Doggo was already on his way to the New York military base.
But Luke knew his chubby companion wouldn't arrive quickly. In his normal husky form, Doggo was painfully slow, more waddle than run. His frequent overfeeding hadn't helped either. Probably a lingering trauma from his malnourished puppy days.
Luke often threatened to put him on a diet.
But the moment Doggo rolled over, stared up with wide, watery eyes, and let out a heartbroken whimper, it was game over. Luke just didn't have the heart for it.
So while the fluffy weapon of mass destruction waddled his way across the city, Luke returned to the grocery store.
He had barely walked through the door when Sharon looked up from the counter and said, "Boss, I need to leave early. The director called me back, said there's something I need to take care of."
Luke blinked. "You're off at nine, just an hour left. What's the rush?"
He didn't like the sound of this. Since Sharon had been reassigned as his personal assistant, S.H.I.E.L.D calling her away mid-shift without even informing him wasn't exactly respectful of the arrangement.
Sharon hesitated for a moment, then gave in.
After all, Luke was her boss now, officially, at least.
"They found him," she said. "Captain America. Frozen since World War II... And he's actually still alive."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
Sharon nodded. "The director wants to arrange a meeting between him and my aunt. She was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., and... she and the captain were together before he disappeared."
Luke's eyes lit up like Christmas lights.
Captain Language was finally here?
And he was about to meet Peggy Carter?
That's three plot points at the very least!
He only had four in total. Getting those three would shoot him up to seven. And once he hit the next threshold, the system would level up again.
Luke forced a casual tone. "Well, if that's the case, I should probably tag along."
Sharon tilted her head. "Really?"
"Of course!" he said, placing a hand over his heart with exaggerated sincerity. "The captain is my idol. I've dreamed of meeting him my whole life. It would be an honor. Really."
Sharon gave him a curious look, but didn't object.
After all, Luke was officially listed as a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. He had the clearance to visit headquarters. It wasn't like he was sneaking in.
After briefly explaining the situation to Wanda who looked suspicious but chose to let it go, Luke fired up his yellow Camaro and sped off with Sharon riding shotgun, racing through Manhattan traffic toward S.H.I.E.L.D's New York headquarters.
Not because of some fanboy thrill.
But because wherever Captain America appeared, the plot followed.
And plot meant points.
And points meant power.
The Camaro's engine howled as it surged forward, a golden blur slicing through the city.
Meanwhile, at the New York military base…
Freshly rebuilt after the last attack, the base was once again reduced to a war zone.
But this time, it was even worse.
Because this time… there were three of them.
Three monstrous dogs, burning with eerie green flames, rampaging through the military's so-called "defenses" like they were made of wet paper.
Tanks melted like wax in the heat.
Jets exploded before they could leave the hangars.
And this time, the dogs weren't holding back.
They weren't actively hunting people, sure. But they weren't going out of their way to avoid them either. If you happened to be inside a tank, a tower, or a bunker when one of them attacked… you were as good as gone.
Screams echoed across the base.
Flames roared, metal screamed, and the ground shook with every step of the monsters.
Even the entrance to the underground research bunker, supposedly reinforced to withstand a nuclear attack, had been cracked open.
One of the green dogs shrunk its massive frame and squeezed into the breach, ready to turn it upside down.
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters…
Luke and Sharon had just stepped into Nick Fury's office when the TV screen on the wall caught their attention.
Live news footage showed the unfolding nightmare at the New York military base.
A reporter, standing several kilometers away from the burning installation, looked pale and horrified as he spoke:
"This marks the second attack on the New York military base in under a month… and this time, the damage is far more catastrophic."
"From where we're standing, over two kilometers away, we can still feel the heat… and we can hear the screams."
"According to unconfirmed sources, other nearby bases have scrambled jets in response, but… well, ladies and gentlemen, this looks like hell on Earth."
"We have reached out to the Pentagon, and can only hope that help arrives soon…"
The broadcast cut to an aerial view of the inferno. Flames coiled like serpents across the base. Buildings crumbled. Vehicles exploded. Nothing inside could survive such destruction.
And then Nick Fury turned.
His lone eye locked on Luke, narrowing with suspicion, and a flicker of something dangerously close to anger.
But Luke remained completely unfazed.
He calmly pulled out a chair, sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and even put his feet up on Fury's desk like he owned the place.
Fury's eyebrow twitched.
"Carter," he said, his voice low, "step out. I need to speak to Consultant Yale privately."
But to his surprise, Sharon didn't move.
Instead, she turned to Luke, as if asking his permission.
What the hell is going on?
It hadn't even been a week… and one of his best agents was already looking to him, to Luke Yale, for instructions?
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