Ghosts.
They couldn't be detected by electronic devices.
Even spotting them with the naked eye was nearly impossible.
They could phase through walls, teleport at will, and wield high-tech gear—some of it even alien in origin.
With enemies like this… why had no one like them ever shown up in the MCU?
Kagura pondered over these so-called "Ghosts."
No, wait…
The silver-haired girl dug through her memories for everything she knew about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Actually, there was a similar character in the MCU.
Not a superpowered being, but a special human in a quantum superposition state—Ava Starr, better known as Ghost.
Now that she thought about it, the "Ghost Hijackers" Lila Barton mentioned bore a striking resemblance to Ava Starr.
Just like her, they were undetectable, could turn invisible, phase through solid matter, and teleport.
So does that mean these recent troublemakers wreaking havoc in New York—the "Ghost Hijackers"—were people with the same abilities as Ava?
Or even more intriguing… could Ava Starr herself be among them?
Ava, clad in a sleek white bodysuit, always appeared and disappeared like an actual ghost.
She was sexy, dangerous, and powerful—truly one of the MCU's most captivating characters.
Wow… if the real Ghost is involved, this might be even more interesting than she expected.
But something didn't add up.
According to Lila, there were multiple "Ghosts" stealing high-tech equipment all over New York and nearby cities.
That didn't fit the narrative.
Ava's abilities came from a freak accident in a quantum lab.
It shouldn't be possible for there to be more than one person like her.
Unless… someone found a way to mass-produce Ghosts?
But why would anyone want to mass-produce people with powers like hers?
The more Kagura thought about it, the more questions she had.
None of this could be solved by speculation alone. They'd have to face these "Ghosts" head-on.
At the end of the "Friendly Neighborhood New York Squad" meeting, Kagura looked at Lila and asked,
"So, big sister Lila, how do we find these 'Ghosts'?"
"Don't worry. They'll slip up eventually," Lila Barton replied with a confident smile, patting Kagura on the shoulder.
"I pulled a few strings and got partial access to Rhodes Industries' global detection network."
"With the data they provide—and a few tweaks of my own—we'll be able to pinpoint any 'Ghost' the moment they start moving."
"As soon as they show themselves, we'll track them down instantly!"
That sounded like a great plan.
'Wait—what?!'
'You got access to Rhodes Industries' global surveillance network?!'
'Are you out of your minds?!'
'You actually hacked into my company's network?!'
That's… that's insane!
Kagura was dumbfounded.
How did these brats manage to breach Rhodes Industries' security protocols?
Even Ultron couldn't crack that system!
How did the daughter of Hawkeye of all people break through Rhodes Industries' dynamic neural-network quantum encryption?!
No, wait… maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic.
Kagura calmed herself and glanced at the username on Lila's laptop.
———————————————————————
[Username: Hawkeye]
———————————————————————
Emmmmm...
This girl...
She just straight-up stole her dad's account, didn't she?
"…Anyway, we still need to monitor the Ghost Hijacker situation closely," Peter Parker concluded.
"They've started distributing alien tech to other criminals. If that spreads, things will get ugly fast. We have to catch every last one of them."
Looks like hunting down Ghosts would be the "Friendly Neighborhood Squad's" new mission.
And as far as Kagura was concerned, she was already neck-deep in the investigation.
Since it involved the security of Rhodes Industries' equipment and the safety of New York, she had no intention of letting this go unresolved.
Besides, these young heroes could use some support from a seasoned "senior" like her.
And if she got the chance to recruit some new talent into Griffin Security while she was at it? Even better.
———————————————————————
—Outskirts of New York City, an underground garage—
'Whoooosh—!'
'Boom—!'
The deafening roar of twin turbine engines shattered the silence.
High above, the reinforced skylight of a modified underground garage slowly slid open.
A silver-gray mechanical bird descended from the sky, landing with precision on the central platform.
'Zzzzt—clunk!'
Mechanical arms extended from all four corners of the platform, locking onto the wings and stabilizing the craft as its engines powered down with a mechanical hiss.
It was a fully mechanized wing-suit—hardcore sci-fi in every sense.
The armor was full-body, enhanced with advanced alien weapon systems, and fitted with a highly integrated HUD inside the helmet.
But the centerpiece, the true spectacle, was the enormous pair of metallic wings folded on its back.
Twin turbine engines powered these steel-like biomechanical wings, granting the wearer the freedom to soar effortlessly through the sky.
"You're back, boss. How'd the haul go today?"
An engineer in a grease-stained jumpsuit walked up from the shadows. "Heard some wannabe superheroes are poking their noses into our business. No trouble, I hope?"
"No problem. Those kids aren't a threat."
The wing-suit retracted with a mechanical hiss as a middle-aged man stepped off the platform—broad-shouldered, weathered, but calm.
"Rhodes Industries' transports are tough to hit as it is," he said. "And with that Spider punk interfering, I figured it was smarter to hit some of the other scheduled drop points."
As he spoke, the man—known by the alias Vulture—dropped a heavy duffel bag with a metallic thud.
"Plenty of tech companies are still playing with alien junk. And let me tell you, their security isn't half as tight as Rhodes Industries."
The engineer peeked inside the bag, inspecting the high-tech components.
"Let me guess… Stark Industries?"
The Vulture gave a knowing smile.
"Exactly. Stark Industries."
Just then, a flash of white light shimmered at the edge of the garage.
A sultry female voice echoed out from the shadows. "New inventory's in?"
"Miss Ghost," Vulture said, barely reacting.
He seemed more amused than surprised by the woman's sudden appearance. "We may be partners, but would it kill you to use the front door?"
"Doors," she tilted her head slightly, "don't mean anything to me."
Her voice was smooth, but carried an edge.
"I gather alien tech and high-grade materials for you. In exchange, I grant you the power of the 'Ghosts.' That's our deal. Everything else? Not my concern."
Vulture raised his hands in mock surrender. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, my friend. But things like quantum stabilizers aren't exactly lying around in street corners. These parts take time. And you, well, you'll need a little patience."
"I told you," Ghost said coldly, "I have plenty of time. And more patience than you think."
She stepped forward, her voice hardening. "But don't mistake that for weakness. You weapon smugglers might think of the 'Ghost' power as a gift…"
Her eyes glinted beneath her helmet. "…But for me? It's a curse. A painful one."
———————————————————————
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Go to p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters.