wielding wind in Marvel

Back in the apartment, Luke stood in front of the mirror, breathing a sigh of relief. "Finally, I can take off these bandages," he muttered to himself, carefully peeling off the last of the white strips that had been wrapped around his torso. As the bandages came away, his body was exposed once more. He studied his reflection for a moment, observing the healing bruises and cuts that had been left behind from his fight. It had taken him a full day to heal, but now, he was back to normal.

"normally it should have taken a week for me to heal up but my enhanced body managed to heal faster," Luke said to himself with a satisfied nod. But as he finished his sentence, he realized something—he hadn't heard any response from Henry. He looked over his shoulder at his friend, who was sitting across the room, staring at him with an oddly melancholic expression.

Luke frowned. "Is there a problem?" he asked, noticing Henry's glum face.

Henry didn't immediately respond, instead just crossing his arms and sighing. Finally, he spoke, his tone thick with a mix of frustration and amusement. "How is this fair?" he muttered, looking at Luke. "Before, you were just a little more handsome than me, but now… now you're like some kind of walking action figure! You had this insane growth spurt! I mean, what the hell, man?"

Luke couldn't help but chuckle, though there was a tinge of guilt mixed with his amusement. The two of them had always been close friends, and they had always been considered taller-than-average for their age. Both of them were already above the height of most boys their age, towering over their peers. But then, Luke had started working out again, pushing his body harder than he ever had before.

In just two weeks, his muscles had grown at a rapid pace, far quicker than he'd expected. And with the muscle came an accelerated growth spurt—Luke had shot up to 6'0", the same height as Captain America. His frame, once slender, was now broad and defined with muscles, and though he wasn't yet done growing, he could already feel his height beginning to level off. He knew he'd probably gain a couple more inches over the next few years, but for now, he looked… different. His physique, once thin and wiry, now made him look like an entirely different person.

Luke turned his gaze back to Henry, who was clearly still processing the change. "Stop pouting. You're still my best friend, even if I look like I belong in a superhero movie now," Luke teased, but Henry didn't seem to take it well.

Henry sniffled dramatically, his voice cracking. "Are you sure?" he asked, rubbing his face with exaggerated movements. "I mean… look at you! You've got these superhero muscles now! I'm just over here with my regular guy body, and you look like you're ready to take down a tank or something!"

Luke smiled, shaking his head. "Come on, Henry, stop acting like that. It's not a competition. Just… start working out and then in a couple of years when you're taller too, it'll all be fine."

Henry let out an exaggerated sniffle, still playing the part of the put-upon friend. "Right, right… sure." Then, after a long pause, his curiosity seemed to take over. "But seriously, how the hell did that Daredevil guy beat you up? I saw the video—he doesn't seem to have any powers. What's the deal?"

Luke's expression shifted from playful to serious. He crossed his arms, thinking back to that night. "I don't know," he said slowly. "He must have some kind of ability, though. The guy was fast—he could react to my wind blasts, even dodge them. I've never seen someone do that before. And my wind attacks are visible. So, yeah, he definitely has something going on. But what it is… I don't know. It's like he can sense my moves before they happen." Luke paused, frustration creeping into his voice. "I don't understand it."

Henry furrowed his brow. "I guess you've got your work cut out for you then, huh?"

Luke nodded, his mind already working on how to deal with the unexpected challenge. "Yeah. But I'll figure it out later.

For now, I think I'm just going to watch some TV. Luke said, feeling like he could take a breather after everything that had been happening. But before he could even grab the remote, Henry's voice cut through.

"Wait, actually, there's something I want you to see," Henry said, his tone unusually excited.

Luke looked up, a little surprised. "What's up?"

Henry quickly left the apartment, returning a minute later with a case in his hands. The eager grin on his face told Luke something big was coming.

"Is this what I think it is?" Luke asked, excitement bubbling up in his chest.

Henry nodded and handed over the case. "It's your super suit."

Luke could hardly contain himself as he rushed to open it. His eyes widened, and his jaw practically hit the floor. "There's no way you actually made this!" he exclaimed.

Henry smirked. "I told you I wouldn't make a cosplay costume."

Luke could barely believe his eyes. Without wasting any time, he ran to his bedroom and locked the door behind him. A few minutes later, he emerged, now wearing his brand-new superhero suit. It was sleek, perfectly fitted, and looked like something out of a professional design. He stood in front of the mirror, checking it out from every angle.

(costume image)

"It's absolutely amazing!" Luke said, grinning from ear to ear. "Man, I can't even imagine how to praise you enough for this."

Henry chuckled, clearly proud of his work. But then, his expression shifted, turning more serious. "Wait, there's something else I need to give you."

He pulled out a small silk mask and handed it to Luke. The mask covered the lower part of the face, from the nose down to the neck.

"Wear this," Henry said, his tone now more insistent.

Luke took the mask, eyeing it warily. But he slipped it on.

When he looked in the mirror, the mask fit snugly, sleek and black. It was skin-tight, with no logos or designs, and it felt like it belonged there. He almost forgot he was wearing it.

"Did you actually make this yourself?" Luke asked, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.

"No, this one I bought online," Henry admitted, giving a slight shrug.

Luke turned his head from side to side, trying to adjust to the mask's presence. After a moment, he lowered his hand and looked at Henry, his expression troubled.

" I don't think I can wear this," Luke muttered.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is something wrong with the costume?"

Luke hesitated for a second before answering. "The suit's fine. The mask is fine too… but it just doesn't feel right. I don't like wearing The mask

Henry's face grew serious. "Look, man, I know you've been going out with just a hood at night, but the hood only works because it's dark. If you ever need to go out during the day, a hood won't do the trick. You're gonna need this mask for protection, for your safety."

Luke sighed but stayed firm. "I know, but it's just not me. Wearing a mask… it doesn't feel right. So At some point, I'm going to reveal my identity."

Henry's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? What are you talking about?"

Luke looked Henry in the eyes, his voice steady. "Not now. But when our Game takes off, when we're successful, when we create a company and become financially successful and our games are out there… that will be the first step. Then, when more heroes start revealing their identities, like Tony Stark did, that's when I'll do it too."

Henry stared at him, still in shock. "You actually want to reveal your identity to the world?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. But only when the time's right. Once enough heroes are out there, and it's not a big deal anymore. I'll do it then."

Henry took a deep breath, still processing. "Alright, I don't know why you'd want to do this, but for now, you have to wear the mask. It's just how things have to be."

Luke gave him a resigned nod. "Thanks, Henry."

Henry's concern shifted to his voice as he added, "Just promise me that for now, keep your identity safe. You can't let anything mess with this."

Luke didn't respond right away. He had his reasons for not wanting a secret identity, reasons tied to his past life in his past life, he already had a secret identity and a mask. Back then, he had hidden everything from his family—his mother, father, and older sister. He had worn a mask around his gang, keeping his family separate from that life But every single day, he slowly started to spend more time in his gang life slowly separating from his family. As time went on, his family tried to reach out to him, but the distance between them only grew. Eventually, they stopped talking, and the day he died, they were strangers to him.

Luke didn't want to repeat that mistake. He didn't want to hide from those who mattered most. But for now, he would follow Henry's advice. At least until the time was right.

Suddenly, the news blared on the TV, interrupting the heavy silence between them.

"Emergency news: A giant flying warship is slowly crashing near the coast of New York!"

Luke and Henry froze. They exchanged a look of disbelief before scrambling onto the couch, eyes glued to the screen. The news feed showed a massive, burning aircraft descending toward the ocean. Luke's mind raced as he tried to place it. Then it clicked.

"That's… S.H.I.E.L.D."

He didn't remember much about them, but he knew they were important—some kind of global security force. If one of their warships was going down, something big was happening.

Without hesitation, Luke stood up, pulling the mask over his face and flipping up his hood.

"I don't know what's going on, but something's happening. Stay here," he told Henry.

Henry swallowed hard and nodded. "Be careful, man."

Luke didn't waste another second. He ran to the window, took a deep breath, and leaped out. The wind carried him effortlessly to the rooftop of the next building. As he landed, he looked up—just in time to see Iron Man streaking through the sky, heading straight for Stark Tower.

"Whatever's happening, Stark is involved," Luke thought. He made his decision instantly. I'm going there.

He sprinted across the rooftops, moving fast, his wind-enhanced strides letting him clear entire streets in a single jump. But then—

A deep, unnatural hum vibrated through the air.

Luke skidded to a stop as a blinding light burst open in the sky. His heart pounded.

A massive portal had appeared.

Luke's breath hitched as he watched in horror. Swarms of strange creatures—aliens, actual aliens—poured out, their hovercrafts and energy weapons lighting up the skyline.

"There's no way… an alien invasion? Already?!"

He barely had time to process before a group of aliens on floating motorcycles veered toward him. Their grotesque, armored bodies were covered in gold and black plating, their weapons glowing with eerie blue light.

Luke clenched his fists.

He exhaled sharply and thrust his hands forward—Wind Wave.

A powerful gust exploded outward, catching the aliens mid-flight. They tumbled off their bikes, crashing into buildings, the pavement, and each other with brutal force.

He kept moving. Jumping, dodging, striking down more aliens as he went.

Then—out of the corner of his eye—he spotted something falling.

A small aircraft—some kind of pod—was spiraling out of control, crashing toward Central Park.

Luke narrowed his eyes. It looks human-made…

His instincts kicked in. He had to stop it.

Taking a deep breath, he bent his knees and jumped—higher than he ever had before. The wind obeyed his command, swirling around him, keeping him in the air.

He was flying.

Extremely inconvenient, he noted. He had to use too much force to stay balanced. He couldn't just float—he had to keep moving fast, like an arrow through the sky. But right now, that was enough.

Luke shot toward the falling aircraft, angling himself right in front of it.

Boom! He landed against the hull, his feet digging into the metal as the pod kept plummeting.

He looked down. The park was right there. People were screaming, running, trying to escape the inevitable crash.

"No time—"

Luke inhaled deeply—then unleashed Sky Breath.

A fierce downward wind roared from above, pushing against the plane, slowing its descent. It wasn't perfect—the Plane still hit the ground hard, bouncing once before skidding to a stop—but it didn't explode. It didn't flatten anyone.

He exhaled, his chest heaving. He did it.

Then—click.

The back door of the plane unlocked.

Luke turned, ready for anything. But when the door swung open, his breath caught in his throat.

The man who stepped out, adjusting his helmet, was Captain America.