"Damn it!"
Patch shouted as a furious roar came from the rift he had just torn open. A massive hand reached toward it from within.
As the black-flamed hand was about to emerge, Patch hastily waved his arm. The rift slowly began to close until no trace of it remained.
"Oh, shit!"
Although he managed to shut the rift in time, the entire space still shook violently.
After regaining his balance, Patch quickly turned to Melinda and Coulson.
"Good thing you two are still in one piece. Otherwise, S.H.I.E.L.D. would've pinned this whole mess on me, and that would've been a nightmare."
He exhaled deeply and helped the two agents to their feet.
"Mr. Mavis, was that thing just now Dormammu?" Coulson asked the moment he stood up. His face was pale, his breathing heavy — that close encounter had terrified him.
Even from a distance, the flames covering that giant hand had radiated blistering heat. Compared to it, Coulson felt like an ant — no, something even smaller.
Melinda wasn't doing much better, bent over and gasping for air.
"Yes, that was Dormammu. Looks like he noticed us," Patch nodded, then added with a grin, "But I've closed the void rift now. We should be safe."
As if mocking his words, a loud rumble followed, and the space around them shook again.
Patch stumbled, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and forced a smile.
"An accident, pure accident. And Dormammu doesn't yet have the power to break through dimensions. We're really safe this time."
Yet, judging by their skeptical faces, neither of them seemed convinced.
Patch, however, was in no mood to explain further. He waved them over. "Anyway, you've seen what you needed to see. Let's head back."
He stepped through the glowing portal first, and the two agents followed behind him.
"Mr. Mavis," Melinda said as soon as they returned to the cabin, "I owe you an apology for my earlier attitude. You're someone worthy of respect. And as for magic — your actions have completely convinced me."
"Uh…" Patch blinked, confused. Just moments ago, she'd been adamantly denying the existence of magic. Now she believed?
Did Dormammu scare her so badly that she lost her sense of reason? he wondered mischievously.
Still, he knew how to play along.
"Miss May, I'm glad you've come to accept magic. At least my explanations weren't for nothing," Patch replied with a smile.
"Thank you for understanding," Melinda said, smiling back.
"But, Mr. Mavis, there's still something I don't understand."
Coulson stepped forward, frowning. "You didn't have to tell us any of this. You could've just driven us away easily. So why go through all this trouble for no reason?"
His gaze was sharp, suspicious. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made. For someone as powerful as Patch, explaining all this seemed unnecessary — unless he had another motive, one that somehow involved them.
Melinda tensed beside him, drawing her gun again and aiming it at Patch. Between him and Coulson, she trusted her partner more.
"Meaningless? Coulson, you think what I'm doing is meaningless?"
Patch raised his voice, then locked eyes with him. "You think everything I've done has some hidden agenda, don't you?"
"Indeed, I do," Coulson said cautiously.
Patch nodded. "You're right — I do have a reason for telling you the truth."
Hearing him admit it so directly, Coulson's body stiffened. It was rare for anyone to confess to having ulterior motives so openly. That usually didn't end well.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead. If Patch decided to act, they'd be powerless to resist.
"Relax, Coulson."
To his surprise, Patch burst out laughing.
"Yes, I have a purpose, but not the kind you're imagining."
Coulson eased up slightly but stayed wary.
"Think about it, Coulson. If I wanted to get rid of you, I wouldn't need to waste words. One wave of my hand, and neither of you would exist."
He patted the tense agent on the shoulder. "So, there's no need to worry. I told you the truth for a reason. I'm not someone who kills needlessly."
"I already said — what I do isn't that different from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission. You deal with the threats you can see. I handle the ones like Dormammu, the dangers hiding in the dark."
"I revealed this so you'd understand, and so S.H.I.E.L.D. would know that what I'm doing is important. All I ask is that your organization doesn't bother me again."
"That's all?" Coulson frowned.
"That's all," Patch said firmly, spreading his hands.
"Come on — what else could I possibly want from you? You think you've got something I need?"
He shrugged, then lightly patted Coulson's shoulder again, smiling helplessly. "Coulson, you've been an agent for too long. You see too much conspiracy and too little good. Don't forget — there's still kindness and beauty in this world."
"Maybe you're right." Coulson sighed softly and lowered his head.