"What a bright and sunny day!"
After getting out of bed, Lucas Reed stretched lazily and loosened his muscles.
Beside him, Carrie mimicked her brother's movements—though the result looked more like a clumsy kitten than a tiger.
"Come on," Lucas said cheerfully. "Big brother's taking you out for breakfast!"
Lucas was in an excellent mood.
Why?
Because he had money.
In the past, his income had been nothing special—just enough to scrape by.
But now, he was a man with a million-dollar annual salary, and more importantly, it was after tax.
The night before, during a small family meeting Lucas had called, his parents had stared in disbelief at the five-hundred-thousand-dollar check.
They had never imagined their son could reach such a level—so much so that they briefly suspected he had done something morally questionable.
The moment Lucas clarified that the money was after tax, the two elders immediately snatched the check away without hesitation.
That very morning, aside from a note telling Lucas to take good care of himself, both of them had vanished without a trace.
Lucas was already used to it.
His parents had always lived by the philosophy of "enjoy life while you can," completely unlike his own admirable virtue of frugality.
---
After bringing Carrie to a diner and ordering five children's breakfasts, Lucas fell into deep thought.
It was now the year 2003, and many things differed from the original timeline.
In the original story, Tony Stark had been born in 1970.
In this world, however, Tony Stark was born in 1985.
And yet, Tony Stark had already taken over Stark Industries this year.
That meant the events of Iron Man would soon begin.
The Avengers' storyline would follow shortly after.
As for Clark, he was still in his growth phase, not yet awakened.
The Justice League's formation would likely occur much later than the Avengers'.
All of this left Lucas both frustrated and uneasy.
The complete chaos of the timeline meant he could no longer accurately predict when events from the cinematic universe would occur.
Why was he certain this was the movie universe, and not the comic universe?
Just look at Nick Fury.
That alone was proof enough.
Thus, the only force Lucas could realistically manipulate at this stage was S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization operating openly on the surface.
The battle from the previous day had also revealed something unusual within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Under normal circumstances, his actions should never have justified deploying a plasma cannon.
That alone made it clear something was wrong inside the organization.
Anyone who had seen Captain America would understand the reason immediately.
That was precisely why Lucas had chosen to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as a security consultant.
From that point on, Hydra would have no reason to harass him.
After all, from a certain perspective, Lucas had effectively become Hydra's security shield.
Next came the issue of strength.
Ordinary training equipment could no longer meet his needs.
As for finding opponents to fight—given his current power level, any serious battle could easily cause large-scale destruction, drawing the attention of both ordinary humans and hidden powerhouses far too early.
His fight with Clark had already proven that point.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had immediately locked onto him.
At present, technological solutions were his best path forward.
For example—gravity chambers, like those from Dragon Ball.
That was why both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark were forces he intended to leverage.
The battle at S.H.I.E.L.D. had been part of his plan all along.
Display overwhelming strength.
Make others fear crossing him.
Then join from within and gain access to resources.
It wasn't that he was overly cautious.
Saiyans were terrifying once fully grown—but in the early stages, even they had to fear the hidden monsters lurking in Marvel and DC.
Low-profile growth in the early phase was the correct path.
---
"Lucas, here's your and Carrie's order."
The voices of two waitresses broke his train of thought.
Lucas snapped back to reality and replied warmly,
"Thank you, Bellis."
Soon, five children's breakfasts and five steak meals were arranged across the combined tables.
The patrons nearby had long grown accustomed to the siblings' appetite and showed no surprise.
"Brother, where are we going to play today?" Carrie asked eagerly.
"I'll take you to a big city," Lucas replied with a smile, gracefully wiping his mouth after finishing a large piece of steak.
"ヾ(▽)ノ Yay~!" Carrie excitedly raised her knife and fork.
"How many times have I told you?" Lucas frowned.
"When eating out, a girl must remain elegant and composed."
Carrie quickly put down her utensils—then resumed cheering with her hands instead.
---
"You're truly impressive in how you educate your sister."
An elegant female voice sounded from nearby.
Lucas turned and saw a young girl seated at the adjacent table.
She looked to be only eight or nine years old, with shoulder-length black hair just brushing past her ears.
She had black hair, dark eyes, yet her facial features carried subtle European contours.
A children's meal sat in front of her as well, and she was watching the siblings with open curiosity.
"Thank you for the compliment," Lucas replied calmly.
"It's really nothing special."
"My father never takes care of me," the girl said softly.
"He only visits me from time to time, then leaves again."
"Oh… then don't you have a mother, or any brothers or sisters?" Carrie asked.
"No. I'm an only child," the girl said with a sigh.
"I do have an uncle, but he lives very far away."
"My name is Carrie. Carrie Reed," Carrie said cheerfully, turning toward her.
"My name is Elaine. Elaine Belloc," the girl replied, setting down her utensils.
"This is my brother—Lucas," Carrie added.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elaine said politely.
She extended her hand and shook hands with both siblings.
For some reason, Lucas felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
"Elaine," Lucas asked curiously after withdrawing his hand,
"why haven't I seen you around town before?"
"I've been traveling the world," Elaine replied with a smile.
"I'm searching for an answer—one I've wanted to know for a very long time."
"After meeting you and Carrie today, I finally understand what I was searching for."
Lucas frowned deeply.
An eight- or nine-year-old girl traveling the world alone?
That was absurd.
"I want to live with you," Elaine said earnestly,
"and become friends with Carrie. Is that alright, Mr. Reed?"
"???"
Lucas stared at her in disbelief.
"If you're worried about any legal issues," Elaine continued calmly,
"you can sign this document."
As she spoke, she pulled a file from her backpack and handed it to Lucas.
Suppressing his shock, Lucas flipped through the pages.
It was a guardianship transfer document.
The intermediary listed was none other than a Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court.
As for the father's name—
It was written in characters Lucas did not recognize at all.
"???"
Reading his expression, Elaine explained gently,
"That's my father's name. In our family, each generation has a unique surname."
What kind of absurd situation was this?
Why would he adopt a completely unfamiliar girl?
Yet, at some point, he realized—
His hand was already moving, beginning to sign his name.
"Damn it!"
Lucas grit his teeth and forcibly stopped himself mid-motion.
He stared straight at Elaine.
"Who are you—really?"
dangerous allure.
__
T/N:
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