Somewhere in the heart of the U.S., buried beneath an abandoned research facility, an emergency meeting convened in a chamber shrouded.
"Damn it, did S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military take the wrong tea or something?"
"Why the hell are they crawling all over our sectors?" A voice growled from one corner of the table.
Another figure shifted beside him. "They're responding to the disappearance of Jane Foster."
"The doctor's involved. That brought the whole hornet's nest down."
At the head of the table, the man in charge finally spoke.
"All operations are to be suspended. Every branch, every experiment. Go underground. Evade surveillance. If we're exposed now, the Council won't forgive it."
The others nodded grimly.
In the flickering light, a faint symbol could be seen on his uniform, a skull with tentacles curling out from beneath it.
Hydra.
And they were restless.
"Have we discovered anything about the branch that got wiped out last month?"
The temperature in the room dropped. A silence settled.
"Yes… we did some digging." Eventually, one operative spoke.
"The operation was sabotaged by mercenaries. Specifically, one mercenary. Deadpool."
The name hit like aspirin in an alcohol bottle.
"Wade Wilson…" the leader muttered, as though tasting the annoyance the name carried.
"He destroyed the entire outpost single-handedly. The branch head had secretly contracted him, hoping to retrieve a possible runaway test subject, Max Dillon. It turns out Dillon sought to fight the Doctor."
"That led to Deadpool's involvement."
"Soren Macaluso again." The leader's voice turned razor.
"Everything seems to circle back to him lately. Deadpool… Dillon… and now Foster? What is he, a magnet for Hydra interference?"
Another operative chimed in, hesitant.
"Sir, we believe the trail leads back to the New York-based Everlife Medical Center. That's where the Doctor works, unofficially. He's been experimenting with nontraditional healing protocols."
"Some suggest his methods border on... mystical."
The leader fell silent, Hydra would bide their time, waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity.
Everlife Medical Center
The light breeze outside rustled the trees as Soren stepped into the sun with Jean Grey beside him.
In Jean's arms was a beaming little girl, no older than seven, laughing with carefree joy.
She had come to the clinic with terminal leukemia.
Days later, she walked out on her own. Since then, she visited often, brightening the dull halls of the secret facility with childlike innocence.
"Soren, let's take a walk. I feel like the walls are closing in on me lately." Jean looked up at him with a faint smile.
The burden of her psychic power had been heavier lately, like a dark in the air making her itch inside her mind.
"Sure. We could both use the fresh air." Soren ruffled the little girl's hair.
"What about you, little one? Haven't seen your dad around lately."
"Daddy said he had to do something super big! That he's gonna make life better for me and Mommy!"
"He said when he gets back, we can all go on a vacation."
Soren shared a glance with Jean.
He knew exactly who her father was… Scott Lang, a petty thief, ex-con, and former electronics engineer.
The man was brilliant but desperate, caught between crime and fatherhood. And now, it seemed, he was finally being pulled into the fated moment that would make him Ant-Man.
"Did he say what kind of big thing?"
"Nope! Just that he'll shrink the bad guys down to bug size!" She giggled.
Jean chuckled. "You're cute."
Soren exhaled softly, his eyes on the little girl beside Jean, laughing, tugging on her hand, eager to see the city.
Jean's other hand found his briefly, a knowing look exchanged between them. He was about to speak when~
BRRRRRRRING.
The sharp ringtone cut through the peace.
Soren sighed inwardly. "I'll be quick."
He muttered, stepping aside and answering the call. The name on the screen?
Phil Coulson.
"Doctor Soren. We have a lead. Something useful, finally."
"And it has to do with Jane Foster," Coulson said without any pleasantries.
"I'm listening."
"Jane's recent work on the Nine Realms Convergence gave us an opening. Our records show strange fluctuations during the time of her disappearance, quantum energy spikes, spatial distortion, gravitational anomalies all originating from an abandoned factory in the Lambeth district of old London."
"We've already secured the location. I'm sending you the coordinates."
A soft chime confirmed the location was on its way.
Soren nodded slightly. "That many cosmic anomalies... it isn't just a kidnapping or an accident."
"Exactly. This isn't human tech, Doctor. Something alien touched down."
After hanging up, Soren stood quietly for a moment, staring into the distance. Jean picked up on it immediately.
"You have to go, don't you?"
He turned to her, apologetic. "Yeah. Something's happening."
"It might be the beginning of another incident… bigger than New York."
Jean gave him a reassuring smile, even as concern flickered behind her eyes.
"Go. I'll take the little princess out for some ice cream."
"You'll find us later."
Soren squeezed her hand.
Moments Later
Soren tapped a few keys on his private terminal and dialed.
The call rang once. Then again. Then~
"Soren?" Came the familiar, low voice from the other end. Slightly out of breath. Slightly desperate.
"Didn't expect you to actually remember to charge your phone, Odinson."
"Where's Jane? Tell me! Please!"
Soren's tone softened. "Slow down. I've got a lead. I'll explain everything in person, tell me where you are, and I'll come to you."
Thor quickly responded with his current location.
"I'll see you soon Thor."
"Thank you, Soren."
Soren hung up and smiled.
The moment Phil Coulson mentioned the Nine Realms Convergence, Soren understood.
Jane's disappearance wasn't the result of any earthly power. It was something far greater.
One of the Infinity Gems had resurfaced.
And with it… came the rise of something far more dangerous, Malekith, the Dark Elf Lord, and the Reality Stone in search of its host.
But this time, Earth had something it didn't have before.
Soren Macaluso.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream