King sat at the edge of his mansion's marble fountain, holding a printed resume that looked like it had been formatted by a nervous squirrel.
Name: King Skills: Standing still, looking intense, activating mysterious engine Experience: Accidentally ending wars, causing mass surrender, terrifying satellites Objective: Feed self
He sighed.
"I just need a job. Something normal. Something that doesn't involve explosions."
He circled a listing: Starbuucks – Cashier Needed – No combat experience required.
The Targeting Begins
Unbeknownst to King, his quiet job hunt had triggered alarms across the intelligence world.
HYDRA had flagged him as a "rogue myth weapon." General Ross had labeled him "a destabilizing force in civilian disguise." The Pentagon had a folder titled: KING – DO NOT ENGAGE WITHOUT EARPLUGS.
But King? He just wanted to make enough for a sandwich.
The Starbuucks Interview
The manager at Starbucks was a cheerful woman named Lana, who had no idea who King was.
"So, why do you want to work here?"
King blinked. "Once I missed nine meals, and I don't have money."
She nodded. "Relatable."
He was hired on the spot.
The Misinterpretation
On his first day, King stood behind the counter, wearing a green apron and staring at the espresso machine like it might explode.
Customers whispered.
"Is that… King?" "The Shield of Humanity?" "He's working here? Why?"
Then came the moment.
A man in a suit approached the counter, trembling slightly.
"Sir… forgive me for asking, but… why are you working here?"
King, out of habit, replied:
"I have to feed myself. I can't live off air."
The man gasped.
The room fell silent.
Phones came out.
The Viral Storm
Within hours, the clip was everywhere.
"KING: I CAN'T LIVE OFF AIR" "National Hero Forced to Work Retail" "Government Agents Paid in Exposure?"
Social media exploded.
Veterans reposted the clip with captions like:
"If King can't afford groceries, what hope do we have?"
News anchors debated military funding. Politicians panicked. Hashtags trended:
#FeedTheShield
#RaiseTheRanks
#KingDeservesCoffee
The Reform
Under immense public pressure, the government launched an emergency review of defense salaries.
Within a week:
Military pay was increased by 40%.
Veterans received new housing benefits.
A bill titled "The Shield Act" was passed unanimously.
Soldiers across the country saluted their screens.
"Thank you, King," they whispered.
King's Reaction
King, meanwhile, was restocking oat milk.
He had no idea what was happening.
Lana handed him a bonus check.
"Corporate says you're a national morale booster."
King blinked. "I just rang up a latte."
His Engine of Terror™ hummed softly.
The legend continued.