Liam walked down a familiar quiet street towards an old café on the outskirts of New York. His eyes scanned the area, noting something unusual.
'No agents... Strange. There's usually at least a few around. Did they decide not to show after that little incident with Natasha?'
He continued towards the café, his memory recalling specific spots where agents had been stationed the last time he was here. This time, however, there was no one—no surveillance, no watchers, nothing. As he neared the café, he noticed a single black SUV parked nearby. The car was slightly higher and longer than the usual SHIELD models he'd seen.
An agent stood outside the vehicle. Spotting Liam, the agent reached for his earpiece, muttered something, and opened the car's back door.
'They want me in the car?' Liam thought, puzzled. 'Not exactly Fury's style.'
Approaching the vehicle, Liam raised a brow as the agent nodded toward the open door. "They are waiting for you inside," the agent said.
Liam sighed but nodded, stepping into the car. The interior was built for business, with two forward-facing seats at the front and two pairs of two seats facing each other, arranged somewhat like a typical limousine in the back.
'Classy, though smaller than I'd have thought for Fury.' Liam thought.
Sitting opposite him were Clint Barton and Phil Coulson, their expressions unreadable.
"So, what's the deal?" Liam asked as he sat down, his tone carrying a bit of irritation. "I thought we were meeting inside the café."
Coulson offered a polite smile. "After your... interaction with Natasha, we decided this would be more appropriate."
'Somewhat expected.' Liam thought, feeling a glare lock onto him, he looked at Clint.
Liam smirked as Clint's threatening glare locked onto him. "Ah, so you brought the bowman along for backup. Where's your bow, little man?" he teased, his tone deliberately provoking.
Clint's glare intensified, his knuckles tightening.
Liam chuckled. "Careful there. If you glare like that during the entire ride, your eyebrows might just cramp up and stay like that forever."
Coulson cleared his throat, signaling the driver. The SUV began to move, smoothly pulling into traffic.
"Anyway, where exactly are we going?" Liam asked, shifting his attention to Coulson.
"We're headed to our headquarters. You'll be meeting our boss there," Coulson replied politely, ignoring the jab at Clint. "Would you care for a drink?" He gestured to a mini-fridge concealed beneath the seat.
Liam rolled his eyes internally. 'You could've just said that earlier, and I'd have saved us all some time by opening a portal. But where's the fun in that?' His lips curled into a mischievous grin. 'Especially with how easy it is to irritate Clint.'
"I'll take a drink," Liam said casually, accepting the cup Coulson handed him. "So... long drive, huh? Is Hawkeye here going to glare at me the entire way, or are we switching to awkward silence soon?"
Coulson ignored the dig again and replied calmly, "Yes, it'll take a while."
Clint finally relaxed his death glare but kept a close eye on Liam. Liam, noting his change, decided to give the archer a break, turning his attention to the passing scenery outside the window.
'I could sling-ring us there in seconds, but there's really no point in exposing my abilities already. Especially if its just to save a few hours.' Liam thought.
After a few minutes of silence, Coulson spoke up again. "Say, this is more of a personal curiosity—how do you keep disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere? We can never seem to track you for long."
Liam turned to Coulson, a sly grin forming. "You're not seriously expecting me to answer that, are you?" After a pause, he added with a touch of humor, "Actually, I'll tell you. It's simple. Magic."
Coulson chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Magic, huh? Can I learn it?"
"Anyone can learn magic," Liam replied immediately. "But the question is, can you handle the consequences?"
Coulson leaned forward, interested. "What consequences?"
Liam's expression turned more serious as he locked eyes with Coulson. "It's not just about the learning—it's about the life that comes with it. A lifetime of fighting, training, and more fighting. And trust me, it's never-ending."
Coulson leaned back, considering his words. "Fighting what, exactly? The U.S. hasn't seen wars on its soil in a long time."
Liam shook his head. "We don't fight in surface-world wars. But wars? There are always wars. You just don't know about them."
Coulson's expression turned contemplative as he processed the response. 'Surface-world wars? Wars we don't know about? I'll need to inform Fury. Although I doubt it's real since S.H.I.E.L.D. is not the worlds largest intelligence organization for no reason afterall.'
To keep the conversation going, Coulson replied, "If that's all it takes, I think I'd be up for it."
Liam's expression changed, revealing a wide smile. "If you really mean that, I'll let you know when you're ready."
Coulson felt a chill as Liam's smile deepened. "What do you mean?"
"You'll see," Liam said, his grin widening before he turned back to the window. The rest of the drive passed in silence.
The car eventually came to a stop, the door opening to reveal SHIELD's large, modern headquarters. Liam stepped out, glancing at the large amount of agents and business related people entering and exiting the building.
"You must not be too worried about me," Liam said, noticing the amount of people walking around. "Didn't even bother to evacuate the building."
Coulson stepped out beside him. "As I've said, I trust my evaluation of your morals."
With that, Coulson gestured toward the entrance. "Please, follow me. We'll take you to see the boss."
Clint remained close as the three of them entered the building and rode the elevator to an upper floor. When the doors opened, Liam immediately recognized the figure waiting for them.
'Alexander Pierce.' Liam thought as he observed the older man in front of him. 'One of Hydra's current heads and the highest ranking infiltrator in S.H.I.E.L.D.'
"Good day, Secretary Pierce," Coulson greeted respectfully.
Pierce turned, his practiced smile in place. "Ah, Coulson, Clint. And who might this be?" He asked.
''This here is Liam Hawthorne, Secretary Pierce.'' Coulson replied.
''Ah, the man in the indestructable armor. I've heard many great things about you.'' Alexander said, extending a hand.
Liam replied to him before shaking his hand. "Yes, that's me. It's a pleasure."
"Of course. You're quite the enigma, aren't you? The man in the indestructible armor." Pierce's smile widened. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. Myself or Director Fury would be happy to assist." With a final nod, he excused himself. "Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a meeting downstairs."
Liam watched him leave, feeling disgusted. 'SHIELD's so full of liars, it's like I'm in a poorly written reality show.'
Coulson interrupted his thoughts. "Alexander Pierce. One of our top executives. Now, let's continue."
They moved deeper into the building, stopping in front of a large set of doors. Coulson opened them as he and Clint walked in. Behind the doors, a spacious meeting room with a long table inside it were revealed. Seated around the table were mostly familiar faces.
To his left, Clint and Coulson whom had just taken a seat. On his right sat three women: Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, and a younger brunette Liam didn't recognize.
But his attention remained on the man at the head of the table. Nick Fury.
Liam pulled out the chair prepared for him and sat down, a sly grin forming. "I'm pretty sure I asked for a private meeting, didn't I, Fury?"