Author's note: This chapter is mostly dialogue. I took a class to improve my writing, and my laptop crashed and burned halfway there. I had to write using my Xiaomi phone after this until October when I finally had enough money to buy a new laptop. So, a pretty good day right.
Do you guys want an extra chapter? If I can get 1000 power stones a week, I will publish an extra chapter that week!
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"Finally… I'm back home." Ryan says while looking at the blue planet from outer space. After entering the Earth's atmosphere in stealth mode, he docked in the hangar area of the hidden island base.
A blonde woman greeted him at the hangar. Yelena is waiting for him as Dawn is busy with Somalia matters. Not that he is unavail, but he needs to focus right now. The matter will cause an imminent war between countries.
"Boy, those guys are not giving up huh. A stable African country scares them that much." Ryan shook his head. Not only Americans but also Europeans and the Russians are interfering in the coming election. It wasn't the stability that they feared, but the fact that they can't influence the country anymore and clawed at the natural resources.
"Not only that, they even try to make you take back your investment in the futuristic city. Even Stark is pressured to do the same," Yelena said.
The deep-rooted family in his country has started to move and is making political plays all over the world. The controlled media has been smearing Somalian names right now, to get public support in case a special operation needed to be done in the country. They are painting the image of a dictatorial government who are abusing its citizens. Standard CIA stuff.
The White House is silent on this matter as Ryan was just awarded with saving New York and Washington. They are in a difficult place right now whether to support Ryan or the political families. The hesitation will cost them greatly later on.
"(Sigh) It hasn't even been 5 minutes since I got back, " Ryan has a new problem the minute he walks in. Stark has been a great help with this when he is not there. He's been telling these families to fuck off.
Yelena smiles wryly. She didn't mean to dump the burden on Ryan the moment he came back. She is just telling what the situation is like. She kind of forgot that Ryan has a big part in all of this.
Then, she notices the condition of the spaceship. It greatly startled her. There is a sign of emergency welding on the wings and many places have scorch marks, scratches, and dirt. "What happened out there??!" She asks anxiously.
"Fight some alien empire. Got hit by an orbital cannon. Some usual stuff." Ryan replied dismissively.
Some droid helper on the island is helping him unload his loot from his travels. It needs to be sorted out. There is a lot of stuff he brought back that needs to be researched. Especially the ones he bought on Xandar.
"That is not usual! How are you still intact?" Yelena grabs Ryan and spun him over while checking for any damages. Although she can see his armor has some dents and scratches, Ryan's physical health is unknown.
His eyes are spinning from getting twirled by the woman. He thought that it makes sense that she is worried. Ryan thought he needed to change first before going back home, otherwise, the situation would be repeated.
"Hey. Chill out. I know how to take care of myself. Will you help me sort out this stuff? I need to go back home first. I will come by later." He delegates the matter to Yelena.
"Hmm…Okay. But you need to tell me all about what you faced. Deal?" She replied after some contemplation.
"Deal." Ryan finishes up, changes to casual clothes, pets Eevee for 5 minutes, and is finally ready. The tired mental state makes him forget something important.
He teleported to Brooklyn's safe house that he prepared. "I couldn't just come out of my house, can I?"
There is a car stored there for him. It is a black Ford Mustang with a white stripe on the center. He didn't use the Knight car as he is trying to cover up his return from Shield. The car has been collecting dust there for 3 years. He casts cleaning magic and the car is unleashed.
*Vroom* The garage door on the safe house is opened. It connected to the back alley of a building. When the car drove outside, it shocked the cat sleeping in the alley.
He is driving it to Gwen parent's house to pick her up. Pressing the call button on the car touchscreen panel, he contacted her.
"Hi, Babe. I'm back. I'll pick you up in 10 minutes." He drives into the main road at this moment.
"I'm outside at a coffee shop with Khan near my house. Why don't you pick me up here?" Gwen said while drinking an iced Americano.
A small voice is heard from Gwen's side of the call.
"Your boyfriend is back and you abandoned me? You truly are my best friend." Khan is so proud of Gwen.
"Shut it!" Gwen scolded. She then told Ryan the address. She needed to do that, otherwise, he would get lost. Sometimes his mind is so jumbled he is lost on a straight path. She notices his voice is a little tired. She didn't know his condition now, so it was better to just send him her location.
"Thank Gwen. You understand me best."
The location is sent via the messaging app. He used the GPS apps to get there. It took him only 5 minutes to get to the location.
He had great luck that afternoon. All the traffic lights are green. He definitely didn't use ALBUS to hack into the city traffic network... Truly.
"Thank you ALBUS."
"My pleasure, sir. "
The black Mustang is parked on the side of the road and he walks in. When Ryan walks into the coffee shop, Shield is alerted. No, it is when Ryan parks the car.
"He is finally back." Phil Coulson got the notification. He needs to pick up Natasha who is at the clinic and get to their work. The work is delayed for almost 2 weeks now.
"Natasha is going to be disappointed," Phil mutters while driving the car. He knows Natasha has been having a great time recently. The additional girls in Kai's house make the atmosphere very cheerful.
Ava and Jessica are having breakfast at Kai's house every single day. Natasha rents a house next door to be included. Suddenly, Ava and Jessica become her roommates. It is all very confusing, even for Phil.
In the coffee shop, Ryan knows he is monitored, but he just lets it slide. Gwen runs to Ryan and hugs him when he appears. A bright smile shows up the moment he sees her beautiful face.
"Ready to go?" Ryan couldn't wait to go home and sleep.
"Sure. Let's go home. It's only 2 weeks but I miss our place." Gwen is missing her books there.
"What about your luggage?"
"I can buy new stuff. It's just clothes." There is a perk to having the richest man in the world as your boyfriend.
"You can give it to me if you don't want it." Khan chided. She feels a little jealous of seeing the couple's closeness.
"Not in a thousand years," Gwen replied decisively. She grabs Ryan's arm and they leave the coffee house.
ALBUS greeted them when they entered the penthouse. Ryan walks to the sofa and just lets himself be buried in the cushion. Gwen had no place to sit, so she sat on his back.
"Oof. Heavy" he exclaimed when he is sat on.
"What did you say?" There is a little hint of anger in her tone. She pretends not to hear it and gives him a second chance to make things right.
"Nothing. I'm surprised by how light you are, " He pries his face out of the cushion, grabs Gwen, and pulls her to lay down next to him. Her shampoo scent tickled his nose. It's only 2 days but it feels like forever. Gwen is also behaving the same way as him. She is burying her face in Ryan's chest while their legs are tangled together.
The atmosphere is almost broken when ALBUS chimes in. "Sir Hiddle is on his way."
"Ask Hiddle to come a little later. I am too tired to move right now." He just wants to cuddle with Gwen and go to sleep.
"Have a good rest, Young Master. I will come tomorrow." Hiddle said after ALBUS notified him. Knowing that the young master is tired, he blocks any people from going to meet him. He even blocks Iron Man from flying to the penthouse.
"Too bad you're tired. I want to treat you to something special." Gwen says. They are disrupted at the peak of their vacation. Ryan couldn't even get his naked apron treats in Mars biodome.
"I am tired of dealing with others. Not you. I will always have the strength for you." He said while hugging Gwen tighter. She is enjoying the moment when she smells something off. 'This is…antiseptic?'
Still in Ryan's arms, she unbuttoned his shirt. He is enjoying it, but then the mood changes. Gwen's eyes widened.
"What happened to you?" She jolted up while pushing Ryan onto the sofa. His body is full of bruises and scars. Gwen's reaction makes him puzzled. He moves to a sitting posture and finally, he notices it.
"Ohh." He exclaimed. 'Damn I forgot to heal myself with magic.' The MediQuick has already fixed him, but his body still needs time to heal. He forgot about it as it is no longer painful. The only reason he uses the MediQuick at that time is that he is meeting Captain Marvel. If he is alone, he has already used his magic.
"Is this… because you deliver the kids? Because I ask you to?" Gwen is tearing up. She feels like she is the reason he got hurt. Who knows what happened to him in space. Her mind is spiraling at the moment.
"No Gwen. This is not your fault," Ryan said with a comforting tone. He places his hand on her face.
"It is my fault. I am the one who asks you to do that." A drop of tear fell on her rosy cheek. Ryan leans towards her and kisses her at the place where the tear falls.
"I got careless because I was playing around. That's it. It wasn't your fault. Look, it didn't even hurt."
"Stop poking it. You need to get some rest." She tries to move away and give him some space, but he is not letting her go.
"If you're worried about me, then stay here with me." He grabs her tightly into his arm, back to their initial pose. This time, Gwen's face is on his bare chest instead of his shirt. Minutes later, he fell asleep.
She realizes that she can't get away. His arm is like a steel plate locking her in. After he is sleeping, it eases. But she didn't move away. She stays with him all the time until he wakes up.
…
The next day arrives.
"No. I will do it when you are better. Not right now," Gwen declined Ryan's request for his reward.
"But…" His hope and dreams were shattered. The bright sun turns to a dark sky. His eyes lost all of their vigors.
"No 'But'. When you are better… then I will keep my promise…" She is placing Ryan on bed rest. He cannot leave without her consent. She is sitting at the edge of the bed, feeding him some food.
"Then, yes 'But'?" Ryan says nonchalantly while opening his mouth and munching the grapes from Gwen's hand.
Her mouth opens to answer. But she stops. She almost says yes. She realizes it is a trap.
Glaring at him, she warns "Keep it up and you will get the 'But'..."
"Damn it. So close." Ryan mumbles underneath his breath. After breakfast, she goes to pick up some medication for him. She had rubbed ointment on him last night.
Ryan purposely didn't heal himself today to make sure she will do it again. It is nice to get pampered once in a while.
When he is alone at the house, Bryan Mills contacts him from the building entrance. "Agent Coulson and Agent Romanov are here. Should I let them in?"
"Gwen didn't let me move. Ask them to come again later, " He dismisses them. However, when Gwen goes down the elevator, she bumped into the agents. The way Phil Coulson works is a mystery. Not long after, he got Gwen's approval to enter the penthouse.
"(sigh) That's what I get for pissing her off," Ryan mumbles while putting on a shirt. He didn't realize that his wish was being considered. It is a different matter that makes Gwen allows Phil Coulson to meet him.
Sitting on the sofa, Ryan is confronting the agents. Phil is sitting down adjacent to Ryan. He starts his 2 weeks late dialogue with
"We are sorry," Phil said. Shield has made a terrible mistake. Natasha is staying still until her assistance is needed. That was her mission.
"What for?" Ryan asks purposely.
"For suspecting you, " Phil replied. It seems like he is saying that on behalf of all of Shield. The answer pisses Ryan off even when it is true.
"You didn't. Nick Fury did," He said with disappointment in his voice.
"We know words aren't enough, so let us show you with our actions. The matter in Somalia, leave it to us,"
This is what Shield devised to gain Ryan's acceptance. It seems that Ryan has a special bond with the country, so they will try to save it. A grand gesture to win Ryan's heart. The reason that Gwen allows Phil Coulson to enter the penthouse.
The grand gesture becomes a great annoyance for Ryan. It touches his nerve, and he can barely control himself from cursing at Shield @ Hydra.
"Hahaha" He laughs dryly. Phil knows something is wrong. Natasha's eyes widened in surprise. They are about to meet the real Ryan Knight.
"Really... Let me ask you a question. Did you wait until I'm back to do something, to make me indebted to you or accept your apology?" Ryan makes a scathing remark. Before Phil could answer, Ryan continued.
"My meeting with Nick Fury taught me something, always be suspicious. What if you guys are the ones who are pressuring the country I put work in, to show yourself as a savior. Getting my approval at the same time shows your might. It is plausible isn't it," he said in a mocking tone.
Phil is stunned. It is plausible. Natasha wants to assist, but Ryan continues again.
"If you can do something about it. Why did you wait? Why do millions have to suffer the consequences of your idleness?" He slams the table and accuses them.
"What he meant was... We will try our best." Natasha said. They got assistance from the analyst who is listening in on their conversation.
"HAHAHAHAHA, " Ryan laughs out loud hearing the correction. "Have Shield ever done that? Giving a definite promise if you don't have anything? No... You only do it because you will gain something from it. "
He reaches for his holographic phone and projects the data on the living room. Phil and Natasha are speechless. It contains all the individuals responsible for the mess. Even Shield didn't have this complete information.
"Natasha, turn a bit more. Your camera button didn't capture all of it." Ryan mocks.
"And Phil, what is your analyst saying now?"
Natasha and Phil are both speechless. At the moment, all the data is being put into work. Shield is at the start line, and Ryan is already finished. The country will experience a bloodbath today.
"Mr. Knight, if you do this. Many people will die." Phil said, panicking. There is evidence of assault, rape, and others. All of it is open to the public.
Natasha didn't assist at the time, because she saw something that pertained to her. Her eyes are glued to the data. The people there also visited the Red Room before. They used the rejected widows as a slave for their entertainment.
"What? Did I do something wrong? Why are these people outside the law? If I let Shield take over this matter, what CAN you do besides blackmail them? Can you bring them to justice?"
Phil is silent. Ryan hit the mark. Even if Shield does it, nothing will change for these people other than their matter in Somalia.
"Don't pretend you care about the people, Phil. It's unflattering. " Ryan sips his cold tea. With the knowledge, the agents are moving. But they are too late. Chaos already started.
There are two families who have close ties to one another. Then, one of the family's oldest sons went missing. The family then finds out the other family is responsible for the asssasinate of their son. What will they do?
Of course, they will claim compensation privately. What if all the other people in their circle know about the incident? Then, they have to show they care about the dead son. They will send a team to kill the other family, and in the fear of revenge, the other family will do the same. What will happen then?
"I do care about the people. You are making them kill each other. There must be another way to do this." Phil said.
"Pfft. They are not people. They are a beast in human clothing. The rot in the country. And I didn't make them kill each other, all I did was show the people the rot."
Shield is trying hard to contain it, but the official judicial branch of the country is getting to work. They have the perfect evidence right now. Ryan had sent it, especially to the party that will receive the most benefit, that they will bite tightly and won't let go.
The President is solemn that day. Members of the White House are being shaken up here and there. The biggest movement of the century is currently ongoing. Ryan didn't prepare it for a few weeks, but it is in the works for a few years. It is impossible for them to get away with it.
"If you truly care about the people, why did you didn't do anything about the victims in New Mexico? You just leave the cleanup to my dad. You didn't offer to help or anything. Not even the government has offered to help. Why is that exactly?"
'They want a dialogue, right? So I will give them dialogue.' Ryan is pissed.
"That is because... "Phil is answering but Ryan stopped him.
"I want to hear your thoughts, agent Phil Coulson, not the analyst. "
Phil contemplated for a while. He takes out the earpiece and crushes it in front of Ryan. It was an unexpected action that Ryan was a bit surprised.
"Shield… cannot show themselves to the world. And the incident as you know it, involved some extraterrestrial being. So we kept it from the government." Phil is telling the truth. Only the World Security Council knows the truth about that day.
"Your father has taken action. So we try to smoothen his process in the background. That's all we can do." Phil said while contemplating their action.
Why should they stop what Ryan is doing? Are any of his actions wrong? To be honest, the analyst(Hydra) had asked him to run from there. Ryan clearly is not cooperating, so Phil should come by when he is in a good mood. But Phil thought something else. If they run away this time, then they will lose Ryan Knight…forever.
Ryan nods. He accepts the answers. He calms down a little. But he is still making scathing remarks.
"Can you honestly say this? 'Shield didn't spend time to create a weapon to fight the extraterrestrial that you forget to help the victim?' "
"I… can't," Phil said sadly.
"Good answer. Now, back to today's topic, you want to talk to me about. I guess you came here to ask me to help with the weapons?" Ryan already guesses it.
"That is one of the reasons. We come here mainly to apologize." Phil doesn't know what will happen with this meeting. But he still keeps going.
"You can mark me as unavail. I won't work with you." Ryan changes his point of view to Natasha who is still reading the data.
"This cat burglar right here. Did you ask her to join you, or did she do so because she didn't have any choice? "
Natasha is startled that she suddenly becomes a topic." What do you mean by that?" She asks.
"Red Room right? That's why you keep reading the data about it?" Ryan asks. Natasha and Phil are greatly surprised.
"What did he say? WHAT DID HE SAY!!" The analyst that can only see from the camera but no audio as Phil broke the communicator is greatly panicking. This is the worst possible scenario that Shield has ever faced in a conversation.
The agents in Ryan's house aren't answering. Ryan continues. Today, he is breaking all the possible cooperation in the future with Shield.
"You just want a relationship with me for the sake of monitoring me. As I am a potential threat. Like she is. Like Tony is. Am I right?"
"Just like you did Tony. You reel him in with the beautiful agents, with the connection you have with his father, ultimately to monitor him, not to help him."
The reason Shield wants him to join the Phase 2 project is because of this. Ryan knows exactly what Fury is thinking.
"Can you honestly say that before you give Tony his father's legacy, you didn't try to crack it?"
Phil is silent.
"And to this agent here. Will she ever get freedom from you? Or will she spend her entire life monitored?"
Natasha answered as the situation is becoming worse and worse.
"I… used to be an assassin. Right now, I can bring change to the world because of Shield. I can use my skills for good. They have given me redemption for my past. Even if I have to be monitored, I will still join Shield."
She answers decisively. Ryan is sorry for what he is about to do, but he needs to do it.
"That means you're not living as a human. Only a hunting dog for them. And you will be a hunting dog for the rest of your life if you're still with them."
"All this time you're at Shield, think back about the mission you have to do. Did the benefit of the mission be for the civilians, or did the people in power get more authority from it?"
All this time, the mission she got to infiltrate, to spy on, was used by Shield not to make the world better, but to strike a deal with the culprit. They added their power, and the culprit stays the same. Shield didn't change the world. More like they are keeping it from changing.
"Please leave Agent Coulson and Natasha Romanov. I don't have any more things to talk to you about."
Phil almost stands up, but there is a question that keeps surfacing in his mind during this entire dialogue.
"Is this your way of making us do better?
Ryan is silent this time. Phil hit the mark. The agent finally understood the whole situation. Ryan is disappointed in them. Like he is with himself.
" You are right. We didn't care about the public." Phil said.
Natasha is shocked. "Coulson!" She tries to stop him, but Coulson shakes his hand at her and asks her to let him finish.
"We didn't care about the public. We keep things from changing as we fear the future. The world is slowly filled with people that couldn't be matched."
"We didn't care as we tried to protect them… to the best effort we could. We make mistakes. We lost people. But we didn't stop. Yes, we try to keep things in check, because it prepares us for fighting the real enemy. We may die nameless, but it is our choice."
He turns to Natasha and he says something he always wanted to say.
"I want her to get freedom too. I want her to be able to live like a normal girl. To fall in love, to have a happy life."
"But the responsibility to protect the world causes me to stop in my tracks. I didn't do so because I needed her. I am a hypocrite. I know that. I need Iron Man's help. I need your help. Hell, we are the largest organization on Earth, but that still isn't enough. "
Ryan is silent at the moment. Phil let out the things in his chest. Natasha almost couldn't control her emotions.
" I hope that you will change your mind... If you did, then I know Shield will be better. I am a bad person. But the others are not. Don't cooperate with us. Lead us. We need you."
This is Phil's true thought. Shield needs a chance to change. He and Natasha turn to walk out after Ryan isn't answering. Phil's heart is crushed in this conversation. Then, he hears a sound of hope coming from behind him.
Ryan shook his head. 'Damn, I couldn't break free.' He let out a sentence.
".... I will… think about it…"