15 February 2008
Lucius finished brewing another batch of LSP and LHP in the early hours before dawn. His inventory was filled with small glass vials, each with either the faint golden shimmer of stamina or the light red glow of healing potions. "A ridiculous setup," he thought as he looked up at the sky. These small vials were moving hundreds of thousands of dollars through his hands every day, and every one of them was special to him.
"Another perfect batch," he murmured with satisfaction.
He stashed them in his inventory. Money first, power second and survival always. Now he has the first and was planning to keep the last constant.
He returned to his bedroom and decided to have a shower in the morning.
"Let's see if Essex has any Grey clones ready for me to collect," he muttered while stretching his shoulders and yawning.
A small satisfied smile lingered on his face as sleep crept up.
-
He woke up to the sound of shattered glass before he could even process what was happening. Lucius opened his eyes instantly.
A second later, a metal cylinder rolled across the floorboards and stopped beside the bed. The device hissed, and thick grey vapour poured into the room. Lucius inhaled once before he realised the mistake. Sharp chemical bitterness filled his lungs. He tried to roll out of the bed. His muscles refused.
The gas moved fast. It was effective; within moments after he inhaled, his mind started to slow down. Probably military, could be one of his regular customers who decided he was paying too much. His mind started to get foggy.
Figures moved through the broken window.
He was going to ensure that some Delta Force-level soldiers would be sacrificed once this issue was resolved. He could travel the world and handpick the crème de la crème of special forces from different countries.
He shook his head. He has a serious problem.
The last thing he registered before the darkness swallowed him was a black boot stepping onto his bedroom floor.
-
Lucius woke slowly.
His head felt clear; there was no heavy feeling for someone who was kidnapped. His thought process was working like a charm.
He opened his eyes. He was naturally not in his bedroom anymore.
Concrete walls. Thick metal bars form the front wall. A steel bed bolted to the side with a thin mattress that looked decent. In the corner sat the standard stainless steel toilet and sink combination.
A camera watched the room from the ceiling.
Lucius slowly sat up.
Something cold rested around his neck.
A collar.
He touched it lightly; it was one of the Mutant inhibitor collars.
Lucius smiled faintly. He thanked every being, somehow nudged his lazy arse to conduct the Array of Convergence. His abilities were internal now. Not external tools that could easily be suppressed.
It might have been an impressive tool to bend him two days ago. Now it was decorative jewellery. He examined his clothing next.
Bright orange prison fabric.
He looked down at himself with a mild expression of disappointment. "Orange," he murmured quietly. "A bold fashion statement. Unfortunately, it clashes terribly with dark hair."
He stood and stretched. The collar hummed faintly. Lucius leaned against the wall and began thinking.
Someone had kidnapped him. Someone had broken into his house, used military-grade gas, and transported him into a secure holding facility.
Which meant someone had just won the grand prize of Lucius Noctis's personal hatred and unending vengeance.
He imagined their future for a moment and started to plan his epic plan. He will make them pay. Their children, grandchildren, even great-grandchildren would scream in pain, hopeless in the face of his might and rage.
Even their dogs, cats, and the raccoon digging through their rubbish bins. They will all pay.
Lucius nodded slowly.
"Yes," he whispered. "That seems fair."
Then he straightened.
"Focus."
Revenge planning could wait.
First came information.
He closed his eyes and reached outward with telepathy.
Minds appeared immediately.
Dozens of them.
Disciplined thought patterns. Military posture. Structured routines.
Lucius smiled. He understood that he was held in Triskelion, interesting.
He pushed slightly deeper into the nearest minds.
-
Nick Fury stood inside the command centre while Maria Hill finished her report.
"Extraction completed at 04:14," Hill said while reading through a report. "Entry team breached the subject's residence. The subject was neutralised using aerosolised halothane with ketamine. Medical unit confirms no lasting harm."
Fury nodded once.
"Good."
Hill continued without looking up.
"Search teams are currently examining the residence and vehicle. We expect to recover additional potion samples, large amounts of cash and any production equipment within the hour."
Fury folded his arms.
"Interrogate him once he wakes."
Hill glanced up.
"Objective?"
Fury's expression remained flat.
"Clarify his production process. Determine whether he manufactures the potions himself or receives them from another source. Offer cooperation first."
Hill tilted her head slightly.
"And if he refuses?"
Fury did not hesitate.
"Then we bury him under federal charges until he changes his mind."
He leaned back slightly.
"Either he works for SHIELD, or he disappears into a federal prison."
An alarm suddenly blared through the facility.
Coulson entered after a while.
"Medical alert," he clarified. "Two guards down in the high-security holding. Possible seizures."
Fury's eye narrowed.
"Cause?"
"Unknown."
-
Lucius opened his eyes and sighed quietly.
"Right," he muttered.
Apparently, attempting to read two minds simultaneously without an ounce of practice caused catastrophic neurological failure. Not for him, though, so he would repeat soon.
He shook his head as the feedback from the guards' minds faded. The last fragments of their thoughts still echoed in his head. One had been thinking about tonight's football game. The other had been counting the seconds for his shift to end. He was watching a good Hentai.
"Remarkably enthusiastic episode as well."
He rubbed his temple.
"Shame about the brain damage. How am I going to learn the name of the show..."
Both guards had collapsed instantly when he pushed.
Lucius rubbed his chin. "That seems inefficient."
Still, he had learned something important.
This facility belonged to SHIELD.
Not HYDRA, though they were not so different in the end.
HYDRA would have begun with torture instead of processing his paperwork.
Footsteps approached. The cell door opened with a metallic clang. A guard stepped inside.
The other stood at the door.
The one who entered looked like he had a personal hatred for him.
"Move," the second guard barked. "Don't make us drag you."
Lucius studied them calmly.
"Are you two married?"
The guard blinked.
"What?"
Lucius stood with his hands raised in surrender.
"Just conducting statistical research," he replied.
The guard shoved him toward the hallway.
"Keep walking, mutant."
"Easy, Robert," the other guard said quietly.
Lucius noted the name instantly.
Robert. Information always had value.
They walked through several corridors before entering an interrogation room.
Lucius sat in the metal chair while the guards secured restraints around his wrists.
A camera blinked in the corner.
Lucius smiled politely toward it.
-
Back in the command room, Fury turned toward Coulson.
"Find out what happened to those guards," Fury said. "We are on full lockdown until we know."
Coulson nodded.
"Yes, sir."
-
Maria Hill entered the interrogation room a few minutes later.
Lucius watched her calmly.
Hill placed a thick folder on the table and sat down opposite him. She adjusted the chair slightly before opening the file.
"Mr Noctis," she began.
Her voice carried the calm authority of someone accustomed to interrogating people.
"As of this morning, you are under arrest for multiple federal offences."
Lucius leaned back slightly.
Hill began listing them one by one.
"Distribution of unapproved pharmaceutical products across state lines. Violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Failure to obtain licensing for medical manufacturing. Practising medicine without certification. Fraudulent medical marketing claims. Tax evasion. Failure to declare commercial revenue."
She turned a page.
"Commercial price manipulation during medical emergencies and unlawful sale of unregulated biological substances."
Lucius listened quietly.
Hill closed the folder halfway.
"Each of these charges carries substantial penalties. Combined sentencing exposure exceeds one hundred years in federal prison."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Here is how the process continues."
"You will be formally processed as a federal detainee. Your financial assets will be seized under the asset forfeiture law. Your residence, electronic devices, and bank accounts are already under investigation."
Lucius tilted his head slightly.
Hill continued.
"If you refuse to cooperate with us, the United States government will prosecute you to the fullest extent of federal law."
The room became completely silent.
Lucius tilted his head slowly, then he smiled.