Marvelous Mutations

Inside the grocery store, something felt… off.

Luke wasn't the only one who noticed the anomaly, both Natasha Romanoff and Phil Coulson sensed it too. The atmosphere had shifted subtly, the way it does when something unnatural brushes against reality.

Wanda, who usually carried herself with the awkward confidence of a teenager trying to seem tougher than she was, had just done something… impossible.

With a light push of her hand, she vaulted over the counter like a gymnast, landing with the grace and precision of someone who had spent years in covert training.

Clean, almost too clean. Too effortless.

Natasha blinked. Coulson's brows rose a fraction. For a brief moment, both highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stood in silent admiration.

Sure, Natasha herself could've made that jump, it was within her skillset. But Wanda hadn't trained in any known combat style. She looked like a civilian. A normal, petite girl.

And yet…

When they turned their attention to the countertop. A faint handprint was still fading where she'd braced herself. Not even Natasha could've left that kind of imprint so easily. It wasn't just about agility. It was too much power, hidden beneath her unassuming exterior.

If it had been Luke, they might not have been surprised. They'd long suspected something wasn't normal about him. But this girl?

This unassuming little sister?

What else was hiding in plain sight?

An older brother who spoke in poetic riddles. A sister with uncanny abilities. A husky that turned into a beast when provoked. And customers who wandered in dragging injured limbs as if it were normal shopping behavior.

Natasha and Coulson exchanged glances.

This grocery store was full of monsters.

Suddenly, they both looked at the merchandise in their hands, mundane, everyday items. Well, they were indeed high quality goods and reasonably priced.

But when they remembered the other customers behavior, buying one dollar snacks for a hundred dollars and smiling at how cheap they thought it was…

Fortunately they had strong willpower, or that could easily have been them.

A chill ran down Coulson's spine.

"This place is wrong," Natasha murmured under her breath.

Coulson's voice trembled slightly as he tried to sound casual, his usual composure finally faltering. "I, uh… well… we're gonna leave now."

Even Natasha couldn't hide her unease. Without another word, the two turned and walked swiftly out the door.

Within seconds, they were gone.

From a second-floor window, Luke pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, watching them vanish into the distance. Staring at Natasha's back, reluctant to look away.

What a day, he thought, a genuine smile forming. Seeing Natasha Romanoff in a movie had always been thrilling, but seeing her in real life?

It was certainly much better.

…

"Luke! Come down and help clean!"

Wanda's sharp voice jolted him from his thoughts. She stood downstairs with her hands planted firmly on her hips, narrow-eyed and full of suspicion.

She'd clearly seen the dreamy smile he had as he descended the stairs.

Luke descended slowly, calculating. He needed a distraction, fast.

"Wanda," he said, lowering his voice dramatically, "have you noticed there's something… strange about our grocery store?"

Wanda's expression changed in an instant. That spark of curiosity in her eyes flared to life. Ever since she was little, she'd adored mysteries.

"I knew it!" she whispered excitedly. "Brother, I've suspected for a long time!"

Luke nodded sagely as he reached the bottom step. "I think our store might be… alive."

Wanda's jaw dropped. "No way…"

He walked over to the counter, picked up a brand-new hammer from a nearby shelf, and looked at her meaningfully. "Watch closely."

With a solid thud, Luke slammed the hammer into the wooden counter.

Boom~!

A sizable hole split open on the surface.

Wanda gasped in alarm, but then her eyes widened in awe.

Before her very eyes, the jagged hole began to shrink. The splintered wood curled in on itself, healing slowly, as if the counter had the power to mend naturally.

"Brother!" she shouted, snatching the hammer from him. "That's amazing!"

She pounded the counter again and again, giggling as each impact left a wound that slowly closed.

Bang! Bang! Bang~!

It was like the wood had Wolverine's healing factor.

Then her gaze dropped to the floor. And without hesitation, she started hammering that too.

Bang! Bang! Bang~!

Three big dents formed on the floorboards, but unfortunately, this time nothing happened, no miraculous self repair.

"Huh?" She tilted her head, puzzled. "Why isn't the floor fixing itself?"

Luke frowned. "Uh… maybe it reacts slower?"

He took the hammer back and started whacking the floor himself.

"C'mon," he muttered, pounding harder, "restore yourself or I'm making more holes!"

As if in response to his frustration, a soft chime echoed in the air.

[Ding! Your floor has sensed your anger and is now terrified of being replaced. Self-repair mode and automatic cleaning function activated.]

"Brother!" Wanda pointed excitedly. "It's fixing itself!"

Sure enough, the gouges in the floor were closing, the wood knitting back together. Even a smear of blood nearby was vanishing, sucked into the boards as though absorbed by it.

Wanda stood there, stunned.

Their grocery store wasn't just weird.

It was alive.

Luke was also a bit surprised, he clearly wasn't expecting the cleaning function. But then his smile widened, realizing he didn't need to clean anymore.

…