Marvelous Mutations

After receiving Director Fury's orders, Agent Hill immediately contacted Natasha Romanoff.

On the other end of the line, Natasha's expression turned serious.

As one of the most experienced spies in the world, Natasha had encountered her fair share of strange and unexplainable things. But even she had never heard of anything like this.

A dog that could transform into a monster?

Two different monstrous forms, at that?

Unprecedented.

Still, orders were orders. Without delay, Natasha began her investigation into the man named Luke.

She sifted through every detail, his orphanage records, business registration, transaction history, tax filings. Every scrap of data, public or private, was unearthed and scrutinized.

And then something unusual caught her eye.

Just hours ago, Luke had emptied his entire bank account and invested everything into the stock market.

More specifically, into Hammer Industries.

Natasha frowned.

Even with her limited knowledge of finance, she knew that Hammer Industries was a sinking ship. With Stark Industries dominating the weapon sector, Hammer's stock value had been in steady decline. They were flirting with bankruptcy.

Why would anyone bet their life savings on a dying company?

It made no sense.

But if Director Fury was taking this guy seriously, maybe she needed to look deeper.

"Could he have some insider information?"

Because in the stock market, the difference between a gambler and a winner often came down to knowledge, specifically, knowledge no one else had.

But that opened up a bigger question.

Where would a guy like Luke, barely out of an orphanage, running a modest grocery store, get access to something that valuable?

The deeper she dug, the foggier it got. There was no clear answer, only more inconsistencies. Every time she thought she had him figured out, Luke slipped further into mystery.

Just then, her phone rang again. It was Agent Hill again.

Natasha answered immediately.

"Natasha, the director just received word that Tony Stark was attacked by terrorists today. His current whereabouts are unknown."

Hill's tone was brisk and professional, but Natasha immediately understood the gravity.

"Due to his high-profile status, the higher-ups have asked us to assist in the search and rescue. Director Fury wants you to finish your evaluation of Luke as quickly as possible, then report back to help locate Stark."

Natasha gave a sharp nod, even though Hill couldn't see it.

"Understood."

She was used to operating on tight timelines. S.H.I.E.L.D. was constantly understaffed, and elite agents like her were always cycling between missions. This wasn't the first time she was handed a new assignment before wrapping up the current one.

But just as she was about to hang up, something clicked.

Her brow furrowed.

"Wait… What did you say?"

Hill paused on the other end, slightly confused.

"Tony Stark was attacked and has gone missing."

"That's it," Natasha said, eyes narrowing. Something about the timing didn't sit right.

Luke had just dumped all his money into Hammer Industries.

And now, hours later, Tony Stark, the CEO of Stark Industries, Hammer's chief rival, had mysteriously vanished?

'No… that's too much of a coincidence.'

What happens when Stark Industries' leader disappears? Stock value plummets. Investor confidence collapses. The market reacts immediately.

And who benefits?

Their biggest competitor: Hammer Industries.

"Oh my god…"

Natasha's thoughts raced. Was Luke somehow involved? Was he orchestrating a profit play on Tony Stark's disappearance?

She shook her head, trying to ground herself. It sounded crazy.

This wasn't some billion-dollar operation. We were talking about a few hundred bucks. Even if Hammer's stock skyrocketed, Luke would only walk away with a few thousand dollars at best.

But the logic, the sequence, it was too precise to ignore.

This wasn't the move of a clueless amateur.

This was deliberate.

"There's no way he just guessed this would happen…"

It meant he had knowledge. Maybe even involvement.

Back in the Red Room, Natasha had been trained in more than just espionage, she had studied psychology, body language, behavioral science among many other things.

And a move like this? Investing everything, all at once, in a failing company?

"He knew. He had to know."

Even if Luke wasn't directly tied to the terrorists who attacked Stark, he clearly had insight into events no civilian should have access to.

Natasha's mind began assembling the pieces.

A grocery store owner with no background.

A monster dog with at least two transformations.

A suspiciously timed investment.

And now, a global-level event unfolding in real time.

She didn't have the full picture yet, but she could feel the edges of something massive.

"This guy isn't just a person of interest anymore, there's definitely much more to him than we thought." she muttered.

…