Two Months Later
It's been about two month since I started my training with the Ancient One, and let me tell you, it's not easy. The Ancient One is a tough teacher, but she's fair… in that terrifying, "I-know-your-every-flaw-before-you-do" kind of way.
She didn't even let me study actual magic until I brought my English and math grades up. Which, yeah, was kind of annoying. But once I did, she finally started teaching me real spells.
She also gave me a warning: if any of my grades drop to a C, my magic lessons stop immediately until I fix them. At first, I thought that was ridiculous, especially since Ned and Betty don't have that rule. But then again… they're geniuses. I'm the one who used to think PEMDAS was a Marvel villain.
Anyway, let's talk magic.
Training has been going great, I've picked up a bunch of basic spells, mostly the simple ones like the portal spell. It wasn't too hard once I got the hang of it. In my human form, I still need a sling ring, but in my Anodite form? Nope. No ring required. Magic just flows naturally in that form, which makes sense, it's like it's part of my DNA.
The Ancient One's been teaching me a ton of enchantments lately, and wow, there are a lot. The annoying part? Most of them aren't even in English. So yeah, I had to learn multiple new languages just to cast half of them.
Of course, Betty picked up the other languages like it was nothing. Ned struggled a bit, but nowhere near as much as me. Still, I pushed through, and once I fully master these enchantments, I'm upgrading everyone's suits again. Don't judge me.
Anyway, while I've been learning magic, the world's gotten a whole lot crazier, especially New York. Ever since the Terrigen outbreak, new Inhumans keep popping up left and right, causing chaos. Some do it by accident, others… very much on purpose.
You've got Inhumans who can't control their powers, wrecking buildings or accidentally hurting people, and then you've got the ones who can control their abilities and just decide, "Yep, crime sounds fun."
You have no idea how many wannabe supervillains I've had to deal with lately. There was this one guy, an Inhuman with toxic abilities. His entire body produced this corrosive gas that melted everything around him. He could even fly and had mild super strength. Sounds scary, right?
Except the idiot tried to rob a bank and ended up burning half the money with his own powers. To make things worse, his toxic sludge dissolved his clothes, so I had to fight a completely naked, toxic bank robber.
Not my proudest day as a hero.
The world isn't exactly thrilled about the new Inhumans. I get it, sudden powers, sudden chaos, but for some reason the hate isn't as bad as it is for mutants. Don't get me wrong, Inhumans are catching heat, but mutants are still taking most of the heat. I don't know why. It's just something I've noticed.
Anyway, aside from that, things have been mostly good. Cindy B is back at school. It turns out she wasn't out because of a period, she was heartbroken. Yolanda and Ava didn't spill all the details (they're smart enough to keep Kamala away from me; she's way too easy to crack), so I backed off. The important thing is she's okay and she's back.
But if I ever find out who broke her heart, whoever he is, he's going to pay. I don't like anyone hurting my friends. And it's got to be a guy, because if it were a girl, Yolanda would have handled it already. That girl is ridiculously protective. So when I figure out who he is… I'm punching him in the face. Hard.
Anyway, enough about all that.
Right now, I'm just in the living room with Beth. It's the weekend, everyone else had plans, so it's just the two of us on the couch watching TV.
"You know," she said suddenly, "I just realized something. We haven't done this in a while."
I turned my head, a little confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean just us cousins hanging out. No friends, no missions, no chaos. Just us."
"Oh. You're right," I said with a small smile. "That hasn't happened in a long time."
"It's nice," Beth said softly. "I love hanging out with my friends, but spending time with family… that's good too."
"Same here," I said. "And for the record, I love hanging out with my favorite cousin."
She smirked. "Oh, I'm your favorite now?"
"Pretty much," I said, grinning. "All my other cousins don't really visit me, so you win by default."
Beth laughed lightly, then her tone softened. "I always wondered about that. I mean, sure, my parents move around a lot, but I still met most of our cousins at least once. Grandpa Max even introduced me to some I barely remembered. But you…" She hesitated. "I didn't even know you existed until Grandpa Max suggested I stay with you. Why is that? Why don't any of the others visit you? Or your parents?"
I went quiet. I already knew the answer. Grandpa Max had told me a long time ago why the rest of the family stayed away, why I'd never met my aunt and uncle, not even seen a picture of them.
He said it was painful for them to see me… because when they looked at me, they saw the brother they'd lost.
"Franklin?" Beth's voice softened, concern slipping through.
I looked straight into her eyes and forced a smile. "I'm fine."
She frowned. "I've known you long enough to recognize that kind of smile. It's not real." She hesitated, then added quietly, "You know why, don't you? Why the rest of our family doesn't visit you."
I sighed. "Yeah… I know."
I leaned back on the couch, staring at the TV but not really seeing it. "It's not an excuse for them, but… apparently, I've got my dad's eyes and my mom's face. Ever since they died in that car accident, my uncle and aunt haven't been able to bring themselves to see me. Grandpa Max said it just hurts too much, reminds them of losing their little brother."
I let out a shaky breath. "From what he told me, I don't even think they went to the funeral. That's probably why I never met my cousins. Some of them might just be busy, sure, but… most just stayed away."
Beth's expression softened completely. She didn't say anything, she just reached over and pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back, and for a minute, neither of us said a word.
"I stopped being sad about it a long time ago," I said finally, my voice low. "I get it, I really do. I can understand their pain. But that doesn't mean I'm not angry. They could've at least tried. A call. A card. Something." I paused, shaking my head. "But they didn't. And honestly? I don't even know who they are."
I looked at her and smiled, a real one this time. "But it's fine. I've got my own family right here. That's all I need."
Beth smiled too and squeezed me tighter. "You're right. You do."
Nick Fury's POV
I walked into a high-end restaurant, empty, of course. No doubt because of my sister, Amanda. She's always been a fan of private "family gatherings." Fine by me. Being the head of a global spy organization, I've learned to appreciate a little privacy myself.
The place had no windows, just warm lights cutting through soft shadows. And there she was, already sitting at a table, cutting into a steak like she owned the place.
I made my way over and sat down across from her. "You know," I said, eyeing her plate, "it's pretty rude to start without me. I mean, I show up hungry, and the first thing I see is you enjoying a perfectly good steak and baked potato."
She didn't even look up. "If you don't want to see me eating, maybe try being on time. I expected Dad to be late, he always is, but you? That's a surprise."
I smirked. "Sorry, sis. Hard to be punctual when you're running a spy organization, especially with all these new Inhumans popping up."
Amanda chuckled. "Yes, I've seen the reports. They're giving you a headache. Luckily, my organization is handling things just fine." She smiled, that smug little grin I hated since childhood.
"Oh, please," I said, leaning back. "I can see the bags under your eyes from here. Don't act like they're not giving you as much trouble as me."
Her smile faded into a frown. "I always hated that you lost your other eye. Ever since then, you've been staring too closely at people for my liking."
"Occupational hazard," I said dryly. "Anyway, tell me, why did Dad call this little family meeting? We had dinner with him two months ago. Usually, we do this at his house."
She shrugged. "No idea. He just told me to make a reservation here and make sure both of us showed up. He said it was important."
"Why does he always call you and not me?" I asked.
Amanda smirked again. "He does call you. You just never answer."
Before I could come up with a comeback, the door opened.
Our dad walked in, pushing eighty, but you'd never know it. The man still looked solid, broad-shouldered, white beard trimmed perfectly. And, of course, he was wearing one of those ridiculous Hawaiian shirts he loves so much.
I'll never understand his obsession with those shirts.
He sat down with a big smile. "Nick. Amanda. I'm glad you two could come."
"Always," Amanda said, folding her napkin. "But, curious, Dad. Why call a family meeting? Not to be rude, but I do have work."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. But I wanted to make this announcement in person, not over the phone." He looked between us, pleased and a little nervous. "I'm moving back to New York."
I frowned. Amanda's expression went sour too.
"You're what?" Amanda snapped. "Dad, you're eighty. You want to move back to New York? I'd rather you stay in Hawaii. You're not even paying rent for anything there."
"I know," he said, chuckling. "But the reason I want to move back is Franklin. He's in his last year of high school, and I miss him. I want to see him as much as I can before he goes off to college."
Both Amanda and I shifted in our seats. The name tugged something hard and old in my chest.
My little brother Michael and his wife Carla had a son, Franklin. I'd only met him once before, the day he was born. Amanda, Dad, and I were all in that hospital room, pacing and hovering; it was chaos. Carla had complications. Olivia, Carla sister, was biting her nails. Everyone was terrified. Dad kept the mood light, smiling and joking, even though I could tell he was praying the same prayers as the rest of us.
After hours, the doctor finally came out with good news. The delivery had been successful. They brought us in, and we saw the baby for the first time. He had Michael's eyes but Carla's face. We were elated.
A few years later, I got the call: Michael and Carla were dead, a car crash. The world narrowed to a point. Michael was the only one who'd ever had a normal life; he'd never been in the business Amanda and I were in. Dad had been in the Army. Amanda and I ran shadowy, secretive things for the government. We'd never told Michael about any of it, not us, not Dad. Some things had to stay separate.
Franklin wasn't in the car when they crashed. He'd been staying over at a friend's house that night.
I wanted to meet him, I really did. I even paid for the entire funeral, for both Michael and Carla. But I couldn't bring myself to face him. I stood at a distance, watching. When I saw him again… those eyes, Michael's eyes, it was like being punched in the chest. Amanda felt the same.
We both watched from afar that day at the funeral. Never stepped forward. Never said a word. And after that, we just… stayed away. Told ourselves it was for the best, that keeping our distance was easier.
But looking back now, it was stupid. Selfish, even. That boy lost his mother and father, and instead of being there for him, his aunt and uncle disappeared. We abandoned him when he needed us most.
"I know what you two are thinking," Dad said, looking between us, "but I still think you should meet Franklin."
"I don't think that's a good idea," I said immediately.
"For once, Nick's right," Amanda added. "We basically abandoned him after Michael died."
"For once?" I muttered under my breath, but Dad ignored it.
"I already told him why you two haven't been in his life," Dad continued. "And believe it or not, he understands. But that doesn't mean he isn't angry. I mean, hell, you couldn't even send the kid a birthday card."
Neither of us said anything. Amanda took a long sip of her wine, refusing to meet his eyes.
Dad sighed and shook his head. "Your emotional stubbornness comes straight from your mother. God rest her soul. I just wish she hadn't passed that down to you two."
He leaned forward, voice firm but calm. "Here's the deal. I'm moving back to New York. Not into Franklin's apartment, Beth's already staying there, but somewhere close. I'm going to surprise him, show up at his door, and I want you both there. It's time he finally meets his uncle and aunt."
"I don't think that's a good idea," I said again.
Amanda nodded. "Yeah, I think it's best we just stay out of his life. He's doing fine without us. What difference would it make if we showed up now?"
Dad's eyes hardened, the smile fading from his face. "The difference," he said quietly, "is that he'll finally know he still has family."
He paused, his voice lowering, the weight of years pressing down. "You two lost a brother. I lost a son. But I didn't abandon Franklin. I stayed in his life as much as I could. And when he was old enough to stand on his own, I let him. He still calls me when he needs advice, and I help him the best I can. He's mature, responsible, but he shouldn't have to be alone."
Dad looked between us, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm not going to be here forever. When I go, when I join your mother, I want to know that my grandson still has people who love him watching out for him. That's the only way I'll be able to rest in peace."
He straightened his posture, back to the commanding man we grew up with. "So here's what's going to happen: I'm moving back to New York by the end of next week. And you two are coming with me when I visit Franklin. Clear your schedules. No excuses. The only reason you're allowed to miss it is if the world ends, and I don't see that happening anytime soon. Understood?"
Amanda and I exchanged a look. For a moment, it felt like we were kids again, sitting at the dinner table after getting caught sneaking out.
"Yes, sir," we both said quietly.
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AN: Be honest it makes a little sense these two can be siblings.