The Golden Guardian

Volume 2: Debut?

I look down at the shorter man and his friend, a confused and wary look on my face. 

"And how do you know who I am?"

He pulls a badge from his coat and holds it out in front of him, "Director Nick Fury, Head of S.H.I.E.L.D. How I know you is of no concern; why I'm here is what's important."

I hear Karla call out from the kitchen, "Y/N? Who's at the door?" 

I shout back to her, "No one, Karla! Just an Amazon guy can't find the right apartment!" I step out into the hall and shut the door behind me, "What the fuck do you want?" I could tell by looking at this guy that he would be nothing but trouble.

The red-headed woman beside him hands him a tablet, and he holds it in front of my face; a video shows me bursting out of my father's house and flying away. "This you?" he swipes across the screen, and another video plays, me splitting that guy in half the other night, "Lookie here."

I can feel my hands clench into fists; who does this guy think he is? Is he trying to blackmail me? "Why are you here? I would hurry, or this hallway will get very messy." He smirks and looks past me and at the door.

"You sound close to your friend in there. It would be a shame if something happened to Ms. Sofen." I cut my eyes at him. That burning from last night welling up, "You know more than you let on, so you should know I could rip through you before you took a step toward that door. That there is nothing you can do to stop me.

He swipes the tablet again and brings up a heartbeat monitor, "I'm sure you could, which is why I've thought ahead. Call it a dead man's switch. You kill me, and Ms. Sofen dies as well." The woman beside him casts a worried glance before looking back at me. I can hear her heartbeat spiking. 

I raise my hand and close it to a fist, staring at it intently. I remember the feeling of punching through that guy. "You've done your research, so you should know Karla is my only friend. The most important person in my life." 

He smirks and lowers the tablet to his side, "Of course, I have, now are you ready to be civil about this? What we need to discuss is truly important." I begin laughing. I can see both of them looking at me awkwardly. 

"Go ahead. Kill her. Let's light this candle, huh? I mean, sure, I'll lose everything, but then... I'll have nothing to lose." The woman speaks up for the first time. Her voice was soft but commanding. 

"Just what are you implying?" Nick spoke, "It sounds like a threat to me, and you should know I don't take threats lightly."

"I'll just wipe New York off the fucking map."

The atmosphere grew in seriousness ten-fold; everyone was quiet before the woman spoke up, "You'd kill everyone in New York..."

I step up chest to chest with Nick, "You didn't do enough homework. If you did, you'd know Karla is the only person I have left. I'd burn this entire world to ash for her." The woman grabs Nick by the shoulder and pulls him away from me, "Nick, call this off now! Before you get us all killed!"

Nick presses the earpiece and calls off what I'm assuming was a sniper across the street, "There, now can we talk about this like adults?" I look across the both of them and turn to open the door, "Karls! I'm going to the store. I'll be back in a bit!" 

I can hear Karla's feet pattering toward the door, and I block the view of the hallway from her, "Just be safe, okay? If you start to have another episode, please call me." She hugs me tightly and walks back into her apartment. I grab my coat off the hook and close the door, "You've got thirty minutes."