014. This Is Definitely Not My Level

There were no obstacles around, no shelters to hide behind. Nothing stood in the way.

Hawkeye, ever the master of archery, chose arrows over guns. No risk of jamming. His confidence was absolute—once this arrow was shot, it would hit its target. The chances of a miss? Virtually zero.

Luck? Hawkeye cast a glance at John Doe (formerly Jiang Chen), sneering internally. Let's see how far your luck really gets you.

His eyes narrowed, and he pulled the bowstring to its maximum tension. To say Hawkeye was being a bit selfish would be an understatement. After John's provoking remarks, he couldn't resist testing just how "lucky" this man truly was. Could luck really surpass his flawless aim?

Just as he was about to release the arrow, a soft pop echoed in the room.

For reasons unknown, the arrow slipped off the bowstring and fell straight to the ground.

Black Widow and Nick Fury, who had just entered the room, froze in place. Even Hawkeye himself was stunned. As an elite agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was highly skilled with every weapon imaginable, but especially known for his unparalleled expertise in archery.

Did… did I just drop the arrow? Hawkeye thought, frowning. Confusion and disbelief filled his mind. Did my hand slip?

No one would believe him if he said that. This… this is definitely not my level! How could I make such a basic mistake?

He couldn't wrap his head around it. Was the bow drawn too far? Was that it? But even so, it was an amateur mistake—far beneath his skill set. The frustration was mounting. How is this even possible?

From the doorway, Black Widow watched the scene unfold, eyes wide in disbelief. John had surprised her on multiple occasions, but nothing came close to this. His luck… is it really that strong?

Hawkeye never made mistakes. Never. And this was the first time she had seen such a blatant blunder from him. A mistake of this magnitude was unheard of. She couldn't help it—she almost wanted to laugh.

Nick Fury, who had initially been taken aback, allowed a smile to cross his face after a few seconds. "Well, this is interesting," he mused.

With an amused tone, he walked up to Hawkeye and said, pretending to be surprised, "Barton, I told you to miss a little, not to miss this much."

Hawkeye stood there, speechless, feeling as though he'd swallowed something bitter that he couldn't spit out. How do I even explain this? The arrow just… fell?

Seeing Hawkeye's struggle, Nick Fury clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I didn't see a thing."

Black Widow, unable to resist, mimicked Fury's words with a grin. "Don't worry, though I can't exactly say I didn't see anything, I promise not to mention it."

Hawkeye was so bewildered that he began to doubt his entire existence. His frown deepened into a sharp crease. He glanced at John, the man responsible for all this, his thoughts racing.

John sighed and said earnestly, "I don't think you should be called Hawkeye anymore. Maybe 'Blind Monk' suits you better."

Hawkeye clenched his jaw, but before he could respond, Nick Fury, sensing the situation, put away his smile and said, "You two can go now. I'll handle this."

Hawkeye gave one last reluctant glance at John before walking out with Black Widow. As much as it pained him, he couldn't linger.

Once the two had left, Nick Fury turned his attention back to John with a curious smile. "I have to admit, you're incredibly lucky."

Though he had witnessed the arrow slip from Hawkeye's grasp, Fury knew it wasn't a result of carelessness. Hawkeye was too experienced for that. Having been with S.H.I.E.L.D. for years, Fury understood his capabilities all too well.

Yet here was John, a seemingly ordinary man, whose luck defied reason. It was… remarkable.

Seeing that John remained silent, Nick Fury pressed on. "Let's get straight to the point—I want you to join S.H.I.E.L.D."