Eric smiled at her disoriented expression.
"Your neighbor," he replied. "The one who was supposed to show you where not to eat at night."
He glanced around at the silent wreckage.
"And… I guess I'm also the guy who owes you an explanation now."
The silence that followed was… uncomfortable.
Natasha Romanoff straightened her posture.
The playful lightness vanished as if it had never existed.
What remained was something far older and far more dangerous: pure professionalism.
"Eric," she said clearly, "I think it's time I introduce myself properly."
Eric nodded slowly.
"Figured as much."
Natasha took a steady breath.
"My name is Natasha Romanoff. I represent S.H.I.E.L.D."
The word landed with institutional weight.
"An organization dedicated to dealing with threats that…" she glanced around at the unconscious men, "…tend to look a lot like this."
Eric rubbed the back of his neck.
"Makes sense," he said. "I figured you were way too competent to be just a friendly neighbor."
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
They held each other's gaze for another second.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to speak with you," she continued. "Formally. No handcuffs. No hostile interrogations. Just… a friendly conversation."
Eric thought of his family.
"After tonight," he replied, "I guess talking beats being watched from the shadows."
Natasha nodded.
"I'm glad you see it that way."
Eric took one last look at the men on the ground.
"What about them?"
"They'll be handled," Natasha said calmly. "And this time, they'll never bother you again."
Eric exhaled.
"Good."
---
The next morning
A S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter descended between the buildings of Queens.
Neighbors stared. Asked questions. Invented theories.
Nothing new.
No one inside the aircraft cared.
Eric stood on the rooftop, hands in his pockets, wearing a simple jacket.
Natasha stood beside him, tablet in hand, expression neutral.
"It's not usually like this," she said.
Eric smirked.
"I've had stranger weeks."
The helicopter landed with surgical precision. The side door slid open.
Natasha gestured.
"After you."
Eric took a step… then stopped.
"One thing," he said. "My family—"
"Agents are already positioned nearby, securing a perimeter," Natasha replied without hesitation. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s word."
Eric studied her, eyes narrowing, searching for cracks.
He found none.
"Then let's go," he said.
As the helicopter lifted off, Queens went back to being Queens.
Eric looked down at the city from above for the first time.
"Never thought I'd leave Queens in a helicopter," he murmured, amused.
Natasha glanced at him.
"Trust me," she said. "This is just the beginning."
The helicopter disappeared into the skyline.
---
Eric walked into S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters with his hands in his pockets, calmly taking everything in, as if he hadn't incapacitated half a private army the night before.
Phil Coulson was the first to approach.
"Eric Valerian," he said, extending a hand. "Phil Coulson."
Eric shook it.
"Nice to meet you. You strike me as the guy who always walks into the room right after something important happens."
Coulson smiled, surprised.
"That's… not inaccurate."
To the side, tablet in hand and eyes sharp, stood Maria Hill.
"Maria Hill," she said. "Thank you for not killing anyone last night."
Eric gave a thumbs-up.
"I try to keep my stats clean."
Hill studied him for a beat.
"That doesn't reassure me as much as it should."
From the back of the room, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, someone watched him with an unreadable expression.
Clint Barton.
"So you're the fast guy," Barton said. "Really fast."
Eric tilted his head, eyeing him with mild amusement.
"And you're the bow guy from YouTube. Is it true you do online tutorials?"
Clint grimaced, realizing he'd lost the exchange far too quickly.
"We're hunting the impostor," he muttered. "Before he ruins my brand."
That was all he managed.
Natasha smiled faintly and stepped closer to Eric, subtly positioning herself beside him.
"One person's missing," she said.
The lights dimmed slightly.
Footsteps echoed.
A presence filled the room.
The man entered unhurriedly, long coat, unmistakable eyepatch, and a gaze that had seen too much to be easily impressed.
"Eric Valerian," he said in a deep voice. "Or do you prefer just Eric?"
Eric looked at him… and smiled.
"Depends," he replied. "Do you prefer I call you by your name… or Samuel L. Jackson?"
Silence.
Coulson went rigid.
Hill snapped her head up.
Clint's eyes widened just a fraction.
Natasha closed her eyes for one second. Of course.
Fury blinked.
Then he let out a low, dangerous chuckle.
"I like you, kid," he said.
Eric shrugged.
Fury circled him slowly, assessing him without pretense.
"Romanoff says you present as a civilian," Fury continued. "The reports say otherwise. And my eye—" he fixed Eric with his gaze, "—says you're a very interesting problem."
Eric met his stare without defiance.
"I don't look for trouble," he said. "But I don't let people walk over me either."
Fury nodded.
"We've noticed."
He stopped in front of him.
"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D., Eric Valerian."
Fury activated a screen.
A name appeared in stark white letters.
AVENGERS INITIATIVE
Eric read it once.
Then again.
"Sounds… ambitious," he commented, feigning surprise.
"It is," Fury replied. "Just not finished yet."
Coulson stepped to the side.
"The initiative seeks individuals capable of handling threats beyond conventional response," Fury said.
Eric tilted his head.
"And where do I fit into this?"
Fury didn't hesitate.
"As part of the initiative, obviously."
He studied Eric with his single eye.
"Agent Romanoff submitted a full report on you. You're more than qualified."
He paused.
"Of course, the decision is yours."
"I accept," Eric said without much thought. "On one condition."
Fury raised an eyebrow.
"I want my family kept as far out of this as possible," Eric continued. "No photos. No locations. No files circulating through the wrong offices."
Fury held his gaze.
Then nodded once.
"Fair."
✨ Do you enjoy what I write?
Support me on Ko-fi and help me keep creating stories, chapters, and futures that don't exist yet… but are already waiting to be born. ☕📖
📩 Any issues with the book or questions? Feel free to message me via DM. I always reply.
🚀 20 early-access chapters now available in my store!
Get access before anyone else to the story, twists, revelations, and moments that haven't been released to the public yet.
✒️ko-fi.com/kanekikun99✒️