Ted's "Magic" Request

The basement air reeked of cheap whiskey mixed with the strange scent of Ted's aftershave, like a cocktail diluted with paint. Lin Mo's fingers whitened around his glass as condensation ran down the sides and through his fingers, spreading a small wet stain across the scratched tabletop.

"So, you're saying your boss docked your overtime pay again?" Lin Mo tried to steer the conversation away from Wall-Crawler. Ted had drunk a little too much tonight. From seven until now, he had downed half a bottle of whiskey. His tongue was starting to slur, yet he insisted on pestering Lin Mo about the day of the fire.

"Docking pay is nothing!" Ted slammed the table, making the empty bottle wobble dangerously. "That bastard even said I stole batteries from the warehouse! Fuck, do I look like that kind of guy?" He grabbed Lin Mo's glass and gulped down a large mouthful. The burn of the whiskey made him grimace. "If I couldn't mooch drinks off you, I'd have punched his face in already!"

Lin Mo smiled but said nothing. He understood Ted's frustration—working as a warehouse manager at a logistics company, earning next to nothing and putting up with his boss's crap, anyone would get sick from holding it all in. It reminded him of his own life before he crossed over. He had been the same, getting cursed out by his boss at work, then returning to his rented room to stare blankly at his computer. His only enjoyment had been gaming with online friends.

"Come to think of it," Ted suddenly leaned closer, his eyes bloodshot with drunken excitement and a strange hint of clarity, "Mo, I know you've got a secret!"

Lin Mo's heart felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, but his expression remained calm. "What secret? What secret could I have? I just fix computers." He picked up the bottle and poured himself half a glass, trying to conceal his nerves.

"Quit pretending!" Ted grabbed his arm, his grip as strong as iron pincers. "That time we fixed the water pipes, you didn't even stick your hand in, but the valve opened by itself! And on the day of the fire, you said you were just passing by, but why did you have more soot on your face than the firefighters?"

Cold sweat instantly seeped down Lin Mo's back. He hadn't expected Ted to notice so many details. When they fixed the water pipes, he had indeed used his Phasing Ability because he hadn't wanted to dirty his clothes. On the day of the fire, he had been so focused on saving people that he forgot to wipe the soot from his face. Those trivial things had all stayed in Ted's mind.

"You saw it wrong," Lin Mo said, trying to pull free, but Ted only gripped him tighter. "I used a long wrench to fix the pipes. You just didn't see it. And on the day of the fire, I helped move things, so I got dirty."

"Bullshit!" Ted clearly didn't believe him. His breath, sour with alcohol, blew against Lin Mo's face. "Can a long wrench pass through a wall? Can moving things make you look like you crawled out of a chimney?" He leaned close to Lin Mo's ear and lowered his voice as though sharing some earth-shattering secret. "Do you know magic? Like on TV, the kind that lets you walk through walls?"

Lin Mo's heart pounded wildly. Magic? That was actually a pretty good excuse. Looking at Ted's excited face, Lin Mo suddenly found it a little funny. Beneath all his usual complaints about life, this man still hid a childlike curiosity.

"Stop guessing and drink your whiskey." Lin Mo picked up his glass, trying to change the subject.

"No! You have to admit it!" Ted clung to his arm like a spoiled child. "If you don't, I'll tell Martha you hid a bottle of good liquor and refused to share it with her!"

Lin Mo had no way to shake him off. He was also afraid that too much noise might draw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention—though his stealth had been enhanced, caution never hurt. He could only sigh. "Fine, I admit it. I know a little magic."

"I knew it!" Ted clapped excitedly, nearly overturning the table. "Hurry up and show me! Show me something!"

Lin Mo hesitated. Exposing his ability in front of Ted was too risky. But seeing the anticipation in his eyes, and remembering how Ted was always talkative but still left a light on whenever Lin Mo came home late, Lin Mo couldn't quite bear to refuse.

"Just one small trick," Lin Mo relented. "And you can't tell anyone after you see it."

"I promise I won't!" Ted held up three fingers as though taking an oath, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Lin Mo took a coin from his pocket and placed it on the table. It was an ordinary one-dollar coin, its edges worn shiny. He took a deep breath, activated his Phasing Ability, and slowly passed his hand through the tabletop under Ted's astonished gaze.

"Wow!" Ted's eyes widened like saucers, and his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

Lin Mo felt around beneath the table, grabbed the coin, and slowly withdrew his hand. When his hand completely emerged from the tabletop, the coin was pinched between his fingertips.

"Holy shit!" Ted shot to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair. "That's fucking amazing! How did you do that? Teach me! I'm going to perform in Las Vegas! I'll definitely make a fortune!"

Lin Mo laughed and pushed him away, slipping the coin back into his pocket. "Try ten years of yoga first." He didn't dare actually teach Ted. This wasn't magic; it was a genuine superpower. If it got misused, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Yoga?" Ted frowned, clearly unconvinced. "I don't believe yoga can let you walk through walls. You must have some trick, right? Some kind of prop?" He crawled beneath the table like a clumsy bear, feeling around everywhere. "Is there something wrong with the table? Or did you use some high-tech gadget?"

Watching him wriggle around under the table, Lin Mo laughed so hard he could barely straighten up. This was the first time since crossing over that he had laughed so freely—no surveillance from S.H.I.E.L.D., no risk of his ability being exposed, only jokes and roughhousing between friends.

"Stop looking. There are no props." Lin Mo pulled him back up. "I really trained for it. It's hard."

Ted was clearly unwilling to give up, but he knew Lin Mo wouldn't say anything more no matter how much he asked, so he let it go. He sat down again and poured himself a drink, though his eyes still gleamed with excitement. "Seriously, Mo, if you took this skill to Las Vegas, you'd definitely become famous. You could be the magician, and I'd be your manager. Then we wouldn't have to drink cheap whiskey in this shitty basement anymore."

Lin Mo smiled without replying. He knew Ted was only talking. Though the man complained about life, he couldn't bear to leave Queens—his familiar streets were here, along with the people he knew, and the Spider-Man Web-Shooters hidden beneath his bed, which Lin Mo had once "seen" with his Phasing Ability.

"Oh, right." Ted suddenly remembered something and pulled a crumpled flyer from his pocket. "There's a talent show in the community next week. The prize is five hundred dollars. Are you going? Perform your wall-crossing magic and you'll definitely take first place!"

Lin Mo took the flyer. It read, "Queens Community Talent Competition." Besides the five hundred dollars, there was also a supermarket gift card. He smiled. "Forget it. My magic isn't suitable for performing in front of a crowd."

"Why not?" Ted asked, confused. "Magic that amazing deserves to be seen by everyone."

Lin Mo looked at Ted and suddenly felt a little sad. This man had no idea how dangerous the "magic" he found so wondrous was in the real world. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance, Mutants' pursuit, even ordinary people's fear... none of that could be offset by a five-hundred-dollar prize.

"Too much trouble." Lin Mo handed the flyer back. "And I've been busy lately. Too many things need fixing."

Ted sighed and didn't push any further, though he kept muttering, "Five hundred dollars... think how much whiskey that could buy..."

They drank for a while longer. Ted gradually passed out on the table, still mumbling, "Wall-crossing magic," and "Las Vegas." Lin Mo helped him to bed and tucked him in. Looking at his sleeping face, he suddenly felt at peace.

At least in this world watched by S.H.I.E.L.D., someone still saw his superpower as interesting "magic," and someone could get so excited over a little trick he performed. That was enough.

Back in his own basement, Lin Mo sat at his desk and looked at the moonlight outside the window. His wristband suddenly lit up:

[Detected that the host used an ability in a non-emergency situation. Proficiency increased by 1%.]

[Current proficiency: 71%.]

Lin Mo smiled. He hadn't expected that performing a little "magic" for Ted would increase his proficiency. He opened the "Ability Training Log" and added an entry: "Practice using abilities naturally in front of others, with 'magic' as cover."

Maybe Ted was right. Performing a little "magic" in the community now and then wasn't a bad idea. At least it could let everyone know that superpowers weren't necessarily frightening. They could also be fun and bring joy.

Early the next morning, Lin Mo was awakened by Ted knocking on his door. He opened it with dark circles under his eyes and found Ted holding a notebook, saying excitedly, "Mo, I came up with a new magic trick last night. Can you see if it works?"

Lin Mo took the notebook. It contained crooked drawings: someone climbing into a box, the box being sawed in half, and then the person walking out unharmed. "That's the sawing-a-person-in-half trick. It already exists," Lin Mo said with a smile.

"What about this one?" Ted flipped to the next page. It showed a person standing before a mirror, while the reflection performed different movements. "I call it 'Duplication'!"

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. Duplication? It reminded him of Multiple Man from the X-Men, who could create duplicates of himself. "This one's a little difficult," he said vaguely. "It needs a lot of props."

Ted clearly didn't notice anything strange about him and continued enthusiastically, "I think I have talent as a magician! Once I learn enough, I'll go to Las Vegas. Then I'll send you postcards!"

Lin Mo smiled but said nothing. He knew Ted's "magician dream" might never come true, but that wasn't important. What mattered was that he had a friend with whom he could share dreams, and a place where he could listen to Ted ramble about "magic" after he had too much to drink.

On the way to the repair shop, Lin Mo saw a crowd gathered around the community bulletin board, all looking at the talent show flyer. Peter was among them, taking pictures with his camera. When he saw Lin Mo, he hurried over. "Brother Lin, did you see the flyer? There's a talent show! Are you going to perform your Wall-Crossing Technique? You'll definitely win!"

Lin Mo ruffled his hair. "We'll see. What about you? What are you planning to perform?"

"I'm going to show off my Spider-Man Web-Shooters!" Peter said excitedly, his eyes shining. "I improved them. They can shoot stronger webbing now!"

Lin Mo felt warmth rise in his chest. Whether it was Ted's "magician dream" or Peter's "Web-Shooters," they gave this world under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance a little more color and warmth.

"Good luck," Lin Mo said with a smile. "I'll be there to watch."

When he reached the repair shop entrance, Lin Mo saw Carlos speaking with a man in a suit. The man had his back to him, but his figure looked familiar. Only when Lin Mo approached did he realize it was Phil Coulson!

Lin Mo's heart sank, and he instinctively wanted to hide.

"Lin Mo, come over," Carlos called, an unnatural smile on his face.

Lin Mo forced himself to walk over and looked at Phil Coulson, unsure what he had come for this time.

"This is Mr. Coulson," Carlos introduced. "He says he's looking for someone reliable to help maintain the community's surveillance equipment. The pay is very good."

Phil Coulson looked at Lin Mo with a gentle smile. "I think you're a good fit. So, are you interested?"

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. Maintain surveillance equipment? They clearly wanted him to become S.H.I.E.L.D.'s informant and monitor what was happening in the community! He was about to refuse when he caught a faint, almost imperceptible hint in Phil Coulson's eyes, as though he were saying, This is an opportunity.

"I..." Lin Mo hesitated.

"Go on," Carlos said, patting his shoulder. "It's easy work, and you can make extra money. What's not to like?"

Lin Mo took a deep breath. He looked at Phil Coulson, then at Carlos's expectant expression, and suddenly smiled. "Sure. When do I start?"

He knew it might be a trap, or it might be an opportunity. But whatever it was, he had to take it—for the people in the community, for Ted's "magician dream," for Peter's Web-Shooters, and for himself, so he could live in this world with a little more confidence.

The corners of Phil Coulson's mouth lifted into a nearly imperceptible smile. "Tomorrow morning. I'll come pick you up."

Watching Phil Coulson's departing back, Lin Mo felt a complicated swirl of emotions. He didn't know whether this decision was right or wrong, but he knew he could never return to the days when he merely fixed computers and occasionally performed "magic."

But that was fine. He had his Phasing Ability, enhanced stealth, a friend like Ted, and the lively everyday warmth of Queens. That was enough.

That evening, Lin Mo saw on the community bulletin board that Ted had actually registered him for the talent show. The name written there was "Lin Mo—Amazing Wall-Crossing Magic." He smiled and shook his head, but he was thinking: maybe he really could perform after all. Not for the prize money, only to make Ted happy and bring a little more joy to the people in the community.

Life was bitter enough already. A little "magic" wouldn't hurt.