Outside the meeting room of S.H.I.E.L.D's newly built headquarters, Nick Fury stood alone in the corridor. The polished steel walls reflected the dim light, amplifying the silence around him. He held the phone tightly in his hand, his one good eye fixed on the screen as he waited for Luke's reply.
For a man who had faced alien invasions, world-ending threats, and even death itself, his hands shouldn't be trembling, yet they were.
He suddenly regretted it. Maybe he shouldn't have called Luke this time.
It wasn't the usual worry that Luke might refuse. No, this time his nerves came from the possibility that Luke would agree. Because if he said yes, then Fury knew, in some corner of his mind, that the price would not be small.
And what else could S.H.I.E.L.D possibly offer Luke?
Truthfully, nothing.
Apart from the Avengers, who technically weren't even bound to S.H.I.E.L.D anymore, the organization was little more than a shadow of its former self. Their resources had been gutted after Hydra's infiltration, their influence diminished. The helicarriers had once been their crown jewel, but the last one had been turned into Luke's… outrageous swimming pool.
Fury let out a humorless sigh. Was there anything left that Luke could possibly want? Anything that wouldn't feel like blackmail when he inevitably asked for it?
Although it wasn't technically blackmail, if he was being honest with himself, it always felt like it when it came to making deals with Luke.
…
On the helicarrier, Luke leaned back on the lounger, frowning faintly as he gazed at the endless stretch of clouds. His expression was calm on the surface, but his thoughts churned.
His sudden appearance in the Marvel world still gnawed at him, an inexplicable twist of fate that he hadn't unraveled yet. And then there was Wanda. Her childhood in the New York orphanage with him had been a mystery all its own, one that didn't align with what he knew of her story.
If Wanda's past had shifted so drastically, what about Pietro? Would he still be in that Hydra base as in the original timeline? Or had that too changed?
He didn't know. But he couldn't ignore it.
Wanda was his family now. And Pietro, whether Luke liked it or not, was part of her.
With that thought, Luke raised the phone to his ear and said flatly, "Alright. When will you leave? Send me the coordinates of the Hydra base."
On the other side, Nick Fury froze. He hadn't expected Luke to agree so quickly, or so cleanly. No bargaining, no sarcastic remarks. It was almost unnerving.
Recovering, Fury quickly promised to send the details before hanging up, and within seconds, Luke's phone buzzed with a message containing the departure time and the base's location.
…
Luke lowered the phone and turned his gaze back to the pool in the middle of the helicarrier deck. Wanda was splashing playfully with Sharon, her laughter echoing in the wind. For a moment, Luke considered telling her, but he stopped himself immediately.
He wanted to confirm first.
If Pietro was alive, telling her would bring joy beyond measure. But if it was nothing more than a false lead, it would only crush her. And Luke knew Wanda too well, he had seen her heart laid bare in the quiet nights of the orphanage. She might pretend to be strong, but deep down she longed for family.
"Wanda, Sharon, I'm going out," Luke called casually.
The two women, too busy with their game, only waved back in unison, their voices ringing faintly: "Mm-hm, be safe!"
Luke gave a small, wry smile. Typical.
Turning away, he walked toward Bumblebee's sleek, newly modified car form. With a single sharp gesture, the doors opened, and Doggo trotted happily into the passenger side, his tail wagging like a drum.
"Of course you're coming," Luke murmured with a chuckle. "What kind of trip would it be without you?"
The red car roared to life, engines flaring with a power that seemed almost alive. Thanks to the Reality Stone now serving as its core, Bumblebee's energy output had multiplied several times over. When it leapt from the deck, slicing into the open sky, its speed was blistering, far beyond anything an ordinary jet could achieve.
In less than ten minutes, they were descending toward the Avengers' new headquarters, a sprawling modern complex that gleamed beneath the sun. The old S.H.I.E.L.D facility had been left in ruins, but this, this was their rebirth.
Bumblebee braked smoothly in front of the main building. The gull-wing doors opened, and Luke stepped out calmly with Doggo padding beside him.
The security detail at the entrance, already warned by Fury, straightened immediately. Their eyes widened, but they bowed their heads quickly, saluting with a respect that bordered on fear. Without a word, they opened the way.
Luke walked through the polished halls, his footsteps quiet but heavy in presence, until he reached the door of the meeting room. With a light push, it swung open.
…
Inside, the atmosphere was tense.
Nick Fury stood at the front, while Tony and Thor were in the middle of yet another loud debate, arguing about tactics, firepower, and whether brute force was the right approach. Steve and Natasha sat at the table, listening but not interfering, while Banner seemed more interested in avoiding eye contact altogether.
The door creaked, and every head turned.
The room fell silent.
Even Thor and Tony, mid-argument, froze as their eyes landed on Luke.
Tony blinked, his finger still raised, then stammered, "Y-you? What are you doing here?"
Luke's lips curved into a small smile. "I'm also a member of the Avengers, am I not? Why wouldn't I be here?"
Tony almost choked. Technically, Luke wasn't wrong. He was a consultant, after all. An honorary one, sure, but still part of the team.
As Luke's gaze swept across the room, the effect was immediate. One by one, the Avengers lowered their eyes, as if avoiding direct contact with something they couldn't quite handle.
Natasha remembered too clearly the moment she realized she had been under his influence, a subtle, insidious compulsion more terrifying than the Mind Scepter itself. Steve had felt it too, though he didn't speak of it.
Even Thor shifted uncomfortably. He had encountered Luke once in Asgard, under circumstances that still baffled him. A man appearing in his mother's chamber, then vanishing like a ghost, such things were not easily forgotten.
The tension thickened, until Fury finally stepped forward with a forced smile. "In order to ensure the smooth completion of this mission, I invited Consultant Yale to join us."
He clapped his hands lightly. "Alright, let's keep discussing how to make sure Baron Strucker doesn't escape."
But his words didn't stir anyone. The silence stretched. Even Thor, normally never short of a boast, held his tongue.
So Fury tried again. "Consultant Yale… do you have any thoughts you'd like to share?"
Luke tilted his head, his smile widening just slightly. "Since you're asking, then yes, I'll make the arrangements."
He leaned back casually, hands in his pockets. "You all surround the base. Make sure no one escapes. Meanwhile, I'll go in and get rid of everyone."
The bluntness of the plan hit the room like a slap.
"Uh… that's it?" Fury asked, blinking in disbelief.
The others exchanged stunned looks. They had spent hours arguing, drafting complex strategies, and still hadn't reached a consensus. And Luke wanted to handle it alone?
But before anyone could protest, Luke was already moving. "Let's go. We're wasting time."
The Avengers hesitated, their eyes flicking toward Fury, silently begging him to intervene. But Fury only sighed and followed, muttering under his breath.
…
Minutes later, they reached the wide apron of S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters.
Eight quinjets gleamed in the sun, their sleek forms lined up like steel predators ready to take flight. Designed with powerful firepower systems yet astonishing maneuverability, they were among S.H.I.E.L.D's most prized assets.
Luke's eyes brightened the moment he saw them.
A thought sparked in his mind. Since he had no immediate plans to transform the helicarrier because it was still serving well as his floating home.
Wouldn't it be nice to get a few planes to transform?
He chuckled softly. Coincidentally, S.H.I.E.L.D seemed to have plenty of planes.
…
(Support with power stones or comments. You can subscribe to my Patreon /mysterion901 to read the complete fanfic ahead of time. I'm also starting my first original fanfic, it's a Harry Potter one, with Gilderoy Lockhart as the protagonist. But I won't post it here for a while, at least ultil I have a decent stock of chapters, until then it will only be available on my Patreon. 🐢🎶)