"Phil, didn't you report to Director Fury? Why are you here?" Seeing the man walking toward her, Melinda raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Director Fury sent me. He wants me to try talking to Ethan again, hoping to get more information. You know how it is—some people are uneasy about that kid's strength, and Fury is feeling the pressure." Coulson spread his hands, his expression casual but laced with concern.
"That makes sense," Melinda nodded, keeping pace with him.
"What's he up to now?" Coulson asked as they walked.
"At first, he stayed close to the girl, making sure she was safe. But once the operation was complete and she was out of danger, he started wandering. We decided to let him move freely within the facility," Melinda explained.
"That's good. Right now, he's more of a guest than a prisoner. If he thought he was under house arrest, that wouldn't end well for anyone." Coulson reached a fork in the hallway, slowing down slightly.
His movement was subtle, but Melinda noticed. Years of working together had sharpened her instincts to the smallest of details.
"Phil, how about we go out for lunch later?" she asked suddenly.
"Eh?" Coulson blinked at her, surprised, then shrugged. "Sure."
"Let's go to that restaurant we like. This time, I'll drive Lola," Melinda added casually as they continued walking.
"As long as you're happy," Coulson answered without hesitation.
Melinda stopped in her tracks, turning to look at him.
"What's wrong, May?" Coulson flashed his usual reassuring smile.
She hesitated, then shook her head. "Nothing. Maybe I'm just overthinking."
"You've been working too hard, that's all," Coulson said, trying to ease her concern.
"Yeah... maybe," Melinda murmured.
Then, without warning, she pivoted and launched a kick straight at his face.
Coulson barely had time to react before she was on him again, landing a solid punch that sent him sprawling. In the next second, Melinda had drawn her pistol, aiming it squarely at his head.
"May! What the hell?!" Coulson growled, dazed.
"Who are you?" Her voice was ice-cold, unwavering.
The man on the ground hesitated, then sighed. "Damn. I was careful with my disguise. How did you see through me?"
"You did a good job pretending. But you made one mistake—you don't know Coulson well enough.
He would never let someone else drive his precious Lola." Melinda's grip on the gun remained steady.
The fake Coulson chuckled. "I see."
His face shifted. In seconds, he transformed into a Black man with short hair.
"Andrew..." Melinda's breath hitched. She recognized the face instantly—her ex-husband.
"I do my research." The moment of hesitation was all he needed. With a sudden burst of movement, he lunged, ramming into her stomach. They crashed into the adjacent room.
Seconds later, "Melinda" emerged, straightening her jacket, shutting the door behind her as if nothing had happened.
She walked away, moving purposefully toward the sanatorium's gardens.
A few minutes later, "Melinda" arrived at a grassy area where wounded S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were soaking up the sun.
Among them, one young man stood out.
Lounging on a recliner, sunglasses perched on his nose, Ethan looked utterly at ease.
A glass of juice sat within arm's reach. He looked like someone on vacation, not a person being monitored by one of the world's most powerful intelligence agencies.
He was aware of the eyes on him—S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't about to let him wander off.
But he wasn't looking for trouble.
Not yet.
Katie was still recovering, and for now, his best option was to wait. Besides, he wasn't in any hurry. Someone was more anxious than him.
"Melinda, you're blocking my sun," he said, tilting his head slightly in mock annoyance.
"I knew sneaking in to see you was a dumb idea," she muttered.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. After a brief pause, he asked, "Mystique?"
She smirked. "What do you think?"
A golden gleam flickered in her eyes. That confirmed it.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked, surprised. Mystique was Magneto's top lieutenant.
Even with Magneto in prison, she remained active.
He vaguely recalled that she had been impersonating Senator Kelly, who had been killed as part of Magneto's mutant experiments—an effort to sabotage the Mutant Registration Act before it could take effect.
"Eric sent me. When he heard you were taken by S.H.I.E.L.D., he nearly broke out of prison himself.
If it weren't for Charles moving in the background, he would've come to get you." Mystique crossed her arms.
"Eric? Oh... Magneto." Ethan processed that, then blinked. "Wait—what?! Magneto was that worried about me? That doesn't sound right."
Mystique rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. He's not holding a grudge over what happened.
You underestimate him. Eric's not some petty villain." She studied his reaction carefully.
Ethan scoffed. "Yeah? I'm pretty sure part of the reason he got caught was because I helped Charles take him down. He's just cool with that?"
"He expected it. Eric's been to prison before. Honestly, he chooses to get locked up sometimes—it helps him reflect," Mystique said with a smirk.
"Wait, wait—Magneto chooses to go to jail? That's a thing?" Ethan's disbelief was evident.
"Every time one of his big plans fails, he voluntarily sits in a cell for a while. He calls it 'calming his mind.'" Mystique sounded amused.
Ethan thought back to Magneto's history. Now that he mentioned it... every time Magneto disappeared, he did seem to end up in prison before breaking out again. Maybe it was part of his routine.
"Okay, that's actually insane," Ethan muttered.
Mystique shot him a sharp look. "Don't try to analyze Eric with your limited perspective.
He's a great mutant leader. He recognizes potential. And like it or not, he sees something in you."
"What? That I could replace him?" Ethan scoffed.
"I disagree with him on that. You're strong, but you lack the fire of a real revolutionary," Mystique said bluntly, crossing her arms.
"So you came all this way just to insult me?" Ethan huffed.
"I came to give you this." She handed him a note.
"What's this?" He opened it—just a string of numbers.
"My contact. Eric told me to give it to you. If you ever need to tap into the Brotherhood's resources, call it. Just don't waste it by asking for another juice." She cast a glance at his drink before turning to leave.
Ethan watched her go, staring at the note in his hand. "Huh. Magneto's a lot more reasonable than I thought."
He leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. If Mystique had come, then...
"Professor X is probably next," he muttered to himself. "Guess we'll see if making contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. was the right move."
"Melinda, have you caught the mutant who sneaked in? There is still a way to go, how is he now?" Fury asked, gripping his phone tightly, his tone edged with urgency.
"No, she got away," Melinda responded, her voice cold and clipped. The frustration in her tone was unmistakable. She was known as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best—she didn't take failure lightly.
"Ethan didn't leave," she continued, forcing herself to focus. "But according to the security footage, Mystique approached him while disguised as me. I tried questioning him, but he's not cooperating."
Fury was silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he said, "Alright. As long as Ethan is still there, you don't need to push this any further."
"Understood, Director," Melinda answered, though the frustration lingered. Orders were orders, and she followed them without question—even when she didn't like them.
Fury understood her displeasure. He felt the same. Hanging up, he turned his focus to another problem—Professor X.
"I've already told you, I had nothing to do with that mutant infiltrating your base," Charles Xavier said, his hands raised slightly in a gesture of openness.
"I know," Fury replied, his voice measured but cold. "And I also know that this 'unknown' mutant is Mystique—Magneto's right-hand woman. She may only be a Beta-level' mutant, but her shapeshifting abilities make her a significant threat. The Mutant Threat Index ranks her at Lvl 4- for a reason."
Fury wasn't new to dealing with mutants. He knew Mystique well. The real question was why she had chosen to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. now.
Something about this didn't add up. And as the world's top spy, Fury trusted his instincts.
"So," Fury leaned forward, planting his hands firmly on the table, "what exactly are you doing here today, Charles?"
Professor X's usual calm demeanor shifted ever so slightly. "You already know the answer."
"You want to see the kid."
"That's right."
Fury let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "And I suppose you expect me to just hand him over? Let me be clear—that's not happening."
Professor X remained unfazed. "I've seen the reports, Fury. Two superpowered beings nearly leveled New York.
The destruction cost billions, and innocent people died. But one of those beings stopped the other. He saved the city. And what did S.H.I.E.L.D. do in response? You put him under house arrest. Is that what passes for gratitude these days?"
Though his tone remained calm, there was no mistaking the underlying bite to his words.
Fury clenched his jaw. "Do you think I want this?" He slammed a fist against the table. "Do you think I wouldn't rather be celebrating a new hero?
Right now, that kid should be standing in the White House, cameras flashing, receiving a medal from the President. That's what should be happening."
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Instead, I'm stuck here burying the whole damn incident—turning a kid who saved millions into an urban legend. Do you know how much I hate that?"
Professor X studied Fury carefully before speaking again. "Is this because of the World Security Council?"
Fury said nothing.
He simply tapped a few commands into his console and projected a data file in front of Professor X.
"This is everything we have on the Hulk and the Abomination. After the incident in Harlem, General Ross finally caved and handed over all his research on enhanced individuals."
Professor X flipped through the files at lightning speed, absorbing every word. Then, he froze on one particular page.
"It says the Abomination was created using a large amount of Hulk's blood," he murmured.
Fury nodded grimly. "That's right. And here's the key point: Ross spent years throwing everything he had at the Hulk.
Tanks, bombers, depleted uranium rounds, Tomahawk missiles—he even had permission to use a nuke at one point.
Nothing worked. The only thing that left a scratch on the Hulk was a Tomahawk missile, and all it did was piss him off."
He let the weight of that information sink in before continuing. "Now imagine the Abomination—strong enough to match the Hulk.
And then imagine Ethan, who took him down barehanded. Not just beat him—crushed him.
Our research team analyzed the remains. At the moment of impact, the pressure exceeded one hundred thousand tons. And the Security Council? They are terrified."
Professor X leaned back, the realization settling in. "You're afraid."
"Not me," Fury corrected. "They are. To them, Ethan isn't a person. He's a walking nuclear bomb."
A long silence stretched between them.
"So what's your plan? Are you going to eliminate him?" Professor X asked, his tone sharp.
Fury scoffed. "Of course not. Even if I got an order like that, I wouldn't follow it. You don't disarm a bomb by smashing it with a hammer."
Professor X exhaled in relief. "Good."
But something about Fury's words nagged at him.
He stared at the S.H.I.E.L.D. director for a moment before realization dawned.
"You're protecting him."
Fury didn't answer.
He simply looked at Professor X, his expression unreadable.
But the truth was there, unspoken yet undeniable.
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