Washington, D.C., S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion headquarters.
In the logistics office, the air was heavy with the dull smell of cheap coffee mixed with printer ink.
Mug in hand, Lynn was about to begin his standard daily routine of slacking off on the clock.
"Lynn. Secretary Pierce's office. Now."
A hoarse voice interrupted his ease.
Crossbones, Brock Rumlow, commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Rapid Response Special Forces, was staring at Lynn with hawklike eyes. He rapped his metal prosthetic fist against the doorframe, producing a dull thud.
The other agents in the office instantly turned their gazes toward him, their pity undisguised.
Being called out personally by Crossbones was usually not a good thing.
Especially for a Level Three Logistics Agent like Lynn, with a clean record, an ordinary background, and no one to lean on.
"Yes, sir."
Lynn set down his coffee mug and forced a standard, flawless office-drone smile onto his face.
Inside, though, he was furiously cursing.
Fuck. Here we go again.
As bottom-rung cannon fodder planted in S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hydra, he knew all too well what this kind of "private conversation" meant.
Either he would be sent off to die in some godforsaken place, or he would take the fall for some big shot and then vanish off the face of the earth.
In the three years since transmigrating into this Marvel Universe with its sky-high death rate, Lynn had lived every day as though walking a tightrope.
He carefully played the part of a mediocre, smooth-talking logistics worker who occasionally made small, harmless mistakes.
He had only one goal: stay alive.
Then, yesterday, his cheat had finally arrived.
[Till Death Do Us Part Simulator bound.] [This simulator is designed to help the host gain power in desperate situations and reverse his fate.]
Lynn called out silently, and a pale blue panel that only he could see unfolded before his eyes.
This was what gave him confidence.
He followed Crossbones into the elevator, where the oppressive atmosphere was suffocating.
"This mission is simple." Crossbones's scar-covered face held no expression. "Go to Sokovia and recover some Hydra assets."
Lynn's pupils contracted slightly.
Sokovia.
Age of Ultron.
On the surface, he maintained his meek demeanor and asked quietly, "Sir, I'm just a logistics worker. A field assignment like this, isn't it..."
"That's an order, Agent," Crossbones interrupted, his tone icy. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is short on manpower right now. All you need to do is follow the team and load the stuff onto the plane."
A lie.
Lynn saw it as clear as day.
This was no asset recovery mission. They were going to feed themselves to Ultron.
Crossbones-or rather, Alexander Pierce behind him-was using this chaos to purge the "people on their side" within S.H.I.E.L.D. whom they distrusted or who had outlived their usefulness.
And he, Lynn, was clearly on that purge list.
The elevator doors opened. They had reached Pierce's office.
This senior World Security Council official, one of Hydra's current leaders, stood before an enormous floor-to-ceiling window, looking down over all of Washington.
"Agent Lynn." Pierce turned around with a kindly smile. "Rumlow has told you everything, I assume? This mission is very important to S.H.I.E.L.D. I've read your file. Loyal. Reliable. I have high hopes for you."
Empty promises, psychological manipulation. Typical boss talk.
Lynn felt nothing inside. He even felt a little like laughing.
He stood at attention and saluted, his voice ringing out. "I'll get the job done, sir!"
Putting on an act? Who couldn't do that?
Pierce nodded in satisfaction and waved to dismiss them.
From beginning to end, he had never once given Lynn a proper look.
An ant he could crush at any moment was not worth wasting his time on.
Back at his workstation, Lynn began packing his things.
His colleagues cast sympathetic looks his way, but none dared say another word.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lynn noticed that his direct supervisor had even begun clearing his desk, preparing to welcome his replacement.
"They really are frighteningly pragmatic."
Lynn mocked himself inwardly, while his consciousness sank into the simulator in his mind.
[Till Death Do Us Part Simulator] [Core mechanic: select a female character with a tragic fate and enter a simulated timeline.] [Objective: within the simulated timeline, achieve the most extreme, tragic, and unforgettable ending by "dying for her."] [Mission rewards: depending on the ending's rating, draw from that character's abilities, bloodline, equipment, or related technology.] [Side effect: after the simulation ends, the target character will inherit 100% of the memories and emotions from the simulated timeline.]
Lynn's gaze passed over the side-effect line, and his heartbeat quickened slightly.
Inherit the memories and emotions?
Now that was interesting.
He had originally thought this was just a virtual game for farming rewards. Now it seemed things were more complicated than he had imagined, and... more exciting, too.
[Please select the target for this simulation.] [Generating list of available targets...] [1. Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)] [Tragic turning point: during the Battle of Sokovia, her twin brother, Pietro, Quicksilver, is shot dead by Ultron, leaving her with lifelong, indelible pain and inner demons that ultimately cause her Chaos Magic to spiral out of control.] [2. Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider)] [Tragic turning point: during the battle at the Osborn Corporation clock tower, Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, throws her from a great height. Her boyfriend, Spider-Man, Peter Parker, fails to save her, and she dies with lingering anguish.] [3. Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)] [Tragic turning point: on Vormir, she sacrifices herself by falling from a cliff in exchange for the Soul Stone.]
A string of familiar names and their tragic fates appeared on the panel.
Without the slightest hesitation in his eyes, Lynn fixed his gaze directly on the first name.
Wanda Maximoff.
Scarlet Witch.
One of the most powerful fighters in the Marvel Universe, the wielder of Chaos Magic, a game-breaking existence who could rewrite reality with a thought.
And Sokovia was precisely where he was headed.
It was practically a heaven-sent opportunity.
"Crossbones wants me to die in Sokovia? Then I'll die once for him to see."
A cold smile curled Lynn's lips.
He would use this certain-death mission to complete his first simulation and obtain the initial power he needed to protect himself.
[Simulation target selected: Wanda Maximoff.] [Simulation scenario: the Battle of Sokovia.] [Loading simulated timeline... 10%... 50%... 90%...]
"Lynn, assemble! The plane's about to take off!"
Crossbones's impatient urging came from the doorway.
Lynn picked up his tactical backpack and took one last look at the office where he had spent three years.
From today onward, that meek logistics agent was dead.
[100%! Simulated timeline loaded!] [Wishing you... a pleasant death.]
Before Lynn's eyes, the world was instantly swallowed by white light.
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