300 Days Until the Next Check-In

On the basement windowsill sat a tin can holding three wild daisies Peter had picked from the community garden that morning, dew still clinging to their petals. Lin Mo sat on a cot with an old comb in hand, slowly brushing the puppy at his feet. Shield squinted blissfully, rumbling in his throat, his tail sweeping across the floor like a wound-up little motor and kicking up tiny clouds of dust.

The stray had been picked up at the mouth of an alley the week before. He had been nothing but skin and bones, with an injured left foreleg, probably from being hit by a car. Lin Mo had used his Phasing Ability to remove the shards of glass embedded in his flesh, then secretly taken some cotton and iodine from Carlos's repair shop to dress the wound. Ted said the dog looked like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s shield emblem—round-bodied, with a heart-shaped patch of white fur on his chest—so he named him Shield.

"Hold still, I'm almost done." Lin Mo gently held down Shield's fidgeting head. The comb passed through his brown fur and pulled out several dry leaves. The puppy had probably been abandoned for too long and was especially clingy, following Lin Mo everywhere. Even when Lin Mo repaired computers, he would lie beside the tool bag and wait like a dutiful little bodyguard.

The wristband on his arm suddenly lit up. Pale blue digits flickered across the screen before settling on "300." Lin Mo paused, feeling a little wistful—there were exactly 300 days until his next check-in. He had been transported to this world for almost a year now. From his initial fear and uncertainty to calmly brushing a stray dog now, time had passed so quickly.

"What ability will I get next time?" he muttered, running his fingertips over the cold screen. The first had been Phasing Ability, the second Beast's Physical Enhancement. What would the third be? Flight? Invisibility? Or Webbing like Spider-Man? Lin Mo could not help smiling. Flying would be nice. He would not have to squeeze onto the subway during rush hour or take detours to deliver Gretchen's grandmother's medicine. He could just fly straight there, faster than Ted's so-called "rocket speed."

"Woof!" Shield seemed to understand him. He nudged Lin Mo's palm with his wet nose and licked his wrist, nearly licking the wristband.

"You little rascal." Lin Mo set the comb on the bedside table, picked Shield up, and weighed him in his arms. "You seem to have put on some weight. Keep eating like this, and you'll finish all of Carlos's dog food." In truth, Lin Mo bought the dog food himself, but every time he claimed it was Carlos's "charitable donation." The old man was tough-talking but soft-hearted. He cursed that the "beast had it better than people," yet always secretly dropped beef jerky into Shield's bowl.

The basement door opened, and Ted poked his head in, glitter from magic props still stuck in his hair. "Mo, Carlos wants you back at the shop to fix a computer. Says there's a big client with 'things people shouldn't see' stored on it." He waggled his eyebrows and grinned. "You know."

"Stop talking nonsense." Lin Mo set Shield on the floor, and the puppy immediately chased after Ted's pant legs, his tail brushing Ted's ankles and making them itch. "What big client?"

"No idea. He's wearing a suit and looks loaded. Says his computer won't turn on, and there are important files inside." Ted bent down, picked up Shield, and held him in front of his face. "Little Shield, want to come watch a magic show? I'll teach you how to disappear."

Shield tilted his head and licked Ted's nose, making him burst out laughing. Watching them play around, Lin Mo picked up his tool bag and headed out, though his thoughts lingered on that big client. A lot of unfamiliar people had come to Queens lately, supposedly because of a new Stark Industries project. Hogan had even called him last week to ask whether he was interested in helping maintain equipment, but Lin Mo had politely declined.

The repair shop's glass door had been polished to a shine. Carlos was talking with a man in a black suit, his face piled with a smile rarely seen on him. When he saw Lin Mo enter, the old man quickly waved him over. "Little Lin, come here. This is Mr. Alan. His computer has a problem."

Mr. Alan turned around, his eyes behind his lenses looking Lin Mo up and down with faint scrutiny. "You're Lin Mo? Carlos says you're very good at repairing computers." His briefcase rested on the counter. It looked expensive, and an unfamiliar company logo was printed on it.

"I'm decent." Lin Mo accepted the laptop Alan handed over. Its casing was made of the latest Titanium Alloy, obviously expensive. He pressed the power button, but the screen did not respond. Only the indicator light flashed once before going dark. "Probably a motherboard issue. I'll open it up and take a look."

"Be careful. There are very important files inside," Alan reminded him, sounding a little tense.

Lin Mo nodded and activated his Phasing Ability to inspect the internal structure. A capacitor on the motherboard had burned out, likely due to unstable voltage. It was not a major issue. He took out a screwdriver and swiftly removed the casing. His fingers moved deftly among the components. Physical Enhancement made his movements both quick and steady, and even Alan could not help showing surprise.

"Your technique is more professional than our company's technicians," Alan said despite himself.

"Practice makes perfect." Lin Mo smiled, replaced the capacitor with a spare, and checked the voltage with a multimeter. "Done. Try it."

Alan pressed the power button, and the computer booted smoothly, its screen displaying the login interface. He let out a breath of relief and pulled several hundred-dollar bills from his wallet, handing them to Lin Mo. "Keep the change. Thanks."

"That's too much." Lin Mo took only one bill and pushed the rest back. "Fifty for the repair is enough."

Carlos glared anxiously from the side, signaling for him to take it, but Lin Mo pretended not to notice. Alan paused before smiling. "Interesting young man." He did not insist and put the money away. "By the way, are you hiring part-timers here? My company happens to need technical maintenance staff. The pay is very high."

"No, thank you." Lin Mo shook his head. He had no interest in this kind of high-paying job from an unknown source.

Alan did not press him further. He picked up the computer and left. Carlos immediately came over and smacked Lin Mo on the arm. "Are you stupid? You turned down money delivered right to your door! That was several hundred dollars!"

"You can't take money from unknown sources." Lin Mo packed up his tools. "The files on his computer were encrypted, and there was a military-grade firewall. He's definitely not an ordinary company employee."

Carlos's expression changed slightly. "How do you know?"

"Just a guess." Lin Mo did not tell him the truth. Through his Phasing Ability, he had seen the titles of those encrypted files. They were related to energy experiments in New Mexico. It seemed S.H.I.E.L.D. was still operating in the shadows, only using a different method now.

When they closed the shop that evening, Ted held Shield and a calendar, flipping to one of its pages. "Mo, look. There are 300 days until the next check-in." He circled the number in red pen as though it were some major holiday. "What superpower do you think you'll get next? Could it make my magic better? Like actually making an elephant disappear?"

"You're thinking too much." Lin Mo laughed and snatched the calendar away. It was covered with all sorts of bizarre guesses about abilities—ones that breathed fire, could grow larger or smaller, and even one that could talk to animals, labeled "Ted Exclusive."

"I think it'll be flight." Peter suddenly ran in from outside, holding a kite painted with a winged person. "If Brother Lin Mo can fly, he can deliver things faster and help Gretchen's grandmother get kites off the roof."

"Peter really gets me." Lin Mo ruffled his hair. "But flying sounds like trouble too. What if an airline mistakes me for an unidentified flying object and shoots me down?"

"They won't!" Peter argued anxiously. "I designed an anti-radar device that can be attached to clothing. It'll make sure no one detects you." He pulled out a drawing from his backpack. A simple metal plate was sketched on it. "This will work. The principle is similar to stealth fighters."

Lin Mo looked at the drawing and suddenly recalled Stark Industries' stealth fighter blueprints. Peter's idea was simple, but unexpectedly feasible. "Not bad," he praised sincerely. "When you make it, I'll help you test it."

Ted leaned in to look at the drawing and curled his lip. "What's so great about flying? My growing-and-shrinking ability would be better. I could crawl into a vending machine for a cola without paying."

"That's stealing!" Lin Mo and Peter said in unison, making Ted scratch his head and grin foolishly.

The three of them headed toward Aunt May's house with Shield. The setting sun stretched their shadows long. On a bench in the community park, Martha was chatting with Gretchen's grandmother. When she saw them, the old woman waved. "Come over! Fresh apple pie!"

"Woof!" Shield charged over excitedly, circling Martha's pant legs, his wagging tail nearly knocking her off balance.

"This little beast is getting more and more unruly." Martha smiled and lightly nudged Shield's rear with her foot, then took a strip of jerky from her pocket and tossed it to him. "Little Lin, that man you repaired a computer for today isn't a good person. Stay away from him."

"You know him?" Lin Mo was startled.

"He's been lurking around the neighborhood these past few days, acting suspiciously." Martha lowered her voice. "I had my sister look into him. He works for S.H.I.E.L.D. and specializes in watching people like you who 'have a little talent.'"

Lin Mo's heart sank. So he really was with S.H.I.E.L.D. It seemed they still had not given up on monitoring him. They had merely switched to a more discreet approach. "I understand. Thank you."

"Don't take it lightly." Martha glared at him. "Those people in black look polite, but their methods are dirty. Last time, a young man with Telekinetic Object Shift was taken away by them and never came back." She patted Lin Mo's arm. "Protect yourself, and protect these two kids too."

Lin Mo nodded, feeling unsettled. He only wanted to repair computers peacefully and take care of the people around him. Why did trouble always come looking for him?

During dinner, the television was playing a documentary about extraterrestrial life. Blurry photos of flying saucers filled the screen as experts droned on about the possibility of "close encounters of the third kind." Ted suddenly put down his knife and fork and asked seriously, "Mo, if aliens really invade, where do we hide?"

Lin Mo was feeding Shield crumbs of apple pie and froze at the question. Peter also stopped eating, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Lin Mo. He was clearly very interested in the topic. Aunt May shot Ted a glare. "What nonsense are you talking about at the dinner table?"

"I'm serious," Ted insisted. "The news said an alien spaceship crashed in New Mexico, and there are glowing circles in Norway. If they really attack, this rundown neighborhood won't be able to stop them."

Lin Mo looked at the sky outside the window. The sunset was slowly fading, and stars began appearing one by one. He thought of Martha's warning, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance, the hammer in New Mexico, and Thor's retreating figure. Then he suddenly smiled. "Hide in the basement. As long as I'm here, nothing will fall on you."

"Really?" Ted's eyes lit up. "Can you use the Wall-Crossing Technique to hide us? Or use your super strength to hold up the ceiling?"

"Either works." Lin Mo picked up a piece of apple pie and took a bite, its sweet fragrance spreading through his mouth. "If it comes down to it, I'll use the speed from Physical Enhancement to get everyone somewhere safe, faster than an alien spaceship."

Peter clapped excitedly. "Then I can help! The anti-radar device I designed will come in handy, and I can make a signal jammer so the aliens can't find us!"

"And me!" Ted refused to be outdone. "I can use magic props to confuse them—smoke bombs, and mirrors that make people hallucinate!"

Aunt May watched them discuss it with growing excitement and shook her head helplessly, though the corners of her mouth lifted despite herself. "All right, all right. Finish eating first. If that day really comes, I'll move the cookie oven into the basement so no one goes hungry."

Shield seemed to understand. He wagged his tail and rubbed against Lin Mo's leg, making a spoiled little sound in his throat. Lin Mo stroked his head and suddenly felt at peace. Three hundred days was a long time, long enough for many things to happen. Maybe aliens would invade. Maybe even more terrifying dangers would come. But as long as these people were by his side—Martha, who loved to nag; Ted, who loved to brag; Peter, full of curiosity; and this clingy little dog—he would have the courage to face anything.

After dinner, Lin Mo helped clear the dishes. Peter leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Lin Mo, I'm not actually afraid of aliens." The boy's eyes shone beneath the lights. "I think they're just like us. They only want to find a place to live. Like... like Shield."

Lin Mo's heart gave a sudden jolt. Looking at Peter's earnest profile, he suddenly felt that the boy was braver and gentler than he had imagined. "You're right," he said with a smile. "But if they aren't friendly, we can't show weakness either, right?"

"Yeah!" Peter nodded forcefully. "By then, the Web-Shooters I invent will come in handy. They can tie up their spaceship!"

Lin Mo recalled the Webbing formulas on Peter's draft paper and smiled as he ruffled his hair. "Then you'd better invent them soon. Don't let the moment come and find you unprepared."

By the time they left Aunt May's house, the night was already deep. Ted walked ahead holding Shield, humming an off-key song. The puppy's tail wagged in his arms like a moving ball of fur. Lin Mo followed behind, watching their backs before looking up at the stars. The wristband on his arm vibrated softly, displaying the number "300."

He did not know what ability he would receive in 300 days, nor what dangers awaited in the future. But at this moment, he felt very calm. Just as Martha had said, soldiers would come and generals would stop them; water would come and earth would block it. As long as he protected the people around him and this small community, no matter how great the difficulty, there would always be a solution.

Back in the basement, Lin Mo placed Shield in his dog bed. The puppy yawned and quickly fell asleep, his little nose still twitching. Lin Mo sat at his desk, opened his notebook, and wrote on the newest page: "300 days until the next check-in. I hope I can fly, or... make Shield stronger."

Moonlight streamed in through the small basement window, falling across the notebook and the wristband's screen. The pale blue glow was gentle yet steadfast, as if cheering him on and reminding him that no matter how many challenges lay ahead, he was not fighting alone.

The wait of 300 days might be long, but as long as he held hope in his heart, every day would be meaningful. Lin Mo closed his notebook and lay down on the bed, listening to Shield's steady breathing with a smile on his lips. Tomorrow would be another new day. There were still many computers to repair, many people to help, and many warm moments waiting for him.