In New York, you can technically register to marry at sixteen.
However...
Locke was fairly certain George would beat him to death first. Or, more likely, in George's attempt to beat him to death, Locke might accidentally "counter-kill" him in self-defense.
In any case, Locke looked at Gwen with a deadpan, serious expression. "Gwen, that line of thinking is very dangerous."
It was beyond dangerous; it was a death wish.
Gwen opened her mouth, slightly dazed by his sudden intensity. Fortunately, Dylan and Maggie stood up from the table nearby, breaking the tension.
"Gwen!"
"Maggie, it's been a while."
"How's everything?" Locke asked, sitting down and looking at Dylan. "How's the fire protection company coming along?"
"Almost there."
"Good to hear." Locke nodded. While he never really cared if people paid back the money he lent, seeing it used for an honest venture was always satisfying.
Gwen scanned the table. "Where's Pepper? I thought she'd be here by now."
Maggie, sitting next to Dylan, smiled. "She should be here any minute. I just called her."
In the past, Maggie's family had some money, but they weren't quite in Pepper's social stratum. However, the ordeal on the Poseidon had forged a bond between them that bypassed tax brackets.
As they spoke, the restaurant door opened again. Pepper Potts walked in, accompanied by Cindy and Kahn.
Gwen looked at the trio. "Cindy, did you guys run into Pepper at the door?"
Cindy gave Gwen a quick hug and then looked at Locke. "Hello! Ladies sit together today."
Locke stood up and moved over to the "gentlemen's side" of the table.
Kahn spoke up. "Remember that patent I sold?"
Locke nodded. It was that patent sale that allowed Kahn to afford the Poseidon trip in the first place—a decision Kahn had deeply regretted the moment the ship flipped over.
"The company that bought it was just acquired by Stark Industries," Kahn explained. "Now, Stark Industries has invited me to join their new marine laboratory."
Locke blinked. "Stark... Marine Lab? Since when did they have one?"
Pepper answered, "They didn't before, but they do now. It'll be fully operational in about two weeks. Kahn's patent is incredibly helpful for our research. Honestly, I had no idea the patent belonged to him until the paperwork hit my desk."
Cindy turned to Gwen. "We were actually meeting with Pepper this morning. Kahn and I thought there had been some sort of mistake!"
Gwen was genuinely happy for him. "I'm so glad for you, Kahn."
If Stark Industries was headhunting him, it meant his research was top-tier. This was a chance for Kahn to dive deep into the field he loved. The ocean was a vast place, after all.
"But..." Dylan looked at Kahn with a weird expression. "After the Poseidon, you still have the guts to go out to sea?"
Kahn shrugged. "As long as it's not on a cruise ship."
The table erupted in laughter. Even Locke had permanently deleted "Cruise Ships" from all future travel itineraries. He'd rather drift across the Atlantic on a log than set foot on a luxury liner again.
The food arrived, and the conversation flowed easily. Dylan sipped his whiskey, occasionally glancing at Locke. Since they were in a legitimate restaurant and Locke was under twenty-one, he was legally barred from joining in on the alcohol—at least, not in the light of day.
"By the way," Cindy said, turning to Gwen. "Gwen, did you ask your dad?"
"Ask him what?"
"About last night! It was all over the news. You didn't forget, did you?"
"...I forgot."
"What?"
Gwen glanced at Locke, then back at Cindy. "I totally forgot to ask."
She was referring to the incident at NY Channel 1. Everyone was dying to know which version was true: the Assassin's "Magic" or Captain George Stacy's "Fake News" debunking.
Cindy slapped her forehead. "How could you forget?"
Gwen gave a strained smile. After Locke left last night, she hadn't left her room. She'd spent the whole night with her ear to the door, listening for the sound of her parents fighting so she could rush down to mediate. In that state of high anxiety, the "Rat Man" incident had slipped her mind.
Maggie and Dylan shared a look. "Gwen, are you talking about the Channel 1 broadcast?"
"Yeah."
"Maggie, which version do you believe?"
"The witch," Maggie said firmly.
Pepper raised her hand. "I agree with Maggie. I think the witch was real."
Locke looked at Pepper, intrigued. "Pepper, you believe in witches too?"
Pepper countered with a question. "Do you guys remember the Argonaut?"
Gwen nodded. "Of course. There was that giant monster."
The crew of the Argonaut was still missing, and the authorities had yet to give a straight answer. Since the ship was French-registered, most of the official intel remained in Paris.
Pepper checked her surroundings and lowered her voice. "Remember the Homeland Security and CIA people who boarded?"
"Yeah." Gwen glanced at Locke. "That Homeland Security woman knew Locke. And the guy in the suit—Locke recognized him as CIA immediately."
Pepper smiled. "Well, the CIA does dress exactly like they do in the movies."
Gwen, Cindy, and Maggie leaned in, hanging on Pepper's every word. Pepper moved in high circles; she likely saw things the average person never would.
"The crew of the Argonaut didn't go missing," Pepper whispered.
"What?"
"How is that possible?"
"We didn't see a single soul on that deck."
"We didn't go inside the ship, did we?" Pepper asked.
"Into the hull?" Cindy's eyes widened. "You mean..."
"Yes," Pepper said softly. "I heard that the entire crew was inside. Every one of them was killed by that mutated giant octopus."
*Gulp.*
Kahn swallowed hard.
Cindy and Gwen exchanged a look. "Is that for real?"
"The info came from D.C.," Pepper confirmed.
That was as close to "official" as it got.
"Thank god we didn't go down there."
"No kidding."
The group shivered at the revelation. They had actually considered going below deck to escape the wind. If it hadn't been for Locke spotting the tentacles and warning them not to act like a "slasher movie suicide squad," they might have all been snacks.
Pepper raised her wine glass with a smile. "I have a proposal. A toast to our hero, Locke Broughton!"
Dylan cheered. "Great idea!"
Locke felt his brow twitch. "Pepper, I told you, I'm not—"
"I heard you and Maggie talking at the mall," Pepper nodded. "But we haven't told anyone else. You're our hero. To you."
Locke looked at the plain water in his glass and shook his head. "I wish these next four years would hurry up."
Four more years until he could drink in public. It was a struggle. Locke felt that being seventeen was great for many things, but being a "secret drinker" made him feel like he was constantly doing something illicit.
Glasses and juice cups clinked together.
After putting her glass down, Pepper added, "Actually, I know a bit about last night, too. But you can't tell anyone."
They all nodded, Cindy especially.
"The witch community does exist," Pepper spoiled in a low voice. As the executive assistant to the Chairman of Stark Industries, she was among the tiny percentage of people who knew what the "real" world looked like.
"But... witches rarely interact with us."
"Why?"
"No one knows for sure. But their numbers are very small. This world still belongs to us ordinary people. So, to prevent unnecessary panic, the government covers it up."
Pepper continued, "It's fine if you know, but don't go spreading it around. It wouldn't matter anyway; witches hardly ever come into contact with the public. There probably isn't a single witch in all of New York City."
Just as she spoke, a waitress walked by with a tray of drinks.
Kahn's eyes lit up. "That one's mine!"
Locke, however, was staring at the waitress, then thinking about what Pepper had just said.
'Witches? Not a single one in New York?'
'Then what the hell was that woman who just walked past us?' Locke thought to himself.
...
Half an hour later, they exited the restaurant. Locke's R8 was sparkling clean, delivered back to him by a valet. They said their goodbyes, promising to meet again soon. The Poseidon had brought them closer, and they were making a conscious effort to maintain that bond.
As Locke drove, Gwen scrolled through the news on her phone. "Pepper was right."
"Hmm?"
"All the videos are gone."
"Which ones?"
"The ones of the Assassin turning that piece of trash into a rat. They've been wiped from the internet."
"That sounds about right." If SHIELD had done the first ninety-nine steps, there was no reason to leave the last one unfinished.
Locke tended to agree with Pepper's assessment. The world did have witches, but it was still a world for ordinary people.
'Ordinary people like me,' he thought with a smirk.
Gwen put her phone down and sighed. "Well, vacation is over. I have to go back to my internship at Oscorp Bio tomorrow. What are your plans?"
Locke smiled. "Chester has some business for me. I'm going to see him tomorrow."
To be precise, Locke needed to see Chester because there was a "witch" about to start a brand-new life, and she was going to need Chester's supervision.
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