"Selene, let's go on our date," Luke said, entering the hall with a fresh look, his hair neatly styled, and his skin practically glowing as if he'd spent an hour making his face shine.
But his smile faltered slightly when he noticed another guest sitting across from Selene.
Natasha?
He wasn't entirely surprised that she was here—he expected S.H.I.E.L.D. to follow up—but he hadn't anticipated it would be this fast. The incident in Harlem had only happened a week ago.
Defeating Abomination had certainly put him on the radar. And if there was one thing Luke already understood, it was that Nick Fury was the kind of man who wouldn't sleep until he had every unknown variable under control.
"We meet again," Natasha said, her tone calm but alert, her eyes carefully observing him as though measuring every move, every flicker of expression.
"Yeah, I guessed we'd meet again," Luke replied, sliding onto the couch beside Selene with an ease that was half-genuine, half-forced. "Just… not this fast."
Selene, however, didn't react in the way Luke expected. Instead of greeting him with her usual subtle warmth, she turned slightly, giving him a cold shoulder. Her posture was elegant but distant, eyes avoiding his for a moment.
Luke blinked, caught off guard. Did he do something to piss her off? No… wasn't he taking her out on a date? She was happy just an hour ago. Why the sudden change?
His mind ran through possibilities. Maybe it had something to do with Natasha showing up. Maybe Selene didn't like how easily this red-haired spy found their home.
"So… did Fury send you to spy on me?" Luke asked, curiosity mixing with caution. His tone wasn't sharp, more like a man stating the obvious, almost amused by it.
Natasha's eyes narrowed slightly. She paused before answering, her mind racing. How did he know?
A week ago, when she first met him, it was the same—he spoke as if he already knew everything. Not just about her, but about their organization, about S.H.I.E.L.D., and now… about Nick Fury himself, the director.
Her training told her to keep her expression controlled, but inside she felt a flicker of unease. How does this man know about all this?
"If you ask me how I know about all this," Luke said, leaning back casually into the couch as though this entire exchange was little more than small talk. "I have no mood to explain."
He let a deliberate pause hang in the air, long enough to make the tension settle over the room, before continuing with calm certainty.
"But I can say this: I have no intention of joining S.H.I.E.L.D. And I have no intention of causing trouble."
His words were steady, almost casual—but the weight behind them was real. Luke wasn't bluffing. He just wanted to live his life in peace.
To live his life while saving beautiful women when he felt like it, and to enjoy the freedom of doing whatever he wanted.
"But if S.H.I.E.L.D.—or anyone else—comes looking for trouble, well…"
For a split second, Luke's eyes flickered with a faint glow of fire. The air around him almost seemed to shift. His tone didn't rise, but his meaning was clear.
"I can just burn everything that stands in my way."
Natasha's gaze sharpened. This wasn't an idle threat. He said it the way soldiers state facts: calm, confident, and final.
Yet… at the same time, she gained a glimpse of who he really was. He wasn't hostile for the sake of it. He wasn't a tyrant itching to cause chaos. He was approachable, easy to talk to, surprisingly straightforward—almost disarmingly so.
What unsettled her wasn't his power. It was his knowledge. The way he casually referenced details she knew were buried under top-level clearance. That wasn't normal.
Her instincts warned. He was someone who hated control. Someone who, if pushed too far, wouldn't hesitate to cast aside morals and burn through anything that tried to cage him.
That made him unpredictable. Dangerous, yes. But not in the same category as the threats S.H.I.E.L.D. usually dealt with. He wasn't a villain. He wasn't an ally either. His position, at least for now, was neutral—balanced on a knife's edge.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has no intention of provoking you or making enemies," Natasha said smoothly. Her tone was calm, her words measured. "We also work for peace. And since you possess abilities that can't be explained by current science or technology, we have to be cautious. For public safety, we keep an eye on things like this."
She chose her words carefully, watching both his reaction and Selene's expression.
Luke leaned forward slightly, his smile faint but sharp. "With all those sweet words, what you're really saying is: I'm dangerous… and S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to keep monitoring me."
His voice carried no anger, but the meaning was clear. "Which I find very uncomfortable. I don't enjoy the idea of being watched twenty-four seven."
Then, after a brief pause, he added with a playful grin, "But if it's a beautiful woman like you doing the monitoring, I can… barely allow it."
Selene's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation she jabbed her elbow into his side.
Luke winced, clutching his ribs in mock agony. "Ow—! See? This is why I prefer honesty. But my girlfriend here doesn't like it when I talk like that."
Selene gave him a look sharp enough to silence most men, though Luke only smiled as if it was nothing.
Natasha raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow, keeping her expression neutral but fighting the urge to scoff. Inwardly, she thought, this guy really is scum among scum… flirting with another woman right in front of his girlfriend?
She thought to herself how unlucky she was—of all the people to keep tabs on, she had to deal with a cocky playboy who also happened to have powers strong enough to cause real problems.
Dealing with arrogant men was nothing new, but arrogant men with firepower? That was a headache waiting to happen.
"So can I take it as a yes—that you won't do anything that will harm the public?" Natasha asked.
"Yes," Luke nodded without hesitation, leaning back slightly on the couch. "But it will only work until no one messes with me."
After a few more exchanges, Natasha decided not to push further. As for how powerful Luke really was or the exact way his abilities worked, she could tell he wasn't the type to give that away easily.
Pressing him now would only raise his guard. So she let it go, at least for the moment.
She stood up, smoothing her jacket and giving Selene a polite nod before turning her attention back to Luke. "That's all for now. I'll be in touch."
Meanwhile, Natasha walked back to her car, already pulling out her secure communicator. She didn't waste time once inside; a quick message was sent straight to Director Fury.
Her report was simple but clear:
Target Luke is confirmed to possess unknown abilities. Displays awareness of S.H.I.E.L.D. hierarchy and operations despite no official record. Personality: cocky, unpredictable, Playboy, and potentially dangerous if provoked. Claims to have no hostile intentions unless targeted first.