After subduing the two troublemaking kids, the office finally quieted down again.
Lucas's two little brothers still showed up during the day to cause chaos, but in the evenings their mother would take them home. Their dad worked during the day, and their mom often helped at a community welfare center—the very place where she became friends with Peter's Aunt May.
These days, Aunt May was living rather comfortably.
Peter was in college in Boston, with the Stark Foundation providing him with annual scholarships.
And May had invested her life savings in Stark Industries stock.
Though those stocks were nothing significant from Lucas's perspective, they were enough to give her a life free from financial strain.
Aunt May and Lucas's mother quickly became inseparable—especially after hearing that Lucas and Peter were good friends. The two women were practically best friends at this point.
As for Lucas's father, he was so busy he barely touched the ground.
Even as NYPD Commissioner, he still personally led teams during major cases, always at the front line. This earned him deep respect from his officers, who willingly followed him into danger.
In the land of freedom—America—and especially in an open city like New York, drug addicts were everywhere. Naturally, this placed a heavy burden on the police.
Lucas despised drug users deeply.
In his previous life, he grew up in a country with zero tolerance toward drugs, where everyone loathed them. Finding out his true identity in this life only intensified his disgust.
He often teamed up with Matt and Frank to dismantle drug dens—and Lucas never held back.
His method was simple: send them straight to God.
Whether God allowed them to keep getting high afterward wasn't his concern.
During a recent raid, Lucas unexpectedly ran into George.
Even though Lucas wore a Moogle-style mask, George recognized his unlucky son instantly.
Lucas was mortified, but George acted completely natural—pretending he hadn't seen a thing.
---
Soon after, Lucas's mother came to pick up the two kids and told him that she and Lucas's father were taking the boys on a month-long trip abroad.
She asked Lucas to drop by the house occasionally so they wouldn't get robbed.
Lucas was stunned.
Why wasn't he invited?
Why wasn't Gwen invited?
His mother was brutally honest:
"You're grown. You both have your own lives. Those two little ones can't be left alone."
Lucas instantly felt abandoned, staring resentfully at his mother as the whole family boarded a plane to Australia.
Skye even drove them to the airport—mainly to bring George's car back, because leaving it there for a month would cost a fortune.
Lucas immediately told Gwen the bad news, but Gwen simply reassured him:
"They can go wherever they want. We have a Quinjet.
If you want to travel, just say the word. You don't even have a real job."
Her words instantly lifted Lucas's mood.
She was right. He wasn't some abandoned kid—he had his own private aircraft.
He could travel whenever he wanted.
---
A few days later, one night, a portal opened directly in the office.
The Ancient One stepped through in a shower of sparks just as Lucas pressed the elevator button.
"Good evening, Lucas."
Calm and poised as always, she radiated a comforting presence.
Lucas made tea for her. "Master Ancient One, what brings you here?"
"I'm here to fulfill my promise.
The Guardian has returned to the Door Dimension, and the rift has been fully sealed.
You did well, Lucas. On his behalf, I thank you."
Lucas nodded. So Man-Thing and Jack were truly living in isolation by the dimensional gate now.
Would they join the Midnight Sons in the future?
Did that group even exist in this world?
He wasn't sure—but it didn't matter.
Even if only Strange, Ghost Rider, and Man-Thing were present, that lineup alone could handle almost any supernatural threat.
"Is Master planning to take Wanda to Kamar-Taj now?" Lucas asked.
The Ancient One nodded, but after glancing at the sky said,
"Tomorrow is fine. She will need to go to the New York Sanctum on her own. I will be waiting at Kamar-Taj."
"All right. I'll tell Wanda to pack and take her there tomorrow."
Lucas hadn't discussed this with Wanda yet, and sending her off immediately felt too abrupt.
"Then I will take my leave."
She finished her tea and, with another flash of sparks, disappeared.
---
Lucas thought for a moment in the elevator, then walked over to Wanda's door and knocked.
"Who is it?"
Her sleepy voice came from the other side.
"It's me, Lucas."
After about a minute, Wanda opened the door, half-asleep.
"Oh… come in."
Lucas stepped into her apartment.
Her room carried a light, sweet fragrance that made him breathe in subconsciously.
"You can sit—I'll get you something to drink."
She wore dark red pajamas. Lucas had no idea when she started liking that color so much.
"No need. I have something to tell you."
He hesitated. He wasn't sure how she would react.
After all, he had agreed to this without asking her first.
"What is it?" Wanda asked, sitting beside him with puzzled eyes.
Her sweet scent hit him again, making him a little dizzy—but he stayed composed.
"Well… I'm taking you to study tomorrow."
He braced himself for a punch.
Wanda blinked. "Study? Like… school?"
Her confused, sleepy expression instantly amplified Lucas's guilt.
"No… it's to Nepal.
A very distant place.
To learn how to control the chaos magic inside you from an incredibly powerful sorcerer."
He blurted everything out at once—better to get the pain over with quickly.
Wanda's eyes immediately reddened.
She thought Lucas didn't want her anymore.
The chaos energy inside her began to surge out of control.
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