Stark Industries had dedicated helipads, not just one but several.
Luke had expected a regular aircraft or cargo transport plane to pick him up, but when he spotted the sleek, high-tech, armed jet in the distance, he instantly recognized it—it was a Quinjet.
These were S.H.I.E.L.D.'s specialized armed jets, state-of-the-art combat aircraft designed specifically for warfare.
Quinjets were incredibly expensive to manufacture and maintain. Back when S.H.I.E.L.D. operated under the United Nations Security Council with endless taxpayer funding, money was never a concern.
But things were different now. Since going underground, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s funding mainly came from Wakanda and Stark Industries. Although these transactions weren't officially recorded, everyone knew just how tight their budget had become.
Under such circumstances, every Quinjet was a priceless asset. The fact that one was deployed specifically to retrieve him showed how seriously the upper echelons valued Fury's legacy.
"I'll stop here."
As they reached the helipad, Happy came to a halt.
"There's still a mountain of paperwork waiting for me back at the company. I need to finalize the financial loss report soon, and Pepper's already left me seven voice messages."
"I get it," Luke replied, patting Happy on the shoulder.
Luke had noticed earlier that Happy's phone lit up multiple times. While it wasn't polite to pry, his vigilance toward his surroundings naturally made him notice the names of the callers.
It wasn't just Pepper trying to reach Happy. Among them was Aunt May, Peter Parker's aunt.
Given that Spider-Man had boarded Ebony Maw's ship with Iron Man, Aunt May was probably frantic upon discovering her nephew had disappeared.
The mere thought of Happy explaining the situation to Aunt May made Luke feel secondhand stress. "Thanks for your help. I'll let you know if I find anything."
"Appreciate it."
Happy nodded firmly, his expression softening into a smile.
"Sometimes, I envy you agents. No matter how chaotic things get, you always seem to have everything under control."
Whether Luke's words were comforting or just a kind lie, Happy was genuinely grateful. Facing such a catastrophe, he desperately needed someone to share a little hope with him.
Luke merely smiled in response. He couldn't exactly tell Happy that his confidence stemmed from knowing the future, could he?
As they exchanged their final words, the Quinjet landed and opened its hatch. Watching this, Luke knew his real test was about to begin.
After bidding Happy farewell, Luke composed himself and jogged toward the Quinjet.
The closer he got to the aircraft, the faster his heart raced.
In his previous life, he'd only flown on commercial planes. Experiencing a high-tech armed jet like this was something entirely new.
"Been waiting for you," came a gravelly voice from inside the Quinjet as Luke stepped onto the ramp.
Looking up, he saw a burly white man leaning out from the cockpit, sizing him up.
Not recognizing the man, Luke simply nodded in greeting, wary of saying too much and exposing himself.
One of his biggest concerns was encountering someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. who might have known the original owner of his identity. He wasn't confident enough in his acting skills to fool seasoned agents.
Fortunately, this pilot seemed to be from another division and had no prior interaction with "Agent Kaya," which allowed Luke to relax slightly.
"Get in. We're on a tight schedule," the pilot instructed, motioning toward the co-pilot seat.
Luke hesitated briefly before stepping forward and strapping himself in.
Noticing Luke's silence, the pilot glanced at him curiously. However, his expression soon turned somber, as if understanding something.
As the Quinjet took off, the sudden loss of gravity made Luke grip the armrest tightly. But soon, the aircraft soared into the sky with remarkable stability.
Once the jet leveled out, the pilot turned to Luke.
"Who did you lose?"
Luke froze momentarily before realizing the pilot had misunderstood his silence.
"I lost everyone," Luke murmured.
The pilot nodded knowingly, then sighed. "I lost my team. I was in New Jersey when they turned to dust right before my eyes."
After a brief pause, he added, "Name's Bowes."
"Luke Kaya," Luke replied casually.
"Get some rest, Kaya. We won't have much time for it later," Bowes said, turning his gaze toward the horizon, his expression unreadable.
Luke rubbed his temples, knowing how grueling the days ahead would be. But sleep eluded him.
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
When the Quinjet began its descent, Luke finally got a clear view of their destination. The massive, iconic structure below, adorned with a giant "A," left no room for doubt—this was the new Avengers facility.
"Let's go."
As Luke was lost in thought, Bowes patted his shoulder.
"Looks like Ms. Karina is eager to meet you."
Karina?
Luke furrowed his brows slightly, trying to recall the name.
He had no memory of her. S.H.I.E.L.D. had too many agents; only a few were well-known, while most were background figures. With the organization's numerous leadership changes, it was hard to keep track of who was in charge now.
Descending from the jet, Luke saw a group of four waiting for them. Leading the group was a short-haired woman in a khaki coat, flanked by three burly men in sleek tactical gear.
"You're late."
The woman's sharp gaze locked onto Bowes.
"Apologies," Bowes said, lowering his head. "Many airspaces are restricted now. I had to take a detour to avoid triggering alarms."
The woman brushed past Bowes and stopped in front of Luke.
"Where's the item?"
Without hesitation, Luke pulled the pager from his pocket and handed it over.
While he knew the pager would later become a unique artifact, it wasn't worth risking his position in S.H.I.E.L.D. for.
If he could secure his role within the organization, Luke was confident he'd have plenty of opportunities to interact with other heroes—and acquire even more valuable artifacts.
After all, a single tree couldn't compare to an entire forest.
The woman didn't take the pager directly. Instead, she motioned for one of her subordinates to carefully place it into a secure metal case.
Once the task was done, she finally smiled.
"Well done, Kaya."
Here it comes.
Luke held his breath.
What happened next would be pivotal. Whether he succeeded or failed depended on how this interaction unfolded.
As Luke braced himself, the woman spoke again.
"I have a new mission for you."
A mission?
Luke's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He hadn't expected this. Instead of a confrontation, he was being assigned a new task.
"What's the mission?"
Without any preamble, the woman retrieved a stack of documents from her briefcase and handed them to Luke.
Then, meeting his gaze, she said firmly, "I need you to go to Wakanda."
*(End of Chapter)*