"You heard me right—the person you're looking for is me!"
A sudden, intrusive voice echoed from the otherwise empty doorway of the office.
Thor and Natasha Romanoff both snapped their heads toward the door.
There was nothing there.
Just empty air.
Then—
Patter, patter.
The unmistakable sound of bare feet slapping against the floor drifted in.
"Who's there?" Thor raised Mjolnir instantly, lightning crackling faintly. "Invisibility? Loki?!"
"Relax, big guy."
"I'm Silas. Silas Lawton. Core member of the Seven. One of ours."
He deliberately emphasized the word core.
As the voice drew closer, the couch visibly sank inward, forming a very distinct, peach-shaped indentation.
"Silas…" Antony pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache coming on.
"How many times have I told you—knock before entering my office. And also… put some pants on. Or at the very least, don't sit bare-assed on my leather couch."
"Sorry, boss, but I'm excited!" Silas shot back.
"I heard everything outside. Infiltration? A collar? This mission was made for me!"
His voice vibrated with manic enthusiasm.
"No one can see me! Not with eyes, not cameras, not infrared! I'm a ghost!"
"I can stroll straight into that woman's room—while she's sleeping, or showering—whatever! Before she even knows what's happening, that collar's on her neck!"
"Let me do it, boss! I want a real headline job!"
"Ha! You?"
A mocking voice cut in before Antony could respond.
Pietro Maximoff had somehow appeared as well, leaning casually against the doorframe with half a slice of pizza still in hand.
"You can't even sneak in a nail clipper, and you want to carry a collar?"
He rolled his eyes and took another bite.
"That collar is a physical object, Silas. You turn invisible—but the thing in your hand doesn't."
"You'll look like an idiot, floating a golden ring through the air and staging a full-on 'haunted house' routine in front of that banshee."
"You—!!"
An enraged shout exploded from the air itself.
"That's a technical problem! I can solve it! I could hide it in—hide it in—"
"In your ass?" Pietro fired back mercilessly.
"That's the only place that turns invisible with you."
"Shut up, you human bullet!"
Silas's voice cracked, clearly hitting a nerve.
"What right do you have to mock me?! In Sokovia—I saved you! Me!"
"And how did you repay me? You forgot me under that damn pile of rubble!"
"Do you know how I got back, Pietro?!"
"You owe me! You owe me a chance to make it big!"
Pietro froze, the pizza suddenly losing all flavor.
…He really had forgotten.
Between reuniting with Wanda and screaming in pain with a shattered leg, the invisible teammate had completely slipped his mind.
"Uh… I…" Pietro scratched his nose awkwardly.
"I figured you had… strong survivability?"
"Survivability my ass!"
As the two were about to tear into each other in a full-blown workplace meltdown—
"Enough."
Antony tapped the desk calmly.
Pietro snapped to attention instantly. The air went quiet as Silas shut up as well.
The on-screen ad reminder blinked and vanished.
Antony looked at the two employees arguing over mission priority—and felt no anger.
If anything, he felt… satisfied.
This was how it should be.
Employees fight to perform.
Boss drives a Ferrari.
Healthy competition—the very soul of Vought's corporate culture.
"Alright, gentlemen. Enough."
"I appreciate the passion. Truly. It warms my heart."
Then he turned to the still-bewildered Thunder God.
"Thor, allow me to introduce two of my rising stars."
He gestured toward Pietro.
"This is Pietro. His speed isn't like mine. His ability is closer to a… spacetime trick."
"When he runs, he creates a localized spacetime bubble around himself. Inside that bubble, time stretches and space compresses."
"That means even if he runs a kilometer in one second, he won't stir a breeze. He could pass you without disturbing a single hair."
Antony gave Pietro an approving look.
"This kind of 'silent velocity' is perfect for dirty work like infiltration."
"I don't love being called dirty work, boss," Pietro shrugged, smirking,
"but yeah—that does sound pretty cool."
"And this one…" Antony pointed toward empty space,
"…is Silas Lawton."
"Invisible Man?" Thor leaned closer, waving a hand through thin air.
"Huh. This doesn't feel like magic."
"It's not magic—it's science. Or mutation," Antony explained.
"His skin behaves like a carbon-based metamaterial. It bends light for complete invisibility and blocks thermal radiation and electromagnetic signals."
"Even thermal imaging can't detect him."
"As for why I can…" Antony tapped his ear.
"Super hearing. As long as he's breathing. As long as his heart's beating. I'll know."
Thor nodded in amazement.
"Midgard's talents… truly are diverse."
Antony turned back to Thor.
"I've got an idea. Do you have another collar?"
"Only one…" Thor hesitated.
"But—I did bring this."
He produced another odd device.
A metal gag, engraved with glowing runes.
"That's the thing you used to shut Loki up in New York, right?" Natasha asked.
Thor laughed awkwardly.
"Well… I had the dwarves make it for him."
"You know how Loki is. Talks too much. Casts spells mid-sentence. So…"
"I figure it'll work just as well on Lorelei."
"Perfect."
Antony snapped his fingers.
"Plan A. Plan B. All set."
He turned to the two eager young men.
"Since you both want in—stop arguing. You're going together."
"Pietro," Antony said to Quicksilver,
"You take the collar. Execute Plan A. Use your speed. Get it on her before she can react. Fastest. Cleanest."
"Got it, boss!" Pietro puffed up, shooting Silas a smug glance.
"And if Pietro fails…"
Antony shifted his gaze.
"…then it's your turn, Silas. Plan B."
"You stay hidden. Wait for an opening. The moment she relaxes—slam that gag on her."
"But—" Silas gestured helplessly at the gag,
"this thing isn't invisible! I'll be waving a target!"
"That problem—"
Natasha stepped forward calmly.
"—leave it to me."
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T/N:
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