Chapter 174: A Suspicious Company

Words : 1015 Updated : Oct 4th, 2025

Gene was inside his lab, inscribing intricate magical glyphs. Over the past few months, he had been studying the control mechanics behind the Eye of Agamotto and was now attempting to design magical spells that could allow him to manipulate the other two Infinity Stones he currently possessed. Honestly, Gene had to admit—he held a deep admiration for the first Sorcerer Supreme, Agamotto. The man had not only created the Eye of Agamotto but had also left behind a complete system of spells to control its power. It was a genius-level achievement—using arcane magic to fully unleash the might of the Time Stone. Even with all his advanced knowledge, Gene had only managed to develop a few basic-level incantations—just enough to perform rudimentary control over his other two Infinity Stones. Reaching the level of precision and integration Agamotto achieved with his Eye… that was still a long road ahead. Just then, a voice interrupted him. "Busy, Sir?" Gene didn't pause. "What is it?" "I'm sorry to disturb you," said Skynet, its tone carrying a rare hint of apology. "But I've discovered several suspicious emails in Tony Stark's inbox. The contents are strange… they seem to be warnings. I traced the sender, but they're extremely well-hidden. All I could dig up is a company—'Hansen Corp.'" As it spoke, Skynet projected a holographic screen in front of Gene with all the information it had found. "Hansen Corp, huh?" Gene rubbed his chin. "Never heard of it." "Shall I proceed with a deeper investigation?" "No need. I'm not interested in playing detective." Gene waved it off. "Let the professionals handle this one." __ Jessica Jones had been working with S.W.O.R.D. for a few months now, and honestly, it still felt like a dream. How the hell did someone like her—someone who hated hassle—end up here? By her own words: "Life is a steaming pile of crap, and just when you think it can't get worse, there's always something even grosser underneath." She had once tried to use her powers to help people. But after that incident… she'd lost her illusions. And yet, here she was—in S.W.O.R.D. Maybe it was something about what Gene Mason had said to her. Maybe deep down, even if she wouldn't admit it, part of her still wanted to help people. Otherwise, she wouldn't be standing in front of Hansen Corp. right now. Her latest assignment from the boss: investigate the company in any way possible. She'd grumbled, sure—but here she was, following the orders. She didn't have much of a choice. Before joining S.W.O.R.D., Jessica's finances were... abysmal. She hadn't paid rent in full for months. But now, Gene paid her handsomely—at least enough that she no longer had to worry about being evicted. "Hmph... what a vague-ass assignment," Jessica muttered, staring up at the Hansen Corp. building sign. Gene's exact words had been: "Investigate anything suspicious about this company." Seriously? That was the most ambiguous directive she'd ever heard. Still, she was on the clock. She'd done some digging already—on the surface, Hansen Corp. was just another faceless startup in New York. Dozens of companies popped up or folded in the city every day. But the CEO, a man named Carl Hansen, raised some serious red flags. For one, the guy was a multimillionaire with zero social footprint. No connections. No partnerships. No photos. No parties. That... was weird. And Jessica knew weird. That's why she decided to meet Mr. Hansen in person. __ "Miss, is there something I can help you with?" asked the attractive receptionist, flashing a professional smile. "Yes," Jessica replied. "I'm Will Witherson. I have an appointment with Mr. Hansen. We scheduled it in advance." The receptionist frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Hansen is currently out. He's... been traveling frequently for work." "Oh, well, can I maybe—?" Suddenly, Jessica's instincts kicked in. From the moment she stepped through the door, every single person in the lobby had their eyes locked on her. The workers. The guy at the water cooler. Even the receptionist. They were all watching her like she was an alien intruder. Yep. Something's definitely wrong. "Oh, never mind," Jessica said quickly, changing her tone. "I must've mixed up the date. I'll get in touch with Mr. Hansen directly. Thanks anyway." She stepped into the elevator, smile fading the moment the doors shut. There was no way she could submit a report that just said: "This place feels shady as hell." She needed evidence. And she was going to get it her way. __ As a seasoned private investigator, Jessica had more than a few tricks for sneaking into corporate buildings. She ducked into a nearby bookstore on the ground floor, used brute strength to shove aside a bookshelf, and with a surge of raw power, smashed open the side wall of the elevator shaft. Hansen Corp. occupied the top three floors of the 28-story building. The elevator she was now eyeing was reserved for top-level executives. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding," Jessica murmured, adrenaline surging. With a running leap, she jumped onto the top of the elevator car and began climbing toward the rooftop level. At the top, she pried open the shaft doors and entered the highest floor of Hansen Corp. Time to raid Carl Hansen's office. Whoever he was, people always left traces in their workspace—notes, files, devices. Jessica intended to find them. __ Suddenly, a shrill alarm sounded. Security guards appeared exactly where she needed to go—like they were waiting. And they were armed. Worse, they weren't panicking. They were calm. Professional. Watching her with focused, cold eyes. One of them even held a baton crackling with electric blue arcs. How the hell did they know?! Jessica scowled. This mission was about to get a lot more complicated. -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics

Chapter 174: A Suspicious Company

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