Nick fury

Who the hell is this guy, and why is he knocking on my door?

Luke frowned as he approached the entrance, his mind racing. He was sure he didn't know this man—there was no way he'd forget someone with such a distinct appearance. A black guy with a deep scar running down his eye, covered by an eyepatch? That was way too unique to slip his memory.

The second he opened the door, the man didn't wait for an invitation. He just walked in, moving with the kind of confidence that made it clear he was used to being in charge. Without hesitation, he took a seat in one of the chairs near the couch like he owned the place.

Luke blinked. Excuse me?

"…Alright," Luke muttered, closing the door behind him. He moved over to the couch, sitting down while keeping a wary eye on his uninvited guest. "So, are you gonna bother telling me who you are, or do I have to start guessing?"

The man didn't even blink. "You can call me Nick Fury. I'm the director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Luke's casual expression didn't falter, but internally, his mind kicked into overdrive. S.H.I.E.L.D.?

You mean that organisation that Up until yesterday, no one had ever heard of this so-called global organization. Then, out of nowhere, the entire world learned that a secret agency had been dealing with aliens, super-powered people, and who knows what else. And now, all of a sudden, the director of that organization is sitting in my apartment, talking to me

Luke leaned back, resting his arm over the couch. "So, what is this, then? You looking for donations or something?" he asked, his tone deliberately casual.

Fury didn't react to the sarcasm. "Let's skip the chitchat." His single eye locked onto Luke's. "I know who you are. I know you're Windwalker."

Luke didn't flinch.

Honestly, he had expected this. There was no way he could've kept his identity hidden from an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., especially after the battle yesterday. He was careful, but he wasn't naïve.

"So you figured it out," Luke said, shrugging slightly. "Still doesn't explain why you're here. A lot of heroes fought in the Battle of New York. I wasn't the only one. If anything, wouldn't it make more sense for a regular agent to come knocking? Not the director himself?"

Fury studied him for a long moment before answering. "Out of all the heroes that showed up yesterday, most of them were young adults. You, on the other hand, are a teenager. That alone should've kept you off my radar."

His gaze sharpened. "But then I saw the footage."

Luke didn't react outwardly, but he knew exactly what footage Fury was talking about.

The fight outside that store. The moment he realized he could generate wind from his body instead of gathering it. The way his wind attacks had suddenly hurt the Chitauri instead of just pushing them back. And then, of course, the accidental Wind Slash.

Fury leaned forward slightly. "Your power wasn't nearly as strong before. I did my research. You could push people around, but that was about it. What you did yesterday? That was different. And I can see potential when it's right in front of me."

Luke stayed silent, letting Fury's words sink in. So that's why he's here.

He wasn't just here because Luke fought in the battle. He was here because he thought Luke could become stronger.

Luke crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the man sitting across from him. "So, you saw potential in me, and that's why you decided to come talk to me?" He raised a brow. "That doesn't make sense."

Fury's expression remained unreadable, but there was a weight behind his gaze. "It makes perfect sense," he said. "Because you have the potential to become stronger. A lot stronger. To the point that I don't like. And that's strength in the hand of a teenager that's exactly what I don't like

Luke's guard went up. His posture stiffened slightly, and his muscles tensed, ready to react if he had to. "So what?" he said, keeping his tone even. "Are you here to tell me to quit? Or is this some kind of threat?"

Fury shook his head. "No. If that were the case, I'd have brought more than just myself."

That didn't exactly make Luke feel better.

Fury leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp and calculating. "I did my homework on you, kid. I know everything there is to know. Where you live, how you've managed to stay on your own, the circumstances that put you here in the first place. You're just an ordinary kid."

Luke didn't react, but he knew Fury wasn't wrong. Before his reincarnation, he had been nothing special—just another guy who got caught up in the wrong crowd. Now, though? Now he had power. And clearly, that made people like Fury nervous.

"But there's one thing we don't know," Fury continued. "Where your powers came from."

Luke kept his face blank. "What makes you think I even know?"

Fury ignored that. "You haven't been in an accident. There's no record of you getting exposed to anything unusual. You sure as hell don't have access to any kind of tech that could do what you do." His eye narrowed slightly. "And you're definitely not a mutant."

That caught Luke's attention. His eyes flickered with curiosity. "And how exactly do you know that?"

"We have ways."

Luke resisted the urge to frown. That was vague. And vague meant classified.

"But," Fury continued, shifting the conversation back, "since you're not a threat and there's no law against what you're doing, there's no real reason to arrest you." He paused. "Which is why I'm here to ask you to stop."

"No."

The answer left Luke's mouth without hesitation. His voice was firm, steady, and unwavering.

Fury's eye flickered with something— Annoyance? It was hard to tell.

Luke leaned forward slightly, his gaze locked onto Fury's. "I'm not going to stop what I'm doing. Not because you want me to. Not because it would make things easier for you. I don't care if S.H.I.E.L.D. likes it or not. I'm doing this for me. For the person I want to become. So if that's all you came here to say, then I suggest you leave."

Silence filled the room.

For nearly two full minutes, neither of them spoke. Luke held Fury's gaze, refusing to back down. If the director was expecting him to waver, he was going to be disappointed.

Then, finally, Fury exhaled through his nose and broke the silence.

"…Are you interested in joining the Avengers?"

The words hit Luke so hard they knocked him straight out of his serious mindset. His expression twisted in sheer confusion, and for a moment, he completely forgot about keeping a poker face.

"…Wait. What?"

Out of everything Luke had expected Fury to say—warnings, threats, maybe even some vague government speech—an invitation to join the Avengers was nowhere on the list. It sounded absurd. Completely out of nowhere.

Nick Fury, however, didn't seem surprised by Luke's reaction. In fact, there was a slight curve at the corner of his lips, almost like he was amused.

"I had no intention of stopping you from becoming a hero," Fury said, his voice as calm and composed as ever. "After the Battle of New York, we want more heroes, not less. But that doesn't mean we can just let anyone with dangerous powers and a dangerous attitude run around unchecked."

Luke frowned slightly at that but didn't interrupt.

Fury continued, "So, after investigating your life, I came here to test you. And your reaction just now gave me everything I needed to know."

Luke's eyes narrowed slightly. Test me?

"I thought," Fury said, watching Luke closely, "that you might just be a valuable addition to the Avengers."

Luke sat there for a moment, letting those words sink in. The Avengers. The team that had just defended New York from an alien invasion. The team that had Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk. Fury thought he—Luke Wilson, Windwalker—could stand among them?

A month ago, that idea would've been laughable. Even now, it felt unreal.

But that didn't change his answer.

Luke exhaled, straightened up, and looked Fury in the eye.

"No, thank you."

Fury's expression didn't change. If anything, he had expected that answer.

"Is there any particular reason?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

Luke nodded. "It's more of a personal reason. I'm not going to join any hero teams right now. But that doesn't mean I don't want to help." His voice was steady, unwavering. "If you guys ever need backup, you can always call me."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Fury studied Luke with his one good eye, the silence stretching between them. Then, he gave a single nod of acknowledgment.

"Fair enough."

He turned to leave, walking toward the door without another word. But before he could step out, Luke called after him.

"Wait."

Fury stopped, glancing back.

"Are you guys… protecting me from other organizations or what?" Luke asked. If S.H.I.E.L.D. knew his identity, others probably would too. That wasn't exactly a comforting thought.

"Don't worry," Fury replied smoothly. "No one will know who you are. We can't let someone hurt our non-official backup member."

With that, he left.

Luke stared at the closed door for a few seconds, letting the conversation replay in his head.

Fury's offer wasn't something he had expected, but his answer had been clear. He didn't reject the Avengers because he disliked them—he barely even knew them yet. He didn't reject S.H.I.E.L.D. because of distrust—though, to be fair, he didn't fully trust them either.

But he wasn't ready to commit to a team. Not now.

Superhero teams were important, and Luke knew that better than most. Even with his limited knowledge of this world, he could tell that the Avengers weren't the only ones out there. There would be more teams in the future. Ones he didn't know about yet.

Maybe one of them would suit him better.

Or maybe… he'd make his own.

But that was something for later. Right now, he had more immediate concerns.

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Henry.

They needed to speed up the release of Hollow Knight.

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Author's Note:

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I've officially released my original novel, White Lightning!

To be honest, I've had a lot of anxiety about both my novel and my fanfiction. I kept wondering if they were good enough—if my novel sounded too much like a fanfiction, if I could properly stretch out the story and plotlines. It took me a while, but eventually, I realized that none of that really matters.

I started writing because I enjoy it—not because I care about whether people think it's good or not. If they like it, great. If not, that's fine too. So I'll say this now: my novel will have a fanfiction-like feel, and I won't be dragging out the story just to reach thousands of chapters.

As for my writing schedule, releases might be a bit random at times since I'll still be working on my fanfictions. But don't worry—I'm not abandoning them. My novel, my DC fanfiction, and my Marvel fanfiction will remain my main priorities. The Fairy Tail one, on the other hand, won't get as much focus, though I'll still release chapters for it occasionally.

Regarding my DC fanfiction, I've reached the point where the story enters the comic book timeline. I won't be releasing any new chapters for it until my Marvel fanfiction reaches that same stage. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get there as quickly as we did with the DC one, but we'll see how things go.

That's all I wanted to say! Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy what's coming next.