"How... how did he get ahead of me?"
Skye stared in shock, finding it hard to believe what she was seeing.
Just moments ago, she had seen that woman and the man leap from the rooftop one after the other. She had assumed they were both doomed.
And yet, the man who jumped after somehow landed first, and even caught the woman midair.
That wasn't normal.
That was seriously not normal.
Who could jump from such a height without a scratch? And how had he gone from being behind her to suddenly appearing in front of her?
It was uncanny. Like he was a ghost. Completely surreal.
"Oh no."
Skye noticed that the man was now eyeing her with a look of amusement and surprise, which instantly gave her a bad feeling.
"Help! Somebody help me! Please–!" Skye screamed in panic, her voice echoing through the narrow alley.
Fenris's expression turned a bit strange as he watched her little performance.
An orphan. A young and pretty girl. Living on the streets. She had survived this long thanks to constant caution and alertness.
But, he hadn't said or done anything yet, and she was already acting like he was about to silence her for good. Wasn't that a bit much?
And screaming for help? What good would that do?
Sure, this kind of alley might have the occasional passerby. Some might even hear her cries. But very few people would actually step in.
It wasn't about being coldhearted. It was about self-preservation. Who knew if the bad guy had a gun? Who wanted to risk getting shot?
You think that "carry spare change for the subway" line is a joke?
In life-or-death moments, you can't count on someone to save you, or on the villain to suddenly grow a conscience.
What are you thinking?
You need to run.
If you make it out alive, you win.
If not, you're no worse off than if you had stayed put.
Isn't that an easy choice?
"Stop screaming. No one's coming. Calm down, and let's talk," Fenris said, stepping back to give her space and motioning for her to get up.
"Don't move, or I'll shoot!" a firm voice suddenly called from behind him.
"…Did that slap in the face really come this fast?"
Watching the overjoyed Skye scramble up, walk past him, and thank her savior like someone who just escaped death, Fenris turned to face the so-called "justice warrior" with an unreadable expression.
Wasn't this Maria Hill, right-hand woman to Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Fenris hadn't expected the one to show up suddenly would be her.
"You should leave. I'll handle things here," Maria Hill said without taking her eyes off Fenris. She motioned for Skye to go.
"I'll find the police," Skye offered, still concerned.
"I am the police," Maria replied seriously.
"But–"
"Go."
"Okay. Thank you for saving me. Be careful, he's dangerous."
Skye gave Fenris a wary glance, clearly implying something, then turned and ran off quickly.
Maria Hill didn't lower her gun, nor did her tension ease.
So, her appearance wasn't entirely a coincidence. This level of caution wasn't normal for a high-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent dealing with a street scuffle.
"Fenris, head of Everywhere Logistics, New York Division. That's you, right?" Maria Hill asked coldly.
"That's me."
Holding her gun with one hand, Maria Hill produced a badge with the other. "FBI. You're coming with me."
Oh, you think I don't know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s standard operating procedure?
How many times has the FBI taken the fall for your covert ops?
"Maria Hill, Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., that's you, right?"
So you know who I am? Well, guess what! I know who you are too.
"You probably haven't even started calling it S.H.I.E.L.D. yet. It should still be the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, right?"
Maria Hill's eyes narrowed. Her wariness deepened.
He even know that much about us? Clearly, their investigation into him had not been nearly thorough enough.
"I'm curious why you're investigating me," Fenris said. Reflecting on his actions, he couldn't recall doing anything that would warrant the personal attention of someone like Maria Hill.
"And I'm curious how you know about the Strategic Homela– S.H.I.E.L.D.," she said. The abbreviation sounded good to her. Maybe they really should make it official.
"Why don't we find a quieter place to talk?"
"Sure. My office is nearby. I have tea and coffee. Both quite good."
"That's too much trouble. Let's keep this simple."
Fenris raised his hand. Next to him, the air rippled and fractured into floating, diamond-shaped mirror panels. The sight was mesmerizing.
Maria Hill gaped as Fenris calmly stepped into the mirror and vanished.
"What... what..." she muttered, blinking rapidly. She stepped forward and hesitantly reached out.
Her hand slipped inside.
Trying to stay calm, Maria Hill took a deep breath and was just about to pull her hand back to prepare, when a firm grip seized her wrist from within and yanked her through.