Author's Note:
Happy 2026 to all my readers, I hope this year is a happy one for all of you.
My mind is filled with ideas like: A Magical Alien Idol Swordswoman Princess hitting on Ruby Rose from RWBY (makes more sense if you know all the details); Sunset Shimmer getting an Omega-1 Nanite-powered Omnitrix; a Kamen Rider in the DC/Marvel world; an Aegis-wielding Aletheia from Xenoblade Chronicles flying over London while Nick Fury and the Avengers are studying it.
Clearly, I have a twisted mind and a vivid imagination.
However, I have decided to put these ideas aside (for now) and that by the month of January I would update my stories in the Kaleidoscope Adventure series.
Ps. Happy birthday to my little brother, here's a little joke gift for you, I'm naming a certain kawaii character in this story after you.
XXX
Story Arc: An eternal flame has been lit
Episode 1: My name is Flamechaser (II)
Chapter 2: Office Talk
Plot: With a fragile alliance between the "couples" Flamecaster and Clintasha begin to do a little investigation inside the AIM base, but the silence doesn't last long for two reasons: Hawkeye is a chatterbox and someone presses the wrong button.
XXX
POV Narrator
Minutes after a not-so-peaceful encounter, four heroes are walking through the tentacled corridors of the AIM base.
While it wouldn't be fair to call you four heroes, they're more like two pairs of heroes who are working together for convenience.
This is also evident in the way I walk, even though we are temporarily on the same side, each "couple" prefers to stay on their own.
On the left are Flamechaser and Lady Caster, with the latter clinging protectively to her Master's arm.
On the right are Hawkeye and Black Widow, keeping their guard up and standing in a position that allows them to stay close, but without hindering each other's movements.
It is obvious which couple is the most professional and best trained.
"Do you prefer to be called Flamechaser or Sigma?" Clint asks, trying to break the ice.
The Archer knows that trust doesn't come instantly, but remaining silent won't help any of them.
"Do as you please, False Archer." Flamechaser replies, having no preferred nickname.
'Is he insulting me?' Clint thinks, raising an eyebrow, unsure what to believe about the title, False Archer.
"Where exactly is he taking us?" Black Widow asks, hiding a suspicious tone.
Super-Spy Woman prefers to understand what Flamechaser and Lady Caster want and what kind of person they are, rather than forming bonds of courtesy.
"I'll take you to the director's office of this place, where you can work your super-spy hacking magic." Flamechaser replies, having nothing to hide... as to what he wants to do in this den of mad scientists.
"I'm a False Archer, while she's a Super-Spy?" Clint asks, sounding displeased.
Hawkeye doesn't like it when people see him as Black Widow's comic relief, like he's Chat Noir.
"Actually, Black Widow would be a False Assassin, you're both on the same level." The white-haired woman replies, turning her attention to the two SHIELD Agents.
A slight chill has settled over Clint, whether this is a real or purely psychological phenomenon remains to be discussed later.
"Thanks... I guess." Hawkeye said, still slightly confused as to what False Archer and False Assassin mean, but at least he's considered Black Widow's equal.
"Caster, False Archer, False Assassin, I think there's a correlation between these titles. Could it be a significant thing or just personal preference?" Black Widow thinks, gathering information at every turn.
People often focus on Natasha's beauty and lethal abilities, forgetting that her mind is more dangerous than any feminine charm or fighting move.
The group of four heroes arrived at a crossroads in the corridors of the AIM base.
"We're almost there." Flamechaser declares as he turns left.
Entering this corridor, Clint and Natasha immediately noticed signs of a massacre of iron and ice.
Mechanical soldiers of various shapes, some humanoid, others simple dog-sized drones, are scattered throughout the corridor.
Walls with deep gashes, ice spikes protruding from the floor, and other markings decorate the corridor.
"Man, you two made a mess." Hawkeye said, tapping his foot against the shattered head of an assault robot.
Flamechaser looks around as if admiring his handiwork.
"What can I say, I'm good at destroying." Flamechaser said, with a small smirk, before throwing a single, light punch against the wall.
CRACK!
The wall filled with a web of cracks, then collapsed, all in a matter of seconds.
"The Master once brought down an entire building with a single move," Anastasia said, as if that were a good thing.
"It's not hard to believe, I've seen what someone with super strength can do." Clint said, knowing a long list of individuals who can flatten cars with ease.
"Lady Caster isn't referring to a case where I stomped the ground so hard that the foundation of a building wobbled, but rather a case where I fired a bullet from a regular pistol and it ricocheted in so many places that it triggered a cartoonish disaster," Flamechaser said, angling the fingers of his left hand to resemble a firearm.
"How he did it is still an unsolved mystery," Anastasia said, having no other explanation than pure luck.
Maybe the white-haired girl can't imagine an explanation, but the red-haired woman can.
'Could she have a similar ability to Domino, aka Neena Thurman?' Black Widow thinks, remembering a certain mutant mercenary woman who can pull off impossible shots.
Clint, on the other hand, has no deep thoughts at the moment.
"Out of curiosity, how strong are you?" asks the False Archer, having no ulterior motive.
Flamechaser continues to walk alongside Lady Caster, while she assumes a thoughtful expression, searching for an appropriate answer.
"Class K." Flamechaser replies, proving he's been hanging around the site too much: VS Battle Wiki.
The words of the boy with heterochromia make no sense to the two SHIELD Agents, who have very different interpretations of Class K.
"I don't think that means a mind-controlling mushroom-based alien threat," Clint said, giving a more or less fair summary of a Class K threat in SHIELD's records.
Hawkeye, that's an F-28 Class threat, K Class threats are scenarios like the Kingpin becoming president." Black Widow said, knowing the correct definition of the code word.
"Apparently superspies have enough free time to come up with code names for everything," Anastasia comments, finding this amusing.
"You have no idea, recruits in the Communications Department have to memorize an entire dictionary of code words." Clint comments, happy to be a Field Agent and not an office worker.
"Back to the point, K-Class, what does this mean to you, Flamechaser?" Clint asks again, wanting a real answer this time.
"Simple, I can lift the weight of the largest animal: the blue whale." The boy said with heterochromia, using his free hand to mime lifting something heavy.
"Natasha, how much does a whale weigh?" Hawkeye asks, turning to his red-haired partner.
Despite having an animal-themed agent name, Clint doesn't know much about the animal world.
"The average adult weighs 140,000 kg, or 140 tons." Natasha replies, as if it were common knowledge.
"I've been following a training regimen for years and I can lift 180 pounds, while others can launch whales into the sky. Life just isn't fair," Clint said, more like a joke about how absurd the world has become.
"The Master has never tossed a whale into the air; it would be cruel to the poor animal. But once, he single-handedly helped a Wailord back into the ocean by pulling it by the tail," Anastasia said, feeling compelled to protect Flamechaser's reputation.
"What's a Wailord?" Clint asks, having never heard that name in his entire life.
"Wailord is a kind of magical whale-like animal, very calm and collected," Flamechaser said, before stopping in front of what remained of an office door.
Half of the door fell to the floor, becoming a strange carpet, while the other half is who knows where.
"This is the boss's office. Watch where you step, there are splinters of all kinds." Flamechaser said, entering the office with Lady Caster.
"This has to be the easiest time we've ever gotten into someone important's office, no weapons, no disguises, and no crawling through ventilation ducts." Clint said, finding a newcomer entering through the entryway (or what's left of it) with a light step.
The last to enter was Black Widow, who did so not only to avoid showing her back to two augmented strangers, but also to have a moment to reflect on the information gained from Hawkeye's chat with Flamechaser and Lady Caster.
"The Goddess of War Mavuika, Natlan, Caster, False Archer, False Assassin, Magical Beasts. It looks like we're dealing with a Thor-type case. Director Fury will need to be informed of this." Black Widow muses, having only one job to do.
XXX
The office of the boss of this AIM looks like a standard manager's office, only more high-tech, more spacious, with more structural damage and a corpse smashed against the wall.
"Here's the desk, chair, and computer of the director of this place, it's all yours, Mistress Super-Spy." Flamechaser said, patting the chair.
Black Widow sits down at her desk, turns on her computer, and takes a mini USB flash drive from her belt.
Flamechaser, not wanting to be breathing down the red-haired woman's neck, returns to stand next to Anastasia.
"It's going to take me some time to get a feel for what I'm going to be working with," Black Widow said, starting to work on the computer.
Clint, having nothing to do, decides to continue chatting with Flamechaser and Lady Caster.
"Who is he?" asks Hawkeye, pointing to the corpse of an IAM officer, wearing the usual "beekeeper" uniform, only more high-tech and with a few decorations.
"The dead leader of this ruined base." Anastasia said, waving her hand.
In an instant, the corpse was immediately covered with a layer of ice.
"It's better this way, I won't have to smell it," Anastasia comments, preferring to do without certain fragrances.
"What happened to him? Besides him being dead?" Clint asks, having seen much more gruesome scenes.
"I was questioning him, and he explained that this base is working on a new advanced robotics project. People tell you all sorts of things when you pick them up off the floor by the neck," Flamechaser said, clearly preferring a direct, Batman-style approach.
"It's pretty obvious it ended badly for him," Clint said, confident that a good interrogation doesn't end in death.
"When I was about to ask him for the various computer passwords, he insulted Lady Caster and I threw him against the wall in anger," Flamechaser said, while playing with his fingers.
"As you can see, the force of the throw is exaggerated. I'm used to people being much more resistant, normal humans are far too fragile." Flamechaser comments, his voice embarrassed by his misjudgment.
'At least he has the decency to be embarrassed,' Clint thinks, keeping a neutral expression.
Sure, a more traditional hero, like Spider-Man or Mister Fantastic, would question Flamechaser's actions. However, Clint may be a good man and dress like a superhero, but he's a SHIELD Agent; his job can become morally gray and he kills dangerous people for the sake of innocent people.
"Personally, I appreciated that my Master defended my honor," Anastasia said with a small smile on her lips.
"For an IAM scientist, that wasn't so wise. Insulting someone's woman is a surefire way to get beaten up." Clint said, knowing full well that intelligence and common sense don't go hand in hand.
"Lady Caster and I aren't romantically involved, we're just partners," Flamechaser declares, wanting to avoid any awkward misunderstandings.
The white-haired girl crosses her arms, looking slightly annoyed about something.
"Make yourselves comfortable, it'll take me a while to break through the computer system's defenses." Black Widow declares, while working hard on the computer.
Sensing that the super-spy woman needs more time, Flamechaser turns to Anastasia.
"Lady Caster, parlor mode." Flamechaser said, few words, but the meaning was obvious to Anastasia.
Within seconds, a rectangular portion of the floor froze over near the Master-Servant pair, then the ice rose upwards, shaping itself into a sofa.
The white-haired girl sat down like a true high-class lady, while the boy with heterochromia lay down on the couch like a common man, resting his head against Anastasia's lap.
'Flamechaser says he and Caster aren't a romantic couple, but they're quite close.' Black Widow thinks, watching the scene out of the corner of her eye.
Super-Spy Woman in action, hacking into a secret organization's computer and keeping an eye on two unknowns.
'If Elsa can build an ice castle while singing, then Miss Winter can create an ice couch.' Clint thinks, reflecting on Anastasia's powers, which seem more interesting to him than a hypothetical romance.
"Caster is a woman of many talents, and ice constructs can be incredibly useful," Flamechaser said, praising Anastasia's abilities with pure sincerity.
The white-haired girl can't help but smile sweetly, appreciating being praised for her talents.
Flamechaser moves his head so that instead of staring at the ceiling he sees Hawkeye, the only one standing, while everyone else is sitting.
"If you want, Caster can create a stool, an armchair, or an ice chair." Flamechaser offers, trying to be polite.
"I prefer to stand," Clint replies, without thinking too much.
Hawkeye might say that standing is safer, allowing him to react better to danger. But, in reality, Clint doesn't want to freeze his ass off. An ice chair might seem nice, but unless you have a freeze suit or superhuman resistance to low temperatures, it's more torture than benefit.
"Director Fury might have a hard time believing this part of the report I'll have to write at the end of the mission." Black Widow thinks, debating whether to omit the last few minutes.
"So, what's your origin story?" Clint asks, continuing to talk to Flamechaser and Lady Caster.
"I don't understand what you're asking us?" Anastasia asks, not understanding the question Hawkeye is asking.
"Lady Caster is practically a princess who has lived her entire life within the walls of a palace, far from the outside world. She doesn't know many things about the modern era, like comic books," Flamechaser said, lifting his head from Anastasia's lap and sitting up properly.
"I know what comics are. Varesa forced me to read them while I waited for you to finish your training session with Iansan." Anastasia said in a harsh voice, crossing her arms.
The White Princess has filled some of her gaps thanks to her new acquaintances, but not everything, after all, Natlan is not as complicated as Earth.
"Tell me what the Origins of Superheroes means." Flamechaser asks, certain that Anastasia hasn't updated her knowledge as much as she thinks.
"A theme concerning the transformation of classical heroes from myth and folklore into the concept of the modern hero, often nicknamed superhero," Anastasia said, offering a much more complex answer.
"You're wrong, but you've made an interesting point about how we went from the Demi-God Warriors of Classical Mythology, like Gilgamesh, then to Folk Heroes like Robin Hood, reaching Proto-Superheroes like Zorro, and finally, to modern Superheroes," Flamechaser said, finding this topic quite interesting for his bookish side.
"I am a cultured woman, my thoughts and reflections are of a certain level," Anastasia said, puffing out her chest, proud of her aristocratic status.
"Superhero Origins is an explanation of how a superhero became a superhero." Flamechaser explains the concept to Anastasia.
"Now that Elsa understands the question, I can get an answer, if I don't ask too much." Clint asks, willing to bet that a genetic engineering lab or something similar is involved.
"I doubt if we ask him directly he'll give us an adequate answer." Natasha thinks, starting to look through some classified files.
"Magic." Flamechaser replies with one word, smiling as if enjoying himself.
'I was right,' Natasha thinks, with a pleased look on her face as she continues working.
"Magic in the Harry Potter sense or in the you-don't-know-it sense?" Clint asks, running a hand through his hair.
"Fairy Magic for Caster, my case is more complicated, but it all stems from Divine Magic." Flamechaser said, giving more details, but his smile grew wider.
"This gives me more questions than answers," Hawkeye said, his expression more confused than before.
"If you want to ask questions, ask the higher beings, not the two of us." Lady Caster said, her voice serious, which increased her Master's smile.
"Black Widow and I are SHIELD Agents, it's our job to take on organizations like AIM. But why are you two so into AIM?" Clint asks, deciding to change his approach.
If Flamechaser and Lady Caster don't want to talk about their origins, maybe they can talk about why they hate the AIM organization.
"Simple, I'm doing my duty as a Servant and helping the Master with his task." Said the White Princess, attacking the IAM organization just because her Master is doing it.
"My motives are rather petty and selfish. AIM has wronged me, so I want to see the entire organization destroyed. Evil must be repaid with evil, good with good," Flamechaser said, apparently following a rather simple philosophy in his life.
"A woman with strong Cryokinesis powers as a follower and a man with extremely high physical capabilities, no problem killing or causing serious damage. This pair must be kept under close observation. If their goal is to eliminate the IAM, they can be an asset, but if they change targets, they can become a liability." Black Widow thinks, continuing to carry out two tasks at the same time.
"If you don't act like Punisher, you're free to keep doing what you do, less work for us," Hawkeye said, appreciating that the villains get more hurdles in their elaborate megalomaniac plans.
"You're a nice talker," Flamechaser states, seeming to take a liking to Hawkeye.
"Jesters have their place in the world," Lady Caster comments, as if Hawkeye were a fun little distraction from the usual routine.
'Finally, Clint's big mouth came in handy.' Black Widow thinks, almost tempted to write down today's date somewhere so she won't forget it.
"Super-spy, how's the hacking going?" Flamechaser asks, starting to tire of waiting; things are often much more hectic for him.
"I'm making progress, but it would be best if you two didn't treat this like a pleasure encounter," Black Widow said, blaming Flamechaser and Hawkeye's chatter for her slow progress.
"Maybe I'm arrogant or overconfident in my powers, but so far only a Goddess of War and the Six Legendary Heroes have managed to make me bleed." Flamechaser said, with a proud voice, showing why he acts the way he does.
"Maybe I'm an arrogant man or I'm too confident in my powers, but so far only a Goddess of War and the Six Legendary Heroes have managed to make me bleed." Flamechaser said, with a proud voice, showing why he behaves the way he does.
"Do you live in a fantasy world or something?" Clint asks out loud, certain that Flamechaser will end up in the category of really weird acquaintances he meets while working.
"Add in evolving magical creatures, a sprinkling of anime tropes, the occasional dungeon, a monthly fighting tournament, daily quests, sword training and magic lessons, a main quest against an evil organization, an adorable pet, and plenty of romance options, and you get my life." Flamechaser listed some of the elements that make up her life as a fantasy character.
'This guy is one of the world's biggest liars and he's been playing us from the start or we've met Thor's distant cousin, only less Viking and more knowledgeable on Earth.' Black Widow thinks, starting to feel a headache that only men like Tony Stark can create.
"Is there any openings in your hero company by any chance?" Clint asks, his tone joking.
"Sorry, the archer role is already reserved for a Legendary Archer." Flamechaser replies, his voice serious, having his own plans to recruit an archer capable of shooting arrows from miles away.
"Too bad, a change of pace would have been nice," Clint said, obviously joking, although it would be a tempting idea.
'These two are having too much fun,' Black Widow thinks, continuing to press the buttons on her keyboard.
"Did you mention a mascot?" Clint asks, wanting to see it.
Flamechaser and Lady Caster exchange a silent glance. Then, Anastasia nods, offering her approval.
Flamechaser reaches for his utility belt, which has several pockets, basically like a master assassin's belt from Assassin's Creed.
The boy with heterochromia takes a red and white sphere-like object, the size of a marble, out of his belt pocket.
By pressing a small button on the equator of the sphere it changes size from a marble to a baseball.
"Super-spies, I present to you, Torchic." Flamechaser said, before opening the sphere.
A mass of fluorescent red energy emerges from the sphere and falls to the floor, taking on a bird-like silhouette, then solidifying.
A magical creature appeared before the SHIELD False Archer, which in the Kingdom of Natlan is called Saurians in the ancient language, while in the modern language it is called Pokémon.
"Torchic!" exclaims the little magical creature.
Torchic is a small chick, covered in stubby orange and yellow feathers.
Their wings are poorly developed and almost useless except for keeping warm.
However, it has well-developed paws and claws that allow it to run quickly and scratch.
It also has a crest of feathers on its head that vaguely resembles a flame and has fire sacs like other Fire-type Pokémon, such as Vulpix and Flareon.
Finally, it has a small black dot on its back, which means it is a male.
The two SHIELD Agents stopped whatever they were doing or thinking at the sight of Torchic.
"This is the cutest thing I've ever seen in my entire life." Clint said, bending down so he could pick up Torchic.
But Anastasia moved faster than the False Archer, taking the magical chick into her arms.
"Wrong move," Anastasia said in a protective, motherly voice.
"Torchic doesn't like being picked up by strangers, it always ends with Torchic bursting into flames or nearly gouging out the unfortunate person's eye with his claws." Flamechaser said, giving the two SHIELD Agents some much-needed warning.
Clint looked incredulous at the idea that the chick could be dangerous, but decided to listen to Flamechaser and Lady Caster, after all, what does he know about magical animals.
The boy with heterochromia gets up from the ice chair and moves behind Natasha.
"What are you doing?" asks Natasha, not liking having someone unknown looking over her shoulder.
"I watch you hack, I learn something, and next time I need a computer expert, I can do it myself," Flamechaser replies, wanting to gain something useful from this experience.
"Just watching won't help you. Cyber warfare is extremely complex." Natasha said, as if talking to a rookie who was too full of himself.
"I'm smarter than I look, and I learn very quickly," Flamechaser said, maintaining his confident demeanor.
Natasha didn't answer, but she gave Flamechaser a look that was telling.
"Torchic Torchic!" exclaims the orange chick, flapping his little wings to free himself from Anastasia's embrace.
The little bird manages to leap a few meters, ending up landing in front of Natasha, with its paws in the middle of the keyboard.
"Tor chic chic Tor!" Torchic exclaims as if teaching Black Widow a lesson in good behavior. Clearly, if some dogs are overprotective of their owners, the same can be true for Pokémon.
Unfortunately, Torchic's well-intentioned actions had consequences.
The computer screen started flashing red, a loading bar lit up, with assessment cards.
Torchic slowly turns around and sees numerous menacing-looking red marks on the screen.
Somehow his orange and yellow feathers suddenly became paler.
"Send your pet away or I will!" Black Widow exclaims, raising her voice.
Flamechaser picked up the Pokémon and held it tightly in his arms to calm it down.
Once the obstacle was cleared away, Black Widow dove into the keyboard, hitting keys as if it were a beat 'em up video game.
"That's not a good sign." Clint mutters, standing behind Natasha, next to Flamechaser and Torchic.
"That chick sent an ignition program to an incomplete high-level project," Black Widow declares, her voice angry, trying to stop the entire operation.
"That's why the director of this base was pounding away at his keyboard like he was possessed, wanting to bring out his best guard dog," Flamechaser comments, solving a little mystery.
"High-level project incomplete, I don't like anything about that sentence." Clint said, having a feeling he's going to have to use a lot of explosive arrows.
"The Project is called Adaptoid. A prototype robot with mimicry capabilities." Natasha said, flashing images of the design schematics on the screen.
"Who would want something like that from a mimic robot?" asks Anastasia, not knowing what mimic means.
"Mimic doesn't mean mime, but rather the ability to copy techniques, weapons, or powers from other individuals." Flamechaser said, knowing several fictional characters with similar abilities.
"I can understand why the IAM would want a weapon like that, an army of robot soldiers with every power imaginable, a real nightmare," Clint said, his voice serious.
"Can you stop the metal monster from wandering off?" Anastasia asks, realizing how much this conversation is going on.
"I tried, but it's not possible, I need to access the terminal in the lab that handles the Adaptoid Project directly." Black Widow declares, as boxes with closed padlocks and red Xs appear on the screen.
"Show me the building plans, I can find the lab," Flamechaser said, having some experience with AIM base design; after all, he's been storming them for months.
"Give me a second," Black Widow said, displaying on her computer screen a nearly hundred-page file of building plans.
Flamechaser passed Torchic to Anastasia so she could focus on the problem.
"Scroll through it as quickly as possible. I have a photographic memory and the mental capacity of a computer when I put my mind to it." Flamechaser said, being able to memorize and comprehend the contents of the file in a minute.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Black Widow says, as she scrolls through dozens of frames per second.
Too fast for the human eye, but that's not true for Flamechaser, who is a MANTIS (Massively Augmented Neo-Tech Integrated Soldier).
"I know where the Adaptoid Project Lab is!" Flamechaser exclaims, as he takes Anastasia into his arms bridal style, who in turn holds Torchic.
"I'm the fastest, the three of us will scout ahead, you two follow the ice trail we leave behind." Flamechaser declares, before sprinting forward at superhuman speed.
Leaving behind the two SHIELD Agents and a small trail of ice created by Anastasia.
"Don't just stand there and watch, Hawkeye, let's go after them." Black Widow said, starting to run, following the trail of ice.
"I'm not paid enough to deal with this kind of crazy stuff," Clint mutters, breaking into a run, an arrow and bow in his hands.
Continues ...
XXX
Author's Note:
It took me a little longer than expected, but I managed to complete this chapter.
I wanted to write something with more action, but I ended up with a more sociable chapter, allowing you to learn a few things about the characters.
I hope you enjoyed it.