Coulson drove faster, and the two of them stayed silent the whole way... He didn't try to strike up a conversation with Annie, or even look at her again. He just focused on driving. Annie, perhaps tired from the party, hugged Little Bear and listlessly half-reclined in her seat.
The red sports car sped past one vehicle after another, gradually heading toward a remote area on the outskirts. He didn't stop until he'd turned onto an isolated mountain road with no streetlights and no traffic.
"So, what exactly did you bring me out here for, strange stranger? Fake Uncle Coulson?" Annie got out of the car, looked around, then tilted her head and gave the "Coulson" before her a mischievous grin.
Annie realized she'd been brought to a small lake on the outskirts of the city. But she wasn't worried. She'd seen through this fake Uncle Coulson long ago; she'd just pretended not to notice.
Annie only wanted to know what "he or she" was up to!
After all, Annie hadn't detected any magical energy from this Coulson at all, which made things quite interesting. He could turn into Uncle Coulson without any magic? That was amazing! Annie was very interested in this unusual ability. That was why she hadn't exposed him right away.
Now, this "Coulson" looked and sounded exactly like the real Uncle Coulson. If Annie couldn't use her magical sight to tell their souls apart, even an ordinary person—or even Aunt Melinda—wouldn't be able to tell which one was real! Annie thought this was fascinating, didn't she? How did she transform? Did she have an ability like a chameleon?
"Stop joking around, Annie. I don't know what you're talking about!" the fake Coulson insisted, turning to look around as if waiting for someone.
"Lying is very rude, you know. There aren't two identical leaves in the world! And likewise, there can't be two identical souls! Show yourself, you impostor!"
Seeing that the other party still wouldn't admit it, even now, Annie angrily pointed at her.
Annie was a powerful mage. Did he think she couldn't do anything just because he kept denying it? Magic surged between her fingers as she swiftly cast two minor spells: Counterspell and Remove Transformation.
The magical energy from both spells rushed toward her opponent. The fake "Uncle Coulson" immediately melted away like snow, revealing someone else: a red-haired, blue-skinned woman with no clothes on, her entire body covered in fine blue scales.
"You! How did you do that!?" Mystique cried in alarm. This was the first time anyone had forcibly knocked her out of her transformed state and revealed her true form. It terrified her.
"It's magic. What's so strange about that?" Annie muttered dismissively. They were only two simple little spells. Why was she making such a fuss?
Annie had been curious at first about how she could transform without magic, but now that she saw her, it really was an ability like a chameleon's. Just look at the fine scales all over her body and her blue skin. She wasn't even a normal human... Annie was sure she'd never be able to learn this ability, and she didn't want to, either. It looked so disgusting! So scary! She was getting goosebumps.
Clap, clap, clap!
After Annie dispelled the fake Uncle Coulson's transformation, applause rang out!
By the light of the car's headlights, Annie saw an old man wearing a metal helmet, armor, and a cape emerge from the woods beside the small lake, accompanied by two others. He'd finally come out! No more hide-and-seek? She and Tibbers had noticed him hiding in the woods ages ago.
The man slowly walked toward her, looking at Annie with admiration.
"What an astonishing talent! It seems you're a Mutant, too. Join our Brotherhood, little Annie. I know who you are. Come and take part in our greatest cause: fighting for the future of Mutants throughout the world!"
The man was Erik Lehnsherr, known as Magneto. He had founded an organization called the "Mutant Brotherhood" long ago.
He believed that ordinary people hated and feared Mutants, and that all the persecution they inflicted on Mutants was completely unjust and shameful. He had to change this state of affairs! Mutants shouldn't be captured and persecuted by inferior ordinary people. As superior beings, Mutants were the inevitable result of human evolution! Mutants should rule the world, while ordinary people should serve them like slaves!
Some time ago, he'd seen a little girl on a live television broadcast. After investigating, he'd discovered that the girl, Annie, seemed to be a very powerful Mutant.
Not only could she control fire, she could also use it to create a powerful Flame Giant Bear. So, after a great deal of effort, he'd carefully planned and organized this operation. He'd come in person, hoping to recruit the little girl into the Mutant Brotherhood and strengthen their ranks!
"Mutant? I'm not a Mutant, weird old man!"
Annie had lived with Coulson and Melinda for a long time, and the two senior agents hadn't tried to hide anything from her, so she knew what Mutants were. She wasn't one of those strange Mutants!
"I'm a mage, not some weird Mutant!"
"A mage?" Erik frowned at the word. Had he really made a mistake?
He turned to look at the subordinate who'd come out with him. This subordinate wasn't very strong, but he had a special ability: within a certain range, he could tell Mutants from non-Mutants and roughly gauge a Mutant's power level.
Now, Erik saw his subordinate shake his head. The meaning was clear: this little girl really wasn't a Mutant.
If so, should he silence the little girl? Erik's other subordinate asked with a glance.
Erik shook his head. If they'd been facing soldiers or armed members of another organization, he wouldn't have hesitated! To achieve his goals and advance the great cause of Mutants, he could use any means necessary! But he didn't want to harm a little girl now, because that had nothing to do with their cause!
He looked at the several S.H.I.E.L.D. SUVs speeding toward them in the distance, as well as the helicopters beginning to appear overhead. Since he'd been mistaken, he decided to let it go. He didn't want to get further entangled with S.H.I.E.L.D. here. After giving the little girl one last look and nodding to her, he flew off with his three subordinates, disappearing silently into the night sky.
Huh? What an amazing ability! Annie suddenly wondered if all these Mutants were this incredible. They'd flown into the air without magic, spells, or sorcery? Amazing! She wanted that ability so badly!
Annie also noticed that the old man in the metal helmet had a power that felt very familiar to her. That was why she hadn't attacked him outright! It was a kind of domain power. His seemed to be a magnetic field? It felt strange and powerful! Could the other man's strength be close to a Demigod's? Annie had a domain of her own, too! Hers was a domain of fire! Hmm! And she also had a domain of darkness! But she'd never told anyone about that one.
"Annie! Are you okay?"
Melinda jumped out of a black SUV, gun in hand as she warily scanned the area and signaled the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to spread out and search immediately. But she knew they seemed to have arrived too late. There was no sign of any enemies.
She'd been resting at the villa today. Well, a woman had a few days each month when she didn't feel well!
So Coulson had been responsible for the pickup by himself. She trusted his abilities, and with Annie's strength, she didn't think any idiot would dare cause trouble. At first, she hadn't been worried at all!
But she'd waited a long time at home, and only realized something was wrong when they were over half an hour past the scheduled time. After all, agents were expected to be punctual. Coulson knew that.
She'd quickly checked the tracking device and found that Coulson's car hadn't been heading toward the Seaside Villa at all. It was driving toward the suburbs, in the opposite direction. After repeatedly calling Coulson's internal communicator without getting a response, Melinda knew something had happened! So she immediately called for backup and rushed over with the agents on duty nearby.
"By the way, Annie, where's Coulson? Where did he go?!"
Melinda saw that Annie was unharmed, and that there were no signs of a fight nearby, and breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she think of Coulson. Where had he gone? What exactly was going on?
"Over there!"
Annie grinned and pointed at the trunk of Coulson's car. She'd noticed Uncle Coulson inside long ago. A mage's senses were sharp; nobody could easily deceive one!
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!" Melinda opened the trunk and glared at Coulson, who was bound like a mummy and gagged with tape, able only to stare at her.
"Coulson... why are you here? Who did this?"
Melinda peeled the tape off Coulson's mouth and asked irritably. The great Level Six Agent Coulson! He'd actually been ambushed and shoved into the trunk of his own car? If word got out and the director found out, he'd surely get an earful again.
"I should be asking you that, Melinda! Why did you attack me? You knocked me out and tied me up in here! I'm telling you, you're not getting away with this. Untie me!" Coulson yelled at Melinda angrily. He couldn't understand why she'd done this!
"Ha! This is just...!" Melinda was furious!
She'd already been in a bad mood for days. Now she'd dragged her exhausted self out to rescue him, only for him to turn around and accuse her? Just great! She slapped the tape back over Coulson's mouth, then slammed the trunk shut and locked him inside again.
"Annie! Let's go home!"
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmmph!!!"
"Um, is that really okay?" Annie looked at the trunk as it closed again and heard Uncle Coulson struggling inside. Her eyes rolled as a few funny thoughts came to mind.
She more or less knew why Uncle Coulson had mistaken Aunt Melinda for the culprit. That chameleon-like Mutant must have been behind it! But she didn't want to tell them just yet. It was so much fun watching the two of them squabble, so Annie decided she'd tell them the truth just a little later. Yes, that was the right thing to do!
(Tibbers:...)
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