Marvelous Mutations

The moment Sharon entered the garage and saw Nick Fury slumped beside the Camaro, her calm expression shattered.

His clothes were torn, his face pale and battered, and blood stained the collar of his coat. For someone of his caliber, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., this wasn't just unexpected. It was incredibly alarming.

Sharon rushed forward, gripping his arm to steady him. "What the hell happened to you sir?" she asked, but Fury didn't answer. He just gave her a grim nod, allowing her to guide him inside.

Once they stepped into the warmth of the store, some of the tension visibly left Fury's shoulders. He wasn't safe yet, but at least he was no longer out in the open.

Sharon stole a glance at his face. There was something off in his eyes, a strange, conflicted look that made her pause. He seemed to want to say something, yet held it in.

He stared at her a moment longer, then sighed heavily as he dropped into a chair.

"Hey..." he muttered, almost to himself.

Sharon raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She poured him a glass of water, fetched the first aid kit, and began treating his injuries with the cool precision of a trained agent.

She was good at this. Years of training and experience had taught her how to handle wounds like these. And besides, this was one of the reasons Fury had come here, he trusted her, and she could at least patch him up.

Still, that look he'd given her hadn't gone unnoticed.

In truth, Fury's mind was a mess. He hated the idea that Sharon might be romantically involved with Luke, but he had no authority over her anymore, not professionally, and certainly not personally. Yet when he looked into her eyes just now, he couldn't help but feel like an old-school father from a different era.

He slumped a little more in the chair. This must be the generation gap, he thought. 'Kids these days... Doing everything so fast, so open minded...'

A few minutes later, footsteps echoed from the stairs.

Luke appeared at the top, yawning as he looked down. When his eyes fell on Fury, he stopped mid-step, stunned.

It wasn't Fury's condition that shocked him, it was the unmistakable resemblance to a scene from the movies. A memory surfaced: Fury, wounded and gasping, appearing in Captain America's apartment after escaping an assassination attempt.

It clicked immediately.

Pierce must have made his move.

Just then, a familiar chime echoed in Luke's head.

[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for participating in Marvel's core plot: "Attack on Nick Fury." 1 plot point obtained.]

Only one point?

He smiled ruefully. It made sense. After all, he hadn't actually done anything. No bullets dodged, no fights fought. Just seen the aftermath.

Even so, that brought him to a total of 16 plot points.

He descended the stairs casually, hands in his hoodie pockets.

"Will he live?" He asked, gesturing lazily at Fury as he passed Sharon.

Sharon gave him a side glance. "It's nothing fatal. Just some bleeding, well, a lot of bleeding. But nothing he can't recover from."

Luke nodded, then reached behind the counter to drag out his favorite gaming chair. He placed it opposite Fury, leaned back, and crossed one leg over the other with total ease.

Fury stared at him, flabbergasted.

"You're not shocked at all?" he asked, incredulous. "You see me show up looking like this and you just... sit down?"

Luke scratched behind his ear. "What's there to be shocked about? Someone tried to kill you. Happens. It's happened to me too." He tilted his head slightly. "You're here for shelter, right?"

Fury blinked. That was... direct. But accurate.

He sighed. "Consultant Yale, you won't turn me away, will you?"

His tone was unusually respectful. Even Sharon looked up in surprise.

Luke chuckled, catching her glance and giving her a reassuring smile. He knew she respected Fury, and that she didn't want to be stuck choosing between the two of them.

"Turn you away? Come on, man. We're friends, aren't we?" he said sincerely. "Friends don't leave each other out in the cold."

Fury finally relaxed, his shoulders sagging with relief. For the first time since escaping death, he felt safe.

Still, something tugged at him. He glanced at the medical supplies next to him.

"...Should I pay for these bandages?" he asked, suddenly hesitant.

Luke blinked. That threw him off.

He'd been hoping to earn a favor, not a couple of bucks. It wasn't even about the supplies, it was about goodwill.

He frowned slightly and turned his head to glance at the Lucky Cat statue sitting behind the register and waving its paw tirelessly.

With a sigh, he muttered, "Go away. We're not making money today."

The words hung in the air for a beat.

Sharon blinked in confusion. Fury just stared.

Was Luke talking to... a statue?

Fury looked at Luke. Then the cat. Then Luke again.

'Wait.'

'Why did I feel so strongly about paying just now?'

The feeling had seemed completely natural a moment ago. But now?

Fury frowned. Something strange was going on in this store.

Something very strange.

…