Marvelous Mutations

Hearing the sudden voice echo through the garage, Nick Fury nearly jumped out of his skin.

What the hell?

He had scanned the garage thoroughly before entering, and there wasn't a sign of anyone. No heartbeat, no shadows, no breath. And yet, someone had just spoken to him.

His narrowed eye slowly turned toward the sleek, yellow Camaro parked in the corner.

His memory sparked. This car, he'd seen it before. Wasn't it the same vehicle that had spoken during the showdown between Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane?

Wait a minute...

Fury's voice was rough, skeptical. "You can talk?"

Before his disbelief could settle, the Camaro began to shift.

Metal plates slid, clicked, and folded with fluid, mechanical precision. Pistons hissed and gears churned as the entire car stood upright, transforming before his very eyes into a towering, humanoid robot.

Fury took a stunned step back, blinking rapidly.

The damn thing was real.

Standing tall and glowing in the dim garage light, Bumblebee looked down at him. His metal eyes scanned Fury calmly, almost curiously.

Even for someone who'd seen everything, Nick Fury was speechless.

This wasn't just a shapeshifting car. This was an incredibly advanced robot that apparently had some level of intelligence.

'If I had one of these,' Fury thought bitterly, 'I wouldn't be running for my life right now.'

Still stunned, he gathered his thoughts. "Why can't I go inside?" he asked. "I need to see Luke. It's urgent."

Bumblebee crouched slightly to meet him at eye level. "Because if you enter uninvited," he said in a firm, mechanical voice, "Doggo might eat you. He doesn't take kindly to strangers walking in without permission."

Fury flinched at the mention of Doggo. That ridiculous husky actually terrified him a little. Luke always joked about the dog being a big softie, but the way Doggo looked at people like they were chew toys? That was no joke.

"Okay… fair point," Fury muttered. "But I've been knocking for a while. Why hasn't anyone answered?"

Bumblebee's eyes glowed softly, and he gave a human-like shrug. "Doggo's fat. He doesn't exercise. He sleeps like a log and snores louder than a motorcycle. As for my master… well, he's probably too tired right now."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "Tired?"

The robot didn't elaborate, but his tone suggested it wasn't the kind of "tired" that meant sleeping on the couch.

Fury's jaw tightened. "Look, I'm seriously injured and running out of time. I need to speak with Luke… now."

Bumblebee gave him a long look. After a pause, he sighed and said, "Alright. I'll call the boss."

A light beeping echoed through the garage as Bumblebee initiated the call.

Fury watched, part amused, part amazed. "You can make phone calls too?"

Ten seconds later, Luke's groggy voice crackled through the speaker. "Hello? Who is it?"

"Boss, it's me, Bumblebee."

"Huh?"

"There's a one-eyed man here in the garage. Says he needs to see you."

"Huh?"

"It seems urgent. Should I let him in?"

"Huh?"

Fury's brow twitched. What was with the repeated "huhs"?

After a long pause, Luke's voice finally became clear.

"Sharon, get dressed and go downstairs to the garage. There's a one-eyed pirate that needs help."

Fury's face darkened. "One-eyed pirate?"

And before the call ended, he heard something else: a rustling sound, followed by a feminine voice.

"Ugh… I just sat down. He better be dying."

Fury froze.

That voice, was that… Sharon?

His eye twitched.

Wait… wasn't she supposed to be Luke's assistant?

Why did he hear her putting on clothes… in the same room as Luke?

A second female voice chimed in in a sleepy voice, "Mmm… Who is it at this hour? Don't they know people sleep at night?"

And now Wanda too?

Fury's jaw slowly unhinged.

No.

It couldn't be, isn't she supposed to be Luke's sister? Wait, they're not blood related...

Before he could react further, another voice echoed through the speaker.

"Waaah!"

Bumblebee, realizing the situation was spiraling fast, hurriedly cut the call. His yellow frame twitched awkwardly, like a kid who just walked in on something he wasn't supposed to see.

In the garage, silence fell.

Fury's face shifted from shock to confusion to barely-suppressed fury. He looked like a volcano moments away from eruption.

Upstairs in the grocery store…

Sharon threw on a coat and stepped out of the room, an unreadable expression on her face. Her pace was casual, almost smug. Her current hand of cards wasn't the best and someone just gave her the perfect excuse to walk away.

At the table, Wanda yawned and pointed a warning finger at Doggo. "Don't mess with my cards while I'm gone, got it? No peeking. We're finishing this game tomorrow."

Doggo, sitting upright in his chair like a gentleman, gave an obedient bark.

"Woof."

Fury, back in the garage, leaned against the wall and let out a heavy sigh.

Maybe he was better off out there with Hydra.

At least they didn't give him a headache this big.

…

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