Erased
Richard Grand stood in silence, observing the containers.
Leader of VITAE's Class A agents; just below the S-Class… and even then, the most dangerous among those who followed orders.
He was the strongest agent in VITAE outside the S-Class. He answered only to whoever held command at the time; Owen or Tony. Or directly to General Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Once, he had been a soldier under that same command, just like many of the agents who later joined VITAE. But all of them had left the military, shifting from protecting their country… to protecting the entire world under VITAE.
Something every agent took pride in.
VITAE handled two fundamental duties. Protection, rescue, and civilian safety; whether the threat was natural or not. And the other… recovery and destruction of high-risk objects.
All to keep the world safe.
And ever since the Chitauri invasion, that second task had become the one keeping most agents busy.
Because when an alien invasion is defeated, a lot of what falls to Earth during the fight doesn't belong here. And most of it is dangerous.
Among those things; single-pilot ships, massive armor meant for enormous creatures, laser weapons… and all kinds of components. Most of them built for war.
The problem was obvious.
Different lifeforms react differently to different types of energy. Which meant any Chitauri component could be a serious health risk for anyone who didn't know how to handle it.
That was why the order had been absolute.
Destroy every Chitauri component. No exceptions.
Even if that caused conflict between VITAE and politicians.
General Hawthorne had made his stance very clear.
He would not allow these objects to fall into the wrong hands.
But as always… there were idiots who tried to control power they didn't understand.
Just to dominate others.
In this case… the DODC.
Richard looked over the containers filled with objects while his men checked each one, signaling warnings every time they found Chitauri components. Among them, there were also items recovered from the last Ultron incident.
Which, of course, meant Stark tech.
Something Tony definitely wouldn't be happy to see in someone else's hands.
Still, thanks to this discovery inside a DODC facility, a large part of Richard's work had just solved itself. He let out a more relaxed breath.
These components hadn't disappeared.
They had just been… here.
"Sir, most of the objects previously listed as missing are here," one of the men reported, approaching with a tablet. It looked like an inventory, though it was actually an estimate originally created by JARVIS; before becoming Vision, tracking what fell to Earth after the Chitauri battle.
"Even so, we estimate at least five percent of the objects are still missing," the soldier added carefully.
"Even so, this is still very good news. Perfect for a final assignment as a VITAE agent," Richard said, nodding with a faint smile before glancing to the side.
Where Spider-Man was.
Currently being surrounded by the small Kamala, who watched him with amusement, fully aware he had gotten himself into trouble… and that she had saved him.
Peter noticed Richard's gaze and immediately grew nervous, slowly walking over.
"Uh… um… Mr. Richard, right? Would it be possible not to tell Tony I was here? Or Owen… or anyone in VITAE, really. I'm pretty sure they'd be really mad if they found out," he said in a low, almost pleading tone, avoiding eye contact.
"I'm sorry. I can't do that, Mr. Parker," Richard replied, shaking his head.
Peter immediately lowered his gaze, his shoulders dropping, already expecting a lecture.
Richard watched him for a moment, studying the two young agents.
Both were S-Class.
The youngest among them.
Well… in training.
He had seen them around the base from time to time. Especially Kamala, who seemed to have endless energy.
"Don't worry too much. Finding this deserves far more praise than scolding. And if it makes you feel better, Mr. Hawthorne is far more focused on recovering these objects than anyone else," Richard said in a softer tone. "And I'm sure they'll be more busy arguing with the DODC than having time to lecture you."
Hearing that, Peter lifted his head slightly, a bit of relief showing. Though he quickly cleared his throat to hide it.
"Well… it's my job as an S-Class agent," he added with a hint of pride.
"In training," Kamala cut in immediately, shattering the moment.
Peter shot her a look, but she just kept that teasing smile. Like she was the hero… and he was the one who needed saving.
Richard simply shook his head, ignoring both of them.
"How did you get to this place… and discover all of this?" Richard asked directly.
Hearing the question, Peter straightened up immediately and looked him in the eyes. They were hard… like those of someone who had been through the military.
"Well… I was just out for a walk, and I saw these really suspicious trucks passing by, so I got curious about what they were carrying… and ended up getting stuck inside one of them," Peter said quickly.
Kamala tilted her head slightly, watching him with a confused look.
Richard stared at Peter, right into his eyes, even through the mask. Peter didn't back down, holding the gaze calmly.
"That so," Richard said after a silence that felt like it dragged on forever. "I see… then you did a good job," he added with a small nod.
But the look he gave Peter lingered for a second longer than it should have.
Then he turned slightly toward a nearby agent and made a small gesture with his hand.
"Take them back to their residences. And have someone escort Kamala home before her mother realizes she slipped out," he said before glancing at the girl with a serious expression. "Something I'm sure she wouldn't be very happy about."
Kamala, who had been confident just moments ago, immediately lowered her head, shrinking a little like a scolded kitten as she hid behind Peter.
"She won't notice… I left a hologram using one of the devices Pietro gave me…" she muttered quietly.
"Even so, a child shouldn't be this far from home without permission. You were lucky you called us. If DODC agents had found you… and not under circumstances like this… they would've detained you without hesitation. The world is far more dangerous than you think. And you both still have a long way to go in your training," Richard said, his tone firm and cold.
For a moment… both of them thought of Owen.
And almost at the same time, they straightened up like soldiers, feeling like two chicks being scolded.
Richard waved a hand, as if granting them some kind of silent amnesty.
And the two of them ran off at full speed.
An agent followed behind them at a calm pace, while Richard pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
After a few seconds, someone answered on the other end.
"Mmm…" the voice murmured.
"We recovered most of the missing objects. Or rather, one of your kids did… while the other ran away from home to follow him," Richard said simply.
"Mmm…" the voice replied again, going quiet for a moment. "Wait… what?" it added, suddenly alert.
Richard moved the phone slightly away from his ear.
"Where?" the voice asked quickly.
Richard glanced at the large DODC logo on the destroyed door.
"Where we already suspected they were. Something like a hidden bunker," he replied.
"Are the kids alright? Did they get into trouble… or did DODC do something to them?" the voice asked, now much more serious… almost dangerous.
"No. Looks like he got lucky and ended up inside a transport. The place was already empty. They were probably alerted that we were on the way and fled, leaving everything behind. Thankfully, they didn't leave explosives… otherwise it would've been a lot worse. But if they knew the kid was inside, they wouldn't risk it… they wouldn't want to make you angry," Richard explained calmly.
"Sounds like everyone's afraid of me," the voice replied, a hint of amusement in it.
"Wasn't that the plan when you started capturing heroes and tearing through cities like it was nothing? And in your last fight… how many islands disappeared?" Richard replied, his tone slightly sarcastic.
"Hercules was the one who wiped out the islands… technically. If the kids are fine, just have someone keep an eye on them. If they're already trying to leave the nest, they'll get into more trouble sooner or later. Let them have some backup for now… unless they're in real danger. I… still can't move, I need to stay in recovery. By the way… what's Tony doing?" the voice asked.
"On vacation," Richard answered without hesitation.
"Tsk… idiot. That's how he looks after the kids… whatever. Finish your job there like always. I need you to do something for me," the voice continued.
"Understood," Richard replied before ending the call.
He turned toward the nearest agent.
"Clear the area… then erase it," he ordered.
Then he turned and walked away, while the soldiers began placing cylindrical devices at every corner of the site, moving quickly.
The devices activated, forming what looked like an energy barrier around the entire facility.
One soldier pressed a button in his hand.
And then—
A massive explosion erupted inside the barrier.
Flames burst outward violently, trying to escape, but were contained and compressed by the shield, which cracked for a brief moment as the entire place shook.
It lasted several seconds.
Then… it began to settle.
The fire inside the barrier slowly died down, revealing a place completely devastated, destroyed… and partially melted by the contained heat.
Richard stepped into a military vehicle marked with the VITAE symbol, watching the site for one last moment.
"Send in the decontamination units," he said at last.
And without another word—
He started the engine and drove off.