out immediately — and with Onion's speed, they'd reach Tony's Malibu home in minutes.
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