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*****
"I told you a long time ago; you just didn't believe me," Feini said with a casual shrug. "Alright, it's best if you keep this to yourself. Don't tell a soul."
Despite the warning, Feini wasn't actually worried about Billy blabbing. There were so many people impersonating the Divine Punishment Knight these days that without concrete proof, no one would believe him anyway. Furthermore, now that he had "associates" within both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, any identity leaks could be contained quickly without disrupting his daily life.
He had shared the truth with Billy primarily because he valued their friendship. If Billy chose to betray that trust, their bond would simply end. There was also a more practical reason: Feini was planning to graduate soon. This revelation was, in a way, a parting gift before he left the school environment.
He had originally enrolled to fulfill his parents' wishes and to prepare for learning Kamar-Taj's magic. Now, his proficiency in translation and magical theory was high enough that language was no longer a barrier. As for his parents, as long as he completed his studies, they wouldn't object to him graduating early.
Compared to the cosmic threats Earth would soon face, the Chitauri were mere foot soldiers. Feini needed to devote more time to becoming stronger, which required leaving the structured school life behind.
"I... I..."
Billy was too overwhelmed to track Feini's long-term plans. Even though he had started to believe Feini a week ago, seeing him standing there in the flesh, clad in the 'Incursio' armor, felt like a dream. If the biting Himalayan wind hadn't been making him shiver uncontrollably, he would have pinched himself to see if he was awake.
"When did you put on the armor?"
Despite the cold, Billy's spirit was ablaze with curiosity. "And where are we? How did we get here? Do you keep your dragon here too?"
"This is the Himalayas, where I usually practice. I used a teleportation spell. As for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it has a bit of a temper, so you're better off not meeting it."
Feini didn't like summoning the dragon just for show. The only reason he had done so for Tony Stark was to secure the miniature Arc Reactor.
"The Himalayas?!" Billy looked around in shock, his shivering intensifying.
Seeing his friend's state, Feini didn't tease him any further and promptly opened a portal back.
Stepping through the golden ring back into his familiar bedroom, Billy looked at the portal with envy. "Can that door go anywhere? That would make getting to school so much easier!"
"I take the bus to school, okay!" Feini rolled his eyes. He gave Billy one more stern look. "Remember, never breathe a word about my identity. If my enemies can't find me and decide to come for you instead, you'll be on your own."
"No way!"
Billy turned pale, glancing nervously around the room. "Exactly how many enemies do you have?"
"Well, let's see..." Feini began counting on his fingers. "Lately, I've been planning to cause trouble for an old man who likes vivisection and dismemberment. He'll definitely be an enemy. Then, remember that space portal? I wiped out an alien fleet, and their boss is a giant purple titan who rules half the universe."
"Then I provoked a Panther Goddess and took on the job of kicking her off Earth—she's a borderline enemy. Oh, and then there are dimensional demons, a crazy woman who's been sealed for centuries, and so on."
Billy stood mouth agape. If he hadn't just returned from the Himalayas, he would have thought Feini was describing a video game plot. From gods to cosmic overlords—it was too much to process.
"Are you... are you serious?" Billy asked cautiously. Hearing the list made him feel like he was standing on the brink of death.
"Of course." Feini sighed at Billy's ghostly complexion. "But don't worry too much. The chances of them finding you are basically zero—unless you go around shouting that you know me!"
"No! I definitely won't!"
Billy shook his head so hard it was a blur. He made a silent vow never to mention the Divine Punishment Knight again; the world was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Watching Billy's reaction, Feini chuckled inwardly before mentioning his intention to graduate.
"You're graduating?! Why?" Billy was stunned.
"With all those enemies, I have to find ways to get stronger!"
Feini was telling the truth. Although the media called him the most powerful being on Earth, he knew he was far from invincible. He had beaten Loki through a combination of Loki's arrogance, a sneak attack, and the fact that Loki was relatively weak compared to true powerhouses. His 'Explosion Magic' had destroyed the Chitauri mothership largely because their shields were down. On Earth, he was a titan; in the vastness of the universe, he was still just a ripple.
Billy's protests died in his throat. Knowing Feini's true identity made him realize they truly lived in two different worlds.
"Then... be careful out there," Billy said, looking at Feini with genuine concern.
Feini wasn't moved; instead, he looked at Billy's sentimental expression with mock disgust. "Alright, alright, it's not that dramatic. Besides, I'm still short on credits. It'll take five or six months at least, so I'll still be around for a while."
"Isn't that ages away?!"
Billy realized Feini had just taken a six-month leave of absence. Even with top grades, graduating after missing so much school wouldn't be easy.
Feini gave a noncommittal gesture. If he really wanted to graduate today, a single word to Tony Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D., or Hydra would make it happen. He could use money, influence, or magic to force the issue. However, Feini wanted a normal graduation—a ordinary start and an ordinary end.
Sitwell's efficiency was impressive. Within twenty-four hours of their meeting, he had completed Feini's task and spent the rest of the week anxiously waiting for a call. It took a full week before Feini finally contacted him.
"All the information I could find is on this," Sitwell said nervously, handing over a USB drive. This was his first task after "switching sides," and he was terrified of disappointing his new superior.
Feini didn't care much about the minor details; he really just needed Whitehall's address. He might not be a cosmic player yet, but on Earth—as long as the Ancient One didn't intervene—he could do as he pleased.
"Good. I've got it. By the way, I recall Dr. Zola is still 'alive' in a sense. Where is he?"
Feini was inquiring about Arnim Zola. This scientist was the most brilliant mind Hydra had ever produced; he was the reason Hydra could harness the Tesseract's power to build energy weapons. Upon discovering he had a terminal illness, he had transferred his consciousness into a computer—a ruthless move.
Feini had been pondering the problem of separating Bruce Banner from the Hulk, and he thought he might find some inspiration in Zola's digital existence.
(End of Chapter)