Clash of Instincts
Sam followed the green-eyed stranger at a distance, watching as the man’s frantic movements took him closer to the wreckage. Even from a few paces away, Sam could see the stranger's face was a mix of desperation and devastation. His fingers clawed through the debris, his breaths ragged as he whispered under his breath, voice too soft for Sam to make out the words.
Maybe I was wrong, Sam thought, a pang of guilt settling in his chest. He’d been sure this guy was up to no good, that the strange aura he felt meant the man was doing something dangerous, maybe even supernatural. But as he watched the stranger tear through the rubble with shaking hands, Sam’s conviction began to waver. He looked more like a guy caught in some tragic moment than a threat.
Sam took a deep breath, feeling his own mind unravel as memories of Jess flooded back, the guilt and the helplessness tightening his throat. Maybe he was starting to crack. Maybe his instincts were finally slipping, and he was seeing monsters where there weren’t any. But then he’d never been wrong about his gut before. And he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that kept crawling up his spine.
He glanced at the man again, trying to decipher what was nagging at him, what he was feeling. There was something about the guy that tugged at him, something that made it hard to look away. As the stranger muttered to himself, his voice laced with desperation, Sam almost thought of walking off, leaving him to whatever pain he was grappling with. But then the guy raised his hand, clutching a stick. And with a murmur, the rubble began shifting, as if moved by an invisible force.
Magic?
Sam’s instincts flared, his hand reaching for his gun. He edged closer, clicking the safety off, ready to confront him. The stranger turned around, eyes wide and alert, locking onto Sam’s gaze. Green eyes met hazel, and for a moment, the air was still, both of them sizing each other up. A low growl broke the silence, and Sam’s eyes flickered to the massive black dog that suddenly stepped between him and the stranger, baring its teeth.
He tightened his grip on the gun, his mind racing. The guy looked uncertain, maybe even scared, but he kept his ground, holding up the piece of wood with trembling hands. His eyes showed no hint of danger, only hesitation.
“Stay back,” Sam warned, his voice steady, but his gut was twisting. He’d seen what the guy could do with that stick, and he didn’t want it pointed at him.
The stranger’s lips parted, like he wanted to explain, but the words never came out. The hum of helicopter blades cut through the tense silence, growing louder, the shadows circling over the wreckage. Smoke billowed from the rubble, swirling in the hazy light, and Sam felt every nerve in his body snap to attention, the tension so thick it seemed to cling to the air.
The stranger raised the stick slowly, cautiously, his hand trembling but his face filled with something other than fear. Determination, maybe. Sam held his ground, unwilling to back down, but he didn’t want that stick pointed at him either. With a split-second decision, he fired a warning shot.
Everything happened in an instant.
The black dog leapt, twisting in midair, and in a flash, it wasn’t a dog anymore. A man with dark, haunted eyes and sharp features appeared, throwing himself in front of the bullet. The stranger screamed, “Sirius!” just as the bullet found its mark in the man’s shoulder, and the man who had been a dog staggered, his expression defiant despite the pain.
Before Sam could process what he was seeing, agents in tactical gear were flooding the scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. logos emblazoned on their uniforms, barking orders as they moved in.
Sam froze, feeling the weight of his decision hit him all at once. The smoke, the strangers, the agents moving in, and the unknown power thrumming in the air around him, it was more than he’d bargained for. He could only watch, his heart pounding, as they surrounded the stranger and the wounded man.
And as he glanced back at the green-eyed stranger who was now looking at him with raw fury and desperation, Sam wondered what kind of mess he’d just stepped into, and if any of them would make it out unscathed.