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*****
After another long, earnest, and ultimately fruitness heart-to-heart with the Mind Scepter, Feny finally gave up on the idea of it volunteering its help. He began to brainstorm alternative methods.
As for Tony, between researching spacecraft, plotting his revenge, and upgrading his armors, he certainly wouldn't have the luxury of time to assist.
If Banner were still around, Feny might have let him give it a try. Unfortunately, the man had gone into self-imposed exile. His whereabouts were unknown, and even if Feny found him, there was no guarantee he would cooperate.
Then there was the Ancient One. She had consistently warned against the reckless use of the Mind and Space Stones. It was highly unlikely she'd step in to help. Besides, magic and cosmic genetic engineering were two very different fields; her expertise might not even apply.
As for seeking help from the "Braised Egg" (Nick Fury), Feny felt he'd be better off taking the Scepter directly to a HYDRA base and having Sitwell assign some personnel. The result would likely be the same.
However, he didn't want to become too entangled with HYDRA. Moreover, now that he had told Tony the truth about Bucky, the clock was ticking on the existence of both HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. anyway.
After weighing his options, Feny decided to study it himself for a while. It wasn't as if he were strictly obligated to bring Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver into existence. Plus, the twins' current attitude remained ambiguous; he had no desire to manufacture trouble for himself.
The next day, Feny checked in with Sitwell to gauge Alexander Pierce's reaction to the Sokovia incident.
"He suspects an internal mole and is currently purging the ranks," Sitwell reported cautiously. "By the way, Baron Strucker seems to have fled here as well. He's also trying to track down your identity."
"Do they suspect you?" Feny asked, eyeing the wary Sitwell.
"Not at all," Sitwell shook his head. "I was handpicked and promoted by Pierce himself. Furthermore, I've left no paper trail regarding these matters. Suspicion won't fall on me."
"I see."
Feny nodded, studying Sitwell's features as he spoke. The bald head, rounded face, thick brows, and sophisticated glasses—while he didn't possess Coulson's benevolent aura, he certainly looked the part of a loyal, honest bureaucrat. It really was difficult to peg him as a traitor.
"Regardless, keep a low profile for a while. I won't be contacting you for a bit, so stay safe."
Summer break was drawing to a close, and Feny's school term was about to begin. He planned to set everything aside and focus on preparing for graduation.
"Understood!" Sitwell nodded, feeling a touch moved by Feny's consideration. Being a double agent wasn't easy; more meetings meant more chances for exposure.
"Alright, I'm heading out."
As Feny rose to leave, Sitwell hesitated before calling out, "But what if there's an absolute emergency and I need to reach you?"
"Hmm... an absolute emergency." Feny rubbed his chin. He didn't want to miss out on critical intelligence. After a moment's thought, he finally gave Sitwell his phone number.
"Don't use this unless it's a dire situation, understand?" Feny cautioned.
"Of course!" Sitwell nodded vigorously, feeling as though he had passed a significant test and truly become one of Feny's inner circle.
On the final day of summer break, Feny visited Tony. Wanda and Pietro were staying in a villa Tony had arranged. Tony had used specialized means to clear their identity issues and hadn't restricted their freedom, even granting them access to Stark Tower and his own home.
Since the twins currently lacked any superpowers, their quest for revenge would be cut short at the front door by the bodyguard, Happy, even without Feny's interference.
On Tony's end, spacecraft R&D had mostly stalled, as had work on his armors. Feny knew he was deep-diving into the truth behind his parents' accident and tracking Bucky's location.
Unfortunately for Tony, Feny's "god-like" unpredictability had spooked Alexander Pierce and the rest of HYDRA. Consequently, they had re-frozen Bucky—the last Winter Soldier—and retreated further into the shadows, conducting internal audits to find the leak. HYDRA's ability to remain undetected for decades was a testament to their excellence in concealment and "cleanup."
Thus, despite Tony's extensive investigation, he only confirmed that a "Winter Soldier" likely existed. He couldn't find a trace of which organization he belonged to or where he originated.
Feny didn't intervene further. He had done his part. On Cap's side, he had spared Bucky and even put in a good word for him. Aside from not breaking Bucky's brainwashing, he had been quite helpful. On Tony's side, he had revealed the truth ahead of time. Aside from not explicitly naming HYDRA as the puppet master, he'd said all he could. He hadn't gained much from either side, but he owed neither anything.
Once school started, Feny became a whirlwind of activity, putting everything else on the back burner. Graduating early was proving to be significantly harder than he had anticipated. Three months flew by, and as Christmas approached, his experience bar for the eighth skill draw was still just a hair short of the goal.
Part of the reason was his own growing strength; he defeated other sorcerers so quickly now that the experience gained from matches was dwindling.
Finally, after three months of relentless effort, Feny accrued enough credits to graduate early. Because it wasn't a standard graduation season, there were almost no other graduates. The only other person finishing was someone who had missed credits previously and was just now catching up.
As he prepared to leave the campus, Feny felt an unexpected pang of nostalgia. It had been nearly three years since he first started. Looking back, he'd actually had a fairly good time. He had a chatty best friend in Billy and a group of girls who constantly tried to invite him out over the holidays—even if he hadn't accepted a single invitation.
Because of this, when he finally left, he didn't notify anyone except Billy.
At the school gates, Billy looked at the suddenly graduated Feny, feeling as though it were surreal. "What do you plan to do next?"
"Go home!" Feny looked back at the campus. Beyond the nostalgia, he felt a joyous sense of liberation.
"I mean, how are you going to keep increasing your strength? And hey, next time you show up, can you give me a heads-up?" Billy asked in a low voice. Ever since learning about Feny's enemies, he rarely pried, but he couldn't help himself now that Feny was leaving.
"I'm going to space!" Feny rolled his eyes at Billy, then patted his shoulder. "Appreciate what you have now. Don't go looking for trouble. This world is a dangerous place—stay safe."
"You too!"
Billy was touched and moved in for a hug, but Feny sensed it and rejected him with a look of pure disgust.
After saying goodbye to Billy, Feny returned home. The thought of not having to go to school tomorrow felt strangely alien. However, remembering that so much time had passed and he still hadn't drawn his eighth skill, a sense of urgency returned.
The Battle of New York was over, but the arrival of Dormammu was drawing closer. Moreover, that "mother leopard" (Hela) could show up on Earth at any time. He had to hurry.
With that thought, Feny summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. He looked at the fourth star, which was now pulsing with clarity. After months of intermittent "feeding," the Blue-Eyes White Dragon was finally on the verge of evolving to four stars.
(End of Chapter)