Lorraine’s heart prickled with unease. Had she been sold off? Traded like cargo for SSR’s benefit? Was this the grim fate of a spy? She wanted to scrub her hand raw with soap to erase Su Ming’s touch.
But she couldn’t. She forced a smile. "Thank you."
Su Ming watched her, amused.
He’d chosen Lorraine because, frankly, she and Peggy were the only female agents he knew. Lorraine could be a bit scatterbrained and wasn’t as bold as Peggy, but she’d been trained in combat, shooting, driving—the works.
With orphans of both genders coming to Legacy Academy, Su Ming didn’t want Hamir turning the girls into muscle-bound warriors like so kind of Nezha. Training thods for girls would differ, and that ant a female teacher was essential.
So, Su Ming made a deal. A civilized one, of course—call it a "transfer." Wilson Enterprises would supply the military with substantial goods during the war. Didn’t that warrant a liaison to coordinate? If shipnts or accounts went awry, who’d take the bla? Su Ming’s side would deliver weekly, so the military better handle it.
Why not annual shipnts? Simple: Wilson Enterprises dealt in food, including new instant als in plastic bags with short shelf lives. No deal, no donations.
Officially, Lorraine was assigned to oversee Wilson’s shipnts. But once she was in his employ, the military had no say in how he used her.
Su Ming planned to station her at Legacy Academy, training the young girls into capable agents. Even if so proved unfit for combat and beca clerks, they’d still need to know how to shoot and fight.
As for her loyalty? Su Ming had a plan. Even in London’s grimy sewers, Lorraine was dolled up—lipstick, stockings, figure intact, spritzed with Wilson’s latest perfu. His salary would dwarf SSR’s, and at the right mont, he’d offer her anti-aging serums. Compared to a military that traded her for instant noodles, she’d know which side to pick.
In the original tiline, Lorraine spent over 50 years as a desk jockey for SSR and later SHIELD, retiring alone. She was close with Peggy Carter, often caring for Peggy’s orphaned niece, Sharon, during missions. Sharon saw Lorraine as a mother and friend, closer than her aunt. Much of what Sharon—future Agent 13—learned ca from Lorraine, including tales of Peggy, herself, and Captain Arica. That hero worship led Sharon to beco Steve’s girlfriend.
Lorraine’s original fate was bleak. Su Ming decided to rewrite it. Teaching at his school offered better pay, status, and safety than serving coffee at SSR. Post-war, even Peggy, a decorated veteran, was reduced to grunt work in a society that sidelined won, no matter their skill.
"No need to thank ," Su Ming said, releasing her hand. "I need a female instructor."
Lorraine’s panic spiked. A rich man needing a "teacher"? In Arica, that often ant "mistress." Civil War generals had brought "tutors" to battlefields—file readers by day, script readers by night.
Before she could spiral, Phillips, sensing the misunderstanding, jumped in. "Wilson Enterprises built a comprehensive school on Long Island. A real school."
Lorraine exhaled. "Understood, sir."
"I’ll take my leave," Su Ming said, adjusting his coat. "My company’s got business here in the UK, and I need to et with our local reps." To Lorraine, he added, "No students yet, so take your ti packing and saying goodbyes. A few days won’t hurt."
"I’ll arrange an escort," Phillips said, shaking Su Ming’s hand with a grin.
"Don’t worry, Colonel. The new fruit cans and mosquito nets I promised? SSR gets priority—straight to London by plane."
"Thank you."
"No need for thanks. It’s for the country, right?"
"For the country," Phillips echoed.
They both laughed.
Escorted out of SSR’s hidden sewer entrance, Su Ming didn’t head to any company eting. Wilson Enterprises had a London office, but Garth handled those details—Su Ming didn’t know the staff. Instead, he retrieved his gear from Kamar-Taj and soared to Germany to investigate the Infinity Formula.
Hydra was everywhere in occupied territory, but their bases were elusive. The fanatics would rather die than talk, leaving Su Ming with no leads. Reluctantly, he detoured to Paris for a friendly chat with the resistance leader. A few packs of cigarettes bought him a tip: a rumored Hydra base on Corsica.
It was an island, so the resistance couldn’t verify it. Su Ming went anyway.
After a bloody slog through the base, he found no serums or Infinity Formula—just a small stash of blue energy cells in a warehouse. The base was a low-priority armory, far from the front lines.
He pocketed a few cells for his Adjutant to study. Chasing more Hydra bases was a waste of ti. Instead, he decided to head to Russia for the Leech Serum—and maybe so students.
Reviews
All reviews (0)