Luke's POV
Touchdown!
We were on an aircraft carrier out at the sea, stepping onto the deck with a gust of salty air to greet us. No sooner had we arrived than a stunning redhead came over to us.
"Take care of the captain's gear, guys," Coulson directed a couple of nearby crew members with a snap of his fingers. Then he turned to me, his eyes fixed on my backpack. "What about you, kid? Did you bring anything besides the clothes on your bag?"
"Well, uh... I brought myself?" I stammered, a nervous laugh escaping my lips. "I kinda didn't have any gear on hand. Plus, it was all government property anyway, right?"
"Don't worry," Coulson assured me with a wink. "We've got something special lined up for you. But first, introductions are in order. This is Agent Natasha Romanoff. Agent Romanoff, meet Captain Steve Rogers...and this is Lieutenant Luke Faraday, our wildcard." He gestured towards me with a flourish, making me feel like a prize pony being paraded around.
"Ma'am," Steve said with a tone of respect, which made me wonder how he is feeling about all of this.
"H-hey there!" I blurted out, my voice cracking like a pubescent teenager. "Lieutenant Shadow, at your service!" Smooth, real smooth, I thought to myself, mentally face-palming at my awkwardness. Why does talking to attractive women always turn me into a bumbling idiot?
"Hi," she replied coolly, then turned to Coulson. "They need you on the bridge, they're starting to face trace."
"Catch you later," Coulson said, leaving us in the capable hands of Agent Romanoff.
"Well, well," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Lieutenant Shadow, the myth made real. Didn't think the infamous mercenary would actually show up." We started walking along the deck, the wind whipping at our hair. "It was quite a buzz when they found you on ice, Captain Rogers. Coulson nearly lost it. Has he asked you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"
Steve blinked, clearly confused. "Trading cards?"
"Think of them as super-rare, valuable collectibles," I explained, trying to keep my hands still. "They stopped making them ages ago, so they're worth a pretty penny now."
"And they're vintage too." She adds, sounding impressed, to my explanation
Strolling along, my eyes caught sight of a guy who looked like a fish out of water, totally bewildered by his surroundings. "No way that's the doctor, right?" I nudged Steve, already knowing the answer.
"I think so," Steve confirmed, and then he raised his voice, "Dr. Banner!"
Dr. Banner approached us, a hesitant smile on his face. "Word on the street was you were joining the party," he said, extending a hand towards Steve.
Then, his eyes landed on me, curiosity replacing the apprehension. "And you are?"
"Luke, Lieutenant Luke Faraday," I replied, trying to match his polite tone.
A flicker of recognition flashed across his face. "Wait a minute," he blurted out, his voice laced with surprise. "Are you... related to the Dr. Faraday?"
"That's me," I confirmed with a grin, a wave of pride washing over me.
Banner's expression softened. "Well, I'm truly sorry for your loss, Luke," he said, his voice filled with genuine empathy. "Your father was a brilliant man."
"Don't worry about it, it was a long time ago," I said to him, patting his shoulder reassuringly.
"So," Steve cut to the chase, "heard you might be our ticket to finding that cube."
"Is that the only word on me?" Banner countered, a touch of wry humor in his voice. "Big green guy who smashes things?"
"Well, that's the one that matters right now," Steve replied with a shrug.
"Agreed," I chimed in. "The sooner we wrap this up, the sooner I can get back to my own work."
Banner studied Steve for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "This must be a lot to take in," he remarked, gesturing vaguely towards the high-tech surroundings. "seeing all this."
"Actually," Steve said, "this is actually kinda familiar,"
"True," I added. "Just swap out the computers and fancy jets for biplanes and clunky radios, and it's practically the same."
As we were chatting, Romanoff's voice cut through the air from behind us. "Boys," she called out, a hint of amusement in her tone, "you might wanna head inside. Air's about to get a little thin out here."
Suddenly, the air filled with a discord of mechanical sounds. Crew members scrambled to secure aircraft, and the distinct whine of massive turbines grew louder by the second. Steve, Banner, and I exchanged puzzled looks as we walked towards the edge of the deck.
"Is this a submarine?" Steve questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Nah, not a chance, mate." I replied, trying to make sense of the situation. "More like something airborne. Or maybe I'm just way off base."
Banner's voice was strained as he took in the scene. "Really? They want me in a secured pressurized metal container?" he asked, his attempt at humor failing to mask the panic in his eyes.
"Tight spaces not your thing?" I inquired, noticing his unease.
He simply nodded, his face pale.
We reached the edge of the deck, and the source of the noise became clear. Colossal turbines roared to life, their powerful thrust capable of lifting the entire carrier off the ground. Well, this was certainly a new one.
"Well, I'll be damned," I muttered, my eyes glued to the spectacle unfolding before us. "This is way cooler than I thought it'd be."
As the carrier slowly rose into the air, Banner's voice trembled beside me. "Oh no," he whispered, his face draining of color. "This is infinitely worse."
I couldn't help but burst out laughing, the sheer folly of the situation hitting me all at once. "Don't worry, Banner," I assured him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Just think of it as a really, really big flying-ish elevator."
We finally made our way inside this "Helicarrier" and up to the bridge. Fury was holding court, surrounded by a flurry of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tapping away at keyboards and barking orders. Steve was wandering around like a kid in a candy store, and I was right behind him, taking in the sights.
"Hover power online. Cyclics nominal. Increasing collective at 8.0%," an agent called out, his voice barely audible over the din.
"Power plant at max capacity, sir," another agent chimed in. "Running at full steam."
"All engines operational, sir," a third agent reported. "S.H.I.E.L.D. emergency protocol 193.6 now in effect." I caught the eye of the last agent, a woman with a serious expression, and gave her a sheepish grin. She just raised an eyebrow in response.
Fury stood up, a determined glint in his eye. "Good," he declared. "Let's vanish."
"Engage retro reflection panels," the agent's voice echoed, as monotonous as a robot reading a recipe.
We found ourselves at a circular table, Fury sauntering towards us like a cat that got the cream. "Gentlemen," he greeted us, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.
Steve, ever the gentleman, reached into his wallet and handed Fury a crisp ten-dollar bill. A bet won, it seemed.
Then, with a hesitant smile, he turned to Banner and offered a handshake. "Doctor," he said, his voice sincere, "thank you for coming."
Banner accepted the handshake, looking slightly embarrassed. "Thanks for asking nicely," he mumbled. "So, uh... how long am I staying here for?"
"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract," Fury stated flatly, "you're in the wind."
"And how's that coming along?" Banner inquired, a hint of impatience in his voice.
They joined Coulson, who launched into an explanation. We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones..." he said, ticking off his fingers. "...laptops, if it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."
"Yeah, good luck with that," I interjected. "If they're smart, they're not exactly broadcasting their location on Instagram."
Romanoff nodded silently, her eyes locking onto mine for a brief moment as if to say, "Damn straight."
Banner cut to the chase. "How many spectrometers do you have access to?" he asked Fury, getting down to the nitty-gritty.
"How many of these things are we dealing with?" Fury inquired, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.
Banner's mind was already racing. "Hit up every lab you can get your hands on," he instructed, a flurry of ideas spilling out. "Tell them to get their spectrometers on the roof, calibrated for gamma rays. I'll whip up a tracking algorithm, some basic cluster recognition... At least we can start ruling out locations. Do you have somewhere for me to work?" He shrugged off his coat, ready to get to work.
"Agent Romanoff," Fury commanded, his voice sharp and clear. "Would you kindly escort Dr. Banner to his lab?"
Romanoff stepped forward, a subtle smile playing on her lips.
"I'll tag along," I volunteered, eager to lend a hand. "Done my fair share of tracking down rogue energy signatures. Might be able to speed things up."
Fury nodded his approval. "Go ahead," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Romanoff's smile widened. "You're both in for a treat," she purred. "We've got all the latest and greatest gadgets here."
With that, we followed her out of the bridge, the promise of cutting-edge technology a welcome distraction from the looming threat.
....
~The Lab~
Hours later, we were elbow-deep in the hunt for that pesky Tesseract. Bruce was still fiddling with the spectrometers, hoping to give them an upgrade. Meanwhile, I was hunched over a computer, putting the finishing touches on my custom-built tracker.
"Almost done here, doc," I announced, my fingers flying across the keyboard. "Just gotta turn it on and let this baby work its magic."
Bruce flashed me a tired smile. "Same here. Spectrometers are up and running."
A brief silence hung in the air. Then, on a whim, I decided to break the ice. "So, uh... We haven't really had a chance to just chat, you know? Maybe we could start with... I don't know, anything interesting going on in your personal life?"
A shadow passed over Banner's face. "Not anymore," he sighed, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "There was someone, once. Even after everything that happened, I loved her deeply. But after Harlem...I just couldn't put her through that again."
"I hear you," I replied softly, sensing the pain behind his words. "Sometimes, the hardest battles are the ones we fight within ourselves."
"Well, I'm not exactly an expert on romance," I admitted sheepishly. "Never been in a relationship, never even had a crush."
Banner chuckled softly. "Don't sweat it, kid. Love's got a funny way of sneaking up on you. Just give it time."
"I hope so," I replied with a wry smile. "Wouldn't want to hit retirement and still be flying solo." We shared a laugh, the tension easing between us.
Just then, Coulson enters the lab. "We got a hit on Loki," he announced. "Lieutenant, you're with Cap. He's in the armory."
I nodded, my mind already shifting into mission mode. "On it," I said, giving Banner a quick farewell wave. "I'll leave you to your science-y stuff, doc."
"Good luck, kid," Banner replied, a hint of a smile on his face. "And try not to break anything too expensive."
....
So there we were, soaring through the skies in another one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fancy jets, headed for Germany. Apparently, Loki was throwing a party there, and nobody was on the guest list. Steve was decked out in his classic star-spangled getup, looking like he'd just stepped off a vintage poster. Me? I was wearing a prototype suit, courtesy of Coulson's questionable fashion sense.
"Well, he's not exactly playing hide-and-seek," I quipped, adjusting my helmet. "And thanks to Coulson, at least I won't be feeling suffocated anymore."
I caught Steve watching me with a concerned look, and to be honest, I was a little jittery. We were about to confront a freakin' Norse god, after all. My confidence was hanging by a thread.
"Nervous kid?" Steve asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yeah," I admitted, a nervous chuckle escaping my lips. "This is a whole new ballgame for me. Not exactly the usual gig."
"It's a big leap, for sure," Steve agreed, but a reassuring smile spread across his face. "Just keep your head on straight, and you'll do great. You've got this." He gave me a friendly pat on the back, a gesture that surprisingly calmed my nerves a bit.
"Thanks, Cap," I said, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me. I reached for my sword, drawing it from its sheath and admiring the gleaming blade.
"Prepare for drop," Romanoff's voice came over the intercom, cool and collected.
I swiftly slid my sword back, the metal clicking into place, and secured my helmet. In my peripheral vision, I saw Steve adjusting his mask, his shield at the ready. A nod of acknowledgment passed between us, and we were ready.
The jet's door hissed open, revealing the chaos below. We jumped, the wind whipping past us as we plummeted towards Loki's impromptu stage.
The gala was in full-blown panic mode, people scrambling for safety. Loki, ever the showman, sauntered through the chaos, his Asgardian armor gleaming under the streetlights. A police car sped towards him, but he effortlessly dispatched it with a blast of energy, sending it flipping end over end. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he conjured duplicates of himself, encircling the terrified crowd.
"Kneel before me!" his voice thundered, shaking the very ground beneath our feet. "I said - KNEEL!" The crowd collapsed to their knees, paralyzed by fear. This guy was serious about his villainous theatrics.
With a twisted grin, Loki sauntered through the terrified crowd, stopping here and there to lock eyes with someone as if handpicking his next victim. "Isn't this easier?" he boomed, his voice filled with arrogance. "Isn't this your natural state? Deep down, you humans yearn to be controlled. The illusion of freedom just makes you miserable, scrambling for power and meaning. You were born to be ruled. In the end...you will always kneel."
"Should we jump in, Cap?" I whispered, my hand itching for my sword.
"Not yet, kid," Steve murmured, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before us.
Suddenly, an elderly man stood up, defying Loki's command. His voice quivered, but his defiance was clear. "Not to men like you," he rasped, staring Loki down with firm resolve.
Loki's smirk widened, a predator savoring its prey. "There are no men like me," he declared, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"There are always men like you," the old man retorted, his voice shaking but his resolve unwavering.
"Then heed your elder's wisdom, people," Loki sneered. "Let him be an example." He raised his scepter, a deadly beam of energy forming at its tip.
I didn't hesitate. I lunged forward, throwing myself in front of the old man, my arms crossed to deflect the blast. The energy surged through me, a jolt of heat and electricity. I stumbled back, shaking off the soot and smoke.
"When I said I wanted some excitement," I quipped, dusting myself off, "I didn't mean this kind." I shot Loki a mocking grin. "Are you sure that thing's lethal? Felt more like a tickle to me."
Loki's eyes narrowed. "The Shadow," he mused, a dangerous glint in his gaze. "Barton wasn't exaggerating after all."
Before I could even draw my blade, Steve swooped in, his shield smacking into Loki and sending him tumbling. He stood over the god, a steely glint in his eyes. "You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else," Steve said, his voice dripping with ice, "we ended up disagreeing,"
Loki bounced back up with an infuriatingly smug grin. "The soldier is present as well." he purred. "A man out of time."
That's when I stepped forward, my sword flashing in the moonlight. "He's not the one who's out of time," I countered, locking eyes with the trickster god.
Suddenly, the jet swooped in behind us, its underbelly transforming into a massive cannon. Romanoff's voice crackled over the comms, "Loki, drop your weapon and surrender."
But Loki wasn't playing that game. He fired a blast at the jet, forcing it to dodge and weave. Steve charged, and the two of them engaged in a whirlwind of punches and dodges.
Loki, slithered out of the way of Cap's shield bash, the vibranium disc whizzing past him with an angry hum. But that left him open to my attack. I charged in, sword singing a deadly song through the air as I swung it with all my might. Loki, however, was no slouch in the reflexes department. He brought his staff up just in time, deflecting the blow with a clang that sent sparks flying.
Each of my blows was met with a parry or a well-timed step back. Though I wasn't just some rookie swinging a katana made from a hunk of metal. I'd been in tight spots before, and I knew how to adapt. I started feinting, using the momentum of one attack to launch into another, trying to find an opening in Loki's defenses.
He saw what I was doing, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. Seemed like, he wasn't used to being pushed this hard by a mere mortal-ish guy. But he was still faster, still stronger, and a god as far as I can remember. He blocked another blow, then countered with a powerful swing of his staff that sent me stumbling back.
Just as I was regaining my footing, Cap was back in the fight. His shield slammed into Loki's staff, the impact echoing through the street. It was a temporary reprieve, but it was enough. I lunged forward again, this time aiming for Loki's legs. He danced back, a surprised look on his face. Maybe I was finally getting to him.
Suddenly, the air filled with the unmistakable sound of AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" blaring from the jet's speakers. A blinding white beam of light then struck Loki, sending him sprawling backwards. His staff clattered to the ground, and he landed with a thud.
A figure descended from the skies, a pair of high-tech weapons aimed right at Loki. "Make your move, Reindeer Games," a voice boomed. Iron Man had entered the chat.
I mimicked his stance, my sword calm at the ready. It was a bit of overkill, three armed guys against one staff-less god, but better safe than sorry.
Loki's fancy Asgardian outfit dissolved. He raised his hands in surrender, his bravado fading in the face of overwhelming firepower. Cap approached cautiously, his shield at the ready, while the jet hovered in the background, its engines winding down.
"Mr. Stark," Cap acknowledged the newcomer with a respectful nod.
"Captain," Iron Man replied, returning the gesture before turning his attention to me. "Lieutenant," he said, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
I simply nodded, a smirk playing on my lips. "Iron Man," I replied, enjoying the theatrics of it all.
...
As we boarded back in the jet, a thick silence settled over us. Loki, the chatty god of mischief, had silenced up like a scolded child.
"Something feels off about this," Steve mumbled, eyeing Loki with suspicion.
"What, Rock of Ages?" Stark jested, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "decided to give up so easily?"
"I agree, that was way too easy." I added, tapping my foot impatiently. "Never seen someone fold that fast. Makes me wonder if I could pull off the same stunt." of course I can.
Steve scoffed. "I don't remember it being that easy. He packs a serious punch."
"Still, you were pretty spry, for an older fellow." Stark quipped, a playful smirk on his face. "What's your thing? Pilates?"
As expected, Steve just stared at him blankly. "Pilates?" he echoed, clearly having no clue what Stark was talking about.
"It's kind of like fancy stretching and exercise," I chimed in, trying to bridge the generational gap. "You've missed out on a lot, Cap. Like, a whole lot."
Steve turned back to Stark, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Fury didn't mention he was bringing you into this."
"Yeah, I was a bit surprised myself," I added, crossing my arms. "Thought this was supposed to be a top-secret mission for super spies/soldiers and brainiacs. Didn't realize we were inviting the billionaire club."
"Fury's not exactly known for his transparency," Stark remarked, his voice laced with a hint of bitterness. "there's a lot of things he doesn't tell you,"
"Preach it," I mumbled under my breath.
As they continued their little back-and-forth, a prickle of unease crawled up my spine. Call it a sixth sense, call it paranoia, but something wasn't right. And then, like a cue, the sky erupted in a thunderous symphony. Lightning flashed with unnatural frequency, casting eerie shadows across the deck.
"Uh oh," I whispered, a nervous chuckle escaping my lips. "Hope "Zeus" isn't having a bad hair day."
Romanoff, noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere. "Where's this coming from?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Loki was suddenly a fidgety mess, his eyes darting back and forth like a trapped animal. "What's the matter?" Stark taunted. "Scared of a little lightning?"
"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki muttered, his voice laced with a hint of dread.
"Yeah, me neither," I agreed, noticing the way Steve and Stark were staring at me. "Either this is one hell of a freak storm, or we're about to have a very angry god of thunder on our hands."
"Don't jinx it, kid," Stark warned, his tone a mix of amusement and concern.
A sudden BOOM rocked the jet, and I instinctively reached for my sword, buzz surging through me. Stark slapped his helmet back on, and Cap grabbed his shield, both of us ready for a fight.
"Way to go, jinx," I muttered, my helmet sliding into place with a satisfying click.
Stark, jabbed a button to open the jet's ramp, striding towards it with an expectant look on his face.
"Uh, Mr. Stark, I'm not sure that's the smartest idea," I cautioned, my voice low and stable. Beside me, Cap mirrored my stance, his mask back in place.
A figure, silhouetted against the flashing lightning, landed on the ramp. It was Thor, the hammer-wielding God of Thunder himself, and he wasn't here for a friendly chat. Without a word, he grabbed Iron Man and tossed him across the jet like a rag doll.
I lunged forward, my sword a blur of motion as I aimed for Thor's exposed side. But damn, that guy was strong. He deflected my strike with a casual flick of his hammer, the force of the impact sending me flying backwards, hitting the floor hard.
Thor, not missing a beat, snatched Loki up by the neck like a naughty kitten. Loki squirmed and struggled, but the god of thunder's grip was unyielding. With a mighty leap, they vanished into the storm-filled sky.
"Now there's that guy," Stark grumbled, picking himself up off the floor, a visible dent in his armor. "Who the hell was that?"
"Another Asgardian?" Romanoff asked from the cockpit, her fingers dancing across the controls.
"Yeah, well... uhm," I corrected, a sarcastic smile playing on my lips. "The one and only God of Thunder, Thor."
Cap, cut to the chase. "That guy's friendly?"
"Probably," I shrugged, "but he was definitely not in a good mood. Seems like he and Loki have some unfinished family business."
"Eh, details, details," Stark waved a dismissive hand, already heading towards the ramp. "Whether he hugs it out with Loki or turns him into a crocodile, we're still losing that Tesseract."
"Stark, hold up!" Cap called out, clearly not a fan of impulsive decisions. "We need a plan of attack."
"I have a plan," Stark quipped, his voice booming through the helmet. "Attack!" With that, he leaped off the ramp, his suit's repulsors firing as he rocketed into the night sky.
I groaned, already feeling a headache coming on. "This is gonna be a long day," I mumbled to myself before taking the plunge.
As the ground rushed up to meet me, I activated my grappling hook, launching it towards the nearest tree. It snagged a sturdy branch, and I swung gracefully towards my target.
I spotted Stark's glowing form through the trees, maneuvering my way through the branches like a jungle cat on the prowl. "You alright there, Mr. Stark?" I asked, dropping down beside him.
"Yeah," he grumbled, rubbing his arm. "Point Break over there packs a mean punch, I'll give him that."
I drew my sword, pointing it at Thor, "So, what's the deal?" I demanded. "As far as I remember, Fury said you were supposed to be a good guy, but you just assaulted my teammate."
I widened my stance, my grip on the sword tightening. "Prove you're not a threat, or things are gonna get messy."
"I have no time for squabbles with the likes of you!" Thor roared, lunging at me with surprising speed.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, I met his charge head-on. The clash of our weapons echoed, an earsplitting clang that seemed to split the very air. Sparks erupted in a dazzling display as I parried his hammer blow with my sword. The impact vibrated through my arms, threatening to rip the weapon from my grasp. But I held strong, funneling every ounce to resist the god's raw power. This wasn't some street thug I was facing; this was a literal god of Asgard. But even so... gods bleed. With a rush, I lashed my right leg up in a swift arc, catching Thor square in the chest with a resounding kick. The blow connected with a sickening thud, the force of it sending him staggering back a dozen feet.
A shadow fell over us as Steve landed with a worthy leap onto a splintered tree branch behind us. "Alright, break it up!" he barked, his voice echoing through the forest "That's enough!" he added
He hopped down, stepping between me and Thor, who was still recovering from the unexpected kick. "Now, I'm not sure what you plan on doing here—"
"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!" Thor boomed, cutting Steve off mid-sentence.
I rolled my eyes, holstering my sword. "Well, you could've led with that instead of trying to cave in my skull!" I snapped, feeling a wave of irritation wash over me. "You're lucky I'm not holding a grudge."
Steve, stepped forward, his voice firm but calm. "If you're not with Loki," he addressed Thor, "then you're against him. And if you're against him, I'd suggest you put down the hammer."
Stark, never one to back down, aimed his repulsor beams at Thor. "Whoa there, big fella," he bantered. "He's kinda fond of that hammer—" Before he could finish his sentence, Thor whipped his hammer around, sending Stark flying with a bone-jarring clang.
"Okay, timeout!" I yelled, jumping between them. "Let's just chill for a sec, big guy. Put the hammer down, and let's talk this through like civilized people."
Thor glared at me, his eyes flashing with lightning. "You want me to put the hammer down?!" he bellowed, his voice like thunder itself.
The sheer force of his words sent shivers down my spine. This wasn't good. Not good at all.
Thor launched himself at me again, his hammer raised high for another devastating strike. Time seemed to slow down as I braced myself, my sword barely a whisper in the air compared to the thunderous roar of his attack. It was a desperate gamble, but I had to try.
But then, a flash of red, white, and blue blurred in front of me. Steve, had interposed himself between us, his shield held high to intercept Thor's mighty blow. The impact was deafening, a shockwave of pure power that sent us all sprawling. The earth trembled, and the forest around us seemed to hold its breath.
I shook my head, trying to clear the ringing in my ears as I struggled to my feet. Steve was already up, his shield still firmly in hand. A silent nod passed between us.
I surveyed the scene, my gaze lingering on the shattered remains of my sword. "Well, that could've gone better," I joked, holding up the jagged hilt. "Though the offer to talk things out is still on the table."
Steve, tried to defuse the situation. "So... are we done here?" he asked, glancing between Thor and Iron Man.
"That's gonna leave a mark," Stark muttered, rubbing his arm with a grimace. "Thanks for the assist back there, though. Luke, was it? Never seen moves like that before."
I shrugged, still staring at the crater we'd created. "I... honestly, I have no idea what I am anymore." The adrenaline was fading, leaving a cold dread in its wake. What had I gotten myself into?
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To be continued...
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