S.H.I.E.L.D. had never actually stopped watching Locke.
While Councilman Alexander Pierce had ordered the New York branch to withdraw their surveillance, S.H.I.E.L.D. was not a monolith—hence why it was so easily compromised by Hydra. Conversely, Hydra wasn't unified either, which was why S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to remain standing.
Their "watch" wasn't twenty-four-hour surveillance; it was more like an occasional check of his credit card statements and travel logs. This was exactly why they had arrived so quickly in Augusta. Part of it was the "Witch" signature, but a bigger part was the fact that Locke Broughton just happened to be there.
But now? It truly looked like a coincidence. Much like the time Locke was "taken hostage" by the Peerless Assassin, it seemed to be a case of being in the wrong place at the right time. Besides, this case was different. The Peerless Assassin had vanished from the radar, and here, they had a body to close the file on. The culprit was dead; the case was over.
Maria Hill watched the R8 disappear into the distance and turned to Bobbi Morse. "Let's head out."
"That's it?" Bobbi asked.
Hill nodded. "The suspected witch is dead. The local agents can handle the paperwork. Let's head back. Commander Hand mentioned a sighting of Coulson in Texas. Once we're back, I want you to head down there."
Bobbi nodded.
"Keep this away from Councilman Pierce," Hill added.
Bobbi gave her a long look, then nodded. "Understood."
Hill still felt Locke was connected to the Peerless Assassin, and she was certain the New York "trial" was a smear campaign against Nick Fury. But that didn't mean she trusted Fury implicitly either. Fury and Coulson weren't dead—that was clear. The New York safehouse had been cleaned too perfectly; and in the world of intelligence, "too clean" is a red flag. If they weren't dead, why were they hiding?
Soon, the Quinjet roared into the sky.
...
On the other side of things, Locke and the group arrived back at JFK Airport around five in the evening.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Cord!"
"See you tomorrow, Cindy!"
Back in the parking lot, Locke found his R8 and opened the trunk, smiling at Gwen. "I thought after being gone this long, the car might have been stripped."
New York car thieves were a persistent bunch.
Gwen laughed. "I think the insurance company probably sends someone every day to check on it. You're a high-priority client for them now."
They got in, and the engine purred to life. When they reached the Stacy apartment, George and Helen were already waiting.
Locke handed the human-sized plushie to George. "Won this for Gwen at the fair."
Gwen hugged Helen happily. "Yeah, Dad! Locke's aim is incredible."
'Aim? Incredible?'
George froze, his eyes instinctively darting to Gwen's stomach.
Gwen realized the double entendre and turned bright red. "Dad! What are you looking at?"
Locke looked at the sky, suddenly very interested in a passing cloud.
George coughed, realizing he'd misinterpreted. Under Helen's warning glare, he forced a laugh and looked at Locke. "Right. Well, drive safe. This weekend, 6:00 AM—we're going fishing first."
Locke nodded. "No problem."
George was moving past shooting into fishing lately—creating hobbies for his future retirement. Locke didn't mind. As long as George didn't turn into a paranoid father-in-law like Kim's dad from Taken, everything was fine. Every man has secrets; some men like other women, Locke just liked retiring sinners when he was bored. It was all about mutual understanding.
...
The next day.
Locke and Gwen returned to school and placed the Augusta Chemistry Competition trophy in the Midtown High display case, alongside a group photo of the four of them.
"Tsk tsk," Locke said, looking at the sprawling hall of trophies. "Back in Texas, our display was a tiny cabinet with a few ribbons."
Here, if it wasn't a national-level award, it didn't even make the cut.
"Midtown is ranked second in the US for trophy count," Cindy said proudly.
"Who's first?"
"Trinity High," Kahn explained. "Their teachers earn Wall Street salaries, and their students generally crush everyone else."
Locke raised an eyebrow. "In everything?"
Cindy laughed. "Not including us, obviously. But most of those kids have been groomed since they were three. Their parents are the reason tutoring prices are so high. We have you and Gwen—our top-tier 'combat power' crushes theirs—but we only have a few 'Study-Gods.' Their overall average is higher."
Locke nodded. That made sense. He was lucky he hadn't been blinded by the "Happy Education" trap in Texas. Between his past-life work ethic and his "Cheat," he had focused on his academics from the start. To him, knowledge was the only way to change his fate.
Cindy leaned in toward Gwen. "Gwen, don't forget the Winter Ball on the 23rd! Let's carpool."
This ball was being held at a four-star hotel ballroom. Usually, boys would rent a stretch limo to pick up their dates.
Gwen looked at Locke and smiled at Cindy. "Sorry, I'm not going."
Cindy froze. She looked at Locke, ready to defend her best friend. "You're not taking Gwen? Who are you taking? Wait, Gwen hasn't bullied anyone lately, has she?"
Locke chuckled. "Gwen and I have other plans."
"What plans?"
"Secret."
Locke wasn't a blabbermouth. Unless it was for Gwen's sake, he wasn't interested in expanding his social circle. More friends meant more trouble. In Texas, he had zero friends. In New York, Cindy and Kahn were on "probation."
Cindy poked Gwen. "Gwen will tell me. We're best friends."
Gwen winced. "Actually... Kim is my best friend."
Cindy shrugged. "Same thing. One of the best. Where are you going?"
After a flurry of tickling, Gwen finally relented. "Okay, okay! Locke and I are spending New Year's on the Poseidon."
Cindy went dead silent.
Kahn looked at Locke. "Is it the Poseidon? The luxury liner?"
Locke looked at him. "How many Poseidons are there in New York?" He'd gotten the tickets for free and hadn't looked into the details. To him, it was just a ship. Even if they called it the Heavenly Blade No. 7, it was still just a boat.
Kahn's eyes lit up.
"Oh my God!" Cindy squealed. "The Poseidon! That's incredible!"
Then she paused, looking at Gwen. "Wait... did your parents actually agree to let you and Locke go on a cruise together for New Year's?"
Gwen looked at Locke.
Locke simply blinked.