章 55: Chapter 55
"Coulson?" Liam asked as the call connected.
"Liam?" Coulson replied, surprised to hear from him so soon.
"Sorry for the short notice, but could you do me a favor and take over a scene just down the street?" Liam asked.
"A scene? What do you mean?" Coulson asked, confused since he had seen Liam leave only a short while ago.
"An accident happened, and I was involved while wearing my armor. There were fatalities, and there's a lot of media coverage. I'm certain it was an attack aimed at me. Let Fury know too—this is the proof I was talking about, it's all over the streets," Liam said.
"Fatalities and media coverage? I'll inform Director Fury immediately," Coulson responded before ending the call.
"Director, there's a situation," Coulson said to Fury, whom sat near him.
"Yes, Coulson, I heard the call," Fury replied, already rising from his chair.
Fury issued commands as they moved. "You head down to the scene and secure it. I'll have Maria handle the media cleanup and join you shortly."
Coulson nodded, stepping into the elevator as he called a few other agents to join him.
Arriving at the scene, Coulson was met with chaos. Crowds of civilians had gathered in the narrow street, blocking off much of the area. Phones were everywhere, and murmurs went through the crowds. Coulson approached an officer near the barricades and showed his badge.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Where's your captain?" Coulson asked.
The officer inspected the badge, clearly unfamiliar with SHIELD. Without a word, he motioned for the captain, who stood nearby, surveying the scene.
"Captain, this guy from Strategic Homeland something something wants to talk to you," the officer said.
The captain turned, scrutinizing Coulson. "What can I do for you?"
"We're taking over this scene. Redirect your men to disperse the crowd before withdrawing," Coulson said, handing over his badge and a document containing SHIELD credentials authorizing the takeover of active law enforcement.
The captain frowned. "I've never heard of SHIELD. I'll need to check with my superior first. Until then, my men are staying put."
Coulson nodded, used to such skepticism. The captain stepped away, phone to his ear as he sought confirmation.
After a short exchange, the captain returned. "I've been instructed to comply. My men will follow your orders. We've already gathered evidence and witness statements, which will be handed over to you."
"Thank you," Coulson replied, stepping into the area now under SHIELD's jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Fury was in SHIELD's command center with Maria Hill. "Director, we're working to delete any media related to this 'monster.' However, it's a challenge. Personal devices take time to reach, but we've already erased uploads and internet posts. We're coordinating with phone providers to wipe content from local devices," Maria reported.
She pulled up a series of videos and photos taken at the scene, displaying them on a screen. "These are the images and footage collected before deletion," she explained.
Fury reviewed the material, his expression unreadable. "Too coincidental…" he muttered. "Is this Liam staging an attack to prove his point, or is it a genuine attempt to take him out?"
A while later, Liam received a call from Coulson.
"It's settled. We've handled the scene, but we'll need an explanation. Since there were no surveillance cameras in that residential area," Coulson said.
"That's fine," Liam replied. "I'll come by later." He ended the call and leaned back, thinking. "With that resolved, it's time to see the Ancient One."
After a short search through Kamar-Taj, Liam found her in her meditation chamber.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Yes, young Liam," the Ancient One said, going out of her meditative state as she turned her attention to him.
"I have something to ask of you," Liam began.
"And what would that be, young Liam?" she asked.
"There's someone I met. She has a unique condition caused by an accident," Liam explained, detailing Ava's situation.
The Ancient One listened patiently, on her face remained the same smile she always had. Once he finished, she nodded. "I will take a look. Bring her to the New York Sanctum, and we will see what can be done," she said with a soft smile.
"Thank you," Liam replied.
"If that's all, you can leave now," she said, sending him away.
Liam bowed slightly and exited the meditation room. Returning to his own room, he did a quick media search to check if SHIELD's cleanup was successful. He found a few articles claiming the accident was caused by two drunk drivers colliding at high speed.
Satisfied, he set his phone aside and opened a portal close to SHIELD headquarters to finish his explanation.
Fury's stare greeted him as he arrived. After enduring the stare during his explanation and while he answered some questions, Liam returned to his room, spending the evening doing some short training exercises before going to sleep.
The next morning, Liam woke early and portaled to a park—the meeting spot he had given Ava. The park was nice and quiet, that was the reason why he had chosen it to meet her. 'Can't have her around people with a suit like that.' Liam thought.
Liam walked leisurely, enjoying the calm before heading to the designated location.
As he approached, he pulled out his phone to check the time. Before he could even unlock it, a brown-haired girl in a white suit appeared in front of him, startling him enough that he almost dropped his phone.
"Can you not do that next time?" Liam asked, clutching his phone. "Phones are expensive, you know?"
"What did your teacher say?" Ava asked.
"Straight to the point, huh?" Liam sighed. "She said to bring you to her. She's never seen anything like your condition before."
Ava's face showed relief. "Thank God," she murmured.
"We should head over," Liam said. Then added, "But first, I need you to change out of that suit."
"Why?" Ava asked, her brow furrowed.
"SHIELD might have bugged your suit. I don't want them spying on what we're about to do," Liam explained.
"But without the suit, I can't control my phasing," Ava said.
"I know," Liam replied. He reached into his bag and pulled out a spare set of clothes. "Take these and change somewhere private. If you start phasing, hold onto this end of the whip—it should stabilize you for some time, like it did before."
Ava hesitated but eventually nodded.
"I'm sorry, but I have to be cautious," Liam said. 'Even though the Sanctum is protected from signals, I can't risk SHIELD catching a sight of the portal I will make through some hidden camera just yet.'
---
Sorry everyone, shorter chapter today. Tired as hell.
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