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*****
{Chapter: 88 - The Taste of Power and the Whisper of Evolution}
"HAH… HAH… HAH…"
Chan Ho gasped for air, his chest heaving violently as beads of sweat rolled down his temples and soaked his shirt. Steam rose from his skin, and his limbs trembled under the pressure of unfamiliar energy surging through every nerve and muscle fiber. But despite the pain, his lips curled into an exhilarated smile.
He could feel it — raw, potent power flowing through him like a river of molten fire. Energy that was not borrowed or artificial, but fully integrated into his being. It was intoxicating.
Slowly, he stood upright, stretching out his palm as if testing whether the sensation was real. A split second later, a searing burst of flames exploded from his hand, casting violent orange light across the darkened lab. The fire licked the air, roaring ten times stronger than anything he'd ever conjured before.
Aiden stood nearby, arms folded, watching with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Try it out," he said calmly.
Chan Ho didn't need to be told twice. He turned with gleaming eyes to a reinforced steel wall across the room. He took a step forward, waved his hand through the air with a wide arc, and then launched a massive fireball with both arms.
BOOM!
The fireball struck with brutal force. The wall didn't just dent — it melted, folding inward like wax under a blowtorch. Sparks flew. Alarms beeped frantically before dying out one by one.
"So strong!" Chan Ho exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. He looked at his hands as if seeing them for the first time.
Aiden, in contrast, remained composed, almost unimpressed. "It's alright," he replied flatly.
Chan Ho's excitement dimmed slightly. His brows furrowed. "Huh?"
Aiden turned to him, his voice cooler than before. "You might think you're strong now. But compared to what's out there—compared to what I've seen—you're still crawling. Don't let temporary power cloud your judgment."
Chan Ho froze for a second, then nodded solemnly. "Y-Yes, boss!"
The correction hit like a splash of cold water, sobering him up. His mind, which had been roaring with adrenaline moments ago, now steadied like a calm flame. Aiden didn't need to say anything further. Chan Ho had gotten the message. Power without control meant death.
From the shadows, Raina stepped forward, her expression a mixture of awe and curiosity. Her eyes shimmered with a particular brand of fascination, the kind only a scientist obsessed with evolution could possess. "This… this shouldn't be possible," she murmured. "He integrated with the Centipede serum? No rejection, no backlash?"
Her tone was almost reverent—like she was witnessing a miracle.
"You want to know why?" Aiden stepped in front of her, his eyes locked on Raina's. "Follow me, and I'll tell you everything."
Raina folded her arms and tilted her head, skeptical. "That's impossible."
Aiden smiled. "Because of the Clairvoyant, right? You still believe in him."
"I do," Raina said with quiet certainty. "He sees what others cannot. He understands potential, destiny."
Aiden let out a cold chuckle, shaking his head. "The Clairvoyant?" he repeated with disdain. "He's a fraud. Just a man playing prophet. He sees possibilities, not certainties. There's no power in that. No control."
"He gave me purpose," Raina countered, her tone defensive yet controlled. "He made me believe that transformation was attainable—that some of us are destined for more."
"And yet, here you are. Powerless. While Chan Ho just shattered a steel wall with his bare hands," Aiden replied sharply. "Raina, you're intelligent, more than most people I've met. But intelligence without evolution is wasted. If you truly seek transformation, I can offer you that. Not as an empty promise—but as something real, something you can hold in your hands and feel burning through your veins."
Raina didn't respond immediately. Her jaw clenched. Her belief in the Clairvoyant was not blind loyalty—it was spiritual. He had inspired her, drawn her into a world where potential mattered more than status. But now, standing in this scorched lab, surrounded by flickering lights and the smell of melted steel, she felt her certainty falter.
She looked at Chan Ho again. He was still breathing heavily, but the power in him was undeniable.
"I don't believe you," she finally said, but the words lacked force.
Aiden smirked. "Heh. You're just afraid to admit that you already do."
Raina's silence spoke louder than denial.
"I'm not going to force you," Aiden added. "I'll give you time. For now, I'll take the serum, the lab equipment, and your people. I think you won't object."
Raina nodded slowly. "Fine," she said through clenched teeth.
Turning to Chan Ho, Aiden gave a small nod. "Contact Blink. Have her transport the researchers and everything else to the ship. Make sure they're secured and comfortable. We might need them."
"Yes, boss!"
Chan Ho, now burning with a newfound sense of purpose and power, was more loyal than ever. Aiden had delivered on his promise. The fire in his body was nothing compared to the fire ignited in his soul.
As he moved to carry out his orders, Raina approached Aiden quietly. "Can I go now?" she asked.
Aiden gave her a relaxed smile. "Of course. You're not a prisoner."
She hesitated for a moment. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.
Aiden looked at her carefully, as if weighing his answer. "Because the world's changing. And I intend to stand on top of it, not beneath it. I admire your talent, Raina. But admiration only goes so far. One day, you'll have to decide what you want to become—a footnote in someone else's story, or a chapter in your own."
Raina held his gaze for a moment longer before turning and walking away, her mind storming with questions and possibilities.
Aiden watched her leave, his expression unreadable. Smart women are the hardest to control, he thought. But also the most rewarding to win over.
He turned back to the lab, already planning his next move. The Centipede serum was only the beginning.
The laboratory had been stripped clean—every last piece of equipment, every vial of experimental compound, and even the high-energy containment cells had been moved out. The researchers lingered nervously near the exit, many of them casting furtive glances at the tall figure overseeing the operation. They weren't Hydra fanatics, nor were they volunteers for any militant cause. These were scientists, experts in their fields, pulled into dark dealings more through circumstance than ideology.
Most of them had refused to leave when Aiden issued the order. But after witnessing the overwhelming display of power he casually wielded—bending reality with a thought, melting steel with a glance—they no longer had the luxury to resist. And to their surprise, they weren't thrown into cells or executed like traitors. They were treated as assets.
Valued ones.
"I don't want your loyalty," Aiden had told them flatly, his voice resonant with something cold and absolute. "I want your minds. If you still have those, you're useful to me."
Now, with the lab empty and the last of the scientists going through the portal created by Blink.
---
Aiden turned his eyes skyward. The stars shimmered faintly in the afternoon haze, and high above them floated the Quinjet—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mobile response craft. He recognized its engine signature immediately. It was heading out on a mission.
Aiden didn't waste time.
Instead of returning to the base, he launched into the sky with a sonic boom, soaring up into the atmosphere with trails of golden light behind him. He caught up with the Quinjet mid-flight, grinning as he floated in front of the cockpit, waving cheekily. Inside, Agent Melinda May blinked in surprise, her usually composed expression breaking for a second. She pointed to the rear hatch, and with a hiss of hydraulics, the ramp began to descend.
Aiden flew straight inside.
The moment he stepped aboard, the cabin echoed with voices.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Mack quipped, raising an eyebrow.
There they were—Daisy Johnson, Fitz, Simmons, May, and Phil Coulson—all present, all shocked to see him in the middle of a deployment.
Before anyone else could speak, Daisy rushed forward and practically launched herself into Aiden's arms.
"Aiden!" she gasped, burying her face in his shoulder. "You're back?"
He chuckled softly and held her close, his arms wrapping around her waist with a warmth he hadn't realized he missed.
"I'm back," he said simply.
The reunion drew smiles from everyone—even May allowed herself the faintest smirk before turning back to her controls.
After a few long moments, Daisy reluctantly pulled away, brushing a strand of hair from her face, cheeks slightly flushed.
"I didn't think you'd be back so soon," she whispered.
"Didn't plan to," he replied. "But some things changed."
Just then, Coulson stepped forward. "Daisy, mind if I borrow your boyfriend for a little strategic conversation?"
Daisy grinned. "Sure, but bring him back in one piece."
Aiden gave her hand a quick squeeze, then followed Coulson down the narrow corridor into the makeshift office in the rear of the jet. On the way, he passed by Simmons, who leaned in and whispered curiously, "Is it true? You found a working alien vessel?"
Aiden winked. "Wait till you see what's inside."
Jemma's eyes widened in excited anticipation.
---
Inside Coulson's office, the tone shifted. The room, though cramped, was private enough for deeper conversation. The soft hum of the jet's engines served as a reminder that even peace came on borrowed time.
Phil gestured for Aiden to take a seat. The two men settled across from each other.
"I've heard your little vacation was... productive," Coulson began, his voice neutral but edged with curiosity. "Alien technology, mysterious energy signatures, and somehow, you brought back a spaceship bigger than a kilometer?"
Aiden smiled. "That about sums it up. I can take you there later. It's parked in orbit right now—waiting for the right place to park it."
Coulson leaned back. "Nick told me you turned down Tony Stark's request for collaboration. I'll admit, I didn't expect that from you."
"They're more interested in dismantling what they don't understand," Aiden said, his tone firm. "You, on the other hand, seem more interested in learning from it."
"It's my honor to earn your trust," Coulson replied, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the armrest. "There was a... spike. A gravitational fluctuation over London a few days ago. We thought it was an anomaly, but it vanished without explanation. Dr. Erik Selvig couldn't determine the cause. Any idea what that was?"
Aiden's smile faded slightly. "Let's just say... I may have stopped something that was about to go very wrong. Again."
Coulson sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I wonder if S.H.I.E.L.D. exists to protect the world, or just to keep up with you."
"That's flattering," Aiden chuckled. "But you're not wrong."
There was a pause before Coulson's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "You once told me that S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't what I thought it was. What did you mean by that?"
Phil asked this question, which had been on his mind and concerned him even more when Fury suddenly started to give him the most trusted people for missions that nobody knew about. He even pressured Phil to get more information out of Aiden.
Aiden's gaze narrowed, and for a moment he was quiet. He glanced at the sealed door behind him, then leaned in.
"Phil," he said in a low voice. "Do you know how many of your agents are actually working for Fury? Not S.H.I.E.L.D.—Fury. As in, directly. No oversight. No chain of command."
Coulson's jaw tightened. "I've... suspected."
"Smart man. The truth is, S.H.I.E.L.D. has become a fractured organism. One part answers to you, another to Fury, and another... to something darker. There are entire departments you don't know exist. Labs conducting experiments you'd never authorize. People like me—recruited without your knowledge, given missions you'll never read about."
Coulson stood slowly, his fists clenched. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I've seen what's coming," Aiden said grimly. "And when it arrives, you'll need to choose who you really work for. The ideals of S.H.I.E.L.D., or the secrets it was built to protect."
Outside, the Quinjet rattled as they began to descend into hostile territory. Another mission. Another cover story. But for Coulson, everything suddenly felt a little more uncertain.
"I appreciate your honesty," he said finally.
"You'll appreciate it more when the storm hits," Aiden replied. "Because when it does, I want to know which side you're on."
Coulson nodded slowly, understanding the weight behind those words.
*****
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