Marvel: Open Up, It’s the FBI

As Lynn Hall listened, the county officer's voice trembled with something between fear and disbelief.

> "After my car stalled, I thought about walking into town on foot… but before I could even open the door, I saw them—pairs of glowing red eyes—just staring at me from the fog."

His breath hitched. "I couldn't move. The engine was dead. My phone had no signal. I just stayed in the car all night, too afraid to even breathe. The eyes didn't leave until sunrise."

Lynn's brow furrowed.

Nearby, Sean leaned over to Alice and whispered, "Is it just me, or does this feel like we're in a horror movie? Shouldn't this be something for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Alice shook her head slightly. "Not yet. It might be supernatural, but we can't rule out mutant involvement. Some mutants have reality-bending abilities—illusions, fear projection, that sort of thing. We need data."

Then, unexpectedly, Dennis spoke up.

> "Actually… I know a mutant girl who can make people hallucinate their deepest fears. She's only thirteen, but her powers are real. I've seen them."

Alice's eyes narrowed. "That's not in your file. And your mother specifically told us you hadn't had contact with any other mutants."

Dennis hesitated. "I didn't know if I could trust you all at the time. But now… I do. I just—didn't think it was relevant. She's not dangerous."

Alice nodded slowly. "After this is over, you're telling the boss. You don't get to hide things like that, not in this job."

She glanced at Sean, who immediately picked up the cue.

Sean clapped a hand on Dennis's shoulder. "Alice is right. You weren't wrong to have a private life, but this isn't a coffee shop gig. When it comes to mutant contacts, the Bureau takes everything seriously. If you omit details like that, you risk putting all of us—including your mother—under scrutiny."

Dennis nodded. "I understand. I'll tell the chief myself."

Sean smirked. "Good. For what it's worth, Barbara gave up a full list of every mutant she's ever known. A whole damn scroll of names."

---

Meanwhile, at the front line, Lynn continued his questioning.

> "So, after sunrise, what did you do?"

The officer licked his lips. "I forced myself to go into the town. I walked maybe twenty meters in before the people—if you can call them that—noticed me. They swarmed, and I thought I was dead."

> "But they didn't hurt me. They just… picked me up and threw me out. Right back to the edge of the fog. It was like they didn't want to cross the boundary."

Now that was interesting.

Just then, a field agent jogged up, holding a laptop. "Chief, we've got a problem. The drone we sent in lost all signal the second it entered the fog."

Lynn glanced down. The screen was pure static.

> "Any updates from hazmat?"

> "They're still analyzing the mist. No toxins so far. The environmental team ran tests on the local flora—nothing out of the ordinary. As far as science is concerned, the air is clean."

Which only meant one thing…

> "We're not getting answers unless we go in."

---

"I'll go," Alice said, stepping up, her SMG slung and ready. "We still don't know how dangerous it is. Let me lead a scout team—"

"No offense, Alice," Sean cut in, cracking his neck with a grin, "but this might get physical. And let's be honest—aside from the chief, I'm the best brawler in the Bureau. If those townsfolk are full-on Romero zombies, I'll break more necks per second than any of you."

Lynn didn't respond immediately. He was thinking.

Then he turned toward Dennis. "I want you to go to the nearest farm. Buy a few live animals—goats, pigs, anything. Alice, get the intel team to prep telemetry gear small enough to strap onto them."

Both nodded and quickly set off.

Back in the car, Lynn lit a cigarette and stared into the fog-veiled town.

Everything about this case felt wrong.

The fog didn't disperse in the wind.

The residents lost consciousness overnight.

Drones lost all signal immediately.

And those eyes… those red eyes in the dark?

It wasn't just strange. It was unnatural.

This… this might actually be the real deal.

He pulled out his phone and hovered over Phil Coulson's number.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had deeper access to supernatural intel than the FBI ever would. They might already have a file on this town.

But after a pause, he put the phone away.

Not yet.

---

Elsewhere — New York Sanctum Sanctorum

Master Mordo stood at the arched window, brow furrowed as he watched the clouds over Manhattan.

> "Master, are you sure we shouldn't intervene? That fog… thirteen hundred people reduced to husks in a night? This is beyond the Bureau."

Seated cross-legged in the center of the room, sipping tea with quiet serenity, the Ancient One gave only a soft smile.

> "Don't underestimate Lynn Hall."

> "He isn't alone out there. Help will arrive when needed."

Mordo hesitated.

But he trusted her judgment.

For now.