Marvelous Mutations

[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for meeting one of Marvel's core protagonists, Captain America Steve Rogers, for the first time. 2 plot points obtained.]

As soon as Luke stepped into the room, the familiar system notification echoed in his mind.

Finally, he thought with a grin, the golden goose of plot points.

His eyes landed on the man sitting by the window.

Even without the star-spangled uniform, Steve Rogers looked iconic, tall, broad-shouldered, with clear blue eyes and that unmistakable calm beneath the confusion.

He looked nearly identical to his movie counterpart, though his blond hair was more like the comic version. But his expression made it clear, he was still slightly dazed.

After waking up from seventy years of ice, the world had moved on without him. His friends were dead, his time was gone, his old life a fading echo. The sleek tech, the city noise, the rapid-fire pace of the modern world, everything must feel like a dream he hadn't woken from.

Steve barely reacted when Luke and Sharon entered. He'd seen too many new faces over the last few days to care much about another one.

Luke didn't waste time.

After the usual greetings and polite nods, he went straight to the point.

"You want to see Peggy Carter, right?"

Steve's head lifted slightly. He nodded.

Of course he did. If there was anyone left in this unfamiliar world who might ground him, she was it.

Luke gave a soft smile. "Let's go, then. I'll come along. Peggy Carter's kind of my idol, I don't want to miss the chance to meet her too."

Steve gave a grateful smile, clearly not minding the company as long as he could see her.

Sharon, however, raised an eyebrow in silence. Wait… wasn't Captain America supposed to be his idol? she wondered. Luke had said that just minutes ago.

But now, standing in front of the real thing, Luke had shown zero signs of excitement, no stammering, no sparkle in his eye. Instead, he was focused on her aunt.

Sharon stared at Luke suspiciously, but said nothing.

…

As the trio made their way through the S.H.I.E.L.D. corridors, they suddenly saw Agent Coulson dash past them in a blur, his usual calm expression replaced with urgency. He didn't even glance at Steve, which was extremely unlike him, considering he was the captain's biggest fanboy.

That alone told Luke something serious was up.

Right after, several other agents rushed past, one after the other.

Luke frowned and leaned toward Sharon. "Can you find out what's going on?"

Sharon quickly flagged down one of the running agents. "What's happening?"

Recognizing her status, the agent paused for a split second to respond.

"Something's wrong at Stark Industries. I heard Obadiah Stane is conducting illegal research, possibly weaponized tech. Coulson's been sent to investigate."

Then he disappeared down the hall.

Sharon looked puzzled, Steve indifferent, after all, it didn't concern them.

But Luke's expression lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

The climax of Iron Man I… it's finally here!

Iron Man versus Iron Monger.

One of the foundational fights of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And this time, Luke was close enough to watch it unfold in person.

Even better? Major plot points were practically guaranteed.

This is it, Luke thought. This is where I level up!

He turned to Sharon, eyes gleaming. "Let's go! We have to check it out!"

Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand and bolted for the exit.

"Wha…Wait…Luke?" Sharon blurted out in surprise.

Behind them, Steve blinked. "What about Peggy?"

He had no clue where she was, he was relying on Luke for that.

Luke called back without stopping. "We'll go see her later, I promise!"

Steve clenched his jaw. You're the one who said we were going now…

But left alone in a strange building, with no one else to follow, he sighed and sprinted after them.

Might as well see what was going on.

…

Outside, the Camaro roared like a caged beast as Luke swung the door open, slammed the ignition, and floored the gas.

The car peeled off into the night, the tires screeching and the city lights reflecting off its bright yellow paint.

Steve flinched, grabbing the passenger-side handle like it might save him.

He had faced Nazi bombs, alien artifacts, and the freezing depths of the Arctic.

But never rode a car this fast, and the fact he wasn't the one behind the wheel terrified him.

"Is this even legal?" he shouted over the roar of the engine.

"Don't worry, I have plot armor!" Luke yelled back.

Sharon didn't say anything, just sat in the passenger seat, still holding the hand Luke had grabbed with a silly, dazed smile on her face.

Steve noticed and frowned. What's going on between those two… and plot armor, what is that, could it be some new material?

He kept a firm grip on the door and prayed they didn't crash.

…