Just as Liam was about to leave, a voice suddenly called out from a nearby building, cutting through the settling dust and silence.
"Hey! Wait—thank you!"
He paused mid-step and turned his head, a hint of surprise crossing his face. Standing inside the damaged house was a woman he had just saved, her expression still shaken but filled with relief. As he looked at her more closely, something about her felt… familiar, though he couldn't immediately place it.
"What's your name?" Liam asked, his tone casual but curious.
"Me?" The woman blinked, then quickly answered, "My name's Skye. And… seriously, thank you. You saved my life back there."
"Skye?"
Liam's eyes narrowed slightly as the name registered. The familiarity clicked almost instantly. That wasn't just any name—there was only one person it could be.
Could she really be that Skye?
To confirm it, Liam didn't hesitate. He activated his system immediately.
[Ding! Would the host like to sign in with the Inhuman, Skye?]
That was all the confirmation he needed.
A faint smile formed at the corner of his lips as realization settled in. No wonder she had seemed familiar. This wasn't just some random civilian—this was someone far more interesting.
"Sign in."
He didn't waste time. If this really was who he thought it was, then the ability he'd gain would be worth far more than anything he'd picked up recently.
[Ding! Sign-in successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the super ability "Shock." Reward: 100 experience points.]
Liam's smile deepened.
So it really was that power.
The ability to generate and manipulate vibrations—on the surface, it sounded simple. But in practice, it was terrifying. It could fracture the ground, trigger earthquakes, ripple through water to create massive waves, and even destabilize structures at their core.
At its highest level, it could affect space itself.
A single thought, and everything could start to crack.
It was easily one of the most destructive abilities he had acquired so far, and its versatility made it even more dangerous.
There were… other applications too, ones that weren't immediately obvious, but still useful in certain situations.
All in all, it was a solid addition to his growing arsenal.
Behind him, Skye watched as he seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment, clearly unaware of what had just happened. Then she noticed him turning away again, as if preparing to leave without another word.
"Hey! You still haven't told me your name!" she called out quickly, a hint of urgency in her voice.
Liam glanced back over his shoulder, his expression relaxed. "Liam Hayes."
He gave her an easy smile, lifted a hand in a brief wave, and in the next instant—he was gone.
Skye stood there, staring at the empty space where he had just been, her mind racing. "Liam Hayes…" she murmured softly, repeating the name as if trying to imprint it into memory.
Back on the rooftop, Polaris immediately stepped forward the moment Liam reappeared.
"You're not hurt, right?" she asked, her voice carrying a trace of concern as she looked him over.
"Relax," Liam replied, stretching his arms lazily as if he had just finished a light workout. "That thing wasn't even close to hurting me."
He rolled his shoulders, then glanced around at the wrecked surroundings before continuing, "Let's head back. Shopping's pretty much over for today."
Polaris followed his gaze, taking in the damage across the street. Most of the nearby stores had been affected, some completely destroyed, others likely shutting down after the chaos.
Her interest in continuing faded quickly.
"Yeah… I guess there's no point staying," she admitted with a small sigh, though her mood wasn't entirely dampened.
Just as the two of them were about to leave, the rooftop door behind them burst open.
A man stumbled out, breathing heavily as he rushed toward them. "Wait—please, just a second!"
Liam turned, raising an eyebrow as he recognized the newcomer.
"Agent Coulson," he said, his tone carrying mild surprise, though in reality he had already sensed the man's presence earlier.
Phil Coulson bent slightly at the waist, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His usually composed demeanor was gone, replaced by visible exhaustion.
"Mr. Hayes… it's—good to see you're still here," he managed between breaths.
The situation had been far from ideal. The moment he received Fury's order, he had rushed over, only to see Liam finish the fight and disappear moments later. Getting here had not been easy either.
The elevator in the building had been out of service.
So he had taken the stairs.
Thirty floors.
Even for a trained agent, that was not a pleasant experience.
Liam watched him calmly, almost amused. "Take your time. You don't look like you're about to collapse, but I'd rather not test that."
Coulson let out a small, breathless chuckle, then straightened after a few more seconds, finally regaining some composure.
"Right. I'll keep this simple," he said, slipping back into his professional tone. "Our director would like to meet you. He's invited you to visit S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters for a conversation."
"Oh?" Liam's eyes flickered with interest.
Nick Fury wanting to meet him wasn't entirely unexpected, but the timing was… convenient.
Of course, Fury likely had no idea about his telepathic abilities. Otherwise, he wouldn't be making such a straightforward invitation.
Not that Liam used telepathy casually.
Reading everyone's thoughts all the time would strip away any sense of unpredictability, and more importantly, it would make people wary of him. Unless necessary, he preferred not to rely on it.
Still, he was curious.
What exactly did Fury want?
Seeing Liam hesitate for even a moment, Coulson quickly added, "This meeting has Professor X's approval."
That was the deciding factor.
"Is that so?" Liam nodded slightly, then smiled. "Alright. I'll go."
Coulson visibly relaxed, clearly relieved that he didn't need to push further. "Great. I've already arranged transport."
He stepped aside and made a quick call.
Within minutes, a helicopter arrived, descending onto a nearby landing point. The wind from its rotors whipped across the rooftop, scattering dust and debris.
"Mr. Hayes, if you would," Coulson said, gesturing toward the aircraft with polite professionalism.
Liam gave a small nod, then stepped forward with Polaris at his side. Without hesitation, they boarded.
The helicopter lifted off smoothly, rising into the sky as it turned toward its destination.
S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters awaited.
....
Can't wait to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon and get 60+ chapters.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: [email protected]/Divine_Quill
Join Right Now