She gave her wand a gentle flick.
"Obliviate."
Coulson's screams stopped abruptly, and he sank into a deep sleep.
World Security Council, Minister's Office.
Alexander Pierce sat behind his desk. Hermione's photograph filled the entire projection screen.
In the photograph, she wore black robes and brandished her wand, surrounded by magical light of every color, like a deity descended upon the world.
Pierce's gaze was sinister.
Among ordinary people and run-of-the-mill superhumans, Hydra's power might still let it call the shots.
But before someone on Hermione's level, it seemed utterly feeble.
What made him even more wary was the possibility of an unknown Wizarding World hidden behind Hermione.
"Damned wizards..."
Pierce cursed under his breath.
He desperately wanted to control Hermione and claim that immense power for himself.
But he had no idea where to begin.
Just then, a voice suddenly sounded behind him:
"Alexander Pierce."
Pierce started violently and sprang from his chair.
He whipped around. A young man had appeared behind him without his noticing.
The young man was tall and handsome, but his eyes held a depth far beyond his years.
Pierce's pupils contracted sharply.
His office was in the deepest part of the World Security Council headquarters, after all, protected by security that was practically impenetrable.
The slightest disturbance would trigger an alarm.
Yet this young man had appeared out of thin air like a ghost, without alerting anyone.
Stranger still, there was nothing but a wall behind him. Where could he have entered?
Pierce could not fathom how he had gotten in.
"You... who are you?"
Pierce forced down his shock and demanded sharply.
Instinctively, he reached for the pistol at his waist while preparing to press the alarm button beneath his desk.
The young man, however, merely waved his hand.
"Langlock."
Pierce instantly