Half an hour later.
"Damn it, Steve and I both thought you were dead!"
Natasha's expression was a mix of shock and disbelief as she stared at Lynn.
"Steve, Tony, and I were already planning your funeral—we even bought a burial plot!"
Hearing that, Lynn handed cups of coffee to both Natasha and Steve. "Can I get a refund for that?"
His offhand remark made both of them fall silent.
Tony Stark, who had been studying Lynn with curiosity, suddenly burst out laughing. "Steve, I like this guy!"
"Hey, you do know who I am, right?"
Removing his sunglasses, Tony extended a hand. "I'm throwing a party this weekend. Want to come?"
"Are there going to be beautiful women?" Lynn asked as he shook Tony's hand. "If you can get that singer—Taylor Swift—to show up, my schedule might just clear up."
"No problem."
Tony shrugged, picking up his cup of coffee. "She's pretty popular, sure—but buddy, I'm Tony Stark. No one turns down my parties."
"It's a deal then!"
Lynn raised his hand and high-fived Tony Stark.
Then, glancing at George Stacy, he suddenly seemed to remember something.
Standing up, he opened a drawer, pulled out a photo, grabbed a marker, and handed both to Steve. "Sign this."
Steve blinked, a bit puzzled, but signed it anyway.
Lynn took the photo back, then handed it to George. "You're welcome."
George gave him a surprised but grateful look. As Captain America's biggest fan, he carefully tucked the autographed photo away before asking, "Uh… can someone explain what exactly happened last night? Why did Agent Romanoff say you sacrificed yourself, Lynn?"
At his question, Natasha shot Lynn a pointed look that clearly said, You haven't told him about the Necromancer thing, have you?
Lynn's silent expression confirmed it.
So Natasha quickly stepped in to explain. "Well, you remember when we borrowed Lynn from the Manhattan Police Department for that case in the New York suburbs, right?"
"It turns out the case had lingering effects, so S.H.I.E.L.D. asked Lynn to assist again last night."
"But things didn't go as planned," Natasha continued. "The situation got out of control, and at the time, we thought Lynn had sacrificed himself."
George Stacy listened and nodded slowly, choosing to accept her explanation—at least on the surface. He had a feeling there was more to it, but whatever secrets were involved were clearly beyond his clearance.
"Here's the official secondment letter," Natasha said, handing him a document with a polite smile. "The situation isn't over yet, so S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to formally borrow Mr. Lynn Hall again. We've already cleared it with your Director."
"Oh?"
George skimmed the document before passing it over to Lynn.
"So much trouble," Lynn muttered, flicking at his ear and leaning back in his chair. "I'm NYPD, not one of your S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. What exactly am I supposed to do to help?"
Before he could finish, Natasha cut him off smoothly. "Oh, you can help quite a lot, Lynn. And as you know, S.H.I.E.L.D. has a very generous budget."
She raised a finger and said with a faint smile, "This is the daily pay."
Hearing Natasha mention payment, Lynn's eyes lit up instantly.
With his Potion Mastery skill now at Level 3, he could create higher-grade mystical potions using Mephisto's notes.
The problem was that stronger potions required rarer—and far more expensive—materials.
And his current savings? Barely over two hundred thousand.
That was supposed to be his "enjoy life" fund.
So, when Natasha mentioned a daily pay of ten thousand dollars, Lynn made up his mind on the spot.
Who cared what the job was?
If S.H.I.E.L.D. was paying that much, he'd even help them take down HYDRA if they asked.
...
Meanwhile, on the twenty-third floor of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, inside Alexander Pierce's office—
"Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff caused quite a commotion in New York last night. Have you found out why?"
In response to Secretary Pierce's question, the bald man, Sitwell, nodded. "Yes, sir, we've investigated it."
"Last night, Rogers and his team launched an operation against Count Kolsais's underground city."
He handed over a tablet, displaying the recorded footage of the excavation process taking place above the manor grounds.
"Count Kolsais—the vampire?"
Hearing the name, Alexander Pierce let out a cold scoff. "That useless parasite. Back in the day, S.H.I.E.L.D. had him running like a dog. If the Elder Council hadn't stepped in to protect the vampires because they still saw some use in them…"
He tapped the table lightly. "…they'd have been wiped out or driven back to Europe long ago."
Sitwell stood silently, waiting as Pierce's sharp gaze fixed on him.
After a few moments, Pierce continued, "How did Rogers and Romanoff even find Count Kolsais? Can we confirm if there's any link between them through the vampires—or between Kolsais and the Elder Council?"
Sitwell quickly shook his head. "That's still unclear, sir. All we know is that the Avengers seem to have been involved in the operation. As for the report, Rogers and Romanoff haven't submitted one yet, but…"
"But what?" Pierce pressed, his tone turning icy.
"Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Tony Stark… went to the Manhattan Police Department."
"Then find out why they went to the Manhattan Police Department—and keep a constant watch on the Avengers' movements."
Pierce stood, walked over to the wine cabinet, and poured himself a glass of red wine. "Since Kolsais has been eliminated, I'm guessing their next move will be against the other vampire groups still hiding within the country."
"Once you confirm their next target, find a way to let Steve Rogers uncover the connection between the vampires and the Elder Council."
"Ah?"
Sitwell stared at him, startled.
But when he met Pierce's cold, cutting gaze, he quickly straightened and nodded. "Understood, sir."
"Good. Get it done. Have Rumlow assist you," Pierce ordered. "Those old men in the Elder Council have outlived their usefulness. When HYDRA split from AIM, the agreement was that we'd develop separately, without interfering with each other."
"But now, the Elder Council is back in contact with AIM." A faint, humorless smile touched his lips. "They're even daring to interfere with my Insight Project."
"In that case, they have no reason to exist."
"Yes, sir."
Sitwell bowed slightly, then stepped back a few paces before turning and leaving Alexander Pierce's office.
_______
(づ￣ 3￣)づ
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