For three whole days, Lucas hadn't seen Natasha once. He'd been wanting to ask her about the Vibranium situation, but there hadn't been a single chance. He definitely wasn't going to call that one-eyed spymaster again—last time he talked to Fury, he ended up getting kidnapped to Bavaria by Hydra. No way was he risking another "mysterious mission" phone call.
In the meantime, Gwen and Skye had somehow become inseparable from Wanda. The three were close in age, lived together, and now spent nearly every moment in each other's company.
"Wanda, take a picture of yourself and put it up on the board," Lucas said, pointing to the wall where photos of the agency's members hung.
"Got it," Wanda nodded.
"I'll take it for you!" Gwen said brightly, grabbing the camera.
Click!
The flash went off, and a moment later the photo slid out.
"Here you go—your turn to put it up."
Wanda carefully pressed the picture next to Gwen's. It stuck perfectly to the wall.
At that moment, Lucas heard a familiar chime in his head.
> [Ding—Congratulations, Host! You've recruited a new staff member.]
And then… nothing.
"That's it? No reward? You think you can freeload off me?" Lucas snapped.
The system ignored him completely, silent as ever.
"Figures," Lucas muttered. He'd long stopped expecting consistent behavior from that bipolar AI.
Later that day, Lucas was slouched on the couch binge-watching dramas while the three girls gathered around Moguri—his adorable "piglet" companion. Ever since Wanda gained the ability to see the little creature, she too had been completely captivated by its chubby charm.
Just then, Natasha walked through the door, looking utterly exhausted. She dropped onto the couch like she'd just crawled out of a war zone.
"Where've you been the last few days? Not a word from you," Lucas asked curiously.
She rubbed her temples. "Don't even get me started. It's because of your kidnapping. Turns out the guy who took you was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Fury thought there were traitors inside, so he locked down the entire headquarters until they were all caught."
Her tone was drained, her voice weary.
"So you caught them already? That was fast," Lucas said dryly.
Inwardly, he rolled his eyes. Yeah right. S.H.I.E.L.D. was practically Hydra with a new logo. If anything, they were probably rounding up the real S.H.I.E.L.D. agents among the traitors.
But he didn't say that aloud. Let them keep their illusions—he wasn't going to spoil the fun.
"Most of them," Natasha said. "The lockdown was lifted this morning. I haven't slept properly in days. I'm going upstairs to crash—don't bother me unless the world's ending."
Dragging her feet, she disappeared into her apartment.
In truth, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been gutted. Dozens of lower-level agents had been arrested, and even some mid-level officers had been exposed as Hydra moles. Only the senior agents were cleared—though that was precisely because Alexander Pierce wanted it that way. He'd sacrificed the expendable pawns to protect Hydra's elite.
Life quickly settled back into routine. Lucas mostly stayed home or at the office; his only real social circle consisted of Skye and Wanda—Natasha occasionally stopped by for coffee or a mission debrief.
Gwen and Peter were back at college, now sophomores. They'd start internships soon, but that was already handled—Pepper had arranged for them to intern at Stark Industries. Having that name on their record would skyrocket their credentials. After all, not everyone got to say they worked for the world's most powerful tech company.
Then Lucas's phone rang. It was Tony.
"Yo, what's up, Stark?"
"Hey, buddy. You free tomorrow? Want to tag along to a Pentagon hearing with me?"
Tony twirled a subpoena between his fingers. The Pentagon wanted him to attend a hearing at ten a.m. to "discuss" the ownership of the Iron Man suits.
Lucas raised a brow. "A hearing? Let me guess—it's about your armor?"
"Bingo," Tony grumbled. "Those self-serving politicians think they can just take my suits. They're calling it a 'discussion,' but what they really want is to nationalize Iron Man tech. Typical bureaucratic theft."
Lucas smirked. "Ah, so it's that part of the story. The Iron Man 2 arc, huh? You sure you're feeling okay? Not seeing any glowing veins yet?"
Tony didn't catch the reference, still ranting. "It's ridiculous. I built that tech myself. Never shared the blueprints, never sold the designs—it's mine. And now they want to 'review' it? Dirty politics, my friend. The dirtiest kind."
Lucas shrugged. "Fine, I've got nothing better to do. I'll come with you. Always wanted to see what the Pentagon looks like from the inside."
"Perfect. Oh, and if things go south, you've got my back, right? I'm not wearing the suit tomorrow, so you're my bodyguard for the day."
Lucas groaned. "So that's what this is about. You're dragging me along as your muscle. What about Happy? Isn't he your official babysitter?"
"Happy's head of corporate security now," Tony replied smugly. "He's in charge of protecting Pepper. So… you in or not?"
"Fine, fine, I'm in."
"Good! Knew I could count on you. See you tomorrow."
The line went dead.
Lucas glared at his phone. "Unbelievable. The man could buy his own army, but no—he calls me to play bodyguard."
The next morning, Tony and Lucas arrived punctually at the Pentagon hearing. Just like in the movie, the chamber was packed—a massive hall lined with journalists, military brass, and grim-faced officials. At the center sat a particularly smug senator, the one leading the charge to "reclaim" Iron Man's technology for the government. Of course, Lucas knew he was really a Hydra operative in disguise.
The air buzzed with tension as Tony strutted to his seat, confidence radiating off him like a spotlight. Lucas plopped down beside him with a tub of popcorn, ready to enjoy the show.
The officials on the dais frowned in unison.
"Who is that man?" one of them barked. "This is a classified government hearing, not some circus! Remove that civilian immediately!"
Security moved toward Lucas—who only grinned wider, leaning back in his chair, perfectly at ease.