"So, two random thugs just wandered into our guy's apartment!" Fury scoffed as he read the recent report.
"Should I be worried that our agents are losing their edge, Coulson?" asked Fury staring down at his most trusted agent in SHIELD.
"Our men did inform me, sir. I ordered them to let the events play out," said Coulson, not too bothered to be under his superior's scrutiny.
"I see." Fury stared a little longer before he turned his gaze to the monitor where the details of the Baker and his gang were on full display. "And how did Vex react?"
"He smacked them down quite easily and broke the wrist of one Mr Santiago Cruz. Other than that, our guy was restrained."
"Hmm… You plan to let the Baker know that his goons failed don't you?" asked Fury as he leaned back in his seat, looking expectantly at Coulson.
"Only with your permission, sir. As you know, this will be risky, and there is a certain room for error." Coulson said awkwardly.
Fury sighed and looked at the screen once more. The more he read about this Baker, aka Samuel Jones, the more he was apprehensive about what was about to happen. The guy was a textbook psychopath, and there was no telling how the situation might evolve. Not to mention, this guy's dealings with the Irish gang based in Hell's Kitchen and some shady organisations required more scrutiny.
He preferred to keep the existence of aliens from the public for as long as he could. There were already enough problems on his plate, and he didn't fancy adding alien-obsessed hippies into the mix.
At the same time, he was curious how Vex would behave in certain situations. There was only so much he could learn with psych profiles. The true measure of a man could be known only on certain occasions when emotions are high. While Vex was an alien he looked remarkably similar to a human and thus he was curious to know what makes the guy tick.
"Bring me a plan that involves the least amount of public exposure." he found himself saying in the end. "If we're going with this plan I need to know we can control the narrative if something leaks to the public."
"Will do, sir." Coulson nodded.
"Coulson."
"Sir?"
"I don't have to tell you that this is a dangerous game. We must keep our hands clean in this matter. No digital communication is to be established with this Baker or any of his subordinates," warned Fury.
"We will keep everything analogue, sir." Coulson nodded sharply.
"Good. You may go."
Fury watched Coulson leave before letting out a sigh. The WSC was exerting enormous pressure on SHIELD right now. The existence of alien civilisations was no news to the agency, but an alien with the strengths exhibited by Vex was unheard of by SHIELD. Of course, he had explained to the WSC members that Carol Danvers had similar strengths, but that made them all the more paranoid.
Unfortunately, the WSC was not satisfied with his answer. They wanted a magic bullet against Vex in case the guy turned hostile, which was easier said than done. SHIELD had little intel, if any, on Vex's abilities. The lack of any generic data was also a serious impediment to studying the Kryptonian race. There were serious implications that Vex was an immortal being. SHIELD scientists were baffled by the lack of a single cell in Vex's personal belongings. The present theory was that Kryptonian biology was different, and any dead cells would self-destruct rather than linger in the environment. If this hypothesis was untrue, then the only plausible explanation would be that Vex is immortal.
This complete lack of knowledge about the Kryptonian race was concerning for many analysts and WSC. With Vex refusing to share any further details about his people because of the recent falling out with SHIELD, the WSC was not happy. This was why he was now ordered to focus on Super Soldier Serum more than ever.
Fury knew that his predecessors had tried and failed to cook up a serum on the level of Abraham Erskine's serum that delivered the perfect super soldier in Captain America. Many attempts were made, and most ended in abject failure. The one that neared perfection was with Howard Stark, but that was lost, and records indicated that the Russians were involved.
Losing Howard Stark was a blow that had set back SHIELD, and the man was one of the greatest casualties of the Cold War. Another was Janet Van Dyne, callsign the Wasp, who gave her life and saved the world from a nuclear apocalypse. Like the two, many died for the sake of a safer world. Even after the fall of the USSR, the location of the serum remained a mystery. The random appearances of the Winter Soldier were proof that the serum worked. The only problem was that they had no clear evidence of whether the serum was used on the Winter Soldier. It was possible that the Winter Soldier was just an extremely good Soviet operative.
With the possibility of the serum working and the presence of a super-powered alien on the planet, the higher-ups were keen on recreating the serum.
Already, a project was underway in Culver under the oversight of General Ross. He was not keen on developing the serum, but if it succeeds, he would not be terribly unhappy. For the time being, he was keeping an eye on the project from a distance. This would let him react objectively. Not to mention, he would be able to keep other parties from interfering with the project. If the project succeeds, SHIELD would surely benefit as they had a stake in the project, even if Ross believes otherwise.
*
"What is dimensional energy?"
Cerion was before the Ancient One sitting cross-legged at the beach while a few miles north, his ship was getting repairs done. The scent of the sea and the warm climate were soothing for training in what he considered to be spiritual arts or magical arts. He didn't know what the exact terms were, and his teacher was not so keen on using specific terms either.
"This is a good question but one with no definite answer. The source of all energy can be traced back to the creation of the universe, a cataclysmic event that unleashed chaos on a scale unimaginable for any single being to comprehend. As such, the basis of dimensional energy is creation itself," explained the Ancient One as she drew dimensional energy and began to form solid constructs by simple gestures of her hands.
"But was it just merely creation? If creation is the origin of all the dimensional energy, then what is the source of creation?" asked Cerion even as he stared in wonder as the Ancient One began to project images of a chaotic universe.
"Death is the prime mover of all things living, Cerion. Death is the catalyst that created what you see here in the present. What we call the dimensional energy is something that is derived from the death of what was once before the present existence."
"That doesn't make any sense." he complained with a disappointed stare at the sorceress.
"The nature of existence follows only one rule: cycles of time. Anything and everything can only be measured in time. Time is the yardstick for life. The present universe that we occupy is merely birthed because of the death of the previous one. In time, this world will die to give birth to another. When that happens, matter will convert to energy, and energy will convert to matter," said the Ancient One.
"This feels like spiritual bullshit." He commented in a deadpan manner.
"Truth can be spiritual because both work to remove the veil we have on our senses. Both are intended to remove ignorance and enshrine wisdom in our minds," said the Ancient One with a serene smile.
Cerion felt that she was just messing with him, but she was very proficient at masking her true feelings behind a calm exterior. So, he could never know whether she was lying or telling the truth. Even her heartbeat was perfectly steady throughout the conversation.
"Let's leave it at that and concentrate on the energy aspect. If I am absorbing dimensional energy as you do, then why can't I perform spells as you do? I have tried to perform some of the spells you taught me, but at some point, I hit my limit in stabilizing the constructs."
"Hmm…" Ancient One hummed in thought before she reached out and took both his hands into her own. "Channel your energy into my body."
He blinked in surprise at the request. "Say what?"
"Channel your energy through your arms. I will do the rest." Ancient one explained and looked at him expectantly.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and willed what he identified as a warm feeling within himself. He could feel a gentle warmth spread across his heart and flowing through his limbs. He was careful to keep the flow of energy contained as best as he could. It was like trying to hold back the sea with a fishnet. No matter what the sea would easily slip in and the same is true for the well of energy inside his body.
He opened his eyes and saw with his own eyes that a silver aura was disappearing into the Ancient One. For a time, he continued to channel this power into his teacher, who broke the connection at some point and went into a trance. Once again, he suspected this was part of the theatricality that she regularly engaged for some reason.
"I think I have a better understanding of what is happening to the dimensional energy you are absorbing." she finally said as she came out of her trance.
"Truly?! So what is the verdict?" he asked eagerly.
"Patience, Cerion. Dimensional energies ought to be treated with due respect and discipline." the Ancient One said serenely.
Having said that, the Ancient One stood up, and he closely followed.
"I will mull over this energy and meet with you next Sunday. Till then, continue the training methods that I taught you to regulate the flow of your energy." she then created a portal with her sling ring and stepped into it, giving a hasty goodbye, leaving Cerion annoyed for some reason.
To blow off some steam, he decided to fly a few rounds around the island and then return to the US. He was just about to fly right next to his apartment, but then he remembered that he had some shopping to do. So he quickly changed tracks and carefully landed in a secluded corner near a grocery store. It took him more than an hour to buy all the essentials, and he was on foot on his way to his apartment.
He liked taking walks as they gave him access to street vendors. He found a good one that served Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, which were his favourite in another life. Just as he was tucking in his new purchase and eying some other vendors, he heard gunshots.
People began to scream and run away, panicked, thinking it was some looney nut who was taking to the street to have some fun with the latest semi-automatic available in the market. He touched the necklace on his neck and released the enchantment that blocked out his senses. It was a little difficult to filter out the sounds coming from the street, but his eyes found the culprits.
To his surprise, it was a gang of thugs wielding a bunch of semi-automatics and firing randomly into the street. A local PD mobile unit was close by, but the thugs threw a grenade into the Police car, followed by suppression fire. He took shelter behind a shop and just kept track of the gun-wielding maniacs with his X-ray vision. He noticed these thugs were well-coordinated, and they were even careful to take out any cameras in the street.
He winced as the police vehicle exploded, and the sound roared in his ears. He found the two cops injured near the car, and one had his leg blown off cleanly from his knees. The other had shrapnel stuck in his body, but the guy would survive for sure. The thugs now started to fire into the buildings, and he could hear cries of children as some were getting hit.
He forced down the urge to involve himself, but it was a tough one. He was just getting a sensory overload of people crying desperately for help. He closed his eyes and began to reel in his senses one by one. Despite what was happening, he could not afford to declare himself openly.
"Hey, boss. We found the guy."
Cerion opened his eyes, and he was met with a curious sight. There was a guy in a mask pointing a gun at him and calling for his buddies. And everything began to click in his mind. The random shootings, needless terror, and blindly rolling over everyone were not just random acts of terror. These guys were here for him and not for anything else.
He took in the carnage around him and felt angry. He let go of his senses and allowed them to expand. He discretely touched his belt buckle, and he felt the tactical suit encompass his body. A half-mask formed on his face, ensuring that his identity would remain secure.
The air around him vibrated as he exerted a considerable dose of power through his body, and then he moved.
Time stood still for those who moved at a slower pace, and for Cerion, it was as if he was surrounded by sloths. He was right before his would-be assailant and threw him headfirst into a car that was parked on the street. One by one, he began to take down the assailants, breaking their spines, collar bones and every bit of bones in their bodies so that they would never walk in their lives even with the best treatment available on Earth. His eyes heated up as he saw the blood and gore on the streets, and he fired off a stream of concentrated laser blasts that tore through the vehicle of the thugs.
All of this happened before anyone could blink, and he blasted off into the sky, spearing through the air straight for his apartment. He urged himself to go faster and broke through the window of Jane's apartment and stood protectively before her, who was at gunpoint of another thug. He saw the bullet move slowly out of the gun, and he waited patiently until it struck his forehead. The inevitable result was that the bullet flattened itself on his skin and fell on the floor.
The thug who fired the bullet just looked on, completely confused, and stared dumbly at what transpired.
"I believe you must be the Baker?" Cerion asked, but he received no answer from the thug except for a flustered look.
That was fine with him. He was not here to have a conversation with the guy. "I am afraid you will not be baking anything in your life."
Now, he could see a healthy dose of fear and rage in the guy's eyes. He caught the guy's wrist in a tight grip, sharply turned it, and punched straight at the Baker's elbow. There was a sickening crack followed by a painful howl, but he was not done yet. He turned the guy around, and a sharp jab with his fist saw to it that Baker's spine fractured beyond healing. For good measure, he kicked the guy out of Jane's apartment, breaking a few ribs in the process and closed the door.
"You! What? How? What happened?"
Now it was time to face a confused, angry, fearful and stressed woman. Wasn't his life great?