With Li Ming joining the team, the rescue plans devised by Coulson and the others became absurdly simple. Li Ming's eyelids twitched as he read them, marveling at how their creativity had reached levels even Earth couldn't contain.
For example, one plan, crafted by Melinda, suggested waiting for the moon to rise before she infiltrated Ian Quinn's home wearing Loki's mask. Using the enhanced senses granted by the mask, she would locate Dr. Halliburton.
And with the mask concealing her identity, even if Ian Quinn spotted her, so what? Who's ever seen a green-headed human, let alone one with superpowers?
Even if Ian Quinn took photos of green-headed Melinda, he'd have no way to explain it to the public.
The operation wouldn't trace back to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Honestly, Li Ming's first reaction after reading the plan was to smack it against Melinda's face and ask, "Lady, what kind of werewolf are you? Why wait for the moon to rise before transforming?"
Then there was Coulson's plan.
His idea was to skip the rescue mission entirely and have Li Ming summon the genie from the magic lamp to wish Dr. Halliburton back onto the command plane.
To prevent misuse of the lamp, Coulson even suggested letting Skye make the wish.
Was this a joke? If the lamp ended up in Skye's hands, Li Ming would bet a crate of spicy strips that she'd wish to find her family.
Sure, she'd locate them—only to discover her father prone to fits of madness and her mother hellbent on revenge against society. How would Skye react then?
She'd probably blame the wish for making her family dysfunctional...
The most sensible plan came from Fitz and Simmons.
They proposed that Li Ming and Ward enter stealth mode, open a teleportation door to Ian Quinn's home, locate Hall and the Gravity Orb, then teleport back to the command plane.
The reason Ward, the combat specialist, couldn't go alone? Fitz explained that no one but Li Ming should handle the Gravity Orb.
That thing was too dangerous—only a mage could manage it. Ward wouldn't stand a chance.
But Li Ming refused to team up with Ward. The kid was already on Mephisto's radar—who knew if bad luck would rub off on him too?
After reviewing all the plans, Li Ming crumpled them into balls and tossed them into the trash right in front of Coulson. "Dude, can we not mess around like this?"
Rubbing his temples in frustration, Li Ming pulled Coulson aside and whispered, "Have you thought about the side effects of Melinda using the mask? The supply of Fountain of Youth water in my hands is running low, and I don't want to waste a single drop unnecessarily. As for the genie, believe me, once it finds out about your connection to me, its first reaction won't be to flatter you but to scheme against you."
The Fountain of Youth water is running low? The genie has a grudge against Austin? Coulson frowned slightly, then smiled gently and asked, "What do you suggest we do?"
Li Ming tilted his head in thought before shrugging. "Why bother with plans? I'll just take you straight to control Ian Quinn. Once we have him, not only can we find out where Halliburton is, but I can even make him obediently tell you the password to his home safe."
As soon as Li Ming finished speaking, Melinda's voice came over the aircraft intercom: "Coulson, we've arrived above Ian Quinn's location."
"Made up your mind?" Li Ming crossed his arms and asked nonchalantly, "If you agree to my plan, I'll fly you straight to Ian Quinn right now."
"Fly?" Coulson asked curiously. "On your Dark Cloud?"
"What else?" As he spoke, Li Ming pulled out the Dark Cloud from his satchel and patted it, winking. "Want to give it a try?"
Coulson didn't hesitate, immediately climbing onto the Dark Cloud with a laugh. "Looks like I'll have to write another 'flight experience' report afterward."
"Heh," Li Ming gave a fake chuckle, cast an invisibility spell on Coulson, then transformed into black mist and flew out of the airborne command center, drifting leisurely toward the former Prime Minister's residence of Malta below.
Coulson was puzzled. He hadn't seen the Dark Cloud at full speed, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s equipment had previously detected its flight velocity.
Why was it moving so slowly now? How was he supposed to report this to Fury? Should he write that the Dark Cloud's speed was comparable to an oxcart, and that the fast-moving object S.H.I.E.L.D. had detected before wasn't the Dark Cloud but one of Stark's toys?
"Austin, can't we go any faster?" Coulson asked, perplexed.
Li Ming scoffed dismissively. "Do you think your frail body could handle high-speed winds? The instant acceleration alone would fling you right off—believe me."
Fling him off? Did that mean the Dark Cloud had rapid acceleration? Coulson nodded thoughtfully—at least now he had something to write in his report.
After what felt like an eternity, Coulson and Li Ming finally landed in Ian Quinn's garden.
Coulson glanced at the patrolling bodyguards. Though he knew he was invisible, he still felt a twinge of nervousness and cautiously whispered, "How do we find Ian Quinn?"
Li Ming scratched his head, said "Watch this," then kicked open the mansion door while dragging Coulson along, shouting, "Ian Quinn, your mom's calling you home for dinner~" After yelling, Li Ming turned to observe the movements of the bodyguards inside and said, "See? Just follow the bodyguards to find the owner of the house. Simple enough, right?"
Coulson's lips twitched. Following the bodyguards would indeed lead them to Ian Quinn, but what about the group of bodyguards surrounding him then? Wipe them all out?
I should never have believed Austin could be reliable for even a day, Coulson sighed inwardly. As he followed the hurried bodyguards, he whispered a reminder, "Austin, we're here to rescue someone."
Coulson pointed to the communicator in his ear, indicating he was still connected to the airborne command center. Skye and the others on the plane would know immediately what the two of them were up to. He added, "Planning to demonstrate how to kill people with magic?"
"You're overthinking it," Li Ming replied, catching Coulson's implied warning not to display violence and gore in front of the kids.
In the past, Li Ming might not have cared—kill them if necessary, so what?
But the current Li Ming understood the importance of maintaining moral boundaries, especially while regularly drinking God-brand wheat beer.
Not that he'd learned to respect life, but he knew as long as Ian Quinn didn't provoke him, he wouldn't kill indiscriminately.
It was almost laughable—living in a relatively peaceful era where the baseline of human decency was simply not killing people...
How utterly messed up...
Soon, the two followed the bodyguards into a room and found Ian Quinn surrounded by his security detail.
Coulson pointed to his earpiece, took a silent step back, and gestured for Li Ming to begin his performance.
Li Ming shrugged, snapped his fingers lightly a few times, and walked straight toward the motionless Ian Quinn. Hoisting the petrified man over his shoulder, he headed for the door and said, "Let's go. Find a quiet spot to ask this guy how many mines his family owns."
Coulson stared blankly at the frozen bodyguards in the room. Curious, he checked one's nostrils and confirmed they were still breathing before following Li Ming out. "What kind of spell is this? Much more convenient than Fitz's 'Sweet Dreams' cobra venom—at least there's no gunfire."
"Petrification spell. Superficially, it's time-limited and non-lethal," Li Ming replied with a hint of pride. "But if I cast it at full power, those unlucky bodyguards would take months to recover. By then, the first thing they'd do upon waking is gnaw on their belts and shoes, starving and seeing green.
"Coulson frowned, considering whether to call the hospital after taking Halliburton away, when Li Ming spoke up: "Relax, I didn't cast the spell at full power. They'll recover in a day, and I specifically altered their memories to make them think they passed out from inhaling some kind of nerve gas."
As he spoke, Li Ming kicked open a door, transformed himself and Coulson into the likeness of Johnny Blaze, then lifted the petrification from Ian Quinn.
While Coulson was still puzzled over how his black suit had turned into a leather jacket, Li Ming, with his piercing eyes, lowered his voice and growled, "Boy, hell's watching you."
Seeing Li Ming in Johnny Blaze's form, Coulson couldn't help but twitch his lips. He pulled Li Ming aside and asked, "Mr. Quinn, where is Dr. Franklin Halliburton?"
Ian Quinn was no stranger to high-stakes situations. Hearing Coulson's words, he instantly realized S.H.I.E.L.D. had come knocking. Straightening his collar, he smiled and said, "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. If you're here for money, I can pay you a million dollars each. If you're willing to be my bodyguards, I can offer you two hundred thousand a year, plus bonuses."
"Do we look like we need a million dollars?" Li Ming had no patience for Ian Quinn's nonsense. Mid-sentence, he directly extracted the man's memories.
Moments later, having discovered that Halliburton was hiding in the mansion's basement, Li Ming swung a chop at Ian Quinn's neck, intending to knock him out the old-fashioned way.
Unfortunately—
Li Ming awkwardly glanced at Ian Quinn, who was clutching his neck and groaning in pain, then at Coulson's amused smirk. Defiantly, he said, "Laugh all you want. I found Halliburton. Hurry up and silence this guy."
Ian Quinn, who had been moaning in pain, suddenly fell silent as if an invisible hand had seized his throat, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at Li Ming.
He couldn't understand—how had the man figured out Hall's location without him saying a word? And—
Wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. supposed to avoid killing? Why was he suddenly the exception?
As Ian Quinn fought back tears, Coulson turned a stern face to Li Ming and asked, "Where's the doctor?"
Li Ming pointed downward. "This idiot bought the Prime Minister's mansion specifically because the basement was big enough for his experiments."
As an agent, Coulson knew that when people were frightened or emotionally shaken, their pupils would involuntarily react.
So when Li Ming outright stated that Halliburton was in the basement, Coulson kept a close watch on Ian Quinn's pupils and facial expressions.
Noticing the unnatural shift in expression and the dilation of his pupils, Coulson delivered a swift chop to Ian Quinn's neck, knocking him out.
With a snap of his fingers, Li Ming erased Ian Quinn's memories, then led Coulson toward the Gravity Orb—no, toward Halliburton.