Something flapped in the darkness.
Patrick froze, raising his torch.
"What was that?"
Nick Fury immediately turned toward the sound, sword raised. His single eye scanned the cave, searching for movement.
Then a pair of glowing eyes appeared above them.
Followed by another pair.
And another.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Patrick muttered.
A group of bats swooped out of the darkness.
"Incoming!" Fury shouted.
Patrick barely had time to duck before one of the creatures flew past his head. Fury swung his shortsword, missing the bat entirely as it changed direction.
"How the hell do you hit these things?" Fury growled.
"Try swinging at them!"
"Thank you, genius!"
Patrick raised his own sword and slashed at a bat diving toward him. He missed. The creature struck his shoulder before flying away.
"OW! Fuck!"
Unlike in a game, getting hit actually hurt.
There was no health bar floating in front of his eyes telling him exactly how much damage he had taken. No convenient controller to help him dodge. No pause menu where he could calmly consider his next move.
He was in an actual cave, fighting actual monsters, with an actual chance of getting his ass kicked.
'Okay, maybe I should take this a little more seriously.'
Patrick swung again, managing to hit one of the bats. It fell to the ground, disappearing in a puff of particles.
Fury was doing considerably better. Despite having only one eye, he moved with the practiced efficiency of someone who had spent decades fighting people who wanted him dead.
Within a minute, the remaining bats were gone.
Patrick leaned against the cave wall, breathing heavily.
Fury glanced at him.
"That was pathetic."
"Thank you. Your encouragement means everything to me."
"You were swinging that sword like you were trying to swat a fly."
"Have you ever tried hitting a flying bat with a sword?"
"No."
"Then shut up."
Fury gave him a flat look.
Patrick sighed and opened his Terraria book.
'All right. New plan. I'm not dying because I was too lazy to make basic equipment.'
He examined the crafting recipes and checked how much wood they had collected earlier. Fortunately, they had enough.
After a few minutes of crafting, Patrick produced two sets of wooden armor, a bow, and a bundle of arrows.
He handed one armor set to Fury.
"Here. Put this on."
Fury examined the wooden chest piece.
"You expect me to wear this?"
"Unless you have a better idea."
"I've worn bulletproof vests that looked less ridiculous."
"And yet, here we are."
Fury reluctantly equipped the armor. It appeared over his clothing in a strange flash of light, fitting him perfectly despite being made of wood.
He looked down at himself.
"I hate this place."
"Give it time. You'll learn to love it."
Patrick equipped his own armor and picked up the bow.
He drew an arrow, aimed at a stone formation in the distance, and fired.
The arrow struck the ground several feet to the left.
Patrick stared at it.
He tried again.
This time, the arrow flew too high and disappeared into the darkness.
Fury watched him silently.
"Don't."
"I haven't said anything."
"You're thinking it."
"I'm thinking several things."
Patrick lowered the bow.
"Man, I'll probably take the path of a Summoner or a Mage."
"Are those supposed to be careers?"
"Something like that."
He glanced at the bow, then at the darkness ahead.
'Yeah. I'm definitely not becoming an archer.'
They continued deeper into the cave, moving more carefully than before.
Patrick kept his bow ready, although he wasn't particularly confident in his ability to hit anything with it. Fury walked ahead with his sword drawn, occasionally checking the corners and narrow passages.
Eventually, they reached a small chamber.
And in the middle of it sat a wooden chest.
Patrick's eyes practically sparkled.
"A chest!"
Fury stopped.
"What's so exciting about a box?"
"Because boxes in places like this usually contain loot."
"You're telling me someone left valuables inside a box in the middle of a cave?"
"Exactly."
"That makes absolutely no sense."
"Neither does a blue slime, but you've already killed three of those."
Patrick hurried over and opened the chest.
Inside were five potions, a pair of boots, a small pile of coins, and a strange-looking gun.
He picked up the potions first.
"Recall Potions. Five of them."
Fury immediately stepped closer.
"Recall?"
Patrick noticed his expression and grinned.
"Oh, don't tell me you're excited. I found something that might cure your baldness."
Fury stared at him.
"What?"
Patrick held up one of the bottles.
"Here. A potion to cure Nick's baldness. We might finally get to see what you look like with a full head of hair."
"Give me that."
"Careful. It might have side effects."
Fury snatched the bottle from his hand and immediately opened his Terraria book.
Patrick watched as Fury searched through the item's description.
His expression gradually changed.
"This doesn't return us to the real world."
"Nope."
"It teleports the user to their spawn point."
"Correct."
Fury looked up slowly.
"You let me think it could get us out of here."
"I never said that. You just got excited."
"You little—"
"Hey, don't blame me for your lack of reading comprehension."
Fury looked like he was about to throw the potion at Patrick's head.
Instead, he carefully placed it back in his inventory.
"We're keeping these."
"Obviously."
Patrick examined the remaining loot.
The boots were Hermes Boots, an accessory that could dramatically increase their running speed. He equipped them immediately, feeling the difference as he took a few experimental steps.
"Oh, these are nice."
Fury examined the strange gun.
"A Flare Gun?"
"Yep. It shoots flares. Useful for lighting up dark places and marking locations."
Fury turned the weapon over in his hands.
"Does it have any other uses?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then we'll keep it anyway."
Patrick collected the coins, divided the useful supplies between them, and closed the chest.
Their first expedition had been surprisingly productive.
More importantly, they now had better equipment, a way to return to their spawn point, and a slightly improved chance of surviving the cave.
Patrick looked at Fury.
"See? Exploring isn't so bad."
Fury gestured toward the darkness.
"We were attacked by flying monsters, you nearly shot yourself with an arrow, and the only thing you've accomplished is finding a pair of shoes."
"Fast shoes."
"Unbelievable."
They sat beside the chest while Patrick checked their supplies.
Fury had been unusually quiet for the past few minutes.
Patrick knew that silence.
It was the silence of a man who had decided it was time to interrogate someone.
"So," Fury began, "how do you know so much about this world?"
Patrick looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"You've been here for what appears to be the first time, yet you know what slimes are, how to craft equipment, what these potions do, and where to look for useful items."
Patrick shrugged.
"Of course I know something about this world. It's my ability. Who should know if I don't?"
Fury narrowed his eye.
"Your ability?"
"Yep."
"Can you use it to travel to other places?"
"Not as far as I know."
"How did you get it?"
Patrick leaned back against the cave wall, putting on his most thoughtful expression.
"I bought it from a guy. He even gave me a goose that lays golden eggs."
Silence.
Fury stared at him.
Patrick stared back.
Finally, Fury spoke.
"So you aren't telling me."
"Obviously. First, I don't know everything. Second, you're not a pretty girl, so why would I tell you my secrets?"
Fury closed his eyes briefly.
"Horny dog."
"That's me."
For a moment, Fury seemed to consider asking more questions. Then he apparently decided that trying to extract information from Patrick through conversation was a waste of time.
He changed the subject.
"Can you bring other people into this world?"
Patrick's smile faded slightly.
There it was.
The question he had been expecting sooner or later.
"I don't know if I can control it. You were pulled in without me doing anything."
"But it happened."
"Yeah."
Fury looked around the cave, studying the stone walls and the equipment they had gathered.
"This place could be useful."
Patrick said nothing.
"Imagine training agents here. The environment is dangerous, resources are available, and the time difference could allow us to conduct extended training without losing as much time in the real world."
Patrick slowly turned toward him.
Fury continued.
"With the right people, we could establish a controlled training ground. Somewhere to prepare agents for threats that ordinary facilities can't simulate."
Patrick could practically see the gears turning in Fury's head.
And he could guess where those thoughts were going next.
"Maybe even a place for a future team of Earth's protectors," Fury added.
Patrick stared at him.
Then he laughed.
Fury's expression hardened.
"Something funny?"
"Yeah. You really think I'm going to let you use this world as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private backyard?"
"I'm discussing possibilities."
"And I'm telling you that the answer is no."
Fury's eye narrowed.
"You're in no position to dictate terms."
"Then I guess we don't have a deal."
Patrick stood up, brushing dirt from his pants.
"I'll say this once, Fury. I'm not letting you turn this place into a training ground for your soldiers. You don't own this world, and neither does S.H.I.E.L.D."
He paused.
"And the resources here aren't getting out for free, either."
Fury watched him carefully.
Patrick continued before Fury could interrupt.
"I don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't know who you report to, who has access to your files, or who might decide that a dimension full of strange resources is worth stealing. If you want to work with me, we keep this place a secret. Then we can have a proper conversation about a deal."
Fury remained silent for several seconds.
"You understand that I can't promise S.H.I.E.L.D. will never investigate this place."
"Of course. But you can keep the information restricted while we figure out what we're dealing with."
"And what exactly do you want in exchange for cooperation?"
Patrick smiled.
"Now we're talking."
They spent the next several minutes negotiating.
Patrick would establish a company to collect and sell resources from Terraria. Fury would help him make that possible, providing the necessary connections and ensuring that the company could operate without attracting unwanted attention.
S.H.I.E.L.D. would be a potential buyer, but it wouldn't own the company or gain unrestricted access to the dimension.
In return, Fury would help Patrick obtain legitimate identification and the documentation necessary to establish himself in his world.
There was also the matter of Patrick himself.
"I want you under my supervision," Fury said. "You'll have access to resources and assistance, but I expect you to cooperate when necessary."
Patrick grimaced.
"That sounds suspiciously like having a babysitter."
"Think of it as having someone who can keep you from doing something stupid."
"That's worse."
Fury ignored him.
"And I want you to join a team I'm planning to assemble."
Patrick raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of team?"
"A team capable of responding to threats beyond the reach of ordinary agents. People who can protect the planet when conventional forces aren't enough."
Patrick considered the offer.
It wasn't exactly what he had planned for his life.
Then again, what had he planned?
nothing, no plans.
And knowing Fury, the man would keep an eye on him whether Patrick agreed to join the team or not.
'Besides, if I'm going to have problems, I might as well share some of them. I don't have to deal with everything by myself.'
Patrick sighed.
"Fine. I'll join. For now."
Fury nodded.
"We'll discuss the details when we return."
"Great. I can't wait to discover all the exciting ways you're going to ruin my life."
"You're welcome."
They shook hands.
It wasn't friendship. It wasn't trust.
Not yet.
It was an agreement between two men who understood that working together would be more useful than fighting each other.
Patrick intended to keep it that way.
He had no intention of revealing everything he knew, and Fury clearly had no intention of abandoning his own plans.
They could work with that.
Patrick started walking toward the cave entrance, then paused and glanced back.
"Oh, by the way."
Fury looked at him.
"What now?"
"If you're planning to send someone to keep an eye on me, please make it a woman."
Fury stared at him.
Patrick grinned.
"What? I'm just making a reasonable request."
"You're unbelievable."
Fury shook his head and followed him out of the cave.
Patrick smiled to himself.
For the first time since arriving in the Marvel universe, he had something resembling a plan.
He would establish his company, get his identification, explore Terraria, and figure out how to survive in a world where superheroes, supervillains, and cosmic threats were apparently part of everyday life.
And if Nick Fury wanted to keep tabs on him?
Fine.
Let him.
Patrick had his own secrets to protect.
And unlike Fury, he had no intention of sharing them with anyone.
....
Taking a break for a week due to midterm exams purposes, which I still didn't study for
wish me to pass or pass out; either would work fine for me
Till then, vote for how u want the story to go
harem
normal romance
or neither
If you choose harem or just normal romance, mention the one you want, even if outside the MCU, knowing that the farther the character is from Marvel, the longer it'll take to add her
And you can't say Rayne Ronald
No R18 by any chance; I don't like the idea of someone mastur*bating over my story