章節 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.
章節 56: Chapter 56
'If SHIELD catches sight of the portal and what's behind it, they'll investigate. With Fury and Hydra involved, the sanctums would be in danger.' Liam thought.
'Sure, the sanctums can be protected, but if all the strong mages are tied up defending them, who will handle higher-level dimensional tears?' Liam continued as he watched Ava disappear behind a cluster of trees and bushes.
Liam couldn't help but feel his teenage hormones working as his thoughts went to Ava. 'Even though my mental age is high, my body is still that of a teenager. Any thought about an undressed woman sets it off....'
After a while, Ava appeared in the normal clothes Liam had given her, leaving her suit behind. The clothes were a little oversized but still managed to make her curves shine. 'Definitely picked the right clothes,' Liam thought, admiring her figure as she approached.
'They barely showed her in the movies. Such a waste. I'm sure the Ant-Man films would've done better if they had.' Liam thought.
"Can we go now?" Ava asked, snapping Liam out of his thoughts.
"Yes, thank you," Liam replied. "Stand close to me, and whatever you're about to see... get used to it."
Ava nodded, paying close attention to his actions.
Liam turned away, preparing to open a portal. 'Speaking of which, I'm such an idiot. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to peep using a smaller portal.' He shook his head, silently facepalming.
Concentrating, Liam began to wave his hand in a circle, the sling ring glowing as a portal began to form. A round human-sized doorway appeared in front of him, surrounding it was an orange edge.
Turning back, Liam saw Ava staring in shock, her body tensed and on guard.
"We're going through this," Liam said calmly.
"What is this?" Ava asked, alarmed.
"This," Liam explained, gesturing to the gateway, "is a portal. It'll take us to where my teacher is."
"A portal?" Ava echoed, incredulous. "Magic like this... it actually exists?"
"You can phase through living beings, yet you're surprised that magic exists?" Liam said, raising an eyebrow.
Ava looked at him. "The reason I can phase is because of a scientific lab accident. Something like this... it's beyond anything I've ever seen."
"Well, get ready," Liam said, grinning slightly. "This is just basic magic."
He stepped through the portal and motioned for Ava to follow. On the other side was the main hall of the New York Sanctum. Liam immediately noticed the Ancient One waiting for them, as he had discussed with her.
Ava hesitantly stepped through, looking around in awe. "Where are we now?"
"We're in New York," Liam answered. He gestured to the Ancient One. "And that's my teacher."
The two of them approached the Ancient One, who greeted them both warmly.
"So, this is the one you mentioned?" the Ancient One asked, looking at Ava.
"Yes," Liam confirmed with a nod.
"I'll see what I can do. Follow me," the Ancient One said, her voice calm and peaceful.
Liam nodded, gesturing for Ava to follow. Ava complied, following behind as they walked to a smaller, more private room.
Once inside, the Ancient One gestured for them to sit as she prepared tea.
"This is my teacher, the Ancient One," Liam said, introducing her formally.
"The Ancient One? That's your name?" Ava asked.
"Yes, young one," the Ancient One replied with a serene smile. "My real name has long been forgotten."
"Liam said you might be able to help treat my illness. Is that true?" Ava asked, her voice mixed with hope and desperation.
"Treat?" the Ancient One said thoughtfully. "I don't think I can treat it."
Ava's expression fell, confusion and frustration flickering across her face.
The Ancient One continued, "I need to examine your body further to be sure."
She turned to Liam. "Very creative, anchoring her to this realm. You've applied your teachings well."
Ava glanced between them, confused. "If you don't know if you can help, why bring me here? Why give me false hope?" Her voice cracked, her emotions began getting unstable.
"I never said I can't help," the Ancient One corrected gently. "But there is no conventional treatment for your condition."
"What do you mean?" Ava asked.
"It seems your body has been exposed to an extraordinary amount of quantum energy," the Ancient One explained. "Because of this, part of your physical form exists in the Quantum Realm. More exposure to quantum energy could temporarily stop your pain, but it would also accelerate your body's collapse into that dimension."
Ava stared at her, struggling to process the information.
"It's fascinating," the Ancient One mused. "Someone like you shouldn't be able to exist. Your body should've torn itself apart long ago. Even if it didn't, the pain should've broken your mind."
"So what can you do?" Ava asked, her voice trembling. "If you know how much I'm suffering, please tell me how to make it stop."
Liam remained quiet, sipping his tea. 'The Ancient One's tea is always so good,' he thought, all while keeping one ear on the conversation.
"We can infuse enough quantum energy to completely tear your body apart," the Ancient One said.
Liam nearly choked on his tea, giving her a 'what the fuck' look.
The Ancient One smiled. "To clarify, your body will be torn apart and rebuilt. Essentially, your body will be reprogrammed, allowing you to control which dimension you exist in."
Ava didn't hesitate. "As long as the pain is gone, I'll do it."
"Since your body is partially made of quantum energy, it can't be removed without destroying you," the Ancient One explained. "Instead, we'll use the energy to force your body to adapt and stabilize."
She pulled a book from her dimensional pocket skill and flipped to a page showing a meditative pose. "Your damaged cells will be healed, and the undamaged regular cells in your body will be forced to adapt to its new state by ripping them apart and filling them with energy too. Once the process is complete, you'll gain control over your dimensional form."
"If that's possible," Ava said, her voice shaking, "then I want to do it. I can't live with this pain much longer."
"You'll have to wait for a little while longer," the Ancient One said kindly. "I need to prepare. We'll begin in a few days."
"Thank you," Ava said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Liam, having finished his tea, sat in quiet surprise. 'She's actually curing her in one go?'
The Ancient One smiled. "You're welcome. Liam, guide her to a room where she can stay. She may explore the sanctum, but she must not leave."
"But my suit," Ava said hesitantly. "Without this whip, I'll phase uncontrollably again."
"That won't be an issue," the Ancient One replied. She stepped forward, gently placing her hand on Ava's head.
Ava felt a warmth spreading through her body, making her feel comfortable.
"This will keep you anchored in this dimension until the procedure," the Ancient One said. She turned to Liam. "Now, go find her a room."
Liam nodded, standing up. "Follow me," he said as the whip dissolved from Ava's hand.
----
Had to put in a project which I naturally started on the very last day, regular updates will continue now again. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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