The elevator doors opened with a soft hiss. Fury stepped in first, his hands tucked behind his back in that practiced stance of control.
Alex followed, hands in his pockets, a faint smirk on his face. "So this is where you show me the toy box?"
Fury chuckled—just a little. "Something like that."
The elevator descended, the low hum reverberating in the enclosed space, a steady background to their silence.
When the doors slid open, Alex stepped out beside Fury—and immediately stopped. Before him stretched a massive construction bay, the ceiling so high it vanished into shadows. Three colossal metal frames dominated the space, each surrounded by scaffolding and crawling with engineers in safety gear. Even in their skeletal state, their size and silhouette were unmistakable.
"That's a Helicarrier," Fury said, his voice carrying a note of pride. "We already have one operational. But we're building three more—each stationed around the globe with top-tier response teams aboard. This way, we can hit any threat, anywhere, before it gets out of hand."
Alex's eyes moved slowly over the scene, absorbing every detail—the welders throwing sparks into the air, the hydraulic arms hoisting sections into place, the sheer scale of it all. He gave a slow nod.
"We're trying our best to keep the world safe," Fury continued. "But normal humans can only do so much. That's why I'm building a team of extraordinary people."
Fury turned slightly, his single eye locking on Alex. "People like you."
Alex's expression stayed neutral. "Extraordinary, huh?"
"There's no gods here," Fury said firmly. "Just people who step up when it counts—nothing more, nothing less." He took a deliberate step closer. "So… are you in?"
A faint smirk tugged at Alex's lips. "Yeah… I'm in."
Truthfully, Alex had been a Marvel fan in his previous life—he knew this world's story better than most. But there were cracks in that story he didn't like. Like how HYDRA had managed to rot SHIELD from the inside for decades. If he was here now… maybe he could stop that before it happened.
Fury raised an eyebrow, surprised by the quick answer. "Didn't you say you weren't planning on joining us?" he asked, wondering if there was a hidden motive.
Alex shrugged. "I became a doctor because I wanted to help people. These powers… they're just extra tools that help me do that. SHIELD lets me help on a bigger scale. And if not, I'll walk away just as easily."
The certainty in his tone wasn't bravado—it was simple truth. Fury caught it immediately, his gaze narrowing.
"And if it comes to that?" Fury asked.
Alex didn't hesitate. "Then you'll be the one who has to deal with it."
There was a pause, heavy and unblinking. Fury gave the smallest nod, accepting the unspoken challenge.
"Let's get inside," Fury finally said, turning toward a side corridor. "I've got a section I can show you. Call it your office or your ops room—whatever suits you. If you want, I can even put agents under your command."
Alex shook his head. "Skip that for now. Just give me the list—I'll decide on my own."
Fury accepted that without argument, leading him deeper into the facility. The further they went, the quieter and colder the air became, the hum of distant machinery the only sound.
They stopped at a reinforced door guarded by two agents in tactical black. A retinal scan, a keycard swipe, and a passcode later, the door slid open with a hydraulic hiss.
Inside was a sleek, dimly lit operations room. In the center, a table projected a rotating 3D map of the globe, dotted with red and yellow markers. The walls were lined with monitor banks streaming satellite feeds, drone footage, and real-time intelligence reports.
"This," Fury said, stepping in, "is how SHIELD sees the world. Every anomaly, every potential threat, every disaster before it hits the news."
Alex's crimson eyes swept over the displays, pausing on a feed from the Middle East with multiple red markers flashing along the border.
Fury tapped a console, bringing up a classified profile—Alex's name and a codename: Cerberus.
"You'll get access once your position is finalized," Fury said. "Until then, you're on observation and trial ops. Prove you can work within a team, and you'll get full integration."
Alex smirked faintly. "Observation, huh? Sounds like you're still not sure about me."
"I'm never sure about anyone until they've bled for the cause," Fury replied without missing a beat.
They stared at each other across the room—two men who didn't fully trust one another, but both aware of their usefulness to the other.
Finally, Fury turned toward another door. "Come on. You'll want to see this."
They passed through another corridor before arriving at a final secured room. Fury keyed it open and gestured for Alex to enter.
It was larger than Alex expected—more like a small private suite than a standard SHIELD office. A sleek black desk sat in the center, polished to a mirror shine, paired with a high-backed leather chair.
Alex walked over, trailing his hand along the smooth surface before sitting down. The chair reclined just enough to be comfortable as he surveyed the room.
To his right, a massive bed rested against the far wall, covered in neatly tucked dark sheets and a heavy blanket. At its foot was a steel safe bolted into the floor, complete with a keypad and biometric scanner—serious storage for serious things.
Against the opposite wall stood a tall bookshelf filled with an odd mix of items: thick military manuals, bound intelligence reports, and several old, worn hardcover books that looked decades—maybe centuries—old.
Mounted directly across from the desk was a huge flat-screen TV, with a control console built into the desk itself for quick access.
Alex leaned back, scanning it all again. "Not bad," he murmured under his breath. "Could get used to this."
Through the tinted glass panel on one wall, he caught a partial view of the hangar—agents moving purposefully, equipment being loaded, the hum of SHIELD's constant motion.
For the first time since stepping off the Quinjet, a slow, satisfied smirk formed on his lips. This wasn't just an office.
It was a foothold. A base inside the heart of SHIELD.
And he already knew exactly how he was going to use it.
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