In the end, the Statue of Liberty returned to its rightful place, resuming its life of blankly overlooking the world.
There was no other choice. Apart from Thor and Loki, who didn't care who guarded Stark Tower, the rest of the Avengers all opposed the idea—including the traitorous Stark himself.
With all the money you can't even spend and your identity as Iron Man, what are you afraid of having the Statue of Liberty as a guard? Such a coward!
As Selvig appeared at Stark Tower with his shiny bald head, packing the Tesseract and Loki's scepter into a special briefcase and taking them away, the Battle of New York was officially concluded.
During this time, Li Ming activated his magic eye to scan the surroundings. Seeing only one Stark present, he roughly understood that this world probably wouldn't see anything like Avengers 4.
Satisfied, Li Ming nodded and was about to leave when Stark suddenly stood behind him and whispered, "Found it."
"What?" Li Ming blinked in confusion, his small eyes staring at Stark. "Found what?"
Seeing that Li Ming had completely forgotten about the thing he'd asked him to search for, Stark pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation and whispered, "Happy told me he found the book."
The book? Holy shit— Li Ming licked his lips, suppressing his excitement as he whispered, "The Darkhold?"
Stark shrugged. "What else?"
Perhaps Li Ming's overly excited behavior drew too much attention, as Steve, Natasha, and the others curiously gathered around him and asked, "What are you two talking about that's got you so worked up?"
Nearby, Loki sensed this was the perfect opportunity to stir trouble for Li Ming. Unable to resist, he raised his hand like a schoolboy and grinned as he tattled, "I heard them. They said they found the Darkhold."
Then, tilting his head as if puzzled, Loki muttered, half to himself and half as a question, "A book with 'dark' in the title—probably another spellbook teaching people how to toy with souls, huh?"
Glancing at the group surrounding Li Ming, Loki feigned fright and took a few steps back, adopting a tone as pitiful as a wounded puppy. "Mother warned me never to go near wizards associated with darkness. They'll rip out your soul, alter your memories, and turn you into their puppet."
Steve glanced at Loki, who was hamming it up, furrowed his brow, and said, "I remember Loki once mentioned that dark energy has corrosive properties." He then turned to Li Ming with concern and asked, "Austin, can you give up researching dark energy and focus on other spells? Like—"
Steve knew almost nothing about spells and couldn't think of an example. Loki, standing nearby, smirked and chimed in, "Like spells to control the Statue of Liberty or something. Let these giants help with moving bricks, contributing to building a better world. They've got strength and big hands." Smacking his lips, Loki mused dreamily, "One slap from her could probably move enough bricks to put all the laborers out of work."
Damn it, using the goddess for brick-moving... As a patriotic representative, Steve shot Loki an exasperated look before turning to Thor. "Can you shut him up?"
Thor shrugged and casually slapped an artifact onto Loki's face, instantly sealing his mouth and forcing Loki to swallow his words about Li Ming having a high-quality replica of the Mind Stone.
As for Li Ming, Thor actually felt deep gratitude toward him. During his first visit to Earth, Li Ming had helped him—regardless of his motives at the time, help was help. Moreover, the Destroyer's leg had been legitimately severed by Li Ming's own strength, making it rightfully his trophy.
This time, Li Ming had stepped up again to protect New York, which further endeared him to Thor, who had now embraced the heart of a king.
Now, learning that Li Ming was a dark wizard, Thor couldn't help but express concern. "Austin, Steve is right. While your power is still weak, it's best to switch to researching another type of energy. After all, meddling with dark energy is extremely dangerous. Even in Asgard, unauthorized contact with darkness is a serious crime because even we can't withstand its corruption."
Weren't we supposed to be talking about the book? How did this turn into lecturing me? Li Ming shot Loki an annoyed look—All because you derailed the conversation.
Scratching his head, Li Ming spread his hands and said, "It's not up to me. My magic's innate affinity is like this—there's no changing it." Pausing, he conjured a softly glowing energy sphere and added, "To resist the corruption, I've even studied light-based spells. So, you don't need to worry about me being corroded by darkness."
With that, Li Ming wore an impatient expression, signaling he didn't want to continue the topic, and turned to Stark. "Where's the book?"
"Uh—" Stark rubbed his temple uncertainly. "It might still be on its way back." Pointing out the window, he shrugged. "New York just went through a major battle. Traffic's probably a mess. I'm not sure where Happy's stuck right now."
"Call Happy and have him send me a photo from some quiet corner," Li Ming urged impatiently.Steve saw that Li Ming was completely unreceptive to persuasion now, single-mindedly focused on obtaining the 'Darkhold.' Helpless, he shook his head and signaled for everyone to escort Loki away first. As for Li Ming, they would have to find an opportunity to talk things through later.
Not long after, Happy sent a photo to Stark's phone. When Stark handed the phone to Li Ming, he couldn't help but complain, "You're a Wizard, for goodness' sake. Can't you at least carry a phone? Every time we need to reach you, we have to call a satellite phone, and you're always holed up in your RV like a recluse—utterly impossible to find."
"Even with a phone, you wouldn't find me," Li Ming pouted, carefully examining the photo before waving his hand to open a Teleportation gate. He beckoned to Happy, who was staring blankly on the other side, urging him to come over quickly.
Happy, carrying a briefcase, stepped through the Teleportation gate with curiosity and excitement. "Boss, when are you going to start researching Teleportation gates? These things are incredibly convenient."
Stark's face stiffened. Damn right, I know they're convenient—but how the hell am I supposed to research them? I don't even have a clue where to start.
Taking the briefcase, Li Ming glanced at Stark and joked, "Happy, you're undermining your own boss here. Watch out, or Stark might dock your pay." Happy, noticing Stark's expression, sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'd better get back to work."
After quickly explaining how to open the briefcase to Li Ming, Happy hurried off.
Watching Happy flee as if his life depended on it, Stark shook his head helplessly and walked over to Li Ming. He watched as Li Ming pulled out the ancient-looking 'Darkhold' from the briefcase and asked, "I remember you once said you wouldn't dare open this lightly. Who are you planning to ask for help? That bald woman from before?"
"She's the Ancient One, the leader of Earth's Wizards," Li Ming replied absentmindedly, running his fingers over the 'Darkhold.'
Stark stroked his chin, puzzled. "Did you notice the way she looked at me?"
Li Ming frowned. "What do you mean?"
Stark hesitated before answering. "Jarvis detected it. He told me the Ancient One's gaze at me was different from how she looked at others—like there was something special about it."
After a pause, Stark shrugged. "Jarvis couldn't analyze the reason, though."
Special meaning? Li Ming thoughtfully circled Stark once. In the Marvel movies, Stark was just Iron Man, but in the comics, his identity was far more complex—hell, he even stole Doctor Strange's role.
Li Ming was baffled. What, in this universe, has Doctor Strange taken a backseat, and Stark ascended to the position of Sorcerer Supreme? That doesn't make sense—the Ancient One once said she'd train Strange.
Or is it that in every universe, as long as it's 'Tony Stark,' he has a talent for practicing magic?
With a hint of confusion, Li Ming stroked his chin and said, "I might understand something, but I can't say. This involves too much."
After a moment's thought, Li Ming decided he might as well test whether Stark had any magical aptitude.If not, then it just means Stark is too narcissistic, and the Ancient One simply glanced at him out of curiosity.
If Stark has a talent for magic, teaching him a bit in advance wouldn't hurt.
Thinking this, Li Ming took out a matchstick-sized Magic Book from his pocket, flipped to the page recording the 'Merlin's Magic Ring,' and said, "Try studying this when you have time."
"What's this?" Stark asked, puzzled as he took the now thick and heavy Magic Book, his curiosity piqued.
With a nostalgic expression, Li Ming sighed, "Back then, young and inexperienced, I accidentally stumbled upon magic. At the time, I was still an egg, not even close to being a fledgling."
Seeing Stark roll his eyes and interrupt his reminiscing, Li Ming shrugged and said, "Alright, this is 'Merlin's Magic Ring,' the key that officially ushered me into the world of magic."
"Merlin? The key to entering magic..." Stark paused, narrowing his eyes. "Is this the same Merlin I'm thinking of?"
Basto was Merlin's disciple, and the "Merlin" in the "Merlin's Ring" was none other than the Wizard Merlin himself.
Seeing Li Ming nod in confirmation, Stark felt his brain bubbling with excitement. There was a deeper meaning to Austin's words.
Combined with the Ancient One's earlier gaze, which held a special significance when looking at him, what did this imply?
Stark was sharp—he quickly guessed that he might have a talent for practicing magic. Otherwise, why would Li Ming give him the beginner's "Merlin's Ring"? It couldn't possibly be that Li Ming wanted him to upgrade the "Merlin's Ring," right?
The more he thought about it, the more excited Stark became. He loudly exclaimed, "Jarvis, scan the 'Merlin's Ring' and store it in my private database."
"Right away, sir," Jarvis's deep, magnetic voice echoed through the room.
Shortly after Jarvis finished scanning the Magic Book, Li Ming shrank it back down and pocketed it. He then opened a Teleportation gate and waved goodbye to Stark.
Before leaving, Li Ming also grabbed a few bottles of what looked like decent liquor from the bar.
Stark paid no mind to Li Ming's departure—his brain was entirely consumed by thoughts of magic. He couldn't care less about what drinks Li Ming had taken. His attention was fully focused on the 3D projection of the "Merlin's Ring" hovering before him.
Returning to his lakeside home, Li Ming found Shavig lying on a lounge chair by the shore, his ashen eyes staring blankly at the water.
Scratching his head, Li Ming strolled toward him and called out to the RV behind him, "Kreacher, bring two glasses and some peanuts and beef."
Before Li Ming could sit down, an old face filled with "worry" turned toward him.
Li Ming stiffened in shock—the wrinkled old face, eyes brimming with tears, would make anyone think he had done something terrible to him.
Shavig quickly asked, "Austin, how's New York?"
"Uh—" Li Ming plopped onto the lounge chair and said nonchalantly, "Aside from the dead, whom I can't bring back, everything else—even the damaged buildings and roads—has been restored."
Shavig fell silent for a moment, then covered his face in guilt. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't opened the Teleportation gate, those people wouldn't have died—"
Before he could finish, Shavig suddenly changed his expression, his eyes filled with longing. "What was the world beyond that gate like? Was it beautiful?"
Li Ming was baffled: What's going on? One second he's drowning in guilt, the next he's moved on? The speed at which he changes moods is truly astounding.Squinting his eyes, Li Ming extended his mental perception to scan Shavig and quickly understood. Although the shockwave from Stark's Energy Cannon blast on the Tesseract had restored Shavig's self-awareness, Shavig was ultimately just an ordinary human. Unlike Barton, who could break free from Loki's control through sheer willpower alone, Shavig couldn't do the same.
Thus, Shavig was still under Loki's influence, which was also the main reason he was later sent to a mental institution.
But now, having identified the root of the problem, Li Ming naturally wouldn't let Shavig end up in a psychiatric hospital.
While mental patients might have broad perspectives and interacting with them could expand Shavig's thinking, Li Ming made it clear he had no interest in dealing with them. What if some patient bit him when he needed to talk to Shavig? Should he bite back on the spot, or transform into a three-headed hellhound and bite back with two extra mouths?
Most importantly, if a patient bit him, they wouldn't be held accountable—but if Li Ming retaliated, he'd be legally liable.
Whether others believed it or not, he was a law-abiding citizen who wouldn't break the rules.
To stay on the right side of the law, Li Ming immediately removed his necklace, completely dispelling the spell controlling Shavig.
As the controlling spell dissipated, Shavig returned to silence, lowering his head as if lost in thought.
At that moment, Kreacher appeared before Li Ming with a wine glass and some snacks.
Li Ming picked up the glass, filled it, and handed it to Shavig, comforting him, "Don't overthink it. This wasn't your fault—it was all Loki's doing."
"Loki!" Shavig seemed to recall something, jumping to his feet and glaring at Li Ming with anger in his voice. "Where is Loki? Has he been captured?"
Li Ming nodded, signaling Shavig to calm down—his sudden agitation might spill the fine wine in his hand.
"Loki's been captured. Thor will personally escort him back to Asgard," Li Ming said, offering the glass to Shavig. "What, do you want to beat Loki up yourself to vent your anger?"
Shavig's eyes reddened as he panted heavily, fists clenched. Clearly, if given the chance, he wouldn't mind a no-holds-barred fight with Loki. But alas...
Remembering his own advancing age and Loki's youthful, godlike strength—who knew how powerful the trickster really was?—Shavig slumped back into his chair in defeat. He took the glass and drained it in one gulp, laughing bitterly. "What else can I do?"
Seeing Shavig drink so heartily, Li Ming simply handed him the entire bottle and opened a new one for himself. After a few sips, he said, "Just live as you did before. No need to dwell on it."
Li Ming didn't really understand Shavig's guilt. In his view, Shavig had been under Loki's control—he had no choice in the matter.
It was like someone using a kitchen knife to attack others. A knife's purpose is to chop vegetables, but if its wielder gives it a new function, can you blame the knife for not sticking to its original job?
That argument clearly didn't hold water—it wasn't as if the knife had a choice.Shavig was no different—he had become a knife in someone else's hand, yet he still wanted to keep chopping vegetables properly. If that was his mindset, Loki certainly wouldn't approve.
This was the kind of thing that would make someone like Shavig blame himself. If it had been Li Ming in his place, he would've just eaten and drunk to his heart's content the moment he regained control.
Li Ming would never feel like he'd done anything wrong.
Shavig lowered his head and stared at the liquor bottle. After a dazed moment, he raised it to his lips and gulped it down as if trying to drown himself.
Li Ming didn't try to stop him. These things had to be resolved by Shavig himself. Once he figured it out, he'd be fine.
If he couldn't, well, Li Ming had no solution—he wasn't a psychologist and didn't know how to treat mental illness.
At any rate, he'd said all he needed to say.
Casually picking up a slice of beef and chewing on it, Li Ming pointed at the cabin and said, "Don't dwell on this for the next few days. Just rest here. Once the storm blows over, you can go out and clear your mind."
"Thanks," Shavig said listlessly. "I guess that's all I can do."
A few mornings later, a refreshed Li Ming munched on fried dough sticks while holding a large mug of beer. He knocked on the cabin door and called out, "Shavig, breakfast!"
The door swung open quickly, but the Shavig who stepped out wasn't quite the same as usual.
Seeing him dressed in a suit and leather shoes with a suitcase at his feet, Li Ming was taken aback. "You're leaving?"
Shavig forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah. As peaceful as it is here, I still prefer having work. Last night, I got in touch with Jane—she needs help with something."
Li Ming studied Shavig for a moment. Though he couldn't tell if Shavig had truly moved past the shadow of Loki's control, he had no reason to stop him if he wanted to work.
Maybe burying himself in work would make Shavig forget about Loki altogether? Li Ming stepped aside and said, "At least eat before you go. Have Jane send a photo later, and I'll teleport you there."
"I wouldn't miss Klee Che's cooking," Shavig chuckled. "But as for sending me straight to Jane… no thanks. She's in England right now. If I just popped up there, it'd count as illegal entry. I'd rather go through the proper channels."
Sighing, Shavig shook his head with a bitter smile. "I've got enough trouble on my plate as it is. Who knows how many eyes are watching me? If I sneak into another country, I'd just be handing them a reason to come after me."
"You're still technically a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, you know. The moment you get arrested, Fury would send a team to drag you back." Li Ming patted Shavig's shoulder. "But it's your call. Just know you can come to me if you run into trouble."
"Thanks. If I really hit a snag, I'll take you up on that," Shavig said bluntly, now comfortable enough with Li Ming to speak his mind.
As the two chatted and enjoyed breakfast in the RV, Shavig's phone suddenly rang.Shavig picked up his phone and answered, "Hello, this is Shavig."
A somewhat nervous unfamiliar voice came through the phone: "Hello, sir. I'm the driver you called. I've arrived at the outskirts, but is there only one road leading to your address?"
Shavig looked puzzled and turned to Li Ming, about to ask, when Li Ming took the phone and said, "The road from the outskirts to my place was built by me—there's only one."
The driver replied, "Sorry, sir, but I can't get through. The military has blocked off the road to your house, saying it's a restricted area." Hesitating for a moment, the driver cautiously asked, "Sir, has something happened at your place? Why would the military quarantine it?"
What the hell is a restricted area? Li Ming scratched his head in confusion and said, "Oh, wait where you are. I'll come out and take a look."
With that, Li Ming handed the phone back to Shavig, stood up, threw on his cape, and stepped out of the RV. He then rode a dark cloud to the edge of his property.
Soon enough, Li Ming saw that the road leading to his home was indeed barricaded by soldiers in camouflage uniforms. There was even an armored vehicle parked on the side, which left him baffled.
Has my home really become a military restricted zone?
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Shavig still needed to catch his flight. Although Li Ming could easily stuff Shavig into the plane mid-flight, Shavig had repeatedly insisted on keeping a low profile and staying out of trouble.
As a friend, Li Ming couldn't exactly go against his wishes, could he?
After locating the taxi driver, Li Ming flew to a secluded spot, waved his hand to open a teleportation gate, and motioned for Shavig to step through. "Looks like I've got another mess to deal with," he said. "You'd better slip away quietly."
Shavig glanced in the direction of the soldiers. After bidding Li Ming farewell, he headed toward the taxi.
Only after the taxi had driven off did Li Ming swagger toward the soldiers.
As Li Ming approached the barricade, one of the soldiers quickly stepped forward and said, "Sir, this is a military restricted area. Please leave."
Li Ming retorted irritably, "Since when is my home a military restricted zone? Are you guys planning to put on an anti-terror drill show at my doorstep or something?"
The soldier froze, took a closer look at Li Ming, then turned and ran toward the armored vehicle.
Moments later, a soldier wearing the rank of colonel emerged from the vehicle, holding a sleek phone. He jogged nervously up to Li Ming.
The colonel handed the phone to Li Ming without saying a word, then turned and practically sprinted back to the armored vehicle as if Li Ming were some kind of plague. It almost seemed like the vehicle's armor was the only thing that could make the colonel feel safe again as he scrambled inside.
Damn it, do I look that terrifying or what?
Is this how soldiers serve the people? Terrible. Absolutely terrible.
Though, credit where it's due—that colonel must've trained for years to perfect his vehicle-diving technique.
Grumbling to himself, Li Ming put the phone to his ear and said, "Hello~ Who's looking for me?"On the other end of the phone, Fury, who had heard Li Ming's voice, replied irritably, "It's me."
"Yo, it's the baldy," Li Ming teased with a laugh. "Didn't know you could command the military. I always thought S.H.I.E.L.D. and the army were two separate things."
"You're overthinking it," Fury said, rubbing his temples in frustration. "This mess is all because you decided to handcraft a nuke. But honestly, it's not bad—there are plenty of factions eyeing your RV. Having these soldiers guard your place for free isn't a bad deal, is it?"
For Fury, who was full of hot air, Li Ming curled his lips in disdain.
Having soldiers guarding his doorstep made Li Ming feel like some high-ranking military official—all pomp and circumstance—but what was the point?
Stopping thieves? As if thieves could only enter through the soldiers' checkpoint.
Give me a break. Thieving is a skilled profession; idiots can't be thieves.
There were plenty of ways to get into Li Ming's private property. The simplest? A plane. How many times had a Quinjet visited Li Ming's place? Were these soldiers on the ground going to stop an aircraft?
And what about swimming across the lake in front of the RV? Even if they couldn't swim, couldn't they climb the fence?
If they couldn't even manage that, they might as well quit thieving altogether.
Li Ming walked up to the barricade and took a closer look, sighing helplessly. "You guys are careful, huh? Setting up the barricade just outside my property line? So even if I sued you, there'd be nothing I could do, right?"
"Private property is sacred and inviolable," Fury replied stiffly. "You have a portal—soldiers can't stop you from coming and going. Plus, you rarely leave home. Just ignore them."
"So I'm just supposed to let the military spy on me?" Li Ming snapped. "How about I station some Dementors at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s entrance for a few days? You guys have Quinjets to get around anyway."
Fury had been curious about Dementors for a long time. If Li Ming actually dared to post them at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s front door, Fury might just be thrilled. So, hearing Li Ming's sarcasm, Fury replied seriously, "Go ahead. Send them all. I might even save on air conditioning this year."
Damn it, this conversation is going nowhere. The point is surveillance—wait, surveillance?
Suddenly, Li Ming realized something and activated his magic eye to scan the armored vehicle. His expression darkened as he walked over and banged on the door. "Baldy, you showing off how much credit you have on your phone? Get out here! Or I'll turn this armored vehicle into a sexy bunny girl and have it carry you all the way back to New York while dancing."
No sooner had Li Ming spoken than Fury, his face so dark his features were barely distinguishable, stepped out of the armored vehicle. Glancing at the phone in Li Ming's hand, he said, "Keep it. It's yours." Li Ming rolled his eyes and stuffed the phone into his pocket. "Let me tell you, this phone isn't worth much. Such a small thing won't be enough to bribe me."
Fury replied, "I know. This is just to make sure I can reach you anytime."
"Nice words," Li Ming said dismissively. "If there's no surveillance device in this phone, I'll jump into the Atlantic and feed myself to the sharks."
Before Fury could retort, Li Ming crossed his arms and asked, "Alright, what do you want? I don't believe you came here just to give me this piece of junk."
"Tomorrow is Coulson's secret funeral," Fury said with a meaningful blink. "Don't miss it."
Li Ming nodded to show he understood, then patted the pocket containing the phone. "Send me the address via this thing?"
Seeing Fury nod, Li Ming turned and walked toward the RV. Before he could take more than a few steps, Fury suddenly called out, "Do you still want that staff?"
Without turning back, Li Ming waved his hand dismissively. "Loki seems pretty attached to that thing. I don't want to invite trouble."
Truth be told, since he already had the Mind Stone, what use did he have for Loki's staff? If the staff's material was superior to his scythe, Li Ming wouldn't have waited for Fury to offer—he'd have asked for it himself.
But the staff's material didn't seem any better than the scythe's.
The next day, Li Ming didn't do anything—he didn't even drink much beer—just waiting for Fury to contact him. Yet, no matter how long he waited, his phone remained silent.
As the sun set, Li Ming began to suspect his signal was being blocked when his phone suddenly chimed with a notification.
After teleporting to a S.H.I.E.L.D. base via the photo, Li Ming casually tossed the phone to Fury, who was dressed in a white lab coat like a doctor. "This piece of junk doesn't even have games. Take it back."
Fury wasn't bothered. The main reason he'd given Li Ming the phone was to facilitate teleportation so Coulson could be revived on schedule.
Of course, he'd also wanted to monitor Li Ming. But now that Li Ming knew the phone had surveillance devices, it was only natural he wouldn't carry it around.
Still, Fury found it frustrating that Li Ming refused to buy a phone of his own.
Aside from making communication difficult, with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current tech, if Li Ming dared to buy a phone, they could hack into it and track his movements anytime.
Fury set the phone aside and led Li Ming toward the operating room. "Do you have any spells to conceal your face?"
"No spells, but I do have a mask," Li Ming said, pulling a skull mask from his satchel and putting it on. "What, you think someone here might leak secrets? Or do you just want me to maintain an air of mystery?"
"Not everyone here is with S.H.I.E.L.D. No need for them to know you exist," Fury said, eyeing Li Ming's skeletal disguise with exasperation. "You do realize how many people saw that mask when you pulled off your cape on Stark's rooftop, right?" Before Li Ming could say "I only have this one mask," Fury continued with a stern face, "Black cape, skull mask, and a flaming scythe—these have already become your signature look. The public might not know, but those well-informed recognize this as the 'Grim Reaper's' attire. You should change to a different mask."
"Grim Reaper?" Li Ming pointed at himself. "That's the codename you gave me? Sounds so lame. Couldn't you come up with something more imposing, like Hades or Anubis? If not, even calling me 'Little Yama' would be better."
As they spoke, the two arrived at the door of the operating room. Fury stopped in his tracks, glanced sideways at Li Ming, and said with a roll of his eyes, "We're talking about the mask, and the codename wasn't my idea. If S.H.I.E.L.D. had chosen it, I would've definitely called to ask for your opinion."
Li Ming shrugged, adopting a carefree, almost roguish demeanor. "I only have this one mask," he said.
With that, Li Ming pushed open the door and walked into the operating room.
Inside, apart from Hill standing silently in a corner holding a large briefcase, the few doctors present all looked at Li Ming with bewilderment. In their eyes, the guy lying on the operating table was nothing more than a corpse—yet S.H.I.E.L.D. insisted he was alive. Since they couldn't argue with S.H.I.E.L.D., they had no choice but to go along with it.
But now, while they were busy "rescuing" the "patient," this guy barged in wearing a skull mask—what was the message here? Were they being cursed for their incompetence? Was he here to whisk away the "patient's" soul at any moment?
In an ordinary hospital, these doctors wouldn't have hesitated—they'd have grabbed brooms, beaten Li Ming senseless, tossed him onto the operating table for emergency treatment, then beaten him again.
But this was S.H.I.E.L.D. They were blindfolded every time they entered or left—how could they possibly call the shots here?
Helpless, the doctors could only pretend not to see Li Ming, opting for the "out of sight, out of mind" approach.
Soon, the doctors finished stitching up the wound on Coulson's long-stopped heart.
Hill handed the briefcase to Li Ming before leading the doctors out of the operating room in an orderly manner—some things didn't need to be known by outsiders.
Shortly after, a few doctors in hazmat suits entered and wheeled Coulson into a strange machine.
Fury motioned for Li Ming to open the briefcase and be ready to return Coulson's soul to his body at any moment.
Li Ming nodded, opened the briefcase, and released Coulson's soul, speaking in Undead Language: "Hey, Coulson, how's the ghost life treating you?"
Coulson held up his translucent hands, examining them curiously before attempting to touch the operating table.
Unsurprisingly, his spectral form couldn't interact with physical objects—a fact that intrigued him. "Can I walk through walls?" he asked.
"Not just walls," Li Ming said, pointing at Fury. "You can even overlap with Fury. Wanna try?"
Fury, seeing Li Ming suddenly mouthing words and then pointing at him, narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking to Coulson?"
Li Ming shrugged. "What else? Practicing mime?"
Just as Fury was about to respond, Coulson walked over to his own body and noticed the dark green liquid flowing through the tubes inserted into his flesh. "Sir, what is this?" he asked.
"He can't hear you," Li Ming explained to Coulson before squinting at the green liquid. "Coulson's asking what this is."Rubbing his chin, Li Ming shook his head and said, "If I were you, I'd chop up the owner of this thing right now—and then burn the remains to ashes."
Fury silently glanced at Li Ming before narrowing his eyes and asking, "You can tell what this is just by looking at it?"
"Duh, it's not like I haven't seen it before. I've even killed a few myself," Li Ming said with a roll of his eyes. "Speaking of which, where's that cat from back then? You keeping it at home?"
As for the implied meaning behind Fury's words, Li Ming pretended not to notice: Always prying around, so damn annoying.
"You mean Goose?" Fury gave Li Ming a meaningful look. "Looking to settle a score or just play with it?"
Li Ming's face stiffened. Given the Flerken's abilities, swallowing Thanos whole would be no different from eating a snack—after all, Flerkens had stomachs practically connected to another dimension.
Even a hulking brute like Thanos wouldn't dare provoke a Flerken. Did Li Ming, with his scrawny frame, really have the guts to seek revenge? What a joke—those things were universally recognized as one of the most dangerous creatures in the cosmos.
Just as Li Ming awkwardly shook his head to deny any intention of playing with the Flerken, a doctor in the distance spoke up: "Sir, Coulson's body has regained full cellular activity."
Seizing the chance to end the conversation, Li Ming peered at Coulson's now rosy, lifelike body. As he cast a spell to stuff Coulson's soul back into his body, he remarked, "Seems like you've done some in-depth research on reviving corpses."
Shoving a soul back in wasn't exactly high-level magic for Li Ming.
Moments later, having finished the spell, Li Ming returned to Fury's side and whispered, "Kree blood does make it easier to reactivate Coulson, but there's a downside to this method."
"You know what's coming—and do you have a solution?" Fury asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Depends on how deeply Coulson's affected," Li Ming shrugged. "If we're lucky, I can seal his memories, but afterward, he can't be exposed to external stimuli."
Li Ming added meaningfully, "Genetically inherited traits are etched into the bones—and magic isn't omnipotent."
Fury: Genetic inheritance... So Austin knows more about the Kree.