A Displaced Shadow

by kallygupta305

Amidst the turmoil of the Civil War, Susan Storm faces immense personal stress. Her team is divided, and trust is in short supply. In the midst of this chaos, a mysterious agent of the S.H.I.E.L.D who goes my the name Shadow appears. Susan is wary, unsure of his intentions, yet compelled to understand his purpose in their fractured world.

2. Chapter 2

A Displaced Shadow

Chapter2: -Prelude to War

Hospital Room, New York, Two Days ago

Sue sat in a stiff chair beside Johnny's hospital bed, her fingers entwined with his limp hand. The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, a constant reminder of his fragile state. Johnny lay motionless, a shadow of his former self, his face marred by the brutal attack that had left him comatose. He had gone to the nightclub to blow off steam, but instead, he had been beaten by an angry mob incensed by the Stamford disaster.

The memories of Stamford and the disaster it witnessed still haunted Sue, for she had seen it live after all. It had started as a reckless reality TV show—a group of young heroes, the New Warriors, seeking fame and fortune by capturing dangerous villains on camera. Night Thrasher, Namorita, Speedball, and Microbe had taken on Cobalt Man, Speedfreek, Coldheart, and Nitro in a suburban neighbourhood in Stamford, Connecticut. It was supposed to be entertaining, exhilarating—heroes battling villains for the amusement of TV audiences.

But then Nitro, with his volatile powers, had exploded. The blast had been catastrophic, annihilating everything in its path. Over 600 innocent lives were extinguished in an instant, including sixty school children whose dreams and futures were obliterated at ground zero. The explosion had not only killed every New Warrior present except for Speedball, but it had also levelled a school, tearing families apart and leaving a community in ruins. The scenes of devastation—the crumpled remains of the school, the anguished cries of parents, the lifeless bodies—were burned into Sue's mind.

Her heart ached for the victims, their families, and the countless lives forever scarred by this senseless tragedy. But alongside the sorrow, there was a deep, simmering anger. How could anyone think it was a good idea to turn their dangerous work into a reality show? The pursuit of ratings and fame had led to unimaginable suffering, and it was a recklessness Sue could not forgive. That incident had given momentum to the Superhuman Registration Act, a law that threatened to divide the very fabric of the hero community. It was supposed to bring order, but instead, it had sown division and distrust. The public's fury over Stamford had spilled over, and in their grief and rage, they had lashed out at Johnny, seeing him as a symbol of the unchecked power that had led to so much loss.

Ben stood at the foot of the bed, his massive form looking out of place in the sterile hospital room. Reed paced back and forth, his eyes scanning medical reports and monitors, trying to make sense of Johnny's condition.

Reed finally broke the silence, his voice strained with worry. "The key thing as the doctor said, if he wakes up—when he wakes up—is that he should be eased into consciousness. No sudden actions or violent, negative emotions, nothing that could upset him."

Ben frowned, a deep crease forming on his brow ass he looked at everyone staring at him accusingly. "So how come yer all lookin' at me when yer's sayin' that?"

The doctor, standing nearby cleared his throat, continued, "Needless to say, the presence of familiar voices may have some beneficial effect in rousing Mr. Storm. If there's any music he liked, that would also be useful."

Sue seized on the suggestion, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and desperation. "I can get his iPod, plug it in—"

"Good idea, Susie," Ben said, attempting a reassuring smile. "I'll take first watch, keep the little guy occupied. You can pick up after me."

Ben turned to Reed, who had stopped pacing for a moment. "How about you, Stretch? When you gonna pull your watch?"

Reed sighed, avoiding Sue's eyes, a mixture of guilt and frustration etched on his face, but Sue did not hold back "He's got better things to do with his time. Don't you, Reed?"

"Not better, Sue, I never said that. I just—" Reed's voice faltered, and he looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

Sue's voice rose, her anger and hurt bubbling to the surface. "We've got a war going on out there, Reed. Hero fighting hero. And whose fault is that?"

Reed's face tightened, his expression hardening, not liking the insinuation at all. "I took a stand, yes, because the others can't expect to fight the Registration Act or the government or—"

"Or you and Tony Stark?" Sue interjected, her frustration boiling over into raw anger. "So in helping Tony round up heroes, people we've fought beside, called our friends, because they won't betray their principles, you're 'just following orders,' is that it? Seems we've heard that before."

"That's not fair," Reed snapped, his voice sharp with defensive anger.

"Truth hurts. That's what it does," Sue retorted, her voice shaking with emotion.

"'Scuse me," Ben interjected, trying to calm the escalating argument. "But I thought the doc said somethin' about no strong negative emotions. Either of you remember him sayin' anything about that?"

Reed's shoulders slumped, and he turned to Ben, Ben's voice tinged with weariness. "Reed, maybe ya missed it, but I'm still an American. I have as much at stake if this country tears itself apart as anybody else. So I think—"

"I think you both better get outta here and cool off before somebody says somethin' that can't be unsaid," Ben said firmly, knwing how sensitive the current situation was.

Reed looked at Sue, his expression softening, regret flickering in his eyes. "We'll talk about this later, Sue." He turned to Ben. "Ben, I could use your help to round up these people."

Sue shook her head, her frustration, anger and sorrow mingling. "I don't think Ben's interested."

Reed raised his hand, his voice a mix of frustration and anger. "Ben can speak for himself. He has the same benefit we do. Our identities are already public. He has nothing to lose, and nothing at stake."

Ben's eyes flicked between them, finally resting on Johnny. "Okay, kid, so whaddya want ta talk about? Me? Oh, no, I couldn't, I—well, yeah, I am the most interesting thing in the room, pun intended, but—okay, ya talked me into it."

Sue and Reed got the message that Ben was trying to deliver to them as nicely as he possibly could, so they exited the room, the tension between them palpable. They walked down the corridor in silence, the weight of their argument hanging heavily in the air.

A while later, Sue returned to the room, finding Ben still sitting by Johnny's side. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. "Hello, Ben."

Ben looked up, surprised but pleased to see her. "Susie, hey, is it that time already?"

Sue nodded, her voice softening. "Looks like it."

Sue had never shied away from telling Ben about how grateful she was to have him in her life as the part of the family and today was not any different" I appreciate you staying here with Johnny while I was—"

"Nah, hey, it's the squirt, right? We all gotta do what we gotta do, right?" Ben replied, never getting comfortable with getting praise was part of Ben's charm.

"So how long have I been here, anyway?" Ben asked, a hint of fatigue in his voice.

"An hour."

"An hour?"

"Approximately, yes."

"Well…nuts."

Sue had a small smile on her face as she said "It's not the time, it's the sentiment, and I appreciate it, Ben. But before you go, one thing, about what Reed and I were discussing—"

"We're not gonna get in a fight, are we?" Ben asked, concern etched on his rugged features.

"No, Ben, we're not. Reed's right when he says the country is tearing itself apart over the issue of Super Hero Registration. But he's wrong in deciding to go after anyone who doesn't sign up. That's not what we should be doing."

"Then what do you think we should be doing, Sue? You wanna take up arms against our own government?" Ben's voice was calm but firm, a steadying presence in the storm.

"Maybe," Sue admitted, her voice softening. "Disagreement isn't disloyalty, Ben. Sometimes the most patriotic thing you can do in a democracy is disagree. And I—" Sue paused, her voice trembling with conviction.

"—have to do some serious thinking about this, and do it fast." Ben said with a sombre voice, the gravity of the situation not lost on him

"But you don't gotta do it tonight, Susie. You got more important things to think about. Starting with Johnny. Take care of yerself, Susie. You need anything, just call." Ben said reassuringly, trying to calm her nerves.

"I will, Ben. And thanks—thanks for everything." Sue replied, gratitude clear in her eyes

Ben gave her a reassuring nod and left the room, leaving Sue alone with her thoughts.

She sat back down beside Johnny, her mind racing. These last few days had been a relentless test of her resolve and strength. The argument with Reed was just one more crack in the fragile foundation of their family. The Stamford disaster, the looming Superhuman Registration Act, the Child Welfare investigation, and now Johnny's coma—it felt like the walls were closing in, with no solution in sight.

Her marriage was strained, the stress affecting Reed's and her every interaction. Their children were caught in the middle of a storm they couldn't possibly understand. Sue felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, the responsibility to keep her family together and safe.

As she watched Johnny's peaceful but unconscious face, she couldn't help but wonder how much more they could take. The future seemed uncertain, and for the first time, Sue wasn't sure how to fight back. All she knew was that she had to keep trying, for the sake of her family.

-X-

Harlem, Two days ago

Luke Cage sat alone in his dimly lit apartment in Harlem, the clock on the wall ticking down the minutes to midnight. His broad shoulders slumped slightly, weighed down by the enormity of the decision before him. The silence was almost oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of the city outside and the ticking clock.

He had sent Jessica and their newborn daughter, Danielle, to Canada earlier that evening. It had been a painful decision, but he knew it was necessary. "Jessica," he had said, his voice heavy with emotion, "I need you and Danielle to be safe. Things are gonna get rough here, and I can't risk you both getting caught in the middle of it."

Jessica had argued, of course. She was strong and stubborn, and she hated the idea of leaving him behind. But ultimately, she understood. Their daughter's safety came first. She had reluctantly agreed, packing a few essentials and leaving with a promise to stay in touch.

Now, alone in the quiet apartment, Luke's thoughts turned inward. He couldn't help but reflect on the journey that had brought him to this point. Growing up in Harlem, he had faced more than his fair share of hardship. From a young age, he had seen the effects of systemic racism and violence. He had been framed for a crime he didn't commit, and it was only through a twist of fate and a risky experiment that he had gained his superhuman strength and unbreakable skin.

These powers had given him a second chance, a chance to fight back against the injustices he had always known. But they had also come with a heavy burden. He had taken up the mantle of hero, using his abilities to protect his community and those who couldn't protect themselves. But now, the Superhuman Registration Act threatened to undermine everything he stood for.

"Luke, are you listening?" Tony Stark's voice from their earlier conversation echoed in his mind.

"I heard you," Luke had replied, his frustration barely contained.

"And?" Tony had pressed, his tone insistent.

"And what do you want me to say, Stark?" Luke had shot back, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior.

Tony had laid it out plainly. "At midnight, the Superhuman Registration Act becomes law. All heroes, including we Avengers, will be required to sign in. We'll all work for the United States government. And the Avengers will be a fully sanctioned, legal team with pay. Benefits... Will you sign on?"

Luke clenched his fists, remembering his response. It was his wife that had asked the question on his mind "What about me, Mr. Stark? Yeah, I have powers too... and you know what? I don't want to use them, and I have no plans to use them. And I don't want to work for the United States of corporate sellouts."

Tony had tried to reason with him, promising that his past would be swept under the rug, that his criminal record wouldn't affect his standing as a sanctioned Avenger. But it wasn't enough.

"Bet your ass, you will know my decision, all I want is to raise her right" Luke had said, his voice filled with conviction. He couldn't betray everything he believed in for a paycheck and government approval.

The minutes ticked by, each one bringing him closer to midnight. Luke knew the risks he was taking by not signing the Registration Act. He would be labelled a criminal again, hunted by those he once called allies. But he couldn't shake the feeling that this law was wrong, that it went against the very principles he had fought for his entire life.

"This is about breaking the law," Tony had said, voice full of desperation and yet Luke's response had not just been immediate but also resolute. "Slavery used to be a law."

He had seen too much, endured too much, to blindly follow orders now. The idea of being forced to register, to work for a government that had failed his community time and time again, was unacceptable. He couldn't be part of a system that sought to control and exploit people like him.

The clock struck midnight, the sound reverberating through the silent apartment. Luke took a deep breath, his resolve hardening. He would not sign. He would stand by his principles, no matter the cost. He would fight for his family, his community, and for the freedom to choose his own path.

In the darkness of his apartment, Luke Cage made his stand. He would protect those he loved, and he would continue to fight for justice, even if it meant standing alone.

-X-

The clock struck midnight, marking the moment when today turned into yesterday. Luke Cage stood in his living room, feeling the weight of his decision settle over him. Jessica and their daughter Daniella had left for Canada, away from the chaos that was about to unfold. He knew what was coming and he had to be ready.

A knock on the door broke the silence. Luke tensed, muscles coiling with instinctive readiness. He walked over, listening carefully. A calm but gruff voice spoke from the other side, "Mr. Cage, I am an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Shadow. I was sent here to confirm your decision, whatever it might be, and apprehend you in case your decision was anti-registration."

Luke's curiosity piqued. He looked through the peephole and saw a man with spiky white hair, his face marked by distinctive red lines on his cheeks and chin. Luke felt a wave of insult. They hadn't even sent a superhero. Just one man?

He opened the door, his voice filled with disdain. "Just one man? Really? Y'all ain't even send a superhero?"

Agent Shadow's demeanour remained unflappable. "Do not mistake this for an insult, Mr. Cage. It's a recognition of your strength. They knew you were too powerful for the regular agents in the 'Cape-Catcher' unit as people are calling it, and yet not formidable enough to warrant a superhero. So they sent me, someone who could handle you, were you to be anti-registration and were you to resist."

Luke's anger simmered beneath the surface; a molten rage kept in check only by sheer will. He stepped forward, towering over Shadow. "Every decision I make is 'bout makin' sure I can raise my daughter right."

Shadow's face stayed calm, even in the presence of Luke's imposing figure standing at 6'6 and more then 400 pounds. There was a faint, almost imperceptible sadness in Shadow's eyes. "And I presume you believe your daughter can't be raised right in a world that is trying to control people like you and your wife, deciding what people like you can and cannot do just because they are different."

Luke was taken aback by the agent's understanding. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. "If you get that much, then why you still here? What you afraid of, your job security? You that much of a sellout you willing to do this to folks who don't deserve it?"

Luke's voice grew heated, the intensity of his feelings making his words crackle with raw emotion. Shadow's composure never wavered. The contrast between Luke's fiery anger and the agent's calmness was stark, creating a tense atmosphere in the small apartment. Shadow stepped back and out of the apartment casually, never breaking eye contact with Luke.

"Just because I disagree doesn't mean I don't understand where you're coming from or that I don't think you have a valid point," Shadow said, his voice steady and measured. "I just think your perspective is skewed. Not that I have any room to talk. I, too, am a product of the world I was raised in and the pain it caused me. And that has fundamentally changed how I view the world."

Luke was perplexed by this strange man who seemed to understand yet was willing to stand against him and those like him. He would have voiced his opinions if not for the man's strange behaviour. Shadow stopped in the middle of the street next to a strange-looking knife with some sort of mark on the handle. He crouched down, putting two fingers on the ground and closing his eyes as he spoke.

"...It's a good thing I marked this entire neighbourhood before I knocked on your door," Shadow said. As he finished his sentence, he disappeared, leaving behind a distinct sound and a flash of white. Luke's eyes widened. He would have voiced his surprise if not for the shouts of alarm and fear that rang out in his entire neighbourhood. Shadow reappeared right where he had been standing, holding all kinds of pistols and shotguns that he dropped as he spoke.

"You are quite loved in this neighbourhood, Mr. Cage. These people were willing to fight someone they had no hopes of winning against."

Luke couldn't be bothered with the strange technique that allowed Shadow to move at such incredible speeds. His people were attacked, and he wasn't going to stand for that. With his enhanced speed, he closed the distance between him and Shadow in an instant, but hit nothing but air.

"What the—"

He couldn't even finish his sentence before he felt something sharp poke and shatter against his back with substantial force. He turned to see a strange knife on the ground, shattered. He looked back at the man, still calm. Luke felt a wave of anger.

"If this is the best shit you got, you don't belong here, motherfucker. Those cape-catchers would be a—"

Before he could finish, another knife materialized in a puff of smoke in Shadow's hand. This one had three prongs. He threw it with significant force. Luke, who had withstood Vibranium weapons without a scratch, was confident this would be no different. And while it didn't do any major damage, it did leave a mark. Luke's eyes widened as the knife pierced his clothes and his skin. Luke pulled it and dropped it harmlessly despite the pain he was feeling, and Luke's superhuman healing left no sign of injury.

But those knives… they couldn't be that special. His skin had been indestructible even against Vibranium, what could it possibly have been made of that was strong enough to damage his skin, no, it can't just be that the weapon was special 'Something different 'bout this man,' Luke thought, watching Shadow pull out another strange knife from the puff of smoke in the palm of his hand. 'That smoke shit should've been a clue. This motherfucker ain't normal.'

Shadow wasn't even looking at Luke now; he was examining his knife. Luke's anger surged at the thought of being dismissed.

"Big fuckin' deal those knives scratched my skin. You still ain't walkin' outta this hood on your own legs, motherfucker."

Luke lunged again. He hit air again. He turned and saw Shadow standing in the street next to that strange knife.

"It was a good decision to invest in these knives. They come in handy against people with durability like yours," Shadow said, performing strange hand signs with one hand before holding two fingers together under his lips. He held the three-pronged knife in front of his face and blew on it. Green energy came out of his mouth and coated the knife, giving it the appearance of a sword made of green light. "If regular chakra can enhance these special knives of mine enough to damage your skin without significant effort on my part, then this should be enough."

Luke had yet to see the calm leave Shadow's face as he took a fighting stance. He had seen that look before.

"Motherfucker, I seen eyes like yours before, thinkin' nothin' I do changes how this fight turns out. So sure you're gonna win. I been shattering that confidence long before you came on the scene, you's not gonna be any different."

Despite Luke's words, Shadow didn't blink. "It might not appear so, but I admire your conviction and your willingness to fight for your beliefs."

For the first time, Luke saw something other than calm on Shadow's face—aggression. 'No, it ain't just aggression,' Luke thought. 'It's controlled aggression tempered with calm.' Luke tensed, recognizing the danger. 'Those motherfuckers are always the most trouble.'

Luke prepared himself for a real fight, something telling him this wouldn't be as easy as he had assumed earlier. Shadow spoke again with finality.

"Let's see, Mr. Cage, if your ability to fight is as admirable as your convictions."

-X-

Steve Rogers ran with precision even if his mind was not focused, his eyes closed for a second even as he ran, trying to focus. The rhythmic tap of their feet and the occasional bump in the roofs they were running on were the only sounds breaking the silence. Next to him, Falcon was checking his gear as he ran, and Daredevil was staring straight ahead, his heightened senses alert to every nuance of their surroundings. Steve tried to clear his mind, but the same thoughts kept creeping in.

'Just try and focus..' he thought to himself. 'Stop thinking about the fact that you can't even trust your closest friends. And that every law officer in the country is out to take you down. Stop thinking about the fact that the world has turned against you and the irony is you shouldn't even be here. You should have died sixty years ago. They should have left you in that block of ice.'

Steve opened his eyes and felt his hands as he made a fist, calloused and scarred from decades of battles. 'Think of something else. Anything else. This always works. This always works.' He let out a slow breath and imagined a blank sheet of paper in front of him. "Just think of your drawings. Focus your mind on the white paper as you draw something. As you express yourself. You used to do it so well you could pay the bills with it."

The memories flooded back—sketching scenes from his childhood, drawing portraits of his friends in the Howling Commandos, doodling in the margins of mission briefs. 'Just stop thinking about everything else. Stop thinking about the hell your life has become and that you can't go home... or to the Avengers. They should have left you as a memory—as a symbol of peace and freedom. Instead of what they're turning you into: a war criminal. A refugee.'

Steve clenched his fists. 'I should write a book. Explain myself to the world in my own words. No, I should draw. Like I used to. Drawing made me happy. Why did I stop?' His thoughts were interrupted by Falcon's voice.

"We're close, Cap," Falcon said, snapping Steve back to the present.

Steve nodded. "Thanks, Sam."

"Luke's tough," Daredevil said, his voice low and calm. "But if S.H.I.E.L.D. has got to him, we need to be ready for anything."

Steve Rogers sprinted across the rooftops, Daredevil and Falcon flanking him. The cool night air whipped against his face, as his focus was finally razor-sharp after all his inner turmoil. They were heading toward Luke Cage's home, knowing the kind of man Luke was. He wouldn't register. He'd resist the Superhuman Registration Act, and that meant the cape-catchers would come for him. They weren't just going to save Luke if he got overwhelmed; they were there to recruit him for their revolution, to fight for their cause.

As they approached Luke's neighborhood, Steve felt a growing sense of urgency. Luke was capable of being a cornerstone, a pillar of strength and resilience. Losing him wasn't an option. The trio leaped from one building to the next with silent precision, finally coming to a stop where they could see Luke's home. What they saw made Steve's heart sink.

Luke was on the ground, bleeding. It made no sense—Luke's skin was indestructible. 'Well, near indestructible', Steve corrected himself. But the sight of his friend, his comrade, bleeding was jarring.

Steve's eyes locked onto the man standing over Luke. He had spiky white hair and wore a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. In his hand, he held a knife coated in some kind of green energy. Steve's instincts screamed at him to throw his shield and attack, but something stopped him. The man crouched and put two fingers on the ground, and a moment later looked directly at them.

"Looks like the jig is up," Falcon said, breaking the tense silence. "Let's go down and say hello."

Steve nodded; his jaw set in determination. "Yes, it's time to say hello."

With that, the three of them descended from the rooftop, ready to face whatever awaited them below.

-X-

Luke Cage lay on the ground, gasping for breath. 'This motherfucker is fast, and he hasn't even done the teleport shit yet,' he thought, wincing at the pain. Despite the searing sting of his injuries, he knew he could and would get up. His regeneration was already working on the bleeding. He needed a plan. This guy was good—better than he'd expected.

Luke hadn't landed a single punch or kick. That sword, glowing with some kind of green energy, kept him at a distance, and even when he thought he had Shadow caught, the man had twisted and struck him with superhuman strength. 'He's strong,' Luke acknowledged, 'but I'm stronger. That don't mean shit if I can't land a hit.'

Shadow walked toward him, the sword in hand, and Luke knew he had to move. As he braced himself to get up, Shadow suddenly stopped, crouching down and placing two fingers on the ground before closing his eyes before looking up. Luke's eyes followed the direction Shadow was looking, and he realized he wasn't alone.

On the roof of the building stood Captain America, Falcon, and his friend Matt in his Daredevil costume. Relief and surprise washed over Luke. 'Goddamn it, what can't this motherfucker do?' he thought, acknowledging Shadow's apparent sensing abilities.

Even as he struggled to his feet, his friends and allies descended from the rooftop and stood beside him. The calm, unflinching expression never left Shadow's face. That calmness irritated Luke more than anything.

'I hate that face,' he thought, gritting his teeth.

Shadow's eyes flickered over to the newcomers, but his demeanour remained steady. Luke seized the moment to push himself up.

"I was just restin'," Luke grumbled as he stood.

Captain America's voice was firm and commanding. "On your feet, Mister Cage!"

Luke let out a grunt of effort. "Agh!"

A voice crackled over Shadow's comm. "Helicarrier, we have a major situation up here!"

Shadow's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. "Didn't expect to see Daredevil here! weren't you in jail?"

Daredevil smirked beneath his mask. "Well, I am an enigma wrapped in a riddle."

Steve looked Luke over, concern etched in his features. "You okay?"

Luke nodded, determination hardening his expression. "Yes! Yes, Captain America!"

Falcon couldn't resist a grin. "And don't forget about the Falcon! Please, I have sidekick syndrome as it is!"

Luke chuckled despite the situation but the tension hung thick in the air as the heroes faced off against the unyielding presence of Shadow, ready for the next move.

Before they could begin, A voice crackled over Shadow's comm and Daredevil's enhanced senses picked up, recognizing that this time it was Maria Hill's voice, the new commander of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Shadow!, we have a major situation up here!"

Shadow paused before replying "Steve Rodgers is standing right in front of me"

There was a meaningful pause despite the noises of fight in the background before "Get him, we will get this situation up here under control"

"Careful with this one," Luke warned, his voice steady despite his rapidly healing yet still significant wounds. "He's fast, strong, and tricky without even using his teleportation shit."

"Teleportation," Steve thought, creases forming on his forehead, thinking of ways to deal with someone who was capable of giving Luke so much trouble without using something as powerful as teleportation, He didn't have to ponder long. Their adversary made the first move. Shadow's hands moved in strange signs in quick succession before two fingers were in front of his lips.

"Water Style: Hidden Mist," Shadow intoned, blowing on his fingers. Mist began to pour from his mouth, quickly engulfing the area until no one could see anything.

"Oh come on! He can do this shit too?" Luke's voice rang out through the mist, frustration evident.

"Is he trying to escape?" Falcon asked, voice laced with concern.

Before anyone could answer, Shadow's voice echoed around them. "I'm not going anywhere. I have yet to test your resolve after all."

Steve felt an oppressive weight on his shoulders, so heavy he buckled under it. "What the-" Luke's voice cut through the mist, filled with shock and anger.

Grunts from his companions told Steve they were feeling the same thing. Before he could understand what was happening, Shadow's voice rang out again, colder and more menacing than before. "What happened, Mr. Cage? You said those words with so much conviction, and yet here you are, on your knees. You do realize they will come for your wife and daughter next, don't you?"

Even Steve's blood ran cold. The malice in Shadow's voice was jarring, considering his previously calm demeanour. Anger flared within Steve—anger that they and their loved ones were being subjected to this just because they refused to give up their freedom. But anger alone wouldn't help them now. The mist was thick, obscuring their vision, and even pinpointing Shadow's voice was impossible.

"D-Daredevil," Steve gritted out, hoping Matt's heightened senses could help.

"I'm trying," Daredevil replied, strain evident in his voice. "But it's like this mist is designed to hide his presence completely. Even to my senses, it sounds like his voice is coming from all directions at once."

Steve could empathize. The oppressive feeling was like standing against an entire enemy army, ready to tear them apart limb from limb, and he was all alone even when he knew it was just one man and he had his allies with him.

Luke struggled the most against the pressure. His muscles tensed, and his breathing grew laboured. Every fiber of his being screamed to fight back, but the weight bore down on him, making it hard to move as his loud grunts continue to be permeated through the mist.

"Stay with me, Luke!" Steve called out, his voice strong and unwavering. "We're not done yet! This is not the end! Remember why we fight! We fight for our freedom, for the freedom of our loved ones! We fight because we cannot let them control us, turn us into something we're not!"

Steve's words cut through the fog, resonating with the deepest part of Luke's soul. He felt the fire reignite within him, a fierce determination to protect what he held dear. The oppressive weight began to lift as he focused on Steve's words.

Luke pushed against the ground, rising to his feet. "I'm not done YET!," he roared at the top of his lungs, his voice growing stronger. He clapped his hands together in a thunderous clap, blowing the mist away with sheer force.

Shadow stood stunned; surprise etched on his face for the first time. Seeing the look on his opponent's face, Luke felt a surge of hope. 'I finally have a chance,' he thought, readying himself.

Without a moment's hesitation, Luke pounced, his fist ready to deliver a powerful punch. As he lunged forward, Daredevil's voice rang out through the clearing mist. "Wait!"

But Luke didn't stop. He was too committed, too determined. Even as he realized that Shadow wasn't moving, his punch kept going. To his shock, his fist passed right through Shadow as if he wasn't there, despite the man standing right in front of him, still with that surprised look on his face.

"Oh come on, when does it stop with you Shadow!" Luke shouted, frustration boiling over.

He was getting sick of these tricks. Shadow was fast and strong enough to fight a straightforward battle and still have a solid chance at winning, yet he insisted on these bullshit tricks!

As the oppressive feeling and weight on their shoulders dissipated, the heroes collectively exhaled in relief. Falcon voiced their shared confusion. "Okay, so did this shadow guy leave? Was all that smoke really just a distraction to give him enough time to get away?"

Daredevil immediately quelled those thoughts. "No, he's here. I can still hear five distinct heartbeats. It's just that..." He looked at the ground, then back at his allies, realization dawning on them all.

Captain America put a finger to his lips, signalling for silence. Considering all the strange abilities this man apparently named Shadow had displayed, the idea that he could pass through earth and hide like a mole was not far-fetched. Daredevil pointed right behind Falcon. Luke, understanding the implication, moved behind Falcon, unable to contain his frustration. "We just got the roads fixed in the hood," Luke hissed angrily as he punched the ground behind Falcon, shattering the entire road and raising a cloud of debris and dust. As the dust settled, they looked around but saw no sign of Shadow.

"Now what?" Luke mouthed, casting a questioning gaze at Daredevil. Despite the evidence to the contrary, Daredevil insisted Shadow was in that spot. Frustration grew among the heroes, unsure of what to believe. In their exasperation, they missed two hands holding knives coated in green energy emerging from the shadows cast by Falcon. Daredevil was the first to notice, his voice alarmed. "Look out!"

Instincts took over for both Luke and Falcon as they tried to evade the attack, but they couldn't avoid it entirely. The knives struck, slicing at their Achilles tendons. Falcon managed to avoid the worst possible outcome, but Luke was not so lucky. His tendon was severed, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing and grunting in pain. Their opponent emerged from the shadows of Luke and Falcon, ready to continue his assault.

Before Shadow could fully settle, he had to dodge as Captain America hurled his shield at him. As he dodged, an escrima stick aimed for his face forced him to crouch uncomfortably low, balancing on one foot. Shadow managed to dodge successfully, raising himself back on the one foot. "That was way too close for my liking," he muttered.

Shadow had no time to relax as he ducked again, Captain America's shield ricocheting back, narrowly missing the back of his head before returning to Steve's hand. Daredevil, his senses sharp, listened intently to the movements of Shadow's hands. He had learned by now that this was an indication Shadow was up to something.

Captain America lunged at Shadow, his shield raised. He swung it with precision, aiming for Shadow's head. Shadow ducked, the shield whizzing past his ear, but Steve was relentless. He pivoted on his heel, bringing the shield back in a swift arc. Shadow barely managed to dodge, rolling to the side as the shield slammed into the ground.

'Can't let him finish those hand signs,' Steve thought theorizing that those hand signs were probably connected to these strange abilities that their adversary had demonstrated so far, his focus sharp. He closed the distance again, this time leading with a series of rapid punches. Shadow blocked with his forearms, absorbing the impact but slowly losing ground. Steve's fists were like pistons, each blow calculated and powerful.

Shadow retaliated with a low kick aimed at Steve's knee. Steve anticipated the move, shifting his weight just enough to avoid the strike and countered with an uppercut. The punch barely connected, and Shadow showed no indication of it doing anything to him as he quickly regained his balance, his eyes narrowing.

Daredevil joined the fray, moving with the fluidity of a dancer. He struck at Shadow's ribs with his escrima sticks, each hit precise and forceful. Shadow parried one of the sticks with his knife, some kind of blue energy sizzling on contact, but Daredevil spun away, using the momentum to strike at Shadow's legs. Shadow jumped, the escrima stick passing beneath him, and he landed in a crouch, immediately springing up with a powerful kick aimed at Daredevil's chest.

Daredevil twisted his body, trying to avoid the kick and yet he couldn't, gritting his teeth, he steadied himself despite the pain and retaliated with a swift jab to Shadow's jaw. Shadow blocked with his forearm and stepped back getting directly into Captain America's path, Shadow seized the opportunity and raised his knife, but hesitated, his grip faltering. Steve's reactionary fist grazed Shadow's skin, and in that moment of hesitation, Steve knew something was off.

Shadow spun away, his movements fluid but less aggressive. He seemed to be holding back, his strikes less lethal. Steve pressed on, his mind racing. 'Why is he hesitating? What's stopping him?'

Steve launched a series of powerful kicks, forcing Shadow to block and retreat. Shadow's counterattacks were swift but lacked their earlier ferocity. Daredevil took advantage, striking from behind with his escrima sticks. Shadow dodged, but the coordinated attacks from Steve and Daredevil left him on the defensive.

Shadow aimed another knife strike at Steve's neck, and once again, Shadow hesitated. The knife in his hand trembled but didn't strike. Steve's fist connected, sending Shadow reeling back. 'He's holding back,' Steve realized, 'But why?'

Their fight continued; the air thick with tension. Shadow's movements were swift and calculated, but the hesitation was undeniable. Each time he had an opening, he paused, as if restrained by an internal conflict.

Steve pressed harder, determined to uncover the truth behind Shadow's hesitation. He swung his shield again, aiming low, and Shadow leapt over it, but as he landed, Daredevil was there, delivering a punishing blow to his midsection. Shadow despite the blow he took did not show any indication of having taken punishment.

The fight reached a tense pause as both sides took a moment to steady themselves. Captain America, Daredevil, and Shadow stood ready, their breaths heavy, eyes locked on each other. Despite their substantial injuries, Falcon and Luke Cage forced themselves to their feet, their determination unyielding.

Before they could continue, Captain America seized the moment to seek clarity. "You don't want to do this, do you?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

Shadow hesitated, his expression showing some emotion for the first time. "What do you mean, Mr. Rogers?"

Steve's voice was steady but probing. "When you fight someone, you learn a lot about them. I've learned to judge a person by how they fight me and as the years have gone by I have only gotten better, and I can tell that you don't want to fight."

Shadow's eyes flickered with a mix of conflicting emotions even as he shook his head in negative "That's an overstatement, I'm an agent, Mr. Rogers. I follow orders. The problem is, I was trained to be an assassin. Everything I know about combat is designed to kill. And I don't want to kill a man who's a symbol of peace and justice for this country and the world at large."

Steve felt a mix of surprise and frustration, almost insulted at the insinuation. "A little too confident in your win, aren't you, soldier?"

Shadow shook his head, a hint of resignation in his voice. "It's not about winning or losing. People like you are rare—someone who can move the world by their convictions alone, even against impossible odds the size of the world. My hope for a better world died a long time ago. Now, I'm just another cog in the machine, following orders because I've lost the strength to dream. You haven't, and you're older than me. That kind of conviction is more valuable than any superpower. I don't want to risk your life because I can't beat all of you without killing you."

Steve was taken aback. This man understood more than most and was strong enough to make a difference. Yet, he wasn't on the side of freedom. "If you believe in me so much, why are you on the other side, willing to give up your freedom?"

Shadow's's eyes darkened before schooling his expression, going back to his calm visage "Because I do believe you are wrong about this, not just that but I think it's futile. The world has made up its mind, and it's not like they don't have good reasons to do so. Changing their minds is a monumental task. Just thinking about it makes me tired. I'm not a superhero. I'm just an agent with no family left. If things go south, I can just disappear."

Steve finally understood the kind of man he was dealing with. "You're not loyal to this country, are you? To you, S.H.I.E.L.D. is just another means to an end."

Shadow opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by his commlink. Daredevil's enhanced senses picked up the voice of Maria Hill. "Shadow! Have you captured Rogers yet?"

Shadow kept his gaze on them. "...Not yet."

"Then abort the mission. Get back to the helicarrier before this gets out of hand."

Shadow gave them a hard stare before sighing and gripping the three-pronged knife in his hand. "I hope the next time we meet, you're better prepared. I'm not even close to the heaviest hitter on the pro-registration side."

With that, Shadow disappeared in a white flash, leaving behind an eerie silence.

"Well, that just sucked," Luke muttered, standing despite his injury. "That guy either can't make up his mind or he doesn't have a spine. What the hell was all that talking from both sides of his mouth?"

Steve shook his head. "No, he was very clear about his stance." He sighed, recalling Shadow's words. "For better or for worse, he's a man who's given up on the world... or worse, he has given up on himself."

-X-

Stark Tower, Today

Sue was walking at a brisk pace keeping up with her husband and Ben as they waked through the halls of stark tower, looking out at the city that had become a battlefield of ideologies.

The attacks on them had intensified, the Child Welfare Department had launched an investigation into their fitness as parents, questioning whether their lifestyle was safe for Franklin and Valeria. The Registration Act had divided not just the superhero community but the entire nation. Spider-Man, one of her closest friends, had revealed his identity to the world, changing the landscape of heroism forever.

And then there was Captain America, going rogue, leading the anti-registration heroes towards what was beginning to look like a full-blown revolution. The impending civil war between those who were pro-registration and those who were anti-registration weighed heavily on her mind. But nothing weighed more than the growing strain in her marriage with Reed.

The intensity of their arguments was increasing. Reed had always had a tendency to ignore her and her emotions in Favour of his research, but lately, it had become unbearable.

Flashback

THE BAXTER BUILDING, HOME OF THE FANTASTIC FOUR:

Sue walked into the lab, watching Reed engrossed in his work. Sue tried to initiate a conversation hoping to get his attention "How's the project coming along, Reed?"

He didn't look up. "Like a dream. Tony's big plan for the superhuman community is the most exciting thing we've ever worked on, Sue."

Reed's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "He wasn't kidding when he said he'd revolutionize every meta-human in America. I haven't seen you this excited since you discovered your first black hole."

She forced a smile and yet could not hold back the bite in her tone even though she tried to hide it with her humour. "Yeah, well. Maybe I'd be excited too if his genius plan didn't mean jail for half our Christmas card list."

Reed's smile faded, sensing her unhappiness with him and his enthusiasm about the registration act and all that came with it. "Agreed. But they don't leave us any choice if they refuse to register, honey. Just take a look at my projections if you need to see the social dangers they're creating."

She tried to understand as she looked at the screen in front of her, trying her best to connect with reed on any level but she failed. "What are you talking about? This is gobbledygook."

Reed, frustrated, pointed at the complex equations and graphs. "No, it's the exponential curve the number of super-beings is following and the apocalypse we're facing if unlicensed activity isn't brought under control."

Sue sighed, feeling a familiar pang of isolation but Reed was to enamoured with the ideas of the future to consider their present and what it could do to them "Tony's secret plan is an amazing opportunity for us, darling."

Reed continued, almost breathless with excitement. "You should hear the ideas he and Hank Pym have been tossing around. They're like concept-machines. I don't think I've ever seen people this super-charged."

"Oh. Right." Her voice was distant, her eyes searching for any sign of the man she fell in love with. "What's this 'Number Forty-Two' thing...?"

Reed's attention was already back on his work, " I'm sorry, Sue, but I'm afraid that's classified information"

Reed barely looked up, even as her voice became noticeably brittle " Well, I guess it's time I was making tracks for the hospital anyway, huh?"

The final blow landed softly but painfully. " Mm. Give Johnny all my love"

Sue blinked back to the present, the sting of that conversation still fresh. She turned to see Reed working on some new plans with tony, oblivious to the world around him. Ben was nearby, talking with She-Hulk, trying to keep busy amidst the chaos.

"Hey, Suzie," Ben's gravelly voice broke the silence. "You okay?"

She nodded, though her heart wasn't in it. "Just thinking about everything, Ben. The attacks, the Registration Act, Spidey revealing his identity, Cap going rogue. It's all so much."

Ben grunted. "Yeah, it's a mess. And now the Child Welfare Department's on our backs. Makes you wonder if we're doin' the right thing."

Sue sighed. "And Reed... he's so wrapped up in all this. He barely sees me anymore."

Ben put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He loves ya, Suzie. He's just... Reed. You know how he gets."

"I know," she replied softly. "But it's different this time. The arguments, the way he dismisses my concerns. It's like he's more in love with his research and the registration act than with us."

Ben frowned, uncomfortable about the subject of his friends personal lives. "Maybe you should talk to him. Really talk to him."

Sue nodded, knowing Ben was trying to help even though his advice was unhelpful. It was not like she had not tried before "Yeah. Maybe I should." She said, regretting saying anything about this to Ben.

As she turned and faced Reed who was still engaged in his talks with Tony, coming up with countermeasures in case the planned confrontation with Captain America does not go as smooth as they hoped, she decided that their conversation could wait, bigger things then her marriage were at the moment.

As she took in the entire room, full of superheroes, some of whom were her closest friends, she couldn't seem to shake that sense of ennui. The isolation seemed much stronger today than usual today.

Her father, having always been distant due hir work had meant she took care of Johnny, to hold the family together when no one else was willing to, that had been the theme of her life as she took the same burden on her shoulders to hold the family she had found in the fantastic four and the one she created with Reed in the form of her children, together.

It was difficult but she had never resented it, She had always cherished it, Her Family and her work made her life meaningful, there were tough days when everyone's emotions were all over the place and Reed was too busy with his ideas, it was up to her that her family was okay not just physically but also emotionally.

She had always known that the man she fell in love with had a complex personality with multiple facets and she had known them all, the sweet, the sentimental, the charming, the difficult, the infuriating, the nerdy and the distant, she had dealt with all of them rather well in the past.

She had delt with the distant Reed plenty of times before, the man who became so tunnel visioned about his ideas for a better future that he forgot about them, about her and her emotions and her feelings.

She knew it came from a place of care for the people and love for their family and wanting to provide a better future for their children, it was her knowing this about Reed and his love for her and their family that had made it easier to hold all the responsibilities of the entire family on her shoulders.

But this time around something was different, something felt very wrong, she knew that to be the case because here she stood, with her husband and some of her best friends, surrounded by her peers in the superhero community, many of whom had expressed the admiration that they had for her and yet despite all that she felt alone.

She did not know who she could talk to, She felt a deep sense of isolation despite the bustling room filled with superheroes many of whom were her friends. So many looked at Reed as a genius leader, talking about him like a source of her turmoil felt like a betrayal, she herself was seen as a leader, a woman strong enough to act like a glue that held a family of super-powered beings together, admitting the fact that she was struggling went against her pride, to admit to marital problems in the times of the ongoing conflict over the Superhuman Registration Act felt like she was being selfish and a distraction from the problems that truly mattered.

She felt like a prisoner of her own image and their image, granted they had cultivated that image by being their authentic selves.

Feeling the weight of her thoughts becoming unbearable, Susan scanned the room, needing to find a distraction. Her eyes landed on a man with familiar white hair sitting quietly in a corner, meticulously writing in a book. She recognized him as the one who had fought Doom and hadn't lost, but she didn't know his name, much less anything about him, deciding that this was as good as any distraction, she went in his direction, Ready to introduce herself.

As she got closer to him, she noticed that he was very engrossed in what he was doing, she was about to clear her throat and introduce herself but then her eys caught on what he was writing,

Date: 28th Day of the 5th Month

Subject: Performance and Limitations of the Enhanced Sensory Seal matrix in the Flying Raijin Matrices

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of the newly integrated Yin and Yang chakra components in the Flying Raijin sensory seal and identify reasons for the observed limitations.

Observation 1: Initial deployment of the seal showed promising results within a close range. The sensitivity afforded by Yin chakra allows for the detection of even minor chakra signatures, such as small animals and even non chakra energy signatures, such as toy batteries.

Observation 2: The range enhancement provided by Yang chakra is evident, yet insufficient to counteract the exponential decay of the chakra pulses over long distances. Signals become unreliable beyond 50 meters and nearly undetectable past 100 meters.

Observation 3: The attenuation factor (𝛼(𝑟)α(r)) follows an exponential model: 𝛼(𝑟)=𝛼0𝑒𝛽𝑟α(r)=α0 eβr where 𝛼0α0 is the initial attenuation coefficient, and 𝛽β is the decay constant.

Observation 4: Attempts to increase the Yang chakra component to boost range resulted in only marginal improvements. The fundamental issue remains the rapid attenuation of chakra pulses.

Observation 5: Chakra Tensor Analysis:

Chakra Tensor (𝐶C): The chakra tensor represents the distribution and interaction of chakra components in a multidimensional space.

C_{xx} & C_{xy} & C_{xz} \\ C_{yx} & C_{yy} & C_{yz} \\ C_{zx} & C_{zy} & C_{zz} \end{pmatrix} \] where \( C_{ij} \) represents the interaction between the chakra components along different axes.

Chakra Wave Equation with Tensor Interaction: ∇2Ψ−𝐶⋅∂2Ψ∂𝑡2+𝛼(𝑟)Ψ=0∇2Ψ−C⋅∂t2∂2Ψ +α(r)Ψ=0 The tensor 𝐶C modulates the propagation and interaction of the chakra waves, with Yin and Yang components influencing different elements of the tensor.

Hypothesis: The current balance between Yin and Yang chakra is suboptimal. A recalibration might be required to enhance the synergy between the two, potentially involving a more complex interaction model within the chakra tensor framework.

Proposed Quantum Mechanics principals that can help in explaining the discrepancies and lack of optimal results:

Wave-Parti-

The writing stopped, and so did Sue and then she realized that the hand was not moving, awkwardly she looked at him to realize he was staring at her with a questioning gaze, before she could excuse her behaviour, he broke the awkward silence "You don't want to be here do you?"

The question had left her out of step, she almost lost control of the emotions that she had kept a lid on for so long, she had faced scrutiny before, far more intense, about parts of her life that really were no one's business but her own and she would like to think that she had handled them well.

But the way he dropped that question so unexpectedly as the very first question had almost tripped her, regaining her composure she shook her head giving him a strange smile "What? No, I just remember you from our battle in Oklahoma, I just thought we should properly introduce ourselves, Hi I am Susan Richards" Sue extended her hand waiting for him to shake it, he looked at her hand for a moment before he took it.

He did not let go of it, it would have been really awkward if not for the fact that he was actively not looking at her but past her, following his gaze she found that he was looking at Reed and Tony before looking back at her "It's an honour to meet you Mrs, Richards, my name is…" he paused as if contemplating something important "Tobirama" he finally let go of her hand and gestured at the chair on the other side of the table, Susan happily took his invitation, relived that she finally found something to distract herself from her own thoughts.

As she sat on her chair, he went back to his writing, Sue tried to break the ice "You certainly gave your name away rather quickly, I thought it was classified" Tobirama scoffed good naturedly "that is just Phil Coulson and his brand of humour, he likes saying words like 'classified' as if we are part of some tv program about spies"

Sue laughed as she said good naturedly "are you lot not just a bunch of super spies then?" she was hoping that her attempts at a light hearted conversation would drain the awkwardness around them, what she got was much worse, he just hummed as a polite way of dismissing her and went back to his book

'Ok, that was …not anything' Sue tried again, feeling a bit less at ease, susan tried again "I wanted to thank you for what you did in Oklahoma. Not many can stand up to Doom like that."

"It was necessary," Tobirama replied curtly but politely, his expression remaining neutral. "Doom is one man who should not be allowed near Mijonir." He never looked up from his notebook as he said that

Susan sensed something was off, his reluctance was surprising considering they had such a positive interaction last time they met, the way she remembered it anyway, but she still pressed on, hoping to find some common ground. "We've been dealing with a lot lately, we all have especially with the whole Registration Act. I imagine its been challenging, for everyone here, even for the members of S.H.I.E.L.D I imagine..."

Tobirama's expression did not change even slightly, his eyes remained inscrutable. "Yeah.." he was still not looking at her, his response had that off-handedness to it that Reed used when he was not listening to her yet unlike with Reed there was a deliberateness to the actions of man in front of her that was starting to piss her off, him avoiding eye contact on purpose was not helping either,

"It's just hard when the people you care about see things so differently, " she said, hoping to find something other than indifference in him. "so many on the 'other side' are some of my closest friends and yet we are at the opposite sides of this conflict, It can feel very isolating."

"Yeah, I imagine it does" Tobirama said, his tone growing more distant, he looked up for the briefest of moments before going back to his damn book

Feeling a pang of frustration at his evasive responses, Susan tried one more time, her voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "Yeah, after the Stockholm incident, the same people who used to look at us with trust are now looking at us with hostility in their eyes, johnny still has not recoverd from the coma…"

"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs Richards," Tobirama replied, his eyes still not meeting hers, the off-handedness still present. "Give Mr. Storm my best wishes for his recovery "

'He did not just..He did!'

Susan felt a surge of anger and disappointment. It was like talking to Reed all over again, the last sentence almost the exact same as Reed, with his infuriating dismissive attitude masked by his politeness. 'I've had enough of men who think they can just dismiss everything that's important to me!'

Now Sue was getting hot with anger 'Its like Reed all over again', she had a bottled her anger at being neglected by Reed for so long for the sake of their family, with all that was going on she did not feel that her feelings were the most important thing that needed addressing, it was with the intent of taking her focus off these things that she had come here to talk with the man who was a stranger to her in hopes of taking her mind of her own problems, the behaviour of the man in front of her was doing the opposite, 'what is it about me that makes it easy for Men to ignore me?' Sue thought bitterly.

Deciding to not create a scene, she was about to get up and leave this mess when he clicked his tongue, frustration evident on his face, Sue looked at him and then followed his eyes back to his notes, seeing a number of concepts of Quantum mechanics as possible avenues for his hypothesis testing and yet he was leaving a lot of question marks in front of the concepts, now the curiosity of her inner scientist was peaked and so she tried to read everything once again.

The frustration of being ignored was there but Sue needed answers

"I don't know what 'chakra' is but those equations look familiar, I had used something similar to test the existence of bio-energy fields of animals for one of our projects and Reed had used something similar to this…" Sue pointed at one of the matrix on the notes"…To build Quantum sensors, but some of these concepts that you are writing about alludes me"

Sue knew that for the first time she had his full attention, he was good at hiding his emotions but Sue had enough experience with men who tried to keep their emotions in check to know that he truly was surprised despite him trying to hide it.

He looked at her, then back at his notes and then back at her before muttering "well this is surprising."

Sue was not in the greatest of moods, perhaps that was why she almost snapped "why? are you under the impression that only Reed is the smart one in my family?" before Sue could lay on her displeasure about such a statement, he simply said "No, that's not it, you being intelligent is not a secrete to any S.H.I.E.L.D agent worth the salt, what is surprising is you actually haven't just dismissed them on face value."

Now it was Sue's turn to be surprised "why would any scientist worth their salt, dismiss scientific enquiry at face value" she was sure that she would not

Tobirama snorted "That just means you are spoiled by being around some of the most brilliant minds in the universe who for all intents and purposes are mavericks of the science community, the only reasons they haven't been called loonies is because they have shown too many results to back them up, take away their scientific breakthroughs and suddenly do they stop being brilliant? Certainly not."

Tobirama looked at her again and for the first time Sue saw something other than practiced calm in his intense red eyes… it was passion "The way that people here approach science and the way science used to get approached back home is very different, I am willing to admit that for the most part the approach here is superior, it's far more rigorous and far more stable and yet…"

As he was about to continued, Sue could not help but smile 'no wonder it felt like talking to Reed' she thought, amused at it all, perhaps it was a thing with men who were brilliant, although now that she had found the similarity, she started to look for differences, and so she started looking at him and the first thing she noticed was the difference in effort.

Her husband was not conventionally attractive, even he would admit that, but when he put in effort, and that was the thing, Reed usually did, Reed to her became very attractive and rather sexy, it wasn't that Tobirama was not an attractive man, he was, perhaps he would be even considered handsome if he put in effort.

Everything about him was so unusually ordinary, outside of his messy white hair, everything about him was uninspiring beyond the basics, nothing about him stood out, his clothes were a little ill fitting, he was for the most part put together and yet there was a dishevelled look to him that would leave you unimpressed, yet sue felt that there was a deliberateness to it that was puzzling 'Maybe he just does not care about it' she knew many men who didn't but 'What a waste of good looks'

Perhaps she was the one who should be paying the attention because there was an meaningful pause as Tobirama looked at her, when he stopped talking she did not know, lost in her own musings she forgot to pay attention, something that looked like annoyance to her passed over his face before he went back to that practiced calm indifference "I'm sorry Mrs Richards, I'm sure my views on science and the approach to it are not something you are interested in considering the personal hardships you and your family is facing, i generally am not the best company in circumstances like yours so I think I will leave you to it"

Well, he's not making this easy at all' Sue grumbled inwardly, 'it's not like you were paying attention earlier' still, Sue did not want to offend him with something that was simply not true

"It's not like that Tobirama, Bio-energy fields are my area of expertise, I truly was interested in what you got here, I am just not sure what this "chakra" is, is it just a different name for CHI"

Tobirama was staring at her, as if deciding whether she was sincere or not, his decision made he extended both his hand, Sue looked at his hands puzzled and then back at him as he explained" Chakra is one of those things, it's better to experience it then to give you a theory, give me your hands"

Sue was doing a good job of hiding her embarrassment, here she was, a married woman in room full of superheroes, one of whom was her husband and she was considering holding hands with the man who's name she did not even know a few minutes ago.

He probably understood what her hesitation was, for the same hesitations came on his face "I apologise Mrs Richards, if I was out of line then…" he truly looked apologetic and now Sue felt bad for him and embarrassed for herself for behaving like some high school girl in a relationship for the first time "no Tobirama, it's not your fault, its mine, really what do you want me to do"

There was still some hesitance in his eyes as he looked around before he extended his hands, "Just put your hands in mine, I will take care of the rest" as she did what he told her to do, feeling his hand against hers, the texture of his hands rough, telling her that he had done some heavy lifting in his life as he held her hand in a firm grip, she saw him focusing on their interlocked hands as a blue glow started surrounding their hands

At first, she felt a warm feeling going through her body, a subtle warmth, a tingle that started in her palm and spread throughout her body. It was a strange yet invigorating sensation, both foreign and exhilarating, but suddenly, the sensation began to change, it stopped feeling foreign but a part of herself, the warmth became more intense, and the tingling spread deeper, reaching a cellular level.

'I have never felt anything like it, I am feeling connected with every single cell of my body through this energy, energy which feels very much part of my own'

But suddenly the feeling changed, the energy felt Denser as it travelled inside her held 'I don't think it's supposed to feel that way! Its gotten so heavy' she was about to pull away but Tobirama held her hand tightly as he shook his head in negative, his expression stone faced showing remarkable composure even though she could see him sweating and his chin almost quivering as he seemed to want to hold on to that Denseness even though it appeared to be a losing battle as the Denseness dropped to almost nothingness.

He did a good job of masking his exhaustion as he breathed long deep and yet slow deep breaths, still holding on to her hands.

Before she could point this out, a playful voice spoke "Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Jennifer Walters, known to the rest of the world as She-hulk, posed an impressive figure, her skin, a vibrant, almost luminescent green. Muscles swelled and lengthened, filling out her frame with an effortless grace that belied the sheer power contained within her body, dressed in a purple and white singlet, her eyes, a striking emerald green, captured her mischief perfectly

The tease in her voice obvious, so was playful glint in her eyes. "Sue, making new friends already?" even as she said that she put her arm around Tobirama, who showed no reaction to it, still staring at his hands

Sue quickly pulled her hand away, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. "Jennifer, it's not what it looks like. Tobirama was just showing me how this 'chakra' thing works."

Jennifer grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, I bet he was." She looked at Tobirama, her playful smile turning a touch more genuine. "Hey Tobiram-?" Jennifer looked at his face as he kept staring at his hands, and her smile dropped

"Okay, I have seen that look before, I don't like it at all"

-X-

'Ok, what the hell!'

Tobirama never thought he would ever get his hands on That ever again, it was the reason why he was so absorbed with the feeling in his hands even as he felt Jennifer put her arm around his shoulders and try to talk to him.

'I need to get myself in control' he had developed a reputation of being a rude man, but he was not, just because he did not mince words did not mean he wanted to hurt people's feelings, especially when person next to him had been the closest thing to a friend to him

He looked up at Jennifer, her face being really close to his own, taking note of the concern in her eyes before giving her a reassuring nod, getting a hesitant one back before he looked back at Sue, who's cheeks were tinged with red, looking at her, he was feeling the same feelings he shouldn't feel for a woman in a relationship, much less a woman already married with children

He tried distracting himself from the unnecessary emotions and pain in his hands as he talked to Jennifer in the only way that worked for him "Got over Jameson did you? seeing as you are getting that comfortable"

Sue had an offended expression on her face "Tobirama Senju!, what are you doing? How can you be insensitive to how she might feel!?" the earlier red of blush was replaced as she looked angry, It shouldn't be surprising to him that she knew about Jennifer and John Jameson, they were both friends after all, before she could go further Jennifer's laugh diffused the tension

"Don't worry about it Sue, this is just this stiff's way of showing that he cares, that stopped being interesting long ago, Now what is interesting…" Jennifer's earlier playful grin returned as she took her arm off Tobirama and sat on a chair besides him, still staring at Sue "is you calling him Tobirama, how the hell did that happen? When did you guys get on first name basis?"

Sue's blush returned, realizing her own mistake she looked apologetic, most likely did not know how to word her apology, Jennifer bails her out by being faux angry at Tobirama" What exactly is this Tobirama? I had to wait to get past the "Agent Shadow" persona, and she gets your name just like that? What? Do you like her or something? " Ok she did not bail her, she just put fuel on the fire of her embarrassment.

Before Tobirama could pour water on this situation the pain in his arms intensified, He was doing all that he could not to get overwhelmed by it and show it on his face but from the looks of concern on both of their faces, ' I was probably not doing a good job'

Before either of them could say anything, He said what he wanted to say, hoping that the conversation might distract him long enough till the pain goes away "No wonder you are that strong Mrs Richards" that seemed to have done the trick

Jennifer beat Sue to it "What do you mean?" seeing that Susan herself seemed to be interested in my answer, He prepared to answer, being mindful of his pain as it travelled through his arms, his arms almost vibrating

He looked at Susan as he elaborated, shaking his arms in hopes that the pain goes away" Your 'Bio-Energy Field' as you would call it, is in perfect resonance with some sort of higher dimension. It lets you draw raw vibrational energy from this higher dimension."

It seemed that his explanation seemed to bother Susan for some reason "You mean Hyperspace? How could you possibly know that?" Hyperspace? That was new?

"I did not know that it was called Hyperspace, all I know is of a higher dimension, I came in contact with it when…" Tobirama paused as he took out one of his special three pronged knives, seal side facing up" I was trying to improve upon the dimensional equation of my Flying Raijin technique, it's a space-time technique, it was then that I came across that higher dimension, I tried to manipulate by Natural Energy field to match the resonance of that dimension so I could absorb that dense mass of energy, I almost died trying to hold it, there wouldn't even be any evidence left of my existence because I would have been vaporized out of existence" Tobirama said that absent mindedly, still thinking of that day, his head full of theories on what he could have done differently.

Tobirama realized immediately what he had done, he could just feel Jennifer's glare on him, before she could tear into him he tried distracting her by moving forward like he did not just say that "Anyway, as far as I can tell, the cells of your body have a vibration of their own, powerful enough to create their own energy, but the cells of your brain, specifically the ones that build a 'house' for your consciousness, they resonate with this higher Di-" before Tobirama could finish, he felt a hand grab his chin rather roughly and turn his head, now he was looking straight into the eyes of an angry woman who could brake him in half if she wanted to

She hissed "You think you can just say something like that and move on like it was no big deal! What is wrong with you! first it was that sage crap and now this? Was you almost turning into a tree not enough for you?! I'm getting sick of seeing you almost die and then get up and pretend like nothing happened! you almost died AGAIN and did not even have the decency to call me you jerk! if you want to die so bad then ask me, I will make it painless you arrogant prick!" Jennifer was livid, that much was obvious, and this behaviour of hers was honestly not shocking, Jennifer was the exact opposite of him when it came to expressing one's emotions, she was never shy about expressing how she felt, but there were things he could not afford to allow, this was one of them.

He roughly got his chin away from her grasp as he said "First of all Walters" He knew that one stung her, even if she did a good job not letting it show on her face, just like he was doing a good job not letting the guilt affect his decision of doing this to her, Tobirama had boundaries which many might think of as unhealthy and the defences he had built to defend those boundaries even more unhealthy but they were his boundaries, Jennifer never accepted those boundaries, much less his defences for those boundaries, worse she was good at slipping past his defences and get closer to him, he had no plans of getting that close with anyone in this universe, certainly not her, she deserved much better than that, especially considering what plans he had for his future.

"You act like I have a death wish or something, I don't, I risk my life every time I am on a mission, this is not any different, my job increases the chances of me coming face to face with the monsters of the world, if I just sit idly then I will die at the hands of those monsters anyway, so yes when a chance presents itself, I will take it."

Jennifer was not having any of it, now she was getting loud "Oh save that nonsense for someone that buy's your crap! I have seen firsthand how you deal with these 'Monsters'! You don't look or fight like a man who got caught by a monster, no you fight like you were looking for these monsters that you pretend to be so scared of, you don't have to fight them, you WANT to fight them! And it looks like the size of the monsters you are looking for has just gotten bigger! It is why you are messing with things you have no business messing with you insensitive little-"

"Ok, calm down you two, before you say something you would regret" it was the voice of Sue that broke through, she felt like she had to say something before things got ugly, Jennifer was one of her best friends, she figured since she never mentioned this Tobirama before, she figured he was just another man that she flirted with in the past just to mess with him, and that's how they know each other, the intensity of the argument in front of her told her there was some history between the two, that neither one of the two were willing to talk about with anyone else, not even with each other it seems.

Sue could already feel some stares, looking around she saw Ben looking at them, giving her a questioning look, she shook her head indicating that she had things under control, although it looked like Jennifer was not done, before she got started "Agent Shadow" it was Tony, in his armour with his face exposed looking at them, she could see it on his face, he could feel the tension in the air as he looked at them before he focused on Tobirama "We will be moving with the plan in 30 minutes, we would like to check the parameters, just to make sure things go as smooth as it possibly can

Tobirama still had this hard stare locked on Jennifer who was more then matching his stare with a glare of her own, Tobirama was the first to break it as he looked at Tony and just nodded, tony gave one back before looking at both of them, "Alright then, Jennifer, Sue join us at the conference table one last time, we will go over the finer details of the plan one last time" Jennifer had yet to stop trying to burn a hole in Tobirama through her glare, so Sue answered for both of them "We will be there soon, Tony." Tony gave them a nod before looking at Tobirama's direction giving a questioning nod as he went away

Tobirama got up, looking like he was about to leave, but he stayed and gave an annoyed glare to Jennifer, who still had her eyes locked on Tobirama, the anger yet to dissipate, Tobirama was the first to relent as he exhaled before he placed a hand on Jennifer's shoulder, leaving that strange mark on his knives on Jennifer's skin. Jennifer looked at the mark and then back at him. Tobirama gave her a questioning nod. Jennifer took a few moments, her anger still evident, before she relented with a sign and nodded back. Tobirama, seeing this, gave her a nod before disappearing in a white flash.

Jennifer continued looking in the same spot that Tobirama had stood on a few moments ago, with a look on her face that was unexpected, she had seen that look before, she had that look on her own face, a lot in these last few months, which made no sense, she had just gotten out of a relationship with James Jameson less than a month ago.

She had known all about that mess and all the sordid details it entailed, but Tobirama was never mentioned, she knew Jennifer enough to know that that despite her sexually liberated attitude she was loyal to a fault, she would not have broken James's trust, so this was likely something far less messy but no less complicated.

Sue shook her head, realizing that dwelling on her personal issues was unimportant at the moment. They were about to face a conflict significant enough to attract The Watcher's attention. Jennifer was the first to break the silence.

"I hate how he does things," Jennifer muttered, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I can't explain it. He gets results, but I hate his methods."

Sue sighed, feeling a pang of empathy. "I understand. He reminds me a lot of Reed when he gets tunnel vision and forgets about everything else." She forced a laugh, hoping to mask her pain. Jennifer returned her smile but then spoke words that made Sue pause.

"He's nothing like Reed."

Sue prided herself on being the best in her family at reading people, so being told that she was wrong about someone was rare. Jennifer looked at her puzzlement "If Tobirama was just another man who forgot about the people in his life who cared for them, if he was just someone who could not appreciate them and neglect them and take them for granted for the sake of his 'ideas' then this would be very easy, I don't tolerate that kind of nonsense."

For the first time in this entire conversation Sue's composure broke, having all her marital problems verbalized by someone else cracked her open and an expression of vulnerability adorned her beautiful face, something Jennifer noticed and put an arm on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I'm your friend Sue, I know you better then you give me credit for, I've been keeping silent because I did not think it was my place but don't you remember Sue? I was the member of the Fantastic four after you had Franklin and wanted to focus on being a mother, I have seen how Reed operates, as great of a man he is in every sense of the word, calling it Tunnel vision is being generous to him, if that was all this was then I would not have bothered at all" Jennifer took her hands of her and stood up as she muttered "It's precisely because Tobirama is not that kind of Man… which is what makes what he is doing feel even worse." Jennifer shook her head, took a deep breath and suddenly her eyes were full of focus as she looked at her

"Come on Sue, it's time we go and get ourselves ready, for better or for worse we are about to participate in something that will change the course of history, we can't afford to lack focus, it's time we show Captain America that times have changed and accountability is not some government conspiracy"

Sue nodded, a determined look came over her as she got up and walked with Jennifer, she was right, she can't be thinking about her own problems, much less some mystery man and what his deal was in the face of conflict that could change super heroics and how its done,

-X-

Author's Notes:- as the chapter suggests, it's a prelude before the war, it was a lot of character setup, this is honestly less fun to write then the stuff that is about to happen in the future.

Again let me know in the review, what you guys liked, did not like, if you have any recommendations regarding plot points you would like to see, let me know

Until next time

Cheers!

'