Marvelous Mutations

The President's fear only grew stronger by the second.

It wasn't the massive helicarrier looming in front of him.

It wasn't even the three humans standing nearby, although they each radiated a unique kind of pressure.

No, what truly terrified him… was the dog.

That dog was staring at him like it hadn't eaten in days, its green-glowing eyes burning with an unsettling, ravenous hunger.

The President couldn't stop his brain from short-circuiting.

Why was a dog looking at him like he was a juicy steak?

And why were its eyes glowing?

He didn't even register how absurd the thought was, that a dog wanted to eat him.

Weren't dogs supposed to be man's best friend?

At that moment, the young man in the middle stepped forward, his voice calm and clear.

"Mr. President, we're from S.H.I.E.L.D. We're here to rescue you."

As Luke spoke, Wanda raised her hand, releasing a wave of scarlet energy.

The chains binding the President shattered instantly, clattering to the ground as his body lifted from the floor, suspended mid-air by her power.

The moment he felt the chains that were preventing him from falling snap, panic lit up in the President's eyes.

Despite his access to top-secret intel and knowledge of extraordinary individuals and technologies, experiencing this power firsthand still shook him.

Luke's mention of "S.H.I.E.L.D." gave him some comfort, but the woman levitating him like a sack of potatoes didn't seem very reassuring.

Wanda's expression remained impassive as she flicked her wrist, and the President was unceremoniously tossed onto the deck of the helicarrier.

He hit the floor with a loud thud and landed on his rear.

Luke, far more polite, stepped forward quickly to help him up.

"Careful there," Luke said kindly as he grabbed the President's arm and gently helped him to his feet.

He even began removing the War Machine armor the President had been awkwardly strapped into.

Wanda, watching this display, rolled her eyes. She clearly didn't regard this greasy politician highly.

"I'm going down to play," she muttered.

Before Luke could react, she leapt off the helicarrier's deck.

The President let out a strangled gasp and lurched forward to the railing.

"Oh my God!"

He peered over the edge. Even though the helicarrier was flying relatively low, it was still at least twenty meters above the ground.

A fall from this height could be fatal!

But Wanda didn't fall like a normal human. She flipped mid-air, then her figure was suspended by pulses of red light.

He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

"This woman… she's something else," he whispered.

Just then, Sharon's eyes shimmered with silver light and turned her head toward Luke.

He met her gaze, then gave a casual wave of permission.

"Go. Have fun."

In a flash, lightning cracked from the sky and struck Sharon's outstretched arm.

Clutching Mjölnir, she followed Wanda and jumped off the deck.

The President clutched his chest. "W-What?!"

His heart raced as he stared at the sky and then back at the edge.

Were all women these days superheroes?

He was starting to feel like an extra in a blockbuster movie.

He barely had time to catch his breath before yet another shock struck him.

Just as he turned to speak with Luke, perhaps to express his gratitude, maybe just to stabilize his nerves, the husky sitting at Luke's feet suddenly took off running.

"Hey! Be careful!" the President shouted, extending his arm in alarm.

He didn't want to see the poor dog meet a gruesome end.

The husky was cute, a bit too fat, yes, but charming in its own odd way.

Still, it didn't look like the type that could survive a twenty meters fall from a flying fortress.

Unlike the flying women, this dog looked entirely too normal!

But Doggo didn't stop.

He just turned his head slightly, his green-glowing eyes locking onto the President with what could only be described as disdain.

Then, with a simple hop, he leapt from the deck.

Unfortunately, his chubby frame worked against him.

His back legs clipped the edge, sending him into a spinning tumble mid-air.

The President's eyes widened in horror as he rushed to the edge.

He looked down just in time to see Doggo plummet like a cannonball toward the earth below.

Boom!

A muffled crash echoed through the pier.

It was the sound of fat impacting concrete.

The President instinctively covered his eyes. "Oh no… poor dog."

But then, something unexpected drifted up from below.

A bark.

A very much alive bark.

He slowly lowered his hand and peeked over the edge again.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

Doggo was getting up.

The fat husky, clearly shaken but very much not dead, was wobbling upright.

Then… his body began to glow.

Green light wrapped around him like a second skin as his form began to transform into something… monstrous.

The President was dumbfounded.

Today felt like a hallucination.

He took a few shaky steps back from the railing, trying to collect himself.

At least Luke was still here. A normal person. A perfectly normal human being.

He took a deep breath. He was the leader of the freest country in the world. He had to keep it together.

A grateful smile returned to his face.

"Thank you for saving me, brave young man," he said warmly, patting Luke on the shoulder.

Luke gave a modest, almost bashful smile. "It was nothing, Mr. President. Just doing my duty as a citizen of this country."

That answer made the President's eyes light up with approval.

"Well said! When I return to the White House, I will personally award you the Medal of Honor!"

The Medal of Honor, America's highest military decoration, given only to those who had made tremendous contributions to the country.

But Luke's face didn't light up at all.

No joy.

Not even a bit of pride.

Just… a narrowing of the eyes.

The Medal of Honor? That's all he had to offer?

A piece of metal for saving his corrupted ass?

Meanwhile, the President, completely unaware of Luke's thoughts, turned toward the horizon.

"Let's head back to the White House!"

He puffed out his chest, fully embodying the role of President once more.

He waved a hand grandly as if giving a command, expecting Luke to obey immediately.

As far as he was concerned, a medal was more than enough reward. This boy should be thrilled.

Those superpowered women and the weird dog? Let them keep playing hero and fighting the terrorists.

He had real things to do, important things.

Luke, the "obedient young man," should now escort him back to his throne.

But after a few seconds of silence, the President noticed something was off.

There was no movement at all.

The helicarrier didn't move an inch.

He turned to Luke again.

And this time, the young man was smiling, but not like before.

It wasn't the same friendly smile.

It actually was kind of unsettling.

"Why don't I take you to my little shop first?" Luke said, eyes gleaming. "I want you to meet another friend of mine before we go to the White House."

…