The meeting slowly broke apart after that.
Thor left to prepare for the journey back to Asgard with Loki and the Tesseract.
Tony wandered off while still muttering something about "alien transportation infrastructure."
Steve was already coordinating cleanup efforts.
Clint disappeared toward the elevators.
Bruce quietly slipped away as well.
Within a few minutes, the room had mostly emptied.
Eli stood near one of the broken windows again, staring out over the city.
The adrenaline from the battle had faded.
Now something much simpler hit him.
…Wait.
Where am I supposed to sleep?
He blinked.
He had arrived on Earth 'by accident'
He had fought an alien invasion
Asked a god for a ride across the galaxy.
But he had somehow forgotten the most basic problem.
He had no place to stay.
Eli scratched the back of his head.
"...Huh."
"That's inconvenient."
"Not as inconvenient as sleeping on a park bench."
Eli turned.
Nick Fury stood behind him, coat hanging loosely over his shoulders.
Next to him was Natasha Romanoff.
Eli immediately straightened slightly.
"Uh… hi."
Fury studied him carefully with his single eye. "You're a long way from home, son."
Eli shrugged.
"Yeah. That happens sometimes."
Fury gestured toward the city.
"Earth's not exactly prepared to host interstellar visitors."
Eli nodded.
"Fair."
Natasha stepped forward slightly.
"So while you're waiting for Thor to repair the Bifrost," she said calmly, "what exactly are your plans?"
Eli opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
He thought for a moment.
"…Honestly?"
"Not sure."
Fury raised an eyebrow.
"You just fought in the biggest battle this planet has seen in decades," Fury said. "And your next move is 'not sure.'"
Eli rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well… step one was 'don't die.'"
"Step two was 'ask Thor for a ride.'"
"Step three…" he looked around the destroyed floor.
"…apparently I skipped step three."
Natasha crossed her arms, hiding a small smile.
"You don't have anywhere to stay, do you?"
Eli sighed.
"…Nope."
Fury nodded slowly.
"That's a problem we can solve."
Eli looked up.
"Oh?"
Fury's voice stayed calm.
"You help us. We help you."
Eli narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What kind of help?"
"Work with us for a while," Fury said. "Consultant. Field work when necessary."
Eli immediately understood.
"You want me to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.."
Fury didn't even blink.
"You just helped save the planet. You clearly have abilities we don't fully understand."
"Seems like a waste not to use them."
Eli thought about that.
Before he could answer, Natasha stepped a little closer.
Her voice softened slightly.
"It wouldn't be permanent," she said.
"Just until Thor is able to take you where you want to go."
Eli looked at her.
She held his gaze calmly.
Then she gave a small, almost playful smile.
"You'd have a place to stay."
"Food."
"A bed."
"And someone to show you around Earth."
Eli tilted his head slightly.
"…Are you trying to flirt with me to convince me?"
Natasha blinked.
For a brief moment, she genuinely looked surprised.
"Why would you think that?"
Eli gestured vaguely at his own face.
"Have you seen my face?"
Natasha didn't respond immediately.
"A lot of people try all kinds of flirting with me," Eli continued casually.
"And when I say all…I mean all." He didn't want to say but man, weman, the old the young they all tried.
He pointed at her.
"So you should probably stop."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Natasha slowly smiled.
Not offended.
Not embarrassed.
Just… amused.
"That wasn't flirting."
Eli crossed his arms.
"Sure."
Natasha stepped a little closer, now clearly studying him.
"You're very confident."
"Experience," Eli said.
Fury quietly watched the entire exchange without interrupting.
Natasha tilted her head slightly.
"So let me understand this," she said.
"You believe people flirt with you constantly because you're attractive."
Eli shrugged.
"Well… yeah."
"And you believe I'm doing the same thing."
"Yep."
Natasha's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then she smiled again.
"Interesting."
Eli frowned slightly.
"…Why?"
"Because," Natasha said calmly, "that means you're paying attention."
Eli blinked.
"What?"
Natasha turned and started walking toward the elevator.
"Come on."
Eli frowned again.
"Where?"
"Food," she said over her shoulder.
Eli looked at Fury.
Fury shrugged slightly.
"Agent Romanoff rarely makes offers twice."
Eli hesitated.
Then followed.
As they walked down the hallway,
Natasha slowed slightly so he could walk beside her.
"You're not very good at lying," she said.
Eli looked at her.
"I wasn't lying.About Knowhere."
"Oh."
Eli looked forward again.
"…Yeah."
Natasha studied his expression quietly.
Then she changed the subject.
"So," she said casually.
"Can you actually fly in space?"
"Yeah."
"Without a suit?"
"Yep."
Natasha nodded slowly.
"Useful."
They reached the elevator.
The doors opened.
Eli stepped inside beside her.
"So… this food," he said.
Natasha leaned casually against the wall.
"You agree to help us," she said, "and I'll show you the best food places in New York."
Eli thought about it for a few seconds.
Then he nodded.
"…Alright."
Natasha glanced at him.
"That easy?"
Eli shrugged.
"You offered food."
Natasha smiled slightly.
"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D., Eli."
Eli leaned back against the elevator wall.
"…I still think you were flirting."
Natasha didn't respond.
But the small smile on her face said otherwise.
The elevator doors closed with a soft metallic sound as Eli and Natasha descended toward the lower floors.
For a moment, the room was quiet.
Nick Fury stood near the broken window, looking out at the damaged skyline of New York.
Smoke still drifted through the air.
Behind him, Natasha returned a few minutes later.
Fury didn't turn around.
"Well?" he asked.
Natasha crossed the room and leaned lightly against the table.
"What do you want to know?"
Fury glanced back at her.
"What do you think of him?"
Natasha thought about it for a moment.
"He's telling the truth," she said.
"Mostly."
Fury raised an eyebrow.
"Mostly?"
"He's hiding something," Natasha replied calmly.
"But it's not hostile."
Fury turned fully toward her now.
"That's a very specific conclusion."
Natasha shrugged slightly.
"He could've lied better."
"That boy had half the Avengers staring at him and still stuck to the same story."
She crossed her arms.
"People who are lying for the wrong reasons usually panic."
"He didn't."
Fury nodded slowly.
"And the power?"
Natasha's expression grew thoughtful.
"He handled himself well in the battle."
"Too well for someone who claims to have just arrived here."
Fury walked toward the table.
"You think he's more dangerous than he looks?"
Natasha tilted her head slightly.
"Everything about him is strange."
"His abilities."
"His background."
"The fact that he came out of nowhere right when the Tesseract activated."
She paused.
"But he didn't act like someone trying to steal it."
Fury nodded once.
"That's the part that bothers me."
Natasha looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because," Fury said calmly, "if someone with that kind of power did want the Tesseract…"
"…we probably wouldn't have been able to stop him."
Natasha didn't disagree.
Instead she said,
"He didn't go after it."
Fury crossed his arms.
"No."
"He asked for a ride."
Natasha smiled slightly at that.
"Which is honestly the strangest part."
Fury looked back out at the skyline again.
"You trust him?"
Natasha didn't answer immediately.
Finally she said,
"I trust his intentions. That's not the same thing as trusting him."
Fury nodded slowly.
"Good."
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"Good?"
Fury looked back at her.
"That's why I'm putting him with you."
Natasha sighed softly.
"Of course you are."
"You read people," Fury said.
"And he's already comfortable around you."
Natasha smirked slightly.
"He thinks I was flirting with him."
For the first time, Fury actually laughed.
"A little confidence isn't a bad thing."
Natasha shook her head slightly.
"No."
"But it might make him easier to manipulate."
Fury studied her carefully.
"You manipulating him, Romanoff?"
Natasha gave a small shrug.
"I prefer the word guiding."
Fury walked toward the door.
"Just make sure the kid doesn't turn into our next global problem."
Natasha pushed off the table.
"If he was going to be a problem…"
"…he would've been one already."
Fury stopped at the doorway.
"Maybe."
Then he looked back at her.
"But I've been doing this long enough to know something."
Natasha waited.
Fury's single eye narrowed slightly.
"The most dangerous people in the universe…"
"…are usually the ones who don't realize how dangerous they are."
Natasha watched him leave.
For a moment she stood there in silence.
Then she glanced toward the elevator where Eli had disappeared earlier.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Yeah," she murmured quietly.
"He's definitely interesting."
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The whole shield thing will last for only 2 chapters so don't wary