King's Coming in Marvel

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A/N- Sorry it's now Sarah but Mike who got captured.

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Michael nodded. "At least he didn't die, but... I can't tell whether that's a blessing or a curse."

"Not dead? That's good news. Before, Clairvoyance's people kidnapped Mike's son to threaten him into handing over Coulson. We planned to exploit that, but they turned out to be more cunning than we expected. When the explosion happened, we thought Mike had..." Daisy trailed off, unable to continue.

"Been blown to ashes?" Michael completed her thought bluntly. "If it were an ordinary person, maybe. But Miused the Centipede Virus. While it's not as advanced as the Extremis Virus, it grants exceptional regenerative abilities. It wouldn't kill him."

"That's a relief," Daisy said, her tension easing. "Do you know where they are now? We need to rescue them quickly."

Michael hesitated. "I have a general idea of where Coulson is, so I'll take responsibility for finding him. As for Mike, I don't know his exact location, but I can guarantee he's not in immediate danger and will return eventually. That said, he may face trials that he needs to endure. Sometimes... these challenges are necessary for growth."

Privately, Michael guessed that Michael was probably disabled by now. Since it had already happened, intervening would make his suffering pointless.

"Trust me," Michael said solemnly. "I'll bring Coulson back."

His words reassured the team, and their tense faces relaxed as they instinctively believed him.

Afterward, Michael left to locate Coulson.

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An Abandoned Town

This deserted town, built in the 1940s for nuclear testing, had long since been abandoned. Its lifeless streets were surrounded by an endless expanse of desert, as if the place had been erased from the map and forgotten by time.

Here, Coulson was imprisoned.

Edison Po had been torturing him relentlessly, trying to break his will. Coulson, however, resisted, joking and deflecting their attempts to weaken his spirit. But things were about to take an unexpected turn.

A woman, Reina appeared suddenly. Not long after, Edison received a call from Clairvoyance. Moments later, Edison collapsed, dead from poisoning. Clairvoyance had decided Reina would take over and employ a different approach to uncover the mystery of Coulson's resurrection.

Reina was a shrewd and charismatic manipulator. She had a way of prying open the hidden vulnerabilities in others' minds with her words, exposing the cracks in their defenses.

She released Coulson from his restraints, offering him water and speaking to him in a disarmingly friendly manner. Her calm demeanor and probing questions worked at the edges of his iron will. Gradually, doubt began to creep in. Deep down, Coulson questioned whether his miraculous survival was real. Had he truly died? And if so, why was he still alive?

Under Reina's persuasion, Coulson reluctantly agreed to undergo a memory-stimulation procedure.

As the machine activated, Coulson's memories began to shift. His once-pleasant recollection of a tranquil healing massage on an island faded, replaced by an image of an operating room. His skull had been opened, and a machine was working on his exposed brain. Pain consumed him as the memories replayed his cries for mercy, his pleas for death to end the unbearable torment.

Reina observed in silence, noting every detail of his pained ramblings. She meticulously recorded the information Clairvoyance needed.

Suddenly, Reina felt a strange, inexplicable dread. Her instincts screamed of impending danger. Trusting her intuition, she left the room immediately.

Outside, she froze.

Standing before her was the one person she hoped never to encounter.

"Hello, Reina," Michael greeted her with a disarming smile. "We meet again."

Reina forced a smile, though it was anything but convincing.

"It seems Clairvoyance hasn't shown you their true face yet," Michael remarked. "But that's fine. As I told you before, I'll give you time and a chance. That offer still stands."

"Why?" Reina asked, her voice trembling with confusion. "Why would you let me go again?"

Michael studied her thoughtfully. "Why not? You have a unique charm. Perhaps I admire you. Perhaps I like you." He chuckled. "Despite everything, you're not truly evil. In this world, morality is rarely black and white. Justice depends on perspective."

Reina wasn't conventionally beautiful, but her charisma and enigmatic personality gave her an allure that grew over time. More importantly, Michael saw her potential and believed she posed no threat to him or his allies.

After a moment of hesitation, Reina turned and left, her survival a testament to Michael's strange mercy.

Inside the room, Michael found Coulson writhing in pain on the machine. He quickly shut it off and freed him.

"Enough," Michael said softly, helping Coulson off the device. "Some truths are better left buried. Knowing them won't change the past and may only bring more pain."

Coulson looked up at him weakly, his determination unwavering. "At least now... I know what happened."

Sighing, Michael supported Coulson as they exited the room. He enveloped them in a protective field of energy and flew out of the abandoned town.

No one expected Michael to return with Coulson so quickly. He had left just hours before and now was back, Coulson in tow. Though battered, Coulson's injuries were minor and would heal quickly. The mental scars from his ordeal, however, might take longer to mend. Regardless, the team's relief at his safe return was palpable.

Coulson, now fully aware that Michael was alive, began investigating his whereabouts. Unfortunately, his efforts yielded no results.

Later, Daisy approached Michael as he prepared to leave.

"Are you heading back to the base?" She asked softly.

Michael nodded. "There's nothing left for me to do here. It's time to finish building the base. But before I go, there's one last thing I need to do."

"What's that?" Daisy asked curiously.

"Have dinner with a certain woman." Michael grinned. "I've already found a great restaurant. Now, I just need to see if this beautiful lady would accompany me for a candlelight dinner."

Daisy's face lit up with a smile. "I think she'd be delighted. And if... there's something more after dinner, she might like that too."

"Is that a hint?" Michael asked, sliding his arms around her waist.

Daisy shook her head, tracing circles on his chest. "No, dear. It's a promise."

Michael chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint her. If dinner doesn't lead to something more, that would be terribly unromantic of me."

Some things were better addressed directly, he thought. After all, as the saying went: Pick flowers while they bloom, or you'll be left with barren branches.