Chapter 361

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The wind howled through the barren landscape, whipping dust and dry grass around. The wasteland stretched out, a bleak expanse of loess, scattered rocks, and the occasional scraggly tree. The scene was empty, lonely, and lifeless.

In the midst of it all, a transparent figure drifted forward, its dull eyes set, red pupils glowing faintly. The figure looked like a specter from another world—a middle-aged man moving with eerie persistence, forward and forward again.

Surrounding him were dozens of small red drones, each no bigger than a baby's palm, keeping pace and emitting multicolored rays. The devices circled the ghostly figure, scanning, analyzing, and recording every detail.

On either side of the ghost, two black pickup trucks rumbled alongside, keeping an even speed. Agents in black and researchers in white lab coats leaned out, instruments in hand, their attention fixed on the phantom and occasionally glancing up at Iron Man himself, who hovered nearby.

Tony Stark, clad in his iconic red-and-gold suit, kept pace with the ghost, adjusting his position with bursts of white jets from his armor's thrusters. "This is the worst way to conduct research," he muttered. "Having to move with it just to study it—ridiculous."

Coulson, standing in one of the pickup beds and shielding his face from the dust, gave him a sympathetic smile. "We really owe you for this one, Tony. This 084 phenomenon is a serious problem. It's manageable here in the desert, but once it hits a populated area…" He left the thought hanging.

Tony shot him a look, unimpressed. "Then why does your report say these ghosts avoid people?"

Coulson cringed inwardly, cursing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cybersecurity in silence. "Well, that's, uh, news to me. I've only seen the director's orders so far."

"Right," Tony replied, unamused. "Look, just leave it to me. We're talking about a ghost? Fine. I'll test my latest prototype."

Coulson's eyes lit up, relief flashing across his face. If Tony had a way to deal with Pierce's ghost, the rest would be easier. No matter the cost, they had to ensure the former director's ghost didn't enter the public eye.

"Jarvis," Tony said, hovering a few feet ahead of the ghost and peering into its lifeless red eyes. "How much data do we have so far?"

"Sir, we've conducted 109 tests, but the ghost's presence remains detectable only by visual means. There is no discernible heat, energy, or other biological markers."

"What about magic?" Tony pressed. "Is there any response to magic-based scans or energy?"

"According to the tests, no magic fluctuations have been detected," Jarvis replied smoothly. "However, without specific instruments, it's impossible to determine the ghost's exact reaction to magic."

"Great," Tony sighed. "Well, when the magic impact device arrives, start testing immediately."

"Understood, sir."

Coulson, keeping his balance on the pickup as it jostled over the uneven ground, pointed ahead. "Tony, heads up—there's a huge rock dead ahead."

"I see it," Tony replied, watching as the red detection drones adjusted their paths, swerving to avoid the obstacle. The ghost, however, showed no signs of reaction. It drifted forward, passing straight through the stone as if it were nothing more than mist.

Agents in the trucks immediately captured the scene with cameras, cataloging every detail for analysis.

"Jarvis, did you catch anything unusual when it passed through the stone?" Tony asked.

"Sir, no energy fluctuation or change in the ghost's composition was detected," Jarvis confirmed, his voice cool and efficient.

Tony felt a twinge of disappointment but refocused, watching the ghost intently. He fired several tests in rapid succession—laser beams, high-temperature rays, blasts of cold nitrogen. None made the slightest impact.

Frustration simmered beneath Tony's calm exterior. "This is beyond science. It has to be magic… or maybe something to do with the quantum realm."

Coulson, overhearing Tony's mumbling, leaned closer. "Any luck contacting Lockhart?" he asked. "This feels like something magical—a curse, maybe?"

"Nothing," Coulson replied with a sigh. "We haven't been able to reach him at all."

Tony said nothing, though a part of him agreed with Coulson. This ghost bore all the signs of magic. But without Lockhart's help, they'd have to solve it another way.

Then, high above, several black specks appeared, descending swiftly in Tony's direction.

"Sir, the requested devices are inbound," Jarvis reported. Nine golden-red mechanical boxes approached, suspended by small rocket thrusters.

"Let's start with the magic impact device," Tony instructed. "Watch for any reaction—anything that might hint at magic sensitivity."

In response, the central mechanical box lowered itself until it hovered directly above the ghost. It dismantled itself with a series of metallic clicks, revealing a set of arms and a precision device gleaming with silvery light. A ring floated down, settling above the ghost's head like an angel's halo.

"Begin low-range testing," Tony commanded.

The device emitted a series of transparent, soundwave-like ripples that passed through the ring and into the ghost's head.

"Jarvis?"

"Still no usable data, sir," Jarvis replied instantly.

"Fine. Try the high-range impact."

The ripples intensified, shifting from transparent waves to a silvery-white beam that covered the ghost's form. Coulson watched as the ghost's body became more transparent, even flickering slightly, though it continued moving forward without pause.

Agents collected data furiously, while Coulson noticed a faint indentation left in the ground by the beam. The S.H.I.E.L.D. research team eagerly documented this unprecedented energy effect.

The heightened impact did slow the ghost's pace, even deforming its ethereal body slightly. Most fascinating of all, Jarvis detected a trace of energy that bore a resemblance to an old friend.

"Sir, a portion of the energy signature resembles elements of Lockhart's magic."

Tony's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. Though the match was small, it was significant. This ghost was connected to Lockhart somehow.

"Tony, any findings?" Coulson called, sensing a change in his expression.

Tony shook himself from his thoughts. "The magic impact made a small dent. But it's not enough to stop it completely."

Coulson's relief faded into apprehension. "We'll need to make sure it never reaches populated areas. Any chance you can slow it down further?"

"Maybe. Jarvis, deploy the remaining devices two kilometers ahead and set up the material walls."

Eight of the mechanical boxes descended, each releasing metal panels of various materials in the ghost's path. Each wall was designed to test a specific interaction—some high-density alloys, some magical metals, others custom combinations. The pièce de résistance was a wall of solid gold and another formed entirely from coagulated blood.

Coulson's team gaped at the golden wall, muttering about Stark's "big-spender" approach. But soon all eyes were back on the ghost as it approached the walls.

The ghost reached the first wall, made of high-density alloy, and passed through it effortlessly. It continued through the second and third walls—different types of alloy—without any visible reaction.

Then it reached the gold wall. For a brief moment, the ghost's figure seemed to hesitate, a barely perceptible pause. Jarvis was quick to note the effect.

"Sir, the gold wall affected the ghost for nearly ten microseconds."

Tony filed the information away but kept his focus on the next wall, the blood wall. The ghost drifted through it without pause, though Jarvis reported subtle internal changes within the blood wall itself, suggesting some level of soul interaction.

The sixth wall, crafted from rare magical metals, had no effect.

Finally, the ghost reached the seventh wall—a silver-white structure filled with plasma energy, resembling a wall of lightning. In mythology, thunder often symbolized purification, so Tony had modified this wall with elements of magical energy, mimicking lightning spells he'd once seen Lockhart cast.

This time, the ghost visibly flickered. Its form grew even more transparent, thin tendrils of black smoke trailing from its body, as though it were being purified.

"Jarvis, report the data."

"Sir, lightning caused significant disruption to the ghost's structure, creating both conflict and compatibility with its energy signature," Jarvis replied, continuing with a list of detailed findings.

Finally, the ghost reached the eighth wall, an energy wall designed as an imitation of Lockhart's magic. When the ghost crossed it, its body seemed to stabilize, absorbing some of the energy as though drawing strength from it. It even increased in speed, moving ahead of Coulson's trucks.

Coulson exchanged a wary look with Tony. "Tony, what's that last wall made of?"

Tony smiled mysteriously. "Just an energy wall, an experiment in magic imitation." His mind, however, was racing. The ghost's reaction confirmed it—this apparition was definitely linked to Lockhart's magic.

Coulson's suspicions sharpened, but he held back, waiting to see where this was leading. Tony also didn't volunteer to leave, both men seeming to agree without words to continue following the ghost.

Minutes turned into hours as they trailed the phantom across the barren landscape. At last, as the sun began to sink, the ghost's speed slowed until it came to a complete halt.

The ghost's figure flickered once and vanished, leaving Tony, Coulson, and the agents staring at a stretch of seemingly empty ground.

But all of them had come to the same conclusion.

There was an underground base beneath their feet.

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