Nick Fury wasn't just thick-skinned—he was significantly thicker-skinned than most. He completely ignored Tony's displeasure and instead pressed him about whether he had just been practicing magic.
Tony didn't respond, so Nick turned to Ethan and asked, "Can ordinary people learn your magic too?"
"Why wouldn't they be able to? Aren't mages ordinary people before they learn magic?" Ethan spread his hands. "Even I was an ordinary person back then."
Nick had considered this point. What he was concerned about was something else. "What I mean is… are there no special requirements?"
"Of course there are." Ethan nodded. "Magic requires much higher talent than most professions. In other words, if you're not a genius, you don't even qualify to start."
Nick nodded. Tony was undoubtedly a genius. His ability to learn magic couldn't be considered typical. That meant cultivating mages would require recruiting more young geniuses.
His first thought was of the young people at the SHIELD Academy. They were all geniuses among geniuses. Perhaps some of them had the qualifications?
He considered forming a team of mages for SHIELD, but he knew this idea couldn't be rushed. Moreover, his relationship with Ethan wasn't deep to begin with, and it had only worsened after the Security Council incident. He needed to consider what price he would have to pay to get Ethan to train a few mages.
He also glanced at Tony. If things didn't work out with Ethan, maybe there was another route through Tony?
Nick suddenly felt a bigger headache. Tony Stark wasn't easy to deal with either. His relationship with SHIELD wasn't great. Right now, basic cooperation was only maintained through the connection with Howard.
He was unaware that Howard Stark had already been resurrected with Ethan's help. Given Howard's assassination, the slight friendship Nick thought they had was long gone.
So Tony's dislike for Nick wasn't simply because he had interrupted his training.
If SHIELD hadn't been a major power, Tony wouldn't have agreed to meet with him at all. Pepper Potts wouldn't have spared him a second glance either. At most, she might have chatted with Phil Coulson.
After a few brief exchanges, Nick stated that he wanted to speak with Ethan alone.
In fact, he didn't even need to say it—Tony had already stepped aside. Phil Coulson, ever the diplomat, had already "drawn away" Pepper. He had even intended to distract Ada, but she completely ignored him.
Nick waited for everyone else to leave, but to his surprise, Ada simply stood beside Ethan, unmoving. She looked at Nick with a sweet smile, as if mocking his tactics.
"Can we talk alone?"
"Sure." Ethan spread his hands and made a gesture for him to speak. "Is this another advisory consultation?"
Nick's face was already dark, so it was hard to tell if it got even darker.
At that moment, Natasha, who had been quietly standing by, suddenly asked Ada what brand of lip gloss she was wearing.
"You don't need to try and distract Ada. Even if she knows something, she poses no threat to you."
Nick looked at Ethan, then remembered he was someone from another universe, and finally stopped insisting on a private talk.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your ship."
"Ship?" Ethan had been wondering why Nick suddenly came to see him. He hadn't expected it to be for this reason. "What about the ship?"
"I want to know what you plan to do with a warship like that."
Nick stared at Ethan, as if trying to see through him. But to Ethan, that look was ridiculous.
He understood why Nick had come. Because he had built a warship and was an "outsider," they suspected he had some agenda involving their world.
Even if the details varied, that was the general idea.
"Of course, ships are meant to be used. The world I spend most of my time in is completely covered in water, with very little land. So I commissioned a large ship to live more comfortably. Is there a problem with that?"
"No problem." Nick nodded. Ethan's explanation sounded flawless, but as an agent, he couldn't bring himself to immediately trust it, even if it were true.
"Why is it a warship?"
"Good question."
This question treated others like fools. The reason it was a warship was obvious, but Nick still asked, proving he had already made up his mind to view Ethan as a potential threat.
Ethan could clearly see that. While he understood Nick Fury's cautious thinking, he still disliked the man's approach. It might be appropriate for a spy chief to remain skeptical, but acting hostile from the outset was just disgusting.
"Of course, it's to guard against people like you."
The mockery on Ethan's face was undisguised. Nick wasn't an idiot—he was smart and good at reading people from subtle cues.
So he understood what Ethan meant, but still didn't change his tone. "SHIELD's responsibility—"
"SHIELD's responsibility? What exactly is SHIELD's responsibility? I feel like you stick your nose into everything."
Nick was about to say something when Ethan raised a hand and lightly snapped his fingers. Instantly, the area around them was enclosed in a layer of translucent glass-like energy.
"This is a Mirror Dimension. We can talk here in complete safety. To others, it will still look like we're just discussing SHIELD's responsibilities."
Nick looked around, recalling how Ethan had seemed ready to argue just a moment ago. Was that just a setup? Was he about to reveal a secret?
Ethan narrowed his eyes at Nick Fury. That expression made Nick feel tremendous pressure. If Ethan wanted to do something to him, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.
"Your visit wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment idea, was it? Was it the Security Council or someone inside SHIELD who asked you to investigate me and the warship I commissioned?"
Nick had been an agent his whole life. He immediately understood what Ethan meant but wasn't willing to answer directly.
"That's an internal matter. I don't think it's necessary to report it to you."
"Because it involves me now, you'd better explain it clearly."
"Otherwise?"
"Otherwise, I'll assume SHIELD harbors significant hostility toward me and is likely to create constant trouble… and I particularly dislike trouble. To avoid endless problems, I prefer to eliminate them at the root the moment they appear."
Nick Fury felt the threat—Ethan was threatening him. His face darkened even further.
"SHIELD doesn't accept threats, and we fear no challenge."
"Challenge?" Ethan shook his head. "You're the one challenging me right now."
"We simply want to determine your true purpose for building such a powerful warship in our world."
"True purpose? What do you want to hear? That I plan to conquer Earth? That I'd build a surface warship to do it? Whose intelligence are you insulting? And as for 'determining my purpose,' you don't even believe that yourself. You know perfectly well what those people are really after."
It was obvious that someone inside SHIELD had their eyes on the technology Ethan had provided Tony—most likely Hydra.
"So, is seizing other people's property and technology part of SHIELD's responsibilities too?" Ethan thought for a moment. SHIELD had indeed done similar things. After defeating Hydra, they had confiscated quite a bit, including recruiting Hydra scientists.
Nick really wanted to nod and say "Yes, that's right." But if he did, they wouldn't be SHIELD anymore. One of the main reasons SHIELD had always acted with such authority was because they stood on the moral high ground and silenced dissent in the name of justice.
"I assure you, as long as you truly have no intention of threatening Earth, SHIELD will not trouble you."
Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. After thinking it through, he realized there was nothing he could do to Ethan. Setting aside his individual power, Ethan's relationship with Tony Stark was clear. The warship was also designed and built under Tony's supervision. Without that connection, SHIELD would've made their move long ago.
Now, going after Ethan would not only offend a powerful mage, but also completely alienate Tony Stark. The cost was too high, and Nick wasn't willing to pay it just for a warship with some advanced tech.
"Guarantee? An organization where eighty percent of its personnel, from the former director down to its grassroots agents, have been infiltrated by Hydra—what kind of guarantee can you offer me?"
Up to this point, the conversation still seemed like a typical argument. Nick had been wondering whether this private talk in the Mirror Dimension was even necessary. But when Ethan said that, he understood why the spell had been cast.
Nick instantly broke into a cold sweat. He desperately wanted to believe Ethan was deliberately provoking him or trying to disgust him, but the look in Ethan's eyes made it clear—the content of that sentence was likely true.
"What did you just say?"
"Just what you heard. SHIELD has long since become a branch of Hydra. As the Director of SHIELD, you don't even know what kind of organization your people are running. You're truly a failure."
Since those Hydra idiots had dared to provoke him, Ethan wasn't going to act like nothing happened.
Since directly eliminating Hydra's parasites within SHIELD wouldn't be easy, he might as well tear off Hydra's disguise.
Once that happened, Nick would definitely take action when he returned. Regardless of whether it was Nick or Alexander Pierce who came out on top, SHIELD's image wouldn't survive.
Without the mask of justice, Hydra was just a bunch of rats running through the streets—and everyone would be happy to see them crushed.
At that point, Ethan could settle the score properly.
(To be continued.)
***
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