E/d note: This is the final chapter before we kick off an original arc in the next chapter. It spans across 10 chapters with an average of 2.2k word per chapter! Strap in boys, some big things are happening! Read the author note at the end to understand why I'm writing an original arc instead of following the MTL.
'Inner dialogue/thoughts'
"Normal dialogue"
[System]
[Diary entries]
(Word count: 1,576)
~ With Luke and Natasha ~
Leaning back into the couch, Luke took a deep breath as he looked towards the ceiling. Shaking his head in disbelief and a hint of fear in his eyes, Luke started, "A f*cking horde Nat. Individually, like I said they are not a problem. But when they move in large numbers, depending on the size. . . Even a Military Division might not be enough.
I was part of a team once. Filled with members that had special abilities. Abilities that you wouldn't have thought possible until you saw it with your own eyes. Men in iron suits, soaring through the skies. Gods who walked among men. And even a normal person who, if angered, turns into something that even the said Gods could not match." Luke said as he adopted a distant stare past the ceiling, as if reminiscing of a lost time.
"The entire team was only called upon once to face a horde of tens of thousands of these creatures. We had military support, but their numbers were just too many. The casualties suffered on that day, was what woke up the world to the threat of the Abyssal Covenant.
But ever since then, it was almost as if they disappeared. Vanished, without a trace. We tried searching for clues everywhere, but we never found anything. Anytime the covenant made a move, it was only ever just a small group of messengers that acted.
After many years and countless resources spent, what did we have to show for it? Nothing. Those in charge had thought that the worst had passed, and that these creatures in small numbers were just the leftovers. And since it was easy to dispatch these creatures once we knew of their weaknesses, none of these people in power had felt that it was serious enough to waste more resources in dealing with the covenant." Luke revealed, allowing the silence to envelop them for a brief moment.
"So, I picked up the slack. I took it upon myself to track down these creatures and try to find the truth of the covenant by myself. Sometimes when it got too much for me alone, the team would help me out. While they had other issues to worry about, they too knew of the dangers that the covenant could pose if left uncheck.
It was also at this point where I learned of Marak, and the true purpose of the Abyssal Covenant. To awaken their ancient God. And that was when I knew that the covenant had not shown the true extent of their capabilities." Luke stated.
Luke then leaned forward as his tone turned serious, "Listen Nat, I know you and the people you work for are trying to look for my past. You can't. And you will never find it. I'm not telling you anything when I say this Nat, but the covenant is not from this world."
Natasha then pretended to be confused as she questioned, "This world?"
However, Luke saw through her act and decided to expose her act, "Nat. I'm only saying this now because I care about you, and I don't want this happening here too. So can we not play this fishing game?"
Seeing as Luke had seen through her, Natasha sighed as she came clean, "All right, since you're being transparent with me, I will be with you too. Full disclosure Luke, but the people above me theorize that you are either from a different world or a different dimension.
And with you saying that you've dealt with the covenant in the past and that the covenant is not from this world, it only goes to further solidify our theory. So, are you from this world, or are you not Luke?" Natasha asked.
In response to her question, Luke simply adopted a mysterious smile as he leaned closer to her. Thinking of a way to tease both Natasha, Luke covered his left eye with his hand and spoke in a hushed whisper barely audible to Natasha, "That's a need-to-know Nat, and right now. You don't need to know." Luke ended as he removed his hand and sat back, sending a wink to Natasha.
Natasha had a dumbfounded look on her face after hearing and seeing the response of Luke. Suddenly, she chuckled softly, before laughing heartily for a short period of time, appreciating Luke's approach into the matter of his origins. While he had not stated anything verbally, his latest response, when taken into context for those who knew, had revealed everything.
Since Luke did not want others to know, she decided that she would keep her new-found information to herself until Luke revealed it himself. She owed Luke that much for the trust that he had just shown to her.
"Very well Luke, you have my word." Natasha responded with a wink of her own.
Smiling at each other, Natasha interrupted their short-lived moment of closeness as she still needed to probe for more information regarding the covenant, "Anything else you can tell me? Any warnings or tips?"
Rubbing his chin, Luke took a moment before replying, "Yes, whatever it is your boss wants to do with the corpses, you tell him to stop."
"I'm sorry?" Natasha was confused what Luke was hinting towards.
"Don't worry about it, you just tell him what I said. And that if he still wants to continue down that road, there would be consequences." Luke then turned deadly serious as his tone dropped once again, "And if there are consequences, then he'll have to deal with me.
I don't work for SHIELD, I don't even trust SHIELD. So, whatever preparations he thinks he's made, whatever contingencies he's come up with, it will all be for nothing if SHIELD is buried deep under the ocean."
"Is that a threat, Luke?" Natasha asked for confirmation.
"This is not a threat," Luke began as he used the water molecules in the air to form multiple water spheres spread all over the room they were in, "This is my promise."
Natasha was not bothered too much with the promise, as her attention was focused on the water spheres surrounding her. Slowly, she reached out a finger to poke on the closest sphere that was in front of her. As her finger went through the sphere, Natasha raised her eyebrows as she looked towards Luke.
Seeing her stare at him, Luke questioned her actions, "What?"
"I don't know, I just thought it'd go pop, and the water would fall." Natasha said in a flat, emotionless tone.
At her admittance, all the water spheres popped at the same time while Luke just looked at her incredulously. However, in a show of complete control, the water had evaporated back into the air before it could have touched the floor. Natasha nodded her head, admiring Luke's abilities.
"My offer still remains the same," Luke began, snapping Natasha's attention back to the topic at hand, "I will not work for SHIELD, because frankly I don't trust them. And you shouldn't either. An organization this hidden is bound to have a few skeletons in their closet."
'There he goes again about SHIELD. What does he know?' Natasha wondered.
"But I will definitely not be opposed to working with you in matters concerning the covenant. This time, you can give me a call if you need my physical assistance." Luke offered.
Natasha let a smile form on her lips as she heard Luke's latest offer. "You got yourself a deal." Natasha said as she stretched out her hand, "I hope you don't back down on me when things get tough."
Grabbing the outstretched hand for a handshake, Luke scoffed at Natasha's remarks, "Oh please do continue to underestimate me. That way, I can't wait to see the look on your face when I inevitably blow your mind with how awesome I am."
Luke then checked his watch as he said aloud, "I should get going then. You can stick around to report to your boss for now, but you are to head straight back to the café for closing hours." Before Natasha could voice her questions, Luke spoke again with a tinge of sass in his tone, "MAN. DA. TO. RY.
I am not going to take the disrespect I received about dipping fries on a milkshake. I am going to make everyone try it as we hang around the lounge tonight. Call it a MANDATORY company retreat." Luke reiterated as he left the apartment.
Natasha sat in the room in silence, gathering and organizing her thoughts as she prepared herself to give Fury her report after carrying out the instructions that she had received earlier that day.
- End of Chapter 55 -
Next time in *C56 - A Storm is Brewing. . .
'Luke definitely knows who's behind the infiltration of SHIELD, but what else does he know?' Fury wondered.
.
.
.
'Motherf*cker! I have been wrecking my brain at who could have possibly infiltrated SHIELD. And all this while the answer was right under my god damn nose!' Fury silently fumed in anger and shock.
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