On the other end of the line, Nick Fury froze. "...How did you know?"
His voice was low, almost disbelieving.
Alexander Pierce's promotion had just been finalized. Even most of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know yet.
Yet Luke not only knew, he called the man by na before Fury even said it.
A cold bead of sweat slid down Fury's temple.
'This kid... What is he?'
But on Luke's end of the line, there was no response.
Silence stretched, uneasy and thick.
"Luke?" Fury asked cautiously. "If you don't want to et him, I can take care of it. He's probably just curious... I'm not pressuring you."
He assud Luke had so kind of bad blood with Pierce. Perhaps a personal grudge?
Why else would he go completely quiet the mont the na was ntioned?
…
In the grocery store, Luke sat on the counter with the phone still pressed to his ear, a thoughtful frown etched across his face.
Did he have a conflict with Pierce? No… Not yet anyway.
He had no personal history with Alexander Pierce. He hadn't even t him in person.
But he did know the man's true identity.
Hydra's secret commander. Nick's old boss. The man who nearly collapsed S.H.I.E.L.D. from within…
The na Alexander Pierce was practically engraved in bold across every Marvel fan's mory. Luke knew exactly what kind of enemy he would beco.
Yet here and now, Pierce was still wearing his sheep's clothing.
And Luke?
He wasn't ready to start the fight.
Not yet.
But the plot points dangling from this man were far too tempting to ignore.
Luke's fingers drumd lightly on the countertop. He let out a slow breath and answered at last.
"It's fine. I'll et him. Just tell when."
His voice was calm, almost indifferent. But his eyes had a sharp, calculating gleam.
He wasn't about to warn Fury about Pierce, not yet. Even if he did, the director wouldn't believe him. And besides…
Where's the fun in exposing a villain too early?
On the phone, Fury let out a small sigh of relief.
"That's great. Should I have him co to your store, or would you prefer to et at headquarters?"
"Let him co here." Luke said firmly. "I rarely leave the grocery store."
What he didn't say was this: I'd be a fool to walk into a Hydra den willingly.
No, his store was probably the safest place on Earth right now.
Between Wanda, Sharon, Doggo, Bumblebee, and the mysterious Lucky Cat, this place was practically a fortress in disguise.
Even Thor had walked away with glitter on his cape and his hamr in soone else's hands. Luke wasn't worried about a middle-aged politician with secret world domination ambitions.
Fury, sounding more cheerful, replied, "Alright. I'll let him know."
Then, after a pause, he added, "And if you need anything, anything at all, just call ."
"Got it. I'll let you know."
Luke ended the call and slid the phone into his pocket.
But there was no ti to sit and wait.
He turned around and called out, "Wanda! Sharon! We're heading out. Now."
Both won erged quickly from the back room, eyes alert.
"Where to?" Wanda asked.
"Pier's warehouse. We've got a science experint to interrupt."
Sharon raised a brow. "Experint?"
"Extremis."
That was all Luke needed to say. Their expressions instantly sharpened.
…
As the front door swung open, Bumblebee's driver-side door opened automatically, gleaming under the sunlight.
Luke slid into the driver's seat while Wanda and Sharon climbed into the back.
But just before Luke could close the door…
"Woof!"
Doggo bounded over excitedly, tail wagging furiously, tongue lolling.
He hopped up with bright, eager eyes, hoping to tag along.
Luke stared blankly for a second. "Nope."
He pointed a firm finger back at the house.
"Stay. Guard the store. You're on house duty today."
Doggo's ears drooped dramatically as he whimpered and hopped back down.
The door slamd shut the mont his paw hit the pavent.
"Cruel." Sharon chuckled.
"Necessary, soone needs to guard the store." Luke replied, putting the car in gear.
They sped off toward the pier coordinates Fury had provided.
…
anwhile, at an abandoned warehouse
The air inside was hot and stale, filled with the scent of tal, oil, and sothing vaguely chemical.
Amid rusting crates and flickering lights, Aldrich Killian stood shirtless beside a tall tal console.
Sweat glead across his lean, scarred torso as he rolled up his sleeve.
Across from him stood a nervous woman with tied-back brown hair and a lab coat.
Dr. Maya Hansen.
"Killian… are you really going to do this?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
"You know it's not ready. The serum hasn't even passed animal testing…"
But Killian didn't flinch.
"Science always involves sacrifice," he said calmly. "And what better guinea pig than the one who built it?"
He smiled, cool and composed.
But sothing about his eyes, too still, too hungry, made Maya's stomach twist.
"It doesn't have to be like this," she urged, stepping forward. "If we test it gradually, optimize the virus…"
"There's no ti."
Killian's voice dropped, low and firm. He turned, facing her fully.
"I've waited long enough, Maya. Ten years in the dark. Ten years of watching Stark rise while I crawled through the ashes of rejection."
He could never forget how he almost killed himself that night, waiting long hours for Tony Stark only to be stood up in favor of taking a woman to bed.
He took a deep breath.
"I want this. I need this."
Maya hesitated, heart pounding.
She knew the risks, knew what Extremis could do to a body that rejected it.
Combustion. Instantaneous combustion.
"You know if your body reacts badly."
"Then you'll be here to scrape off the floor." Killian said with a tight grin.
His voice was joking, but his eyes were dead serious.
He extended his arm.
"Inject it. Now."
Maya stood frozen for a beat longer. Her hand trembled as she reached for the syringe.
"If this goes wrong…"
"Then let it go wrong," Killian whispered. "But if it goes right? Then today, we change the world, we will be pioneers in human evolution."
The mont stretched thin with tension.
And just as the needle hovered an inch from his skin…
VROOOM~!
The thunderous roar of a car engine echoed outside, tires screeching as sothing fast and loud pulled up to the warehouse entrance.
…
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