Among US!

The Real-Life Game Begins

Let me tell you something about Nick Fury. When he tells you to run, it's not because he's giving you a head start. Oh no. It's because he knows that no matter how fast you go, you're not outrunning him. The man probably has contingency plans for every possible escape route on the helicarrier. Still, what was I supposed to do? Just stand there?

Not a chance.

I bolted out of the control room, heart pounding in my chest as Fury's heavy footsteps echoed behind me. The whole SHIELD gala had erupted into chaos—agents still scrambling to figure out what the hell was happening, alarms blaring from the engineering section, and my pig blood grenades ready to blow.

But Fury was on me like a heat-seeking missile. I could practically feel the frustration radiating off of him. I mean, I had just set this whole thing in motion, and here he was, ready to ruin my masterpiece. Not happening.

I hit the main hallway, sliding around a corner, nearly knocking over a couple of agents who were huddled together like sheep in a storm. They barely registered I was there—too busy arguing over who might be the "imposter." That's right, SHIELD agents were literally accusing each other of sabotage in real life now. My plan was working better than I'd hoped.

But I didn't have time to bask in the glory. Fury was still right on my tail.

"Parker!" His voice was closer than I'd like. "Stop running, and maybe I won't throw you out of the helicarrier!"

"Yeah, that's a hard pass, Fury!" I shouted back, barely dodging another agent as I dashed through the ballroom. I was heading for the exit, but in the back of my mind, I was already thinking about Plan B. I always have a Plan B.

It's simple: when you've got no time, and everything is going up in flames, improvise. So, what did I do? I triggered the next sabotage, obviously.

The lights flickered back on, but I redirected the power grid, making the floor panels in the hallway glow a bright, ominous red. To the untrained eye, it looked like the entire helicarrier was going into lockdown. And hey, maybe it was. I wasn't entirely sure how the system would react to my tampering.

"Parker, I swear to—"

Before Fury could finish his sentence, I threw one of my pig blood grenades into the hallway behind me. A small pop, followed by a splatter of red liquid, hit the walls and floor, adding to the panic. Agents behind us gasped, thinking something terrible had just happened. Perfect.

Fury, though? Not impressed.

"You're paying for that," he growled, voice dangerously low. "And for the record, that's not going to stop me."

I skidded around another corner, reaching the exit hatch that led to the upper deck. The night sky above was cool, and I could hear the faint hum of the helicarrier's engines. The open air hit me, and for a split second, I thought I might actually make it. Freedom was right there.

But before I could take another step, a strong hand grabbed the back of my hoodie, yanking me backward.

"Gotcha," Fury said, holding me in place like I was a rag doll. He wasn't even out of breath. How is that fair?

I squirmed in his grip. "Okay, look, this isn't as bad as it looks," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "No one's actually hurt, right? Just a little chaos, some fake blood—"

Fury's eye narrowed. "You turned the helicarrier into a live-action Among Us game, Parker. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"I was kind of hoping you'd be too busy enjoying the shrimp cocktail," I admitted, still trying to wriggle free.

Fury didn't loosen his grip. "You're done. We're shutting this down. Now."

But that's the thing about me. I don't know when to quit.

"You sure about that?" I asked, pulling out my phone from my pocket with my free hand. Fury raised an eyebrow, and before he could react, I tapped the screen, initiating the final phase of my plan.

All across the helicarrier, every door locked down. The temperature sensors activated, plunging certain sections into freezing cold, while others started to heat up like a sauna. It was total environmental chaos, and I had control over all of it.

Fury's grip tightened on my hoodie. "What did you just do?"

I grinned. "Just made things a little more interesting."

He yanked me closer, his expression somewhere between furious and impressed. "You don't want to see interesting, Parker."

"Hey, I gave everyone a chance to be a part of something epic!" I shot back. "A once-in-a-lifetime game. And you? You're the imposter, Fury."

Fury's eye twitched. "Imposter? You're lucky I don't throw you in the brig for the rest of your life."

But before he could say another word, a sharp whoosh sounded from overhead. A figure dropped down from above, landing with perfect precision between Fury and me.

"Need a hand, boss?"

It was Natasha—Black Widow. She glanced between the two of us, her lips quirking into a slight smirk when she saw the mess I'd created.

"Parker's up to his old tricks, I see," she said casually.

"You have no idea," Fury muttered, finally letting go of my hoodie. I stumbled back a step, straightening my shirt like nothing had happened.

"I was just trying to spice up the evening," I defended, but Natasha wasn't buying it. She gave me one of those looks that said, You're not getting away with this one, kid.

"Spice it up, huh?" Natasha folded her arms. "You realize this could've gone a lot worse, right?"

"Hey, I had it under control," I said, though even I knew that was a bit of a stretch.

Fury sighed, clearly at his wit's end. "Natasha, make sure Parker fixes whatever the hell he's done to the systems. And Parker?" He pointed a finger at me, dead serious. "If I catch you messing with SHIELD tech again, you'll be begging me to lock you in a virtual game instead of dealing with the real consequences."

I gulped, nodding quickly. "Yeah, no more games. Got it. Loud and clear."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at me. "Let's go, troublemaker."

As she led me back inside, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Sure, I might've pushed it too far this time, but I had to admit... it was totally worth it.

Besides, there's always next time.