Old Bridge Town.
A major battle had once taken place here.
That battle had destroyed two-thirds of the town, leaving it almost entirely in ruins.
The New Mexico state government had complaints about that. S.H.I.E.L.D. needed to clean up the mess, or it could expect a formal complaint.
Just over half a month later, however, the town had been restored to its original state.
Even Coulson, who had personally made the call, found it unbelievable.
"How did you do it?" He looked at the man leading the crew, who wore a white hat with a distinctive logo.
It depicted a hand holding a stick, surrounded by stars.
The man grinned. "We're very good at this."
His name was Jorson, and he was a manager at Silverhand Fashion Architecture.
Holding a report, he told Coulson, "Once you've inspected everything and confirmed it's in order, you can sign."
Coulson couldn't hide his astonishment.
These people had arrived only three days ago, yet they had completely restored an entire town.
And it looked exactly the same.
They hadn't even had blueprints or photographs. How on earth had they done it?
Coulson turned a scrutinizing gaze on the construction crew.
Every one of them wore a hat, though some were yellow and others blue.
Without exception, their clothes were clean and tidy.
They looked less like a construction crew and more like a tour group.
Glancing at the cost of the restoration, Coulson paused with his pen.
"Could you go to the state government and ask the governor to reimburse you?"
Jorson gave him a brilliant smile. "We only collect payment from the person who called."
"Since you called our special number, we gave you special treatment."
Coulson was out of options.
He suspected his entire bonus for the second half of the year would be docked.
But special treatment...
What did that mean?
He would never know that this so-called special treatment meant a markup on the original base price.
It was quite an honor.
After all, very few people got toyed with like this by the Wizard King.
Jorson took the bill and shook Coulson's hand.
"We look forward to your next visit."
Coulson's smile had gone a little wooden. He certainly didn't want a next time.
He watched the supposed construction crew board a sightseeing bus. The more he looked, the more they resembled a tour group.
John hadn't forgotten about his vacation.
Hammer Industries would be busy with its huge order for the next six months, so there was essentially nothing for him to do.
Taran Industries had begun researching energy. They needed to develop an energy source different from Stark Industries' while ensuring that theirs was more efficient.
Neither project fell within John's area of expertise.
John simply gave himself a vacation and went traveling.
He didn't take a car, and he gave his driver some time off, too.
"You have half a month off. You can spend it partying, or find a prostitute in the red-light district, if all you want to be is a driver," John said. "Or you can go to a library and sit in on university lectures to learn more."
John left the choice to Ferdinand.
Ferdinand had begun to experience a life beyond the bottom rung of society, and he didn't want to go back to being a street thug.
Even his younger brother, Roman, found it unbelievable that his brother would visit a library.
Seeing the change in her eldest son, Mrs. Pierce also began making a conscious effort to change her habits.
For instance, she needed to stop swearing every time she opened her mouth.
John was looking for a teahouse.
He had no particular plan. He just wanted to find somewhere to have tea.
He chose a restaurant that looked decent.
By the time he arrived for his tea, it was already evening.
John stopped beneath the yellow sign.
He decided to push the door open and go inside.
The warm lighting lent the small space a cozy feel.
There were only a few customers inside.
John pulled out a chair and sat down.
Several road maintenance workers finished their meals and left.
The owner looked at the unfamiliar customer and asked, "What would you like?"
"A cup of tea would be perfect," John said with a soft laugh. "Preferably something to soothe my legs after a whole day of walking."
The owner laughed, too. "Then I certainly can't disappoint you."
A cup of hot tea was soon brought over.
Someone entered and walked straight toward John's seat.
"Looks like I took your seat," John said when he saw the newcomer.
"No, I can sit somewhere else."
He was a kindly-looking, dark-skinned middle-aged man, wearing a plaid shirt and a black jacket, with a blue-covered book in his hand.
"If you don't mind, why not join me?"
It was a good spot. After a moment's thought, the man agreed.
Seeing his regular customer arrive, the owner brought over some boiling water.
The man unfolded a neatly folded napkin, revealing a tea bag inside.
The owner set down a cup, and the man dropped the tea bag into it.
As the boiling water poured in, the fragrance of tea drifted out.
John said nothing, gazing out the window as a light rain began to fall.
"Where are you from?" the man asked.
"If you mean my hometown, London." John joined in the small talk.
"London. That's a fine place. A British man can't do without his tea." The man smiled.
The two chatted on and off.
The pattering rain gradually stopped.
Once he had finished his tea, John prepared to leave.
"It was a pleasure meeting you. You make a good tea companion."
"Likewise." The man smiled in response.
They parted just like that, without exchanging anything, not even their names.
Sometimes things were that wondrous. It didn't take many words for people to become good friends.
Because of this man, John found himself wanting to return for tea.
Walking into a deserted alley, John raised an eyebrow and drew his wand.
"Looks like a fish has taken the bait."
He waved his wand and vanished through Apparition.
The Wick family home.
The door lock had already been opened.
The house was dark, lit only by the lights spilling in from the bustling streets outside.
They outlined a figure.
The figure climbed to the second floor, step by step.
Clearly, this person knew the layout of the Wick family home.
Without stopping, the intruder passed several empty rooms.
Then stopped outside John's door.
A hand carefully touched the doorknob.
The door slowly swung open.
After three steps inside, the intruder stopped.
A wand was already pressed against the intruder's neck.
"I thought a fish had taken the bait," John sighed. "Have you changed your mind and come to assassinate me?"
"My dear assistant."
Natasha remained calm despite being held at wandpoint. She turned to face John and brushed back her hair.
"I'm leaving."
"So what does that have to do with sneaking into my room?" John asked, exasperated. "I don't trade favors for sex."
Natasha rolled her eyes at him. "I need to make sure someone won't suddenly kill you."
"Then you can relax." John lowered his wand and snapped his fingers. The room lit up.
"I'm not joking, John," Natasha said seriously. "I'll be gone for a while. You need to be careful while I'm away."
"Word that you're still alive has gotten out. The assassination attempts won't stop."
"Let me think. Does this count as taking leave or resigning?" John twirled his wand between his fingers and teased, "It could also count as skipping work."
He turned and headed downstairs.
Natasha followed. "You're always so optimistic about these things."
"Optimistic?" John smiled. "That's because I've seen far more hopeless situations."
Once downstairs, John slipped his hands into his pockets. "Were you planning to beat me up just now to make me more vigilant?"
Natasha sighed. "You really are clever."
"Thanks for the compliment. You still haven't told me what you're leaving to do," John asked casually.
"An old man fell into the water. He's in the hospital now," Natasha said.
"That's unfortunate. By the way, do you people recognize this?"
With a flick of his finger, John sent a badge flying toward Natasha.
Natasha caught it and looked down. Her pupils contracted. "Where did you get this?"
"This is... Hydra."
Before you continue