Alex nodded slowly at Coulson's words, his expression unreadable. Then, with a hint of amusement in his voice, he said,"Well then... I'd also like to meet this Director of yours—the one who's been spying on my life like I'm just another page in a file."
Phil gave a thin-lipped smile, arms folding across his chest."Since you already know we're SHIELD, then I'm sure you also understand what that means. We're the last line of defense for this planet."
He stepped a little closer, speaking plainly but firmly."We protect Earth from threats… threats most people don't even know exist. Anomalies. Beings from other worlds. Rogue science. Alien invasions. Supernatural entities."
He paused, then gestured slightly toward Alex."And you… you fall into that category."
Alex's gaze didn't flinch. His crimson eyes remained fixed on Coulson's face.
Phil continued."You don't age like a normal human. You walk through shadows. You healed a man with golden energy. You killed half a city's worth of crime lords in a single night—and not one camera caught how."
He took a breath."So yes, Alex Morrow. We've kept an eye on you. Not to control you. Not even to hurt you."
He met Alex's stare head-on now."But because if one day… you decided to stop being the Devil Doctor who helps people… and started becoming the one who hurts them—there wouldn't be anyone else who could stop you."
A silence passed between them.
Then Alex gave a quiet, half-laugh and turned slightly away, looking down the hallway where Tony had gone.
"You people always worry about the worst-case scenario," he said softly. "I get it. That's your job. That's SHIELD."
He looked back at Phil.
"But let me ask you something, Agent Coulson…"
He stepped closer—not threatening, but no longer passive either.
"If I were to lose control… if something did happen to make me snap… do you really think your Director, or your agents, or your files full of tactics and contingency plans… could actually stop me?"
There was no arrogance in his tone. Just certainty. A quiet, bone-deep truth.
Phil's silence was telling.
Then Alex offered a small smile, a touch cold, but not cruel.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy. Not today. Not tomorrow. Maybe not ever."
He turned, walking slowly toward the elevator.
"But if your Director wants to meet me…" he paused at the door and looked over his shoulder,"…then tell him to stop hiding in shadows and come introduce himself."
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding.
Alex stepped in, voice low but clear:
"Because if I'm ever going to trust SHIELD… it won't be through whispers and agents with polite smiles. It'll be face-to-face."
The doors slid shut.
Coulson remained standing for a long moment. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed a secure line.
"Sir. He's ready."
On the other end of the line, a voice responded calmly—low, gravelly, and unmistakably in command.
"Bring him in."
The Rooftop – Stark Tower Helipad
The private elevator hummed as it ascended toward the highest level of Stark Tower—far above the luxury, the labs, and the chaos of earlier events. Higher even than the damaged rooftop from the night before.
It reached the helipad.
With a quiet hiss, the doors opened.
The wind was harsher up here. Stark Tower scraped the clouds. And now, parked squarely on the helipad, was a massive black Quinjet, turbines humming low, sleek and armed.
Standing in front of it—unmoved by the wind—was Nick Fury.
Long black coat flaring behind him. One eye gleaming behind the eyepatch. Arms folded. Silent. Waiting.
He wasn't alone.
To his left stood a red-haired woman in a tactical suit—Natasha Romanoff, calm and composed, her eyes sharp beneath wind-blown curls.
To his right, a man with a compound bow slung casually over his shoulder—Clint Barton, Hawkeye, silent as ever, but watching everything with a hawk's precision.
Alex stepped out of the elevator, the faint wind catching the edges of his long coat. The silver charm at his wrist glinted once under the sunlight. His red eyes scanned the team.
He didn't flinch.
Didn't even look surprised.
Instead, he gave a faint smile. "Quite the welcome party."
Fury stepped forward. "These two," he said, motioning toward Natasha and Clint, "are some of SHIELD's best. Top-tier agents. Efficient. Deadly. Unshakeable."
Natasha tilted her head. Clint gave a slight nod.
Fury added dryly, "I figured it's only fair to send the best when meeting someone who calls himself King of the Underworld."
Alex didn't even blink. "You're flattering me."
"No," Fury said, "I'm being careful."
Alex slowly looked toward the agents again, then back at Fury. "And what? This is a test? See if I attack them? Or maybe just let me know that if I go off the rails, SHIELD will send its finest?"
Fury's expression remained unreadable. "Just making introductions."
Alex chuckled softly.
"Well, I already know who they are. Natasha Romanoff, former KGB. Clint Barton, the quiet killer with the sharpest aim this side of any metahuman. Seen both your files. Read between the lines."
Natasha's brows rose slightly. Clint's eyes narrowed, but neither spoke.
"You're not supposed to have access to our files," Fury said.
"I'm not supposed to do a lot of things," Alex replied calmly.
For a brief moment, the rooftop was quiet again—just the Quinjet humming behind them and the breeze curling around the spire of the Tower.
Fury stepped closer. "You know why I'm here. You're not just some enhanced street doctor anymore. You're a power broker, a tactician, a war survivor. You're now tied to Tony Stark, and you've become an entity with influence—and impact."
Alex looked toward the city, distant and vast below.
"And SHIELD watches anything that causes impact," he said knowingly.
Fury nodded. "Especially the ones who can make the world burn… or save it."
Natasha finally spoke, her voice calm. "We've seen monsters. You don't feel like one."
Alex glanced over. "You haven't seen the things I've done to protect people."
Clint's voice was low but firm. "You haven't seen the things we've done to protect the world."
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