The night sky was still cloaked in darkness as Su Zhan hovered above the city, feeling the fresh surge of wind energy coursing through his body. He flexed his arm, marveling at the rapid increase in temperature. It was even faster now than when he'd fought Malekith, the Dark Elf. The heat built up almost instantly, reaching the intensity of a supernova in a heartbeat. Clearly, the power he had just absorbed from Whirlwind was exceptional.
He nodded in satisfaction. "The ability to control wind is truly impressive," Su Zhan mused, glancing around. The city below was bustling, but there was no sign of anyone else with powers. It seemed Whirlwind had come alone. Still, Su Zhan knew it would not be long before someone else—perhaps Magneto—noticed Whirlwind's demise and decided to take action.
With a sharp sound, Su Zhan vanished into the night, streaking back toward the West Coast Island base. He landed quietly, entered the spacecraft, and made his way to his own room.
After a quick shower, Su Zhan lay down and began his nightly routine: devouring etheric particles. This had become a habit, almost a discipline. His body, capable of absorbing any ability or energy without side effects, was like a vast container. But even a container had its limits. If he tried to devour too much too quickly, he risked overflowing. Over time, he had learned to sense the boundaries of his own capacity, and he believed that with enough practice, he would one day be able to absorb even the most powerful energies without restraint.
For now, though, he continued to devour the etheric particles—not just to gain their power, but to exercise and expand his own phagocytic ability. After about two hours, he felt himself reach a temporary saturation point and stopped, letting his body rest.
He slept deeply, dreamless and undisturbed.
In the morning, Su Zhan was roused by a faint sound. He squinted open his eyes and caught a glimpse of a colorful silhouette—a perfect curve, a flash of bare skin. Instantly, he felt more awake, his spirits rising.
Blink-Clarice Ferguson was moving quietly about the room, her movements graceful and unhurried. She turned, catching Su Zhan's gaze fixed on her. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, but she could not suppress the small, proud smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I thought you weren't interested in looking at me," Blink thought with a touch of pride. Out loud, she smiled and said, "Boss, you're awake. Breakfast is ready for you!"
Su Zhan grinned, sitting up. "Suddenly I feel so happy. Waking up in the morning to not only the smell of food but also the sight of a beautiful woman—what more could I want?"
Blink giggled. "Boss, among all the women around you, I'm not counted as beautiful."
"Who says? You know, I may have met many attractive women, but there's something about the elegance of the East that always appeals to me. It's what I grew up with—of course it's my type," Su Zhan replied, his tone teasing but sincere.
Blink's smile widened, her eyes sparkling. "I'll go get started on my work, then."
"Alright, I'll join you in a bit," Su Zhan replied, stretching as she left the room.
After breakfast and a quick wash, Su Zhan headed out to the construction site. Pepper Potts was already there, wearing a safety helmet and supervising the workers. She seemed to be adapting well to her new role. Su Zhan walked over to greet her, exchanged a few words, and asked if she was settling in. Satisfied that everything was running smoothly, he joined in with the morning's work.
He spent the rest of the morning helping out, using his powers to speed up the construction. The workers had long since grown used to his presence and abilities, though they still found it a little odd to see their "boss" moving heavy materials with a flick of his hand.
Just as Su Zhan was about to take a break, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and was surprised to see Skye's name.
"Hey, did you miss me?" He answered with a playful smile.
"Of course I did," Skye replied, her voice warm. "Can you come back?"
"Right now? If it's not urgent, how about later? I'm at the base, and I thought we could grab dinner tonight once work winds down," Su Zhan suggested gently.
"I'm afraid not. We have a mission—a tricky one. Coulson asked me to call you," Skye explained, sounding a little apologetic.
"A mission, huh? And here I thought you just missed me," Su Zhan teased, pretending to be offended.
Skye hurried to reassure him. "Of course I miss you! But I know how busy you are, so I didn't want to bother you."
He laughed. "I'm just teasing, silly. Alright, I'll be there soon."
After hanging up, Su Zhan let Blink know he was heading out, then took to the sky. By now, the workers barely blinked at the sight of their boss flying off on short notice.
On the S.H.I.E.L.D. plane, Skye was waiting for him, a bright smile lighting up her face. As soon as Su Zhan arrived, she flew into his arms. He kissed her cheek, then led her to the meeting room.
Inside, Coulson, May, Simmons, and Fitz were already gathered. There was one more person present—Michael Peterson.
Su Zhan recognized him immediately. Michael was the man who had once been injected with the Centipede serum, becoming a superpowered but unstable "Scorpion Warrior." Back then, Michael had nearly lost control and almost hurt Skye, forcing Su Zhan to knock him out and hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. Since then, Su Zhan had not asked about Michael's fate, but he knew the man's story: half-man, half-machine, a would-be Deathlok. Now, though, Michael looked stable, more like a novice super-soldier than a weapon of destruction.
"Remember me?" Su Zhan asked, nodding to the others before focusing on Michael.
Michael smiled, a little sheepish. "Of course. If you hadn't stopped me, I might have lost control completely. You saved my life. And I'm sorry—I almost hurt Skye."
Su Zhan waved it off with a smile. "No need to apologize. You should be glad it was only 'almost.' If you'd really hurt Skye, I wouldn't have let you become a Deathlok. I'd have killed you myself."
Michael nodded, understanding the gravity behind Su Zhan's words.
Coulson clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, let's get to the mission. The situation isn't looking great."
Everyone else already knew the details and had called Michael in to participate. Only Su Zhan was in the dark—or so they thought. In truth, Su Zhan might not know every detail, but he was always several steps ahead of Coulson in the things that truly mattered.
As the meeting began, Su Zhan settled in, ready to face whatever challenge the day would bring. Surrounded by friends and allies, with new powers at his command and happiness in his heart, he felt ready for anything.