"Rumlow, what the hell happened here?"
The first agent to reach the elevator, a man with a receding hairline, lowered his gun and addressed Rumlow.
He alone dropped his weapon, while the other agents kept their sights locked on the two figures in the elevator.
"Can't you investigate these guys first?"
Rumlow's voice carried a sharp edge of irritation. No one would be thrilled after a sudden ambush.
He cared more about the attackers' identities than either faction within S.H.I.E.L.D. did.
Though their corpses lent weight to his story, their appearance was baffling.
It looked like Rumlow was headed back to the interrogation room.
"Go."
Coulson waved at the agents behind him. They cautiously stepped around Rumlow, gloving up to collect the attackers' remains.
"Coulson, I haven't done anything to deserve an attack, have I?"
Rumlow locked eyes with Coulson, his gaze probing.
He searched for clues in the usually mild-mannered agent's expression.
He needed to know if his plans had already been exposed to both sides.
Suspicion was inevitable, but he didn't want to be under scrutiny before he could act.
His stare weighed heavily on Coulson. Fresh from battle, Rumlow's eyes burned with a predator's intensity, like he was sizing up something damned.
"Let's wait for the Director."
Coulson spread his hands, a gesture meant to signal harmlessness.
It also served to distract, a classic agent's trick.
He was trying to mask his unease. As an agent, he couldn't afford to show real emotion.
Unless it was unavoidable.
"I'd like to see those guys' identity reports ASAP!"
Rumlow's voice rose, unaware of how it sounded. The fight was still fresh, and he wasn't used to this.
Crushing enemies with his hands felt worlds apart from shooting them, leaving him slightly feverish.
Blood dripped from his clothes, making him look menacing.
"What's going on?"
Nick Fury's voice cut through from a distance, a declaration of his authority over S.H.I.E.L.D.
He'd surely been briefed on the way here.
He might've even reviewed the elevator's security footage before moving.
"Seal the scene and start questioning nearby personnel!"
Agent Hill took charge, directing the agents, while Fury stayed silent.
The situation was clear. His presence was to calm the rattled agents.
Enemies infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. without leaving a single survivor? He needed to steady his team's nerves.
At worst, he'd lose another life-model decoy. Nick Fury could afford that.
"Uncle, were those guys demons?"
Jill tugged at the hem of Bul-Kathos's clothes, his voice full of doubt.
To him, those creatures didn't even measure up to Jessica, who kept mooching meals at the forge.
"They're about as significant as the ash at the bottom of a furnace."
Bul-Kathos had no interest in elaborating. His focus was on where to take Jill next.
He'd been in this world for a while but hadn't explored much.
"Can we go to an amusement park?"
Jill's tone was cautious, a tentative test.
"That's something for your dad to take you to."
Bul-Kathos's gaze flicked to a nearby corner where Frank Castle was watching his son.
Jill followed his line of sight and spotted his father.
His grip on Bul-Kathos's clothes tightened.
"Alright, let's go over."
Bul-Kathos ruffled Jill's spiky hair.
Letting Jill spend a day with his father wasn't a bad idea. It'd free Bul-Kathos from deciding what to do.
Though he sensed the gunpowder on Frank.
"Okay!"
Jill's excitement bubbled up as he followed Bul-Kathos through the crowd to Frank's side.
"Take your kid out for a day. You could use a break too."
Bul-Kathos's words sounded like an order, gruff but well-meaning. Frank took Jill's hand, his eyes grateful.
Watching the father and son walk off, Bul-Kathos hesitated.
He suddenly didn't know what to do with himself.
"Maybe I'll track down Ancient One, see if she's got any decent punching bags to recommend."
His muttering was loud enough for passersby to hear.
"Matt, when are you going to get a lead on the Hand?"
Luke sat on the safehouse floor, toying with his star-spangled helmet.
The safehouse was now shared, though Luke hadn't chipped in a dime.
"It'll take some time. This Punisher guy's been cleaning up the gangs, keeping things quiet."
Matt's tone dipped when mentioning the Punisher.
Wherever that guy struck, it was a massacre. Gang hideouts were left with barely a breathing soul.
"These days have been boring as hell. I'd rather be training on Harrogath."
Luke grabbed a towel, wiping down his helmet.
"There's a spot we could check out in a couple of days. Not the Hand, but a deal going down."
Matt felt restless too. Helping the poor with legal aid was fulfilling, but after tasting combat, he craved action.
"Where?"
"An abandoned factory out west. Arms deal, apparently."
"Why do these bastards always pick places like abandoned factories? If I were NYPD, I'd slap cameras on every one!"
Luke grumbled.
Hell's Kitchen was no paradise. The 15th Precinct was riddled with dirty cops aiding the scum.
"You know their budget got cut again, right?"
Matt's voice was weary.
The justice system kept getting gutted, and he couldn't fathom what went on in the heads of those high-up officials.
Politics and coordination? Not his game. He was a lawyer, not a politician.
-----------------------------
Thank you all for your support!
I'm planning to add a line to the synopsis: "Messy timeline, heaps of secondary world-building."
A reader today questioned how Dormammu could ignore the Time Stone's power while the protagonist can't.
Something about time not existing in the Dark Dimension, the Time Stone bringing the concept of time, etc.
I'm kinda baffled…
In the movie, Dormammu was clearly affected by the Time Stone! He just realized something was off!
And saying Strange could only use time on himself? Shocking!
How could Dormammu and the Dark Dimension ignore a fragment of the Nemesis's power?
Just because he's on par with Ancient One?
Maybe he fears Vishanti, a fellow dimensional god, but that doesn't make him immune to time!
Even Odin ages!
Sure, after merging with the Dark Dimension, lifespans stretch endlessly, but still!
Time's power is a top-tier rule everywhere. What's this about the Dark Dimension having no concept of time?
Dormammu's just a wizard who hijacked the Dark Dimension. He doesn't have the clout to ignore time…
Feeling down, Orz.
(End of Chapter)
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