Hearing what Natasha Romanoff said, Luke was momentarily stunned.
He had assumed the reason S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents, Natasha Romanoff and Phil Coulson, were here had to do with his dog. The chaos caused by the green husky had made that the obvious conclusion.
But to his surprise, their real concern turned out to be Tony Stark.
Although Natasha's question was phrased casually, Luke could easily see through her mask of indifference. Her trained subtlety might deceive ordinary people, but not someone like Luke, someone who already knew a lot more than he should.
A flicker of thought raced through his mind.
He quickly recalled the chain of events: before Tony Stark's disappearance, Luke's "phone" had made a massive stock purchase in Hammer Industries, a direct competitor of Stark Industries. With Tony vanishing right after.
To make matters worse, S.H.I.E.L.D had already been monitoring him due to the bizarre mutations, particularly the incident involving his shape-shifting dog. Then, at this critical moment, a suspicious financial transaction occurred under his name.
From S.H.I.E.L.D's perspective, it definitely looked like he was involved.
Luke's brows furrowed slightly. His expression grew thoughtful, as if weighing the situation carefully.
Natasha and Coulson remained silent, watching him with quiet intensity. Seated uncomfortably on their tiny stools, they were like chess players waiting for the next unexpected move.
Then, a small smirk appeared on Luke's lips. His posture shifted, and a look of calm confidence spread across his face.
"Well," he said breezily, "since you've come all this way, it'd be out of character for me not to help. Tony Stark right? I'll help you find him."
He spoke with theatrical flair, waving his hand as if making a grand declaration.
Natasha blinked, confused by the sudden turn. Since when were they asking for help?
Coulson raised an eyebrow, unsure if Luke was joking or serious.
Before Natasha could clarify, Luke leaned forward and cut her off: "Don't worry, I don't want any rewards. S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been quietly protecting the world, it's the least I can do to help."
His voice was laced with what sounded like genuine admiration.
Without waiting for a response, he kicked his chair backward, causing it to swivel halfway. Then he tilted his head toward the stairs and yelled:
"Doggo! Come down, you lazy dog!!!"
Just as the words echoed up the stairwell, a familiar, rotund silhouette appeared at the landing.
But this time, the creature that padded down the steps wasn't green. Instead, it was a regular black-and-white husky, plump and fluffy, with a gait that suggested both reluctance and guilt.
Clearly, it had been hiding.
Seeing the dog move quickly to his side, Luke nodded in approval, like a general reviewing his troops.
"Doggo," he said seriously, "I'm giving you a mission."
Doggo immediately plopped into a sitting position in front of him, eyes wide, ears perked up. There was the faint sound of its tongue licking nervously.
Luke pointed to Natasha. "Help this sister find someone. And use your nose for something other than raiding snacks for once."
Upon hearing this, Doggo's ears drooped in despair. He looked pitifully up at Luke, clearly not a fan of work, especially if it involved anything other than eating or sleeping.
But he still nodded nonetheless.
This surprising act of obedience made Natasha and Coulson blink in astonishment. The dog understood?
In fact, it seemed to fully comprehend the situation.
But Luke wasn't done.
He crouched down, narrowed his eyes, and lifted Doggo's chin with one hand. He stared directly at its black, wet nose.
"Your nose… needs improvement. You understand?"
Doggo nodded again, trembling slightly.
Still unsatisfied, Luke's expression darkened. "If you don't improve your sense of smell, I won't feed you for ten days!"
Doggo visibly shuddered.
To a dog who never went more than two hours without food, it might as well be a death sentence.
Natasha winced, unconsciously reaching for her own nose as if she'd been threatened too.
Coulson glanced at Luke like he was certifiably insane.
But just as the mood tensed, a familiar sound echoed in Luke's mind.
[Ding~ Because your dog is afraid of your threat, his nose has mutated and its sensitivity has increased tenfold!]
A line of text hovered in his vision:
Mutation Type: Sensory Enhancement
Mutation Level: First-order]
Luke's face lit up with satisfaction.
Although it was still a first-order mutation, the husky's already impressive nose had just taken a massive leap. Tracking down Tony Stark across miles of terrain? Now entirely possible.
And more importantly, this proved Luke's theory.
While he couldn't directly control the system's mutations, but with the right stimulus, emotional pressure, perhaps even fear, he could guide and induce them.
He raised his foot again and gave Doggo a light push on the butt.
Doggo looked back, glaring resentfully. But still, he waddled obediently toward Natasha.
His fluffy tail swayed awkwardly, like a guilty apology.
Natasha blinked as the big dog sat down at her feet, looking up at her with soft, watery eyes.
Even knowing the destructive force that lay dormant in this "Doggo", Natasha's heart softened.
How could anyone resist that dumb, lovable face?
She reached down and gently rubbed his head.
The fur was soft. The warmth of the dog's presence was oddly soothing.
For a moment, the scene seemed to freeze in time.
A world-famous assassin affectionately petting a mutant husky who had almost razed a military base.
Luke suddenly pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and put them on, leaning back in his chair with a warm smile, seemingly influenced by the current picture.
It was too beautiful a picture to miss any detail.
Sunlight spilled through the windows. Doggo wagged his tail. Natasha smiled. Luke relaxed and perved on her.
For a brief second in their chaotic world, everything seemed… perfectly in harmony.