However, Egghead (Nick Fury) wasn't particularly focused on the Ten Commandments gang. Or rather, he simply didn't care that much.
After briefly browsing the information, he shifted his attention to far more important data.
What kind of data?
Naturally, the data on the Extremis Soldiers.
Those were what Nick Fury truly cared about.
Fortunately, Tony Stark was as reliable as ever. He had already sent over some relevant information on the Extremis Soldiers to Fury.
Egghead tapped the keyboard a few times, and several video clips played before him.
In a very rudimentary, basement-like secret facility, a man with a severed arm was tightly restrained on an iron frame.
Beside him, a researcher injected him with some unknown substance.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Soon, the man's face contorted in pain as he struggled and shouted.
As he struggled, a strange energy surged within him, making his body glow red-hot, as if he were being seared by iron rods.
It was a shocking sight.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Especially at the site of his missing arm, which glowed intensely. The immense energy inside seemed about to burst out.
And then, something incredible happened.
His severed arm began to regrow.
Yes, regrow!
Even Nick Fury, seasoned as he was, stared in astonishment, utterly stunned.
What had Kilian injected into this "test subject"?
Such incredible power—enough to regenerate severed limbs!
"My hand!"
"My hand… it's growing back!"
"Wonderful!"
The man instinctively lifted the newly regrown hand in front of him, examining it with pure, uncontrollable joy.
"Success! Perfect success!"
Kilian, observing from the side, couldn't help smiling.
He eagerly instructed his subordinates to release the man.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
But in the next moment, the man screamed in excruciating pain again.
The energy inside him seemed uncontrollable, and large portions of his body turned red.
"Everyone, get out! Now!"
Seeing this, Kilian's expression changed slightly, and he immediately ordered all personnel to evacuate.
The man at the center of the frame glowed even more intensely.
Within seconds, he was completely red-hot.
Boom!
The man exploded.
Holy…
Nick Fury nearly blurted out an expletive. A perfectly alive human had just exploded!
This… this was the creation process of an Extremis Soldier?
Egghead had initially hoped to obtain Kilian's method and replicate a batch of Extremis Soldiers himself.
Now it was clear—things weren't that simple.
Fury reviewed more information and gained a deeper understanding of the Extremis Soldiers.
The situation was far less optimistic than he'd imagined.
The serum Kilian had developed could grant incredible power, allowing the user to "heat up" their body at will, drastically increasing their destructive capability.
The diary had been correct: hand-to-hand combat against armored suits was entirely feasible.
After reviewing the data, Fury finally understood why the Iron Legion was required to combat the Extremis Soldiers.
No exaggeration—the Extremis Soldiers' combat ability was extraordinary, even abnormal.
Exactly as Fury had anticipated.
The downside? The technology was far from perfected.
Success depended largely on chance.
Some lucky test subjects survived and became super soldiers with immense strength and near invulnerability.
But most failed, exploding under the strain.
For Fury, this wasn't a major problem.
Imperfect technology? Invest resources, perfect it.
Mastering the creation of Extremis Soldiers meant commanding a truly secret super-powered team.
Unlike the Avengers, who might act reluctantly or ignore orders, this would be Fury's own elite force.
Of course, Fury already commanded the Whiplash Task Force, but that was a far cry from an Extremis Legion.
Perfecting the technology would require substantial funds—but for Fury, that was no obstacle.
His mind began racing.
Over the next half-month, Fury immersed himself in the Extremis Soldiers project.
Despite Tony providing detailed information, Fury sent teams to verify every piece of intelligence and gather more data.
He needed full understanding of the dangerous Extremis Legion.
After weeks of study, Fury knew everything about Kilian's work—even trivial details.
He decided the time was right to strike against Kilian.
But planning the operation was tricky.
The Extremis Soldiers were just too powerful.
Each could face off against Iron Man suits, and they were nearly indestructible.
Sending standard S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? Suicide.
The Whiplash Task Force? Clearly insufficient.
"Avengers!"
Fury immediately thought of the team.
Undoubtedly, to confront such superpowered soldiers, they needed superpowered reinforcements.
But the current Avengers roster? Only Captain America, Red Guardian, and Iron Man.
And Kilian's Extremis Soldiers? Ten of them.
Not to mention Kilian himself, whose power far exceeded even the Extremis Soldiers.
This was a tough situation.
As frustrating as it was, Fury admitted the fact: the current Avengers couldn't take Kilian's Extremis Legion without extreme risk of failure.
Indeed, if the Extremis Soldiers were easy to handle, why had the alternate universe Iron Man needed the Iron Legion?
Even then, he still needed Pepper's timely assistance to prevail.
So what to do?
"Looks like there's going to be some heavy spending."
After some contemplation, Fury made a slightly painful decision.
Bring in an outside contractor.
Or to put it bluntly: Satan.
In Fury's current network, the only person capable of handling the Extremis Legion was Satan.
Yes, the price was steep—but Satan's results were unparalleled.
Their last collaboration had been so effective; even a monster like Hulk was no challenge. Fury had absolute confidence.
Additionally, Satan was the diary holder, Zhou Cheng.
All secrets were known to him; nothing needed worrying about.
Without hesitation, Fury donned his signature trench coat and headed out.
He arrived at Zhou Cheng's residence and knocked.
Creak!
The door opened, revealing Zhou Cheng's youthful face.
Egghead?
Zhou Cheng was surprised—he hadn't expected Fury to appear again.
What was Fury's purpose this time? Recruitment into the Avengers? Another mission?
"Mr. Satan, I hope I'm not disturbing you," Fury said, interrupting Zhou Cheng's thoughts.
"Disturbing or not depends on why you're here," Zhou Cheng replied, blocking the door.
"No need to be so formal," Fury muttered, slightly exasperated.
He continued: "Prepare some coffee; I've brought a big assignment."
Fury wasted no time and revealed his mission: a task involving superpowered individuals.
Zhou Cheng's curiosity peaked immediately.
Fury brought out a tablet and played footage.
On-screen, a man with glowing red hands and face effortlessly lifted one car and smashed it into another.
Bang!
The other car crumpled. The driver's fate was unknown, but likely grim.
"This… this is an Extremis Soldier!"
Zhou Cheng remained outwardly calm, but inwardly bewildered.
The Extremis Soldiers had appeared before the Battle of New York?
Shouldn't this be the plot of Iron Man 3?
So this universe had diverged massively from the Marvel 199999 cinematic timeline.
Fury, of course, didn't have time to ponder this now.
He continued briefing Zhou Cheng.
"These targets are bio-enhanced humans. Their strength rivals Captain America, they generate enough heat to melt steel, and their bodies can self-repair, making them extremely difficult to kill."
Zhou Cheng listened carefully, asking pertinent questions to avoid revealing any knowledge prematurely.
"There are eleven targets. I've formed a team, but it's insufficient for this mission. That's why I'm here. So, Satan, what do you say?"
Zhou Cheng replied without hesitation:
"Fifty million dollars. You pay, and these eleven won't see the sun tomorrow."
(End of Chapter)