Morning sunlight filtered through the Manhattan apartment's windows, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor. Su Chen stood before a holographic display only he could see—courtesy of his direct neural link with Babata—reviewing the night's intelligence gathering.
"Master," Babata's voice resonated in his mind, "I've completed the deep infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s digital infrastructure. Their security is... adequate for this universe's technological level, but primitive compared to our systems. I've mapped their entire organizational structure."
The hologram shifted, displaying a complex web of connections, facilities, and personnel files. At the center sat Nicholas Joseph Fury—Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., former Colonel, and the man responsible for the Avengers Initiative.
"Show me Project Pegasus," Su Chen commanded silently.
The display zoomed in on a facility buried in the Mojave Desert. Detailed schematics appeared, showing multiple levels of underground laboratories, security checkpoints, and at the very center, a heavily shielded chamber containing a cube that radiated distinctive blue energy.
"The Tesseract," Su Chen murmured, his golden pupil analyzing every detail. "Current security measures?"
"Extensive," Babata reported. "Biometric locks, armed guards with authorization to use lethal force, electromagnetic shielding, and multiple redundant containment systems. However, the real protection is informational—very few people know the facility's exact location or purpose. It's compartmentalized even within S.H.I.E.L.D."
"And Dr. Erik Selvig?"
"Currently on-site, conducting energy extraction experiments. His research is ambitious but fundamentally flawed—he's treating the Tesseract as a power source rather than a dimensional gateway. This has caused several minor containment breaches over the past month."
Su Chen's lips curved into a slight smile. "Perfect. Those breaches are our entry point. If the Tesseract becomes unstable enough, S.H.I.E.L.D. will need to evacuate or call in specialists. Either scenario creates opportunities."
He turned as Saeko emerged from her room, already dressed in contemporary clothing—dark jeans, a leather jacket, and boots that concealed her enhanced nature while allowing full mobility. Her Supreme Sword Bone was dormant but ready, compressed so tightly that even enhanced sensors wouldn't detect it.
"You're planning something," she observed, reading his expression with the familiarity of someone who'd fought beside him across multiple worlds.
"We're accelerating the timeline," Su Chen confirmed. "Today, we make ourselves visible to S.H.I.E.L.D. But we need the right kind of incident—something that demonstrates useful abilities without revealing our true power level."
Esdeath joined them, her presence bringing a noticeable drop in temperature despite the masking agent suppressing her abilities. "What did you have in mind?"
Before Su Chen could answer, an alert flashed across his neural interface. Babata's voice carried urgency: "Master, I'm detecting an anomalous situation developing in Queens. A enhanced individual is engaging with armed criminals. Preliminary analysis suggests this might be—"
"Spider-Man," Su Chen finished, his Dual Pupils already accessing public surveillance feeds. "Or rather, Peter Parker in the early stages of his vigilante career. Show me."
The holographic display shifted, showing a figure in a crude red and blue costume swinging between buildings. The movements were raw but demonstrated extraordinary agility and strength. Below, a group of armed men were attempting to rob an electronics store, clearly not expecting interference from a teenager with spider powers.
"This is our opportunity," Su Chen declared, already moving toward the door. "Babata, calculate intercept trajectory. We're going to assist Spider-Man and ensure S.H.I.E.L.D. notices our presence."
"Master, this seems risky," Saeko cautioned. "Revealing ourselves to help a vigilante?"
"It's perfect," Su Chen countered, his strategic mind already three steps ahead. "Spider-Man is on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar but they haven't made contact yet—he's too unpredictable, too young. If we appear as enhanced individuals who help him during a crisis, we accomplish multiple objectives: we demonstrate controlled abilities, we establish ourselves as potential assets rather than threats, and we create a connection with someone who will eventually become central to this universe's hero community."
Esdeath's eyes gleamed with understanding. "And S.H.I.E.L.D. will approach us because they'll want to know who we are and what our intentions are."
"Exactly," Su Chen confirmed as they exited the apartment. "We let them think they're recruiting us, when in reality, we're infiltrating them."
They moved through Manhattan with purpose but without urgency, blending into the morning crowd. Su Chen's Dual Pupils continuously scanned their surroundings, noting the locations of surveillance cameras, identifying plainclothes security personnel, and mapping escape routes purely out of habit.
The robbery was occurring in a lower-income neighborhood in Queens, approximately forty minutes away by conventional transit. Su Chen had no intention of using conventional transit.
"Xiao Yi Xian," he called through their communication network, reaching back to the fortress. "I need a localized spatial distortion. Create a blind spot in the surveillance network within a five-block radius of our current location. Duration: thirty seconds."
"Understood," came the Poison Fairy's response. Moments later, Su Chen felt the subtle shift as Xiao Yi Xian's distributed consciousness interfaced with the city's electronic infrastructure, creating cascading errors in camera feeds and sensor data.
"Now," Su Chen commanded.
His Primordial Metamorphosis activated, and his form blurred. It wasn't teleportation—not exactly. Instead, he occupied the transitional space between locations, moving through the city at speeds that rendered him effectively invisible to normal observation. Saeko and Esdeath moved with him, their own enhanced capabilities allowing them to keep pace.
To any observer, there would be only a brief distortion in the air, easily dismissed as a trick of the light. But in those thirty seconds, they crossed half of Manhattan and arrived in Queens, materializing in an alley three blocks from the robbery in progress.
"Surveillance network normalizing," Babata reported. "Your arrival was undetected. However, I'm picking up S.H.I.E.L.D. chatter—they're monitoring the robbery situation. An agent designated 'Phil Coulson' is en route with a tactical team."
"Coulson," Su Chen mused, accessing the files Babata had compiled. "Senior field agent, directly reports to Fury, specializes in enhanced individual contact. He's perfect."
They emerged from the alley and quickly assessed the situation. Spider-Man was engaged with six armed criminals, his movements showcasing impressive reflexes but lack of formal training. He was relying purely on instinct and his enhanced abilities, which made him effective but inefficient.
"Impressive strength-to-weight ratio," Saeko observed clinically. "His power source is biological rather than mystical or technological. Some kind of mutation or genetic alteration."
"Radioactive spider bite, according to the intelligence I've gathered," Su Chen confirmed. "An accident that rewrote his DNA, granting him proportional spider abilities. Strength, speed, agility, wall-crawling, and a precognitive danger sense he calls 'spider-sense.'"
As they watched, one of the criminals produced a weapon that made Su Chen's eyes narrow—a piece of advanced technology that definitely didn't belong in the hands of street-level thieves.
"Chitauri technology," he identified immediately. "Scavenged from future battlefields. Someone is selling alien weapons on the black market."
"Should we intervene?" Esdeath asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"Yes, but carefully," Su Chen instructed. "Saeko, disable the three criminals on the left. Use enhanced speed and precision strikes, but keep it within human possibility—think peak Olympic athlete, not supernatural swordswoman. Esdeath, create localized temperature drops to disorient the others, but nothing that screams 'ice magic.' I'll handle the one with the Chitauri weapon."
They moved as one, their coordination the product of countless battles across multiple dimensions.
Saeko crossed the distance in a blur, her movements enhanced but not impossibly so. She struck with precise palm strikes and joint locks, dropping three criminals in under four seconds. To Spider-Man's eyes, she would appear as an exceptionally skilled martial artist—impressive, but not beyond human capability.
Esdeath's intervention was more subtle. The temperature around the remaining criminals dropped fifteen degrees in an instant, causing their breath to mist and their muscles to stiffen from the sudden cold. Combined with their disorientation, it was enough to slow their reactions critically.
Su Chen walked directly toward the criminal with the Chitauri weapon—a energy rifle that glowed with unstable blue light. The man, panicked by the sudden intervention, pointed the weapon at Su Chen and fired.
The energy blast came at him in what seemed like slow motion to his Formation Arrangement perception. Su Chen's hand moved, and his Supreme Sword Bone activated for a fraction of a second—just enough to generate a precise cutting edge that split the energy beam, deflecting it harmlessly into the pavement on either side of him.
To outside observers, it would look like he'd somehow dodged with impossible timing. Only someone with enhanced perception would notice the faint shimmer in the air where his sword intent had manifested.
Su Chen closed the distance and delivered a single strike to the man's solar plexus—measured, controlled, and calculated to incapacitate without permanent injury. The criminal crumpled, and Su Chen caught the Chitauri weapon before it hit the ground.
"Impressive!" Spider-Man called out, landing beside them with his characteristic enthusiasm. "That was some seriously smooth moves! Are you guys like, professional bodyguards or something? Because that was way cooler than my 'hit them until they stop moving' strategy."
Su Chen examined the weapon with apparent interest, though his Dual Pupils were already conducting a complete molecular analysis and copying its design into his mental archive. "Something like that. You handled yourself well, considering you're self-taught."
"Wait, how did you know I'm—" Spider-Man began, then caught himself. "I mean, yeah, totally self-taught! YouTube tutorials and lots of practice. You should see my search history. 'How to punch good,' 'Acrobatics for beginners,' 'Is it legal to web criminals to buildings?'"
Despite himself, Su Chen felt a flicker of amusement. Peter Parker's earnest awkwardness was genuine, a stark contrast to the calculated interactions he'd grown accustomed to in cultivation worlds.
"You should probably leave before the authorities arrive," Su Chen advised, noting the approaching sirens. "Something tells me you prefer to avoid official attention."
"Yeah, you're not wrong about that," Spider-Man admitted. "But what about you guys? Won't the police want statements?"
"We'll handle it," Esdeath assured him, her tone brooking no argument.
Spider-Man seemed to sense the dismissal. "Right, well, thanks for the assist! Maybe I'll see you around the neighborhood!" With that, he fired a web line and swung away, disappearing between buildings.
"Earnest kid," Saeko observed once he was gone. "Genuinely wants to help people."
"Which makes him useful," Su Chen replied pragmatically. "Heroes with genuine ideals are predictable, and predictability is exploitable."
Police vehicles arrived moments later, followed closely by a unmarked black SUV that Su Chen immediately identified as S.H.I.E.L.D. transport. The rear door opened, and a man in a dark suit emerged—middle-aged, thinning hair, and an expression of professional courtesy that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Phil Coulson," Babata confirmed in Su Chen's mind. "Level 7 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Authorization to make contact with enhanced individuals."
Coulson approached with his hands visible and non-threatening, his body language deliberately open. "Afternoon. Agent Phil Coulson, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." He paused, then added with a slight smile, "I know, the name's a mouthful. We're working on the acronym."
Su Chen returned the smile, his own expression carefully crafted to show mild surprise rather than expectation. "That's quite a title. Are we in some kind of trouble, Agent Coulson?"
"Not at all," Coulson assured him smoothly. "In fact, we're grateful for your intervention. Those criminals were armed with stolen advanced technology. Your actions prevented potential civilian casualties." He glanced at the Chitauri weapon still in Su Chen's hand. "Speaking of which, I'll need to confiscate that. It's evidence in an ongoing investigation."
Su Chen handed it over without resistance—he'd already copied every aspect of its design. "Of course. Though I am curious about where street criminals obtained military-grade energy weapons."
Something flickered in Coulson's eyes—recognition that Su Chen was more observant than a typical civilian. "That's part of what we're investigating. Which brings me to why I wanted to speak with you." He pulled out a tablet, calling up what appeared to be a standard witness statement form. "I'd like to get your contact information, purely for follow-up purposes. What you did here was impressive, and we like to maintain relationships with citizens who demonstrate... exceptional situational awareness."
It was a recruitment pitch disguised as bureaucratic procedure. Coulson was feeling them out, trying to determine if they were potential assets or potential threats.
"My name is Su Chen," he offered, using one of the identities Babata had fabricated. "These are my associates, Saeko Busujima and Esdeath." He rattled off the contact information linked to their cover identities, watching Coulson's expression for any sign of suspicion.
There was none. The cover identities were flawless, integrated into every database and backed by years of fabricated history. To S.H.I.E.L.D.'s background checks, they would appear as legitimate citizens with unremarkable pasts.
"Thank you," Coulson said, recording the information. "One more question, if you don't mind. Your response time to this incident was remarkably fast, and your combat capabilities are quite advanced. Do you have military or law enforcement backgrounds?"
"Private security," Su Chen lied smoothly. "We work for various clients who require discrete protection. The training is comprehensive."
"I see," Coulson nodded, though Su Chen could see him mentally filing that explanation away for further investigation. "Well, thank you for your cooperation. We may contact you for additional questions." He handed Su Chen a business card—simple, professional, with just a name and phone number. "And if you ever encounter similar situations, feel free to reach out. We're always interested in coordinating with capable individuals."
It was an opening, an invitation to make contact on their terms. Exactly what Su Chen had been aiming for.
"We'll keep that in mind, Agent Coulson," Su Chen replied, pocketing the card.
As they walked away, leaving Coulson to coordinate with the local police, Saeko spoke quietly. "He's more perceptive than he appears. He suspects we're more than we're claiming."
"Of course he does," Su Chen agreed. "He's a professional spy. But suspicion without evidence is meaningless, and our cover identities will withstand any investigation he conducts. More importantly, we've now established contact on their terms, which makes us appear less threatening."
"What's the next move?" Esdeath asked.
"Now we wait," Su Chen said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. will investigate us, find nothing suspicious, and within forty-eight hours, Coulson will contact us with an offer—either recruitment or consultation. Either way, we'll have our entry point into their organization."
They returned to their apartment, and Su Chen immediately began analyzing the Chitauri weapon data his Dual Pupils had captured. The technology was crude compared to what he'd seen in higher-tier universes, but it demonstrated interesting principles—particularly its ability to channel exotic energy forms through crystalline matrices.
"Babata, integrate this weapon design into our database," he commanded. "Cross-reference with the Magitek principles from Perfect World and the Spirit-Fusion drives from the fortress. I want to see if we can create hybrid weapons that combine multiple universal principles."
"Acknowledged, Master. Initial analysis suggests the Chitauri technology could be enhanced by approximately 340% through integration with our existing systems. Shall I begin prototype designs?"
"Yes, but keep them theoretical for now. We won't manufacture anything until we're certain it won't leave detectable signatures."
Su Chen moved to the window, looking out over Queens. Somewhere in this borough, Peter Parker was probably returning to his normal life, unaware that he'd just been part of a calculated play in a much larger game.
"Master," Babata's voice carried a note of alert. "I'm detecting another development. The Tesseract at Project Pegasus has experienced another containment breach—this one more severe than previous incidents. Dr. Selvig's experiments have destabilized its energy matrix. S.H.I.E.L.D. is evacuating non-essential personnel."
Su Chen's eyes gleamed. "Perfect timing. How severe is the instability?"
"Significant enough that S.H.I.E.L.D. is considering relocating the Tesseract entirely. Director Fury is convening an emergency meeting to discuss contingencies."
"Which means security will be in flux," Su Chen mused. "Protocols will be suspended, personnel will be distracted, and opportunities will present themselves."
He turned to his companions. "Change of plans. We're not waiting for S.H.I.E.L.D. to contact us—we're going to give them a reason to need us. Babata, I want continuous monitoring of Project Pegasus. The moment that facility shows signs of critical failure, we move."
"Understood, Master. However, I should note that interfering with a S.H.I.E.L.D. crisis situation will draw significant attention."
"Exactly," Su Chen smiled coldly. "Sometimes the best way to infiltrate an organization isn't to sneak in quietly—it's to make yourself so valuable that they invite you through the front door."
He pulled up the holographic display, showing the Tesseract's fluctuating energy patterns. The Space Stone was awakening, its power resonating across dimensional boundaries. Soon, very soon, events would begin to cascade toward the Chitauri Invasion.
But this time, those events would unfold according to Su Chen's design.
The harvest of the Marvel Universe had truly begun.