MSM Chapter 96 : Five seconds

Lucien landed on the island with Bob, their feet touching down on rocky terrain that quickly gave way to dense jungle. The building sat in the middle of the island, stark against the natural surroundings.

They moved toward it together, keeping a steady pace through the vegetation.

Lucien knew that walking secretly toward the building was probably pointless. Whoever was in charge would already be aware they were coming to the island. The moment Yelena decrypted those coordinates, they'd triggered their alarm. They'd be waiting.

And, sometimes the direct approach was the only approach. No point in trying to be clever when the enemy already knew you were there.

Bob walked beside him, and for a while, they moved in silence—just the sound of their footsteps and the occasional rustle of leaves.

Then Bob spoke up, his voice hesitant. "So... where are you from?"

Lucien glanced at him. "What?"

"I mean, like, where did you grow up? What's your story?" Bob looked genuinely curious. "And what exactly are your powers? I saw you move fast earlier, but..."

Lucien kept walking, eyes forward. "It's not the right time to ask such questions."

They were heading into a combat zone. This was the moment for focus, for preparation, not casual conversation.

But Bob's curiosity seemed genuine, and honestly, he seemed like an everyday guy despite being one of the most powerful beings on Earth. The kind of person who made small talk to ease nerves.

Lucien sighed. "Fine."

Might as well. Walking in silence wasn't going to make the mission go any faster.

"I'm an orphan," Lucien said, keeping his tone neutral. "My parents died in a car accident when I was young. After that, I was enrolled in an orphanage. When I got out, I worked odd jobs to stabilize my life."

He pushed a low-hanging branch aside. "Then one day, I awakened my X-gene. Got captured by a Sentinel bot and was trapped in a facility."

That was the short version. He left out the transmigration, the system, the seven months of imprisonment, Anna. Bob didn't need all those details.

"Oh." Bob replied.

Bob was quiet for a moment, processing. Then he said softly, "I— I mean, that's just sad."

There was sympathy in his voice.

He continued, "Even I don't know if I had a family or not. I was found by my mother—my adopted mother, to be exact—near a river shore."

His voice grew distant, remembering. "She told me I was injured all over. Covered in cuts and bruises, barely conscious. She raised me for a few years before she passed away, and I became homeless again."

Bob's hands clenched slightly at his sides. "Then I got my powers. And since then, life has been... good. Mostly good. Except for when the Void takes over."

Lucien looked at Bob as they walked. Really looked at him.

Bob had been through a lot. Lost his original family—whatever that was. Lost his adopted mother. Lived on the streets. And now he carried the burden of being the Sentry while constantly fearing the Void's emergence.

Bob was a simple guy. A soft guy, even. Despite being probably the strongest being on this planet, he had that gentle quality to him. The kind of person who'd forget his wallet and feel embarrassed about it.

And for someone like him, the guilt must hit hard. Every time the Void took over and did something opposite to Bob's will, opposite to everything the Sentry stood for, it would tear him apart inside.

Maybe that's why he seemed so low on confidence and self-esteem. Not because he doubted his power, but because he feared what that power could become.

Lucien stopped moving.

Bob stopped too, looking at him questioningly.

Lucien put his hand on Bob's shoulder and met his eyes. "Anything that the Void has done and anything the Void will do is not your fault."

Bob's expression shifted, something vulnerable showing through.

Lucien continued, "And this time, Bruce will be here for damage control in case the Void comes out. So go all out. Don't hold back because you're afraid. Fight at your full strength."

Bob nodded slowly, and some of the tension left his shoulders.

What Lucien didn't know—what he couldn't know in that moment—was that he was going to regret saying those words to Bob very soon.

Just then, Natasha's voice crackled through the comms in their ears.

"If you both are done with the bro talk," she said, and they could hear the amusement in her tone, "I would like to tell you that the target is three hundred meters away from you and is being guarded by nearly three dozen controlled SHIELD agents."

Both Bob and Lucien felt the embarrassment hit simultaneously. Neither of them said anything in response.

Lucien just coughed slightly and replied, "I know. I can sense it."

He'd been aware of the guards for the past minute, but he'd let the conversation continue. Sometimes, building rapport with your teammate was just as important as tactical awareness.

Though in his mind, he could perfectly picture Natasha's smirking face. She was definitely enjoying this.

Lucien and Bob continued moving, picking up the pace slightly now that they were close to the target.

The building came into full view through the trees. It was a square structure, utilitarian and fortress-like. Concrete walls, minimal windows, the kind of architecture designed for function over form.

They reached the perimeter and positioned themselves along the right side of the building. If one thought of the structure as a square with sides labeled A, B, C, and D going clockwise, with A being the front where the main gate was, then Lucien and Bob were currently pressed against side B—the right wall, perpendicular to the entrance.

Three dozen guards stood at the main gate on side A. They were in standard SHIELD tactical gear, weapons ready, eyes scanning the perimeter. Under normal circumstances, they'd be highly trained professionals.

Now they were puppets. Controlled, just like the Avengers.

Lucien glanced at Bob and spoke quietly. "Count to five. When you're done, come toward the entrance."

Bob blinked. "What?"

Before he could process what Lucien meant, Lucien vanished.

One moment, he was standing next to him, the next, he was gone.

Bob's eyes widened in surprise. Even though he looked confused, he started counting.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Four..."

"Five..."

Bob finished counting and moved around the corner from side B to side A, expecting to need to help with the assault.

Instead, he found all the guards unconscious on the ground. Some were sprawled out awkwardly. Others were simply knocked out cold, lying in undignified heaps.

Lucien stood in the middle of them, completely relaxed, not even breathing hard.

Bob stared at the scene, then at Lucien.

Lucien looked at him and said calmly, "You're a few seconds late."

"I— How—" Bob stammered, then stopped. "That was nearly five seconds."

"Five seconds is a long time in combat," Lucien replied with a slight smile.

It was true. In a real fight, five seconds was an eternity. Entire battles could be decided in less time.

Bob did not expect Lucien to be this fast. Or perhaps he did not exactly knock them all out by himself? Maybe some energy construct powers... Bob wondered.

"Your power," Bob said slowly. "It's not just physical enhancement, is it?"

"Later," Lucien said, cutting him off gently. "Let's focus on the mission."

He looked up at the building's entrance. The main doors were reinforced steel, probably locked and monitored. But now that the external guards were down, they had a clear path.

"Ready?" Lucien asked Bob.

Bob nodded, shaking off his surprise and focusing. "Ready."

They approached the doors. Lucien could sense more life signs inside—hundreds of them. SHIELD agents throughout the building, all controlled and waiting.

And some energy signatures were stronger than the others.

'The Avengers.' Lucien thought.