"..."
Nick Fury exhaled, his single eye sweeping over the gathered heroes. Their expressions were clouded with hesitation. He tapped the table once before speaking again.
"It's not exactly like that. Once we form an organization, it's normal for there to be tighter control."
Arakawa Zenkichi's brow twitched. He had the urge to walk over and give Fury a good slap. Seriously? He had just reassured everyone about their freedom, and now Fury was undermining him right after. That was not giving him any respect.
The others' eyes turned toward Zenkichi, as if weighing his reaction. He, however, remained calm. After all, when he joined S.H.I.E.L.D., he had made it clear that he was… a special case. Ordinary rules wouldn't bind him.
And if they tried to? Well, he could just leave.
He was strong, the world was vast, and the sky and seas were wide open. There wasn't a single place on this planet he couldn't go.
"Make a decision quickly," Zenkichi urged, his gaze sweeping over the group.
Some frowned at his impatience. This wasn't a small matter—it was about their freedom and how they would operate in the future. But they didn't dare say anything aloud. Zenkichi's strength was on another level.
Even the Hulk, the strongest and most temperamental among them, stayed quiet. He had already fought Zenkichi once and was still brooding over that loss. It wasn't just that he lost—it was how easily the man had handled him.
He knew the truth: in terms of raw power, he wasn't ready to win.
Bruce Banner's calculating mind understood the risk perfectly. Picking a fight with Zenkichi now would be less strategy and more suicide.
"I'm in," said Captain America firmly.
Over the past few days, Steve Rogers had adapted to the modern era. There was a spark in him again—a return of the youthful vigor he thought he'd lost. The world still had beauty, and more importantly, it still had battles worth fighting.
Hydra was still out there.
Hearing his words, and considering his unique position as a living symbol from World War II, many others nodded in agreement.
Black Widow followed without hesitation. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, joining the Avengers meant little change to her operations. In fact, she had known about Fury's plan from the beginning.
Thor, however, remained silent, his hand resting on Mjolnir. The God of Thunder looked conflicted.
Cooperate with mortals? His pride resisted the thought. He was a god, after all—superior to humans.
And yet, in his time here, his views had shifted. He had seen the strength and will of mortals up close. Perhaps the gap between gods and men wasn't as wide as he once believed.
His power had recovered significantly during this period. He could feel the divine force and the thunder at his command once again. If he wished, he could leave right now and return to Asgard.
But Loki was still out there, causing chaos. And leaving now would mean abandoning that pursuit.
For the God of Thunder, the question wasn't whether he could go.
It was whether he should.