Maguire rose slowly, got dressed, and headed out the door.
At the same time, inside a S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility, a blue cube was pulsing with a faint azure glow. Several figures stood around it—one of them was S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. The blue cube placed here was the Tesseract.
A man in a white lab coat spoke up. "Director Fury, the energy contained in this thing is… frankly, terrifying."
Fury nodded. Ever since traces of the Thunder God's hammer were found in New Mexico, it had been clear that Asgard truly existed. And more than a decade ago, Fury had already learned that humanity was not alone beneath the vast starry sky. In recent times especially, superhumans had been emerging on Earth in wave after wave. The undercurrents were surging.
Which was why developing more powerful weapons had become S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top priority.
Fury glanced at Dr. Selvig, ready to say more—when the Tesseract suddenly flared with violent light.
When the glare faded, a figure stood before them in a green robe and a horned helm.
Loki.
His sudden appearance sent the researchers into a panic. Several trained agents yanked pistols from their belts. Under their disbelieving gazes, the bullets passed straight through Loki's body. An instant later, another Loki appeared to the side. The scepter in his hand loosed a blast of blue energy, and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents went down for good.
The next instant, Loki's silhouette was in front of Hawkeye. He tapped the scepter to Clint's chest. "I have a feeling… you'll follow me," Loki said with disdain.
A faint blue light flickered in Clint's eyes. He went rigid.
In the shadows, Nick Fury quietly took aim at Loki, ready to ambush him—when Clint loosed a specially made arrow straight at Fury. Fury dove aside as the arrow detonated, barely escaping the blast—worthy of the "spymaster" moniker.
By then Loki had already used the same method to enthrall Dr. Erik Selvig. He glanced at Clint. "Our goal's achieved. We're leaving."
Meanwhile, our Maguire was driving his Bugatti toward Holland's house. A call had pulled him out of his place moments ago—not from Holland, but from Holland's Aunt May. Peter had gone to his friend Ned's place today, so Aunt May had prepared a hearty dinner and specially invited Maguire over as her guest.
Maguire smiled to himself. Tonight we're definitely going to enjoy something good.
He arrived at Holland's doorstep and knocked. The door swung open—and the sight before him made his eyes light up: Aunt May in a black lace dress paired with wine-colored heels. Under the warm lights she looked even more alluring; a few teasing glimpses of scenery made the view irresistible.
It was clearly the first time she'd worn something this bold in front of a young man she liked. A blush spread over her face—she was stunning.
"Hurry in," she said shyly. "I made a lot of dishes."
"You're gorgeous tonight," Maguire said with a grin. "You outshine the scattered stars—and the clear moon itself."
Her blush deepened, and they moved to the dining table. Several beautifully prepared dishes were set out in perfect order, as if tempting them to dig in at once. The meal was inviting—and so was the company.
They sat. Aunt May looked at the young man who had tangled up her heart and spoke softly. "Maguire, I… I really like you. But I know there's an age gap between us. I know when you went traveling with Holland last time there was a girl named Gwen… She must like you a lot—maybe you like her, too. I can understand. For someone like you, these things aren't unusual. I only hope there's a place for me in your heart. I don't dare ask for more. Can you tell me… have you truly fallen for me?"
In the next second, Maguire was at her side. His strong arms lifted her, and he carried her upstairs to her room.
Moonlight shone bright outside the window. Inside, the delicacies on the table were just as tempting—but neither of tonight's leads wanted to eat them. The feast was left to grow cold.
Two hours later, even Maguire couldn't help thinking: I didn't expect that, at Aunt May's age, she'd still be untouched. No wonder she was so shy and clumsy.
Aunt May's eyes shone like autumn water. "I'm afraid you won't accept me…"
"I do," Maguire said with a gentle nod.
She rose slowly, brows knitting for a moment. After all, Maguire's strength was godlike now—his power had soared on every front.
"Get some rest, May," he said tenderly.
She shot him a sultry side-eye. "Shameless—you don't know the first thing about pitying fragrant jade."
It was only ten o'clock. The night was long, with many things left to do. For some reason, even the moon hid behind the clouds—perhaps it, too, felt shy tonight.
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