[A/N]: All right guys the deal still stands if we make it to the top 20 by the end of the week, I'll drop two extra chapters along with the weekly bonus. So let's get those stones going and push this story higher! š„
The Quinjet's engines hummed, making Jay's ears tingle slightly. He'd been staring out the small porthole at the clouds below for the better part of an hour, watching the landscape change from Korean cities to Chinese mountains to the approaching peaks of the Himalayas.
"So SHIELD is still keeping watch on me," Jay said without turning around.
Coulson, who'd been reviewing files on his tablet, didn't look up. The silence stretched long enough to be an answer in itself.
"Otherwise it wouldn't be possible for you to come this fast," Jay continued, finally turning to face the agent. "Even after I gave White Fox nothing but 'no' for three hours. Also, how is there already a government-backed superhero team in South Korea? That seems awfully convenient timing."
Coulson set down his tablet. "It's because of the success of the Fantastic Four. They've indirectly given America both soft and hard power on an unprecedented scale. International relations shifted overnight when Reed Richards started solving energy crises and Sue Storm began doing humanitarian work."
He leaned back in his seat. "And you, Jay, are a well-known mutant with extraordinary powers. Every organization worth their salt is keeping watch on you. The only reason you're allowed to travel this easily is because the elite rich and top politicians either want to curry your favor or force you to heal them."
Jay felt something cold settle in his stomach. "What about the Koreans?"
"The chaebol and the Blue House wanted to use your healing abilities as a kind of... diplomatic bargaining chip, to release you", Coulson said. "After some strong words from SHIELD, they had to let you go."
Jay fell silent. He was a strategic asset that nations wanted to claim, use, or control. Every border crossing, every visa, every "vacation" was actually a complex negotiation between global powers.
Seeing Jay's expression, Coulson's voice softened slightly. "Back home, Stark is organizing the Stark Expo, and District-X is going as smoothly as it could, given the public discourse over it." He paused. "But why all this, Jay? Why up and leave so suddenly?"
Jay managed a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I've never had a vacation in my life. Sounds weird when I say it out loud, doesn't it? After things settled down a bit following the Doom situation, I just wanted to get out for a while."
"But why Nepal specifically?" Coulson pressed.
Jay's expression grew distant. "My father used to tell me stories about great gurus back home, especially near the Himalayas. Ancient wisdom, that sort of thing." He paused, then added with a slight grin, "If it doesn't work out, I suppose I'll have to look for some infamous Tibetan monk or something."
When the Quinjet touched down at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Jay gathered his belongings, a guitar case, and the small backpack containing gifts from everyone and necessities. The rest had been shipped already.
"Safe travels, Jay," Coulson said as they shook hands on the tarmac. "Try not to cause any international incidents this time."
"No promises," Jay replied, but he was already looking toward the city beyond the airport.
Kathmandu hit him like a sensory overload. The air was thick with incense, exhaust fumes, and the scent of dal bhat cooking in roadside stalls. Prayer flags fluttered from every available surface. Motorcycles weaved between pedestrians, cows, and the occasional elephant, while vendors called out in Nepali, Hindi, and broken English.
"Namaste, saheb! You need guide? Very good price!" called a young man with a bright smile.
"Trekking gear, sir! Best quality!" shouted another, gesturing to a shop crammed with backpacks, ropes, and boots.
Jay could take the aesthetic approach, wander around asking locals about mysterious mountain sanctuaries, play the tourist searching for spiritual enlightenment. But as he stopped in the middle of Durbar Square, surrounded by ancient temples and the constant flow of pilgrims, he realized he had a more direct method.
"Or I could just..." he said to himself, then stopped mid-sentence and pulled out his phone.
Blue circuitry flowed from his fingertips, interfacing with the device as he activated his technomorphing abilities. Within seconds, he was scanning every Wi-Fi registry in the city, looking for one specific network with the password "Shamballa."
The search took less than a minute. There, a secured network originating from an unremarkable building in an old part of the city, near Swayambhunath.
Jay enjoyed the walk through Kathmandu's labyrinthine streets, dodging cows and accepting blessed tika from elderly women. The markets were alive with color, saris in brilliant yellows and reds, brass statues of Hindu deities, prayer wheels spinning in the hands of devoted Buddhists making their daily kora.
"Very holy place, this," explained an elderly shopkeeper when Jay asked for directions. "Many pilgrims come here. You seek enlightenment, young saheb?"
"Something like that," Jay replied, pressing a generous tip into the man's weathered palm.
When he finally found the location, it looked exactly as underwhelming as he'd expected. A wooden door set into an ancient stone wall, completely unremarkable except for the sadhu sitting in meditation just outside, a holy man with ash-covered skin and dreadlocks that probably hadn't been cut in decades.
The sadhu's eyes opened as Jay approached, dark and knowing in a way that made Jay's danger sense hum slightly.
Jay knocked on the door with three measured raps.
It opened to reveal a tall, dark-skinned man with the bearing of someone accustomed to both authority and discipline. Mordo looked like he'd been expecting someone else entirely, his expression shifting from anticipation to careful assessment.
"Namaste," Jay said in carefully pronounced Hindi, pressing his palms together in proper greeting. "I wish to see the Ancient One."
Mordo's eyebrows rose slightly at hearing an outsider use not just Hindi, but the correct formal title. After a long moment of study, he stepped aside and gestured for Jay to enter.
"Wait here," Mordo said in Hindi, indicating a simple wooden bench in what appeared to be a waiting area. The room was sparse but elegant, carved wooden panels, soft light filtering through high windows, and the constant sound of distant chanting.
A few minutes later, an unassuming figure entered carrying a traditional tea service, an elderly person in simple robes, moving carefully as if performing a practiced ritual. They set the tea service on a low table and began preparing cups with ceremonial attention to detail.
Jay accepted the offered cup with both hands and a respectful bow. The tea was perfectly prepared, just the right temperature, the blend complex and soothing.
"It's an honor to have tea prepared by the Ancient One," Jay said quietly, not looking up from his cup.
The figure across from him went very still.
"Surprised I didn't fall for one of your famous tests?"
Jay continued drinking calmly, though his enhanced senses were picking up subtle changes in the room, a shift in air pressure, a slight change in the quality of light. He wondered idly if the Ancient One could see his future, even after what XYZ said.
"I am surprised, as it's very rare for an outsider to seek the protection of the Vishanti," came the voice carrying the weight of centuries.
Jay nearly choked on his tea, barely managing to keep it from spraying across the Ancient One's serene face. The casual mention of his true nature was too abrupt for him.
"I..." he began, then stopped, setting down his cup with hands that were definitely not as steady as they'd been a moment before.
The Ancient One smiled, and in that expression, Jay saw both compassion and wisdom that came from seeing the universe from angles most minds couldn't comprehend.
"Perhaps," she said, "we should start with why you're really here, Dr. Jay."
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