CH: 111 - Under the Sun and in the Shadows

{Chapter: 111 - Under the Sun and in the Shadows}

She vanished in a portal shimmer.

Aiden sat for a moment in silence, holding the warm plate. Then he smiled.

"She's getting bolder," he mused to himself, biting into the toast. "And I don't mind one bit."

---

Pepper Potts stood amidst the dust and commotion of the construction site, dressed in her usual no-nonsense style — practical jeans, boots, and a sleek safety helmet, the kind only she could make look chic. Despite her high status, she didn't hesitate to supervise the project herself, clipboard in hand, barking occasional orders to the crew while offering polite smiles. The workers respected her — not just because she was secretary of Ironman of Stark Industries, but because she worked just as hard, maybe harder, than any of them.

Aiden approached, dressed casually but with that ever-present energy in his step. He offered a charming wave and called out, "Miss Pepper! You know, you're making the rest of us look bad with how hands-on you are."

Pepper turned with a smirk. "Well, someone's got to make sure these guys don't put the coffee machine in the armory."

They shared a brief laugh before Aiden leaned in a little. "You might want to be careful not to get too used to this kind of work. We wouldn't want less secretary and more of a CEO of Stark Industries becoming a full-time site manager."

Pepper chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Trust me, I'd trade the paperwork for manual labor any day. At least bricks don't talk back."

Aiden helped move a few crates and lent a hand with materials. Even though he was more than capable of lifting entire mountains with ease, he made sure not to outshine the workers — blending in as one of them, his presence lifting morale. While he and Pepper talked.

After hours of hard work under the sun, he finally took a break, settling onto a crate, wiping sweat from his brow just as his phone buzzed in his pocket.

The screen lit up with a name that brought a slight smirk to his lips: Quake.

He answered with a playful tone, "Hello babe, did you miss me?"

From the other end came her voice, cool yet carrying that signature undercurrent of sincerity only Daisy Johnson could manage. ["Of course I did. Can you come back?"]

Aiden leaned back, grinning. "Right now? I mean, if it's not urgent, how about we meet later? I'm still at the base. Nighttime's when I usually wrap up. We could grab a bite — maybe some spicy ramen, your favorite."

["I wish,"] she said with a hint of longing. ["But we've got a situation — kind of tricky. Coulson asked me to reach out. He wants your help."]

Aiden tilted his head, chuckling. "Oh, so it's a mission? And here I was, thinking my girlfriend just couldn't stand another minute without me."

["Don't be like that,"] Daisy laughed nervously. ["I really do miss you. I just didn't want to interrupt if you were in the middle of something."]

"Heh, relax. I'm just teasing." Aiden stood up, dusting his hands off. "Tell Coulson I'll be there soon."

After informing Blink of his departure and leaving instructions, Aiden took to the skies.

---

Later, at the SHIELD Facility

Quake was already waiting near the tarmac when Aiden arrived. The second his boots touched the ground, she rushed to him, a rare softness in her eyes. She threw her arms around him and they shared a kiss, not hurried or overly passionate, but deep and warm — the kind that spoke of familiarity and connection built over time.

"You smell like sweat and metal," she muttered into his chest, not pulling away.

"Good. That's the scent of hard work and masculinity," Aiden replied with a smirk.

Daisy rolled her eyes but didn't move back. "Come on, everyone's waiting."

They entered the briefing room together. Inside were the usual suspects: Coulson with his calm, ever-measured presence; Melinda May, standing in the corner with arms crossed, eyes like radar; Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons seated beside one another, already engaged in some techno-babble analysis; and finally, Michael — the former centipede-enhanced super-soldier Aiden and Quake had encountered during their very first mission together.

Michael is also a famous and surnamed character.

'Half-man half mechanical death warrior. If I remember correctly'

Of course, he's not a death warrior right now and is just a novice super soldier who has stabilized the centipede virus and targeted Captain America.

Michael stood a little awkwardly. No longer the unstable, desperate man from before, he carried himself with more confidence now, though he still bore traces of that internal struggle.

Aiden raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Michael, huh? You clean up well. Last time we met, I think I knocked a streetlamp into your chest."

Michael gave a sheepish chuckle. "Yeah… I remember. You saved me from myself back then. Honestly? I'm lucky I didn't seriously hurt anyone. Especially your girlfriend."

Aiden's smile faded a notch, replaced with a cool edge. "Yeah. You are lucky."

There was a pause — not threatening, just enough to remind everyone that for all of Aiden's charm and help, he was someone you didn't want to push too far.

"Alright, let's focus," Coulson interrupted gently, ever the voice of reason. "This mission isn't as optimistic as I'd like. We've got intel on a rogue faction enhanced by Centipede — someone's trying to replicate the original serum using off-grid Hydra tech. We believe Michael's presence could be a turning point for the team."

Before Aiden could respond, May added, "They're not just building super-soldiers. They're experimenting with Centipede and something combined. And that's not the worst part — they have hostages."

---

Phil Coulson leaned forward, the dim light in the briefing room casting sharp shadows over the files and digital readouts spread across the table. His voice was calm, but there was tension in the air—the kind that always came before a mission that wasn't as clean-cut as it looked.

"Aiden," Phil said, locking eyes with him. "Three individuals, all confirmed Centipede-enhanced operatives, breached a federal prison in under two minutes. Precision execution. Zero casualties. They extracted one target—an ex-military strategist by the name of Edison Talbot. Former general, dishonorably discharged, but the man still has connections and a dangerous mind."

Aiden raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Centipede again? I thought that project was a smoldering pile of ashes."

Phil folded his arms, his expression grim. "It was. After the base was dismantled and Chan Ho slipped through their fingers, we assumed they'd run out of options to stabilize the serum. But somehow, they've made progress. They're back—and worse, they're organized."

Aiden leaned against the edge of the table, crossing his arms as his mind raced. The name Edison Talbot rang faintly familiar, though it had faded with time. A master tactician working with enhanced soldiers? That was a disaster in the making.

"Do we know how they're stabilizing the serum this time?" Aiden asked, scanning the holographic images displayed on the screen—still shots of the prison breach, blurred movement, scorched ground, and glowing eyes.

"No, but we're operating on the assumption they've either replicated the formula or discovered a new method altogether," Fitz chimed in, tapping on the keyboard as more files slid across the screen. "Honestly, it's either a massive scientific breakthrough… or something much worse."

Phil turned to Aiden again. "Can you tell us where they're headed next? Or maybe where they're hiding now?"

There was a long pause as Aiden closed his eyes and focused. The room quieted, watching him with anticipation—some skeptical, some hopeful.

After a moment, Aiden opened his eyes and said with confidence, "California. Auckland."

Phil leaned in. "That's a start. More specific?"

Aiden nodded slightly. "An abandoned factory. That's all I see. The rest is cloudy."

Phil's expression eased with a mix of relief and curiosity. "That's good enough. If we focus surveillance on Auckland and dig into decommissioned industrial sites, we'll find something."

Already, the team moved into action. May silently stepped away to coordinate with field agents. Quake dived deeper into satellite imagery and heat scans of the area. It was an orchestrated flurry of focused chaos—typical of S.H.I.E.L.D. when a mission hit high alert.

Michael, standing near the edge of the room, looked around uncertainly. He wasn't used to being in the middle of an intelligence briefing. The last time he was here, he'd been under tight surveillance—barely trusted, barely stable. Now he was standing among them.

He walked over to Aiden, voice low. "How did you know where they were?"

Aiden glanced at him. "Foreseeing the future. Kind of. Let's just say my track record isn't perfect, but it's helpful more often than not."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying you see things… like visions?"

Aiden shrugged. "Sometimes. Don't get too excited. It's not exactly reliable. It's not like watching a movie trailer. More like flipping through broken TV channels."

Michael scratched the back of his neck. "Was it something you were born with… or did it happen after you were changed? Like me."

Aiden gave a half-smile. "You can ask them. I don't really enjoy talking about it."

There was an awkward pause before Aiden asked a question of his own. "Let me ask you something instead. Do you really want to be a hero?"

Michael's posture straightened. "Yes. Absolutely. Ever since I changed… since I got these powers, I've wanted to use them to help people. My son—he loves heroes. Always drawing them, pretending to be them. I want to be someone he can look up to, someone who makes a difference."

*****

You can support me by joining my Patreon and get upto 60 chapters in advance.

patreon.com/Eden_Translation