After my training, I went to school at the usual time, and in the afternoon, I rested at home.
Yesterday, I had a date with Peter—we went to the movies and then spent a long time strolling through the park. Today, after class, he was going to accompany Uncle Ben for a medical exam and take care of a few other things.
On my lap, there were two books—one about HP spells and another on different ninja seals and inscriptions. Besides them, I also had a creation ice circle in my left hand and a light circle in my right hand.
My eyes shifted between all four elements.
Each one followed different energy laws and principles. My ice magic belonged to Fairy Tail, while my light magic came from different worlds. Studying them really intrigued me. In fact, not just them but also the origins and manifestations of different powers and energies had been sparking my curiosity—especially my physical abilities and soul-related capabilities.
"Shake, shake it off, shake it off..."
An incredibly danceable song started playing—one from one of my favorite singers. Hearing it, I immediately knew it was my phone. I quickly put away all my things and stored my books and scrolls.
Pulling out my round phone, I saw that the call was from my father.
"Dad. How can I help?"
"Hello, my love. Do you have any plans this afternoon?"
"No, why?" I asked, intrigued by his question.
"I need to attend a rather unique meeting in the East. I'll be operating under a secret identity—one that involves traveling with my teenage son, showing him the world. Originally, I was supposed to be accompanied by a young academy member or a newly integrated agent. However, you are a much better and more capable option."
Hearing this, I gently tapped the couch.
"Dad. This is an unusual request. What exactly is this mission about?"
He paused for two seconds before responding.
"Activating Protocol 21. Son, ensure this call is untraceable and that no one can access our data."
His voice carried a weight of seriousness that piqued my curiosity, but I naturally complied.
"Of course. I always communicate and operate online under Anturian's protection, and dealing with it is no easy feat."
After all, an AI from an advanced alien civilization like the Kryptonians isn't something simple. Not to mention, I had also been enhancing its capabilities using the intelligence of the Cerebrocrustaceans (Arthropods), one of the smartest species from that universe.
"This mission was actually assigned to me by Director Fury. The goal is to monitor the events at an auction and, most importantly, recover an item being sold there."
"And?" I pressed him to continue.
I knew that recovering certain items or technologies—including the so-called 0-8-4s—was a fairly routine task for the agency. However, since this was a direct request from Uncle Fury, there had to be something more—either with the object itself or a secondary objective.
"The item was lost during World War II and is said to be highly lethal and hostile. Not much is known about it, but what we do know is that it must be secured in one of SHIELD's facilities. Aside from that, the mission involves investigating a possible conspiracy."
Hearing this, my eyes lit up with excitement for gossip and intrigue.
After all, in a society of secret agents, you'd definitely expect conspiracies, betrayals, and the like. Even though it wasn't my favorite genre in my past life, it still fascinated me.
Obviously... I had to hide my enthusiasm, since this was the real world and a serious matter for my father.
"Yes. We don't have concrete proof yet, but the Director suspects a major conspiracy lurking within SHIELD. He's unsure if it's just a few employees or something deeper. He has only confided in me and a handful of his closest associates, classifying it at a security level of 8 to 9."
Even I grew more serious upon hearing this.
If this situation affected all of SHIELD, it would be extremely dangerous. The organization is one of the world's primary lines of defense, especially for ordinary people. As its name suggests, it serves as a shield to protect the world. If compromised, the world would become even more chaotic and perilous than it already is.
"I'll do my best. When do we leave?"
"Meet me at this address in 45 minutes."
I agreed after receiving the location and started preparing to leave.
....
Elsewhere, in an underground facility...
A massive computer processed data, calculating probabilities and hypotheses. Then, for a few seconds, everything froze.
A distorted voice emerged from one of the computers.
"Strange… I can't penetrate this network at all. It seems to be a call from an agent related to a highly classified mission. How is this possible? There shouldn't be any networks capable of resisting my intrusion—especially at this level."
It kept trying, only to realize that not only was it becoming harder, but it was also becoming dangerous. Its own system was at risk of being breached, and its network was on the verge of being traced. Quickly assessing the danger...
It fled and ceased all activity.
"I need to alert the others to stay vigilant. There may be another powerful information network at play here."
The electronic voice echoed once more before beginning countermeasures.
.....
Back at home…
I had everything ready when I received a message from Anturian that made me pause.
"Master. Someone attempted to trace the information. Their capability wasn't as strong as mine, but still quite competent. Should I proceed in tracking the intruder's origin?"
I thought for a few seconds.
Something told me this needed deeper investigation.
"Yes. But be very careful. No rush, and don't let yourself be detected."
Acknowledging my command, Anturian began taking action.
Meanwhile, I used Kai Kai and i travel through space.
....
Moments later, at a warehouse connected to a small airstrip…
I appeared inside a large storage facility linked to a modest runway.
Looking to the side, I saw my father already there, checking some of his equipment. Beside him stood a sleek black jet, elegantly designed and seemingly ready for takeoff.
"Dad, I'm here."
Hearing my voice, he smiled and waved me over to go over the mission details and the new identity I would assume.