There was a war going inside of him now, and that much Nick Fury was sure of. A fight between Nick Fury, the spy who built SHIELD from seizing every opportunity, and Mace Windu, the Jedi Master who saw the fall of a great way of life due to the crooked dealings of a young man. A young man who could not control his passions, just like Finn who came after him.

By all purposes, Finn should not be training. He was far too old. Far too impatient, and angry. Far too full of cold memories, and dark ambitions. But there wasn't any other choice. The Avengers were the greatest force on this planet, and it was possible Nick Fury could take them on alone, but at the same time, he might fall. And if he fell, who would be left to take up the fight? And even if he and his lightsaber could stop whoever was behind this scheme, it would mean giving away his greatest secret, that Nick Fury was really Mace Windu, a Jedi from a galaxy far far away. And that wasn't knowledge Fury was ready to hand over.

In the corner, Finn stood, his back erect, and his arms to his sides. All that Stormtrooper training must have been sewn into his brain…but no matter.

"What am I to do first...master."

For a small second, Nick could feel Mace Windu taking over, transporting him back to the Jedi temple, the smell of fresh Corusant air, the faint glow of a lightsaber's hilt. His old life that he had left behind.

"First," Nick said, "We have to work on your meditation."

"M-meditation?" Finn asked, "But what about the lightsaber, and Force abilities and-"

Fury simply raised his hand to silence the young man, "No." His voice was crisp and firm, "None of that comes until after you've learned to discipline yourself."

Fury could already tell that combat was not going to be an issue for Finn. It was clear he was trained in hand to hand combat, and with his obvious Force-sensitivity he could even stand toe to toe with Steve Rogers…but the problem was his lack of spiritual discipline. He could fight with his hands, but he could not fight with his sense of spirit.

Anakin Skywalker was the same way, and Mace Windu knew how that story ended. "Sit down."

Finn did so. He crossed his legs, and folded his arms.

"Now," Fury began, "I want you to close your eyes, and empty your thoughts."

This was a basic technique the younglings did back on the temple. Emptying your spirit so something new could be planted. Nick closed his eyes as well, reaching deep inside of himself, focusing, finding, freeing, the parts of his identity that had been buried for so long.

And he felt Finn. He felt Finn's spirit climbing into his. Finn's courage. Finn's loyalty. Finn's quick language. Finn's insecurities but…there was nothing Finn was attached to. No family members, no friends from school, no brothers in arms…just a strong loyalty to the First Order.

Nick Fury stooped low, his chin level to Finn's closed eyes, "Tell me about your family, Finn."

"I…don't have one."

Nick felt a deep, stinging numbness resonating from Finn's body. A pain that was so deep, it was almost a scar. "So…you're an orphan?"

Finn took a deep breath, "Stormtroopers do not have families. We are born to serve the First Order in all of its forms."

"What about brothers in arms? Even the clones saw one another as brothers…what do you and your Stormtroopers say to something like that?"

And the boy's body shifted at that question. His head rolled, almost as if he felt a little guilty. "We are only meant to care for the First Order. Any kind of attachment to something else places our whole purpose of existence into jeopardy."

It sounded like the Jedi Order, but something was different about it. While the Jedi did not believe in attachment, they did believe in humanity, and compassion. With Finn, and the First Order, those qualities were absent entirely. But Fury could sense an untruth hiding beneath Finn's face, "But there is someone you hold close to you, isn't there?"

Finn's body tenses, afraid to admit those feelings even to himself. "Yes. There is."

"And why is this person important?" That question was met with fear, indignation, a quick parry that almost made Fury regret asking…almost.

"Because he and I had been through everything together. Training. Chow. Blaster fire throughout the systems…he's the closet thing I have to a brother." A strong sense of compassion that lightened Fury's disposition.

"Who?"

And then that compassion was replaced with a balanced fear.

"D-does it matter who it is?" Finn asked.

"It does, it matters a lot. More than you could know."

"How?" Finn asked. His heartrate was quickening, his blood pumping, he was afraid. He was angry…but most importantly he was bent on protecting the person he cared for. That loyalty was something Fury hadn't felt since…well, since Mace Windu himself had joined the Jedi Council.

"Because that attachment, that loyalty I felt just now…is the thing that makes you worthy of being a Jedi." It was unorthodox, it was strange, a Jedi Padawan whose greatest strength was attachment. This was how Anakin Skywalker turned against them. This was how Mace Windu fell, but there was no choice, Fury could sense it, deep in his bones.

And he could also sense a strange compassion deep within Finn, a light that warmed the boy's chest. Anakin had that same light, once upon a time…but would the story end the same way?

Over the intercom, Maria Hill paged, "Director Fury you are needed in the main hangar."

Fury simply rubbed his eye, palm to face like he had seen Yoda do when no one was looking. "Couldn't it wait?"

Apparently not.

He glanced down to Finn, and Finn looked up. The kid got the message. "So," Finn asked, "What is it now? Are those Avengers, I met earlier back, or-"

"You really shouldn't ask so many questions." Fury fingers the back of his coat, where he had his lightsaber safely tucked away. "Instead of asking, you should seek."

Finn got up, and followed closely behind Fury.

"So this friend of yours," Nick asked, "Does he have a name?"

But Finn did not answer.

"You might as well tell me, I'll find out soon enough."

Finn shrugged, crossed his arms, and for a second kind of looked like a child trying to hold onto his favorite secret, but he relented. "Slip. His name is Slip."

"Slip, huh?" Interesting name.

The duo walked to the main hangar, (and Finn was beginning to feel like this entire facility was nothing but hallways that looked the exact same). In the middle of the floor stood Maria Hill and a tall blonde man with an iron hammer to his side. He wore a red cape that had as much majesty as its owner and for the briefest of seconds, Finn felt as if he had been pricked by electricity.

"Thor," Nick Fury said. He approached with the same veiled control that he did everything else, but it was obvious to all, even to Finn, that this man who stood like a god, was anything but pleased.

"Fury," Thor boomed, "We must have words. My comrades, the other Avengers are…Heimdall has seen my brethren destroying New York…how can this be? What madness have you brought?"

Wasn't it funny how whenever something bad happened, it was always Fury's fault? When the Avengers leveled half of downtown, Fury was the blame. When Baron Zemo escaped custody, Steve Rogers nearly shoved his entire shield up Fury's ass. Hell, they'd probably find a way to pin the melting icecaps on him too. But no matter.

"We suspect that the Avengers are under the control of a third party. Someone pulling the strings from the shadows, but we need more info-"

"Nonsense!" Thor screamed, his voice shook the walls of the room, "If my comrades are under some wicked spell, then it is the time for action and battle, not the spy games of cowards."

Same old Thor, as brash as ever.

"Thor, please. This isn't the time for-"

But Thor did not wait, he stormed past Fury and Finn, and marched through the hallway. "I shall not wait another moment. If my friends are in need, I shall away to rescue them, and nothing shall stand in my way."

Oh…this wasn't going to be good.