"Actually, Director, have you considered that your current database might be outdated?"
Luca's words hung in the air, silencing the conference room.
Everyone turned to stare at the Haro Mech projection. Even Tony, who had been disinterested, leaned forward, curious to hear what high-concept theory Luca was about to spin.
Luca didn't hold back.
"Look, you guys analyzed this to death and came up with one suspect: Hank Pym."
"But Pym isn't a woman. His daughter has an alibi."
"And let's not forget... Gwen hasn't been sent back yet, right?"
Luca paused for effect.
Hawkeye, confused, interjected. "You suspect Gwen? Impossible. I was right there. I know her moves, her vibe. It wasn't her."
The room went dead silent again. Everyone looked at Clint with weird expressions.
Dude, are you hearing yourself? 'I know her vibe'?
Finally, Natasha, ever the diplomat for her partner, bailed him out.
"I believe... 'Metal Knight' is referring to the influx of other-dimensional visitors, generally."
Luca's virtual avatar nodded. "Exactly."
It wasn't just Gwen.
The portals connecting the multiverse were popping up randomly all over the globe.
According to SHIELD's own intel, new super-powered individuals were appearing everywhere. Some were villains from other realities; others were locals who stumbled upon alien tech or weird artifacts.
SHIELD was swamped. Between cleaning up New York and playing Whac-A-Mole with dimensional rifts, they were spread thin.
Gwen, who had been working with SHIELD to find a way home, was starting to lose hope.
In her recent calls with Luca, she sounded tired. She even joked once, "Everyone in my world hates me anyway. Maybe I should just stay here."
Of course, Luca knew she didn't mean it. Every time she snuck off to spy on the Stacy family of this universe, she came back determined to return to her own father.
But back to the meeting.
Luca continued his Master Class in Bullshitting.
"Think about it. Before Gwen showed up, if someone webbed up a criminal and left them for the cops, you'd be scratching your heads, right?"
"Same logic here. A flamboyant thief with shrinking powers steals a spaceship. Why assume it's Pym?"
"Hank Pym isn't a small-time crook. If he stole a massive alien ship, he'd be doing it for research or to make a statement. He'd leave a trail. He's arrogant, not stupid. Would he really do something this petty and risk everything?"
The logic landed. The others nodded in agreement.
Of course, the implication was a headache for SHIELD.
If the suspect was a random multiverse traveler, SHIELD had zero data on them. No files, no history, no psychological profile. The investigation difficulty just jumped from "Hard" to "Nightmare."
Which was exactly what Luca wanted.
Seeing the dead end, Fury made the call.
"Fitz, Simmons. Tell Coulson... tell your team leader that his unit is taking over this investigation."
"I want results."
Fitz and Simmons exchanged pained looks. Being assigned an impossible case by the Director himself? Great.
But orders were orders.
As the meeting wrapped up, Tony stopped Luca before he could disconnect.
"Kid, don't forget the investment. Get your people to set up a meeting. I'll bring Pepper. We'll do it face-to-face."
"I didn't forget. Just saw you were busy blowing up Dark Elves. Didn't want to interrupt your fun."
"Brat. Alright, talk later."
---
Connecticut. The Aurantius Estate.
Luca let out a long sigh as the connection cut.
"I really am not cut out for dealing with spies."
Thank god for the Haro Mech avatar. If he had been there in person, Natasha or Fury might have read his micro-expressions and realized he was lying through his teeth.
"Well, I can't synthesize the spaceship anytime soon anyway. Sending SHIELD on a wild goose chase for 'multiverse thieves' is practically a public service."
Thinking this, Luca pulled the Hoi-Poi Capsule containing the compressed spaceship wreckage from his pocket.
He carefully placed the energy cube into a temperature-controlled, dry-storage safe.
The cube was stable, but water was its kryptonite. A few drops of moisture, and poof—a hundred-meter spaceship hull would materialize inside his house.
That wouldn't just blow his cover; it would flatten him and his mansion instantly.
"The blindfold test worked. Carrying heavy objects is easy. Next time, I should bring some large stone blocks or cars in capsule form. Throwing a truck at someone is a great combat tactic."
---
Time flew by.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
For Luca, life finally settled into a rhythm.
The "Second Battle of New York" had faded from the headlines, and no new world-ending threats had popped up.
But Luca was busy.
Aurantius Materials (the joint venture with Stark Industries) was officially incorporated. Tony's funding hit the bank account immediately.
Now came the grind: selecting a site, building the factory, manufacturing the specialized equipment. It was a lot of logistics.
On the other front, Aurantius Industries secured a massive contract with the NYPD for the "Arbiter" pistol (the Dominator).
The chaos in New York had forced the police's hand. With criminals getting their hands on Chitauri and Dark Elf tech, standard glocks were useless. The cops needed firepower that could put down an alien or a super-soldier.
Especially in Brooklyn.
The officers there had fought Frost Giants. They knew the terror of emptying a clip into a blue giant only to get swatted like a fly.
Rumor had it, the Brooklyn precinct captain had screamed at the procurement board during a budget meeting.
"If you tell my officers to go back out there with pea-shooters against ice monsters, the entire precinct will walk out tomorrow!"
So, the order came through. We need bigger guns. And Luca was happy to supply them.