Tony Stark was ultimately defeated by Dominic in this flying race, which surprised him a little. Although he still spoke with a lack of willingness to admit defeat, deep down, he had begun to re-evaluate Dominic. He had originally thought the other party was arrogant and attempting to control the World, but this race made him realize that things might not be as simple as he thought. Dominic seemed to just enjoy the power he possessed, rather than being a tyrant trying to dominate the World. Instead, he was more like an idle big boy, who just occasionally "played too rough."
"Maybe he doesn't care about controlling the World at all... he's just a guy who plays on a bigger scale," Tony thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile.
He flew back to his Malibu Villa in the Iron Armor. Normally, by this time, he should be enjoying a glass of champagne followed by a quiet dinner by the sea. However, the moment he stepped into the Villa, he was greeted not by the familiar tranquility, but by the unusually bright lights in the living room and an uninvited "guest."
Tony frowned, clearly displeased. As a billionaire and superhero, his sense of security would not allow such unauthorized intrusion. His armor system had already begun scanning the room, and the scan results on the luxurious sofa made him even more unhappy.
A bald black man was sitting casually on the sofa, holding a glass of whiskey, looking calm and composed, as if this Villa were his private territory. Who was this person? Tony thought to himself as he slowly walked towards the sofa.
"Ah, perfect," Tony said, his tone full of dissatisfaction and sarcasm, spreading his hands lazily. "I knew it wouldn't be this easy tonight. Can't I just have a quiet night?"
The bald man on the sofa looked up, revealing a calm and imposing face. He wore a black eye patch, and the exposed eye flashed with a sharp light, carrying a powerful aura that instantly made the air in the entire room tense.
"Tony Stark," the man said slowly, his voice deep and powerful, every word like a declaration of fate, "I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Tony raised an eyebrow, looked at Nick expressionlessly for a few seconds, and casually unlocked the Iron Armor. The armor's faceplate made a soft click and opened automatically, revealing Tony's slightly tired but still sarcastic face.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Tony's mouth curved slightly upwards, with his usual playful tone, "Oh, so it's you mysterious organizations. Let me guess, you're here to tell me that Earth is in extreme danger, and your bunch of guys in black suits need me, Tony Stark, to save the World? Don't be ridiculous, buddy. I don't have time to play 'save Earth' games with you."
Nick Fury looked at Tony calmly, not provoked by his sarcasm. Instead, he maintained his calm expression, as if all of this was within his expectations. He took a sip of the whiskey in his hand, slowly put down the glass, and sat up straight.
"Tony, I'm not here to joke with you," Fury's voice was low and firm, carrying an undeniable power, "Do you think what happened last night was just a coincidence? That guy named Dominic appeared too suddenly, and the threat is much greater than you imagine."
Tony scoffed, his eyes showing disdain, "Oh, Dominic? He's just a superhero who's bored out of his mind. You think I didn't see it? He's not interested in ruling the World, he's just playing a game."
Fury looked at Tony calmly and continued, "Perhaps he is indeed just 'playing' right now, but do you know? Once some people realize the power they hold, no matter what their initial motivation was, they will eventually be tempted. And Dominic possesses power far beyond our current control."
Tony shrugged, his expression still lazy, "So? Do you want me to go fight him and persuade him to give up that power? Or do you want me to help your S.H.I.E.L.D. control him?"
Fury sighed softly, his tone becoming more serious, "Tony, you know this World is becoming increasingly complex. Aliens, super soldiers, intelligent AI... the threats we face are not something you or I can solve alone. We need strong individuals, we need a force capable of dealing with any threat. And you are key to our plan."
Tony frowned, understanding what Fury meant. This was no longer just a simple "savior hero" problem, but about the future, about dealing with the potentially huge crises Earth might face.
"What is this plan you're talking about...?" Tony finally asked, his tone less sarcastic, more thoughtful.
Fury smiled slightly, stood up, walked in front of Tony, and clasped his hands behind his back: "This is a plan about heroes. We want to assemble a special task force, people with extraordinary abilities, to jointly deal with Earth's potential future crises."
Tony stared at Fury, his eyes filled with confusion and curiosity, "So, you're planning to turn me, Dominic, and whoever else, into a 'dream team' to save the World?"
Fury nodded, "Yes, the plan is called - the Avengers."
Tony's mouth curved slightly upwards, leaning back in his chair, revealing a playful smile, "The Avengers? Sounds good. But I have a question, Director Fury, do you really think that bunch of heroes will listen to your command? Especially a guy like Dominic?"
Fury didn't answer directly, but showed a meaningful smile: "We'll see, Tony. We'll see."
Night. Hell's Kitchen.
Dominic stood on the rooftop of a building, holding a tennis ball, casually throwing it against the wall. The ball bounced back, and he caught it precisely. The whole process seemed effortless and relaxed, as if he wasn't practicing on a rooftop, but on vacation.
"Wow, this feels pretty good. Hey, if I played tennis, I'd definitely win a championship," he muttered to himself, a playful smile on his lips.
Just as he was enjoying this moment of "playing," his gaze was suddenly drawn to a window in a building opposite. Inside the window, a couple was intensely "interacting" on a bed. Dominic raised an eyebrow, and his expression became subtle.
"Wow," he softly complained, imitating Peter Griffin's tone, "Looking at this scene, it's just like Lois getting mad at Peter again in 'Family Guy' and then the two passionately making up. It's truly moving." He paused, then suddenly imitated Stewie's voice, continuing in a cheeky tone, "But dear God, please, don't let them have some weird interlude like Peter does next, or I'll go blind."
He shook his head and couldn't help but roll his eyes: "You guys are having fun, but I'm so bored here I'm about to grow mushrooms." After saying that, he threw the tennis ball out again and continued practicing.
Just as he was hitting the tennis ball and continuing to complain, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of oppression. The surroundings seemed to be changing. Dominic narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the tension in the air growing stronger. Then, he sneered, his eyes becoming playful.
"Oh, come on," he said, imitating Peter Griffin's lazy tone, "Do you guys hiding in the dark really think I haven't noticed? Damn it, can't you just come in like those unlucky neighbors in 'Family Guy'? Come on, come out, stop hiding!"
He stretched lazily, his tone full of disdain: "I know you S.H.I.E.L.D. people like to play hide-and-seek, but honestly, this routine is outdated. I'm Dominic, why bother with these little tricks?"
From the dark corners around, a strange sound suddenly came. In the silent night, soldiers hidden in the shadows appeared one by one, but they were not S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, but HYDRA special forces. Fully armed soldiers quickly surrounded Dominic, their guns pointed in his direction.
Dominic stood on the rooftop, his hands in his pockets, as if he didn't care at all. He grinned and softly mumbled in Brian's tone, "Oh, my God, it's the HYDRA guys? You really surprise me. What era is this, and you're still playing the old 'villain company' trope? And even if you're a snake, you should at least change to a cooler name, like 'Flying Dragon' or 'Razer,' that would be so cool."
After saying that, he looked up at the HYDRA soldiers, a contemptuous smile on his face, and gently shook his head: "You really think you can handle me with these broken guns? Hey, I'm a guy with Cyclops."
The HYDRA soldiers did not respond, but quickly raised their weapons, ready to attack.
Dominic was not scared at all. Instead, he pointed a finger at the soldiers and teased, "Wow, looks like the 'main course' is coming tonight. Alright, 'Flying Dragons,' get ready to see what real power is!"
He narrowed his eyes slightly, and Cyclops instantly fired, a red light cutting through the darkness, shooting straight towards the HYDRA soldiers.
"Now it's time for me to blast these guys away," Dominic said with a cynical smile, his tone full of sarcasm, "Don't tell me you still want to go head-to-head with me, I'm not Iron Man. I'm something even cooler than 'Superman' - Homelander!"
He took a step forward, ready for an "invincible battle," his heart filled with wild abandon and arrogance. Next, HYDRA would face the crushing defeat they would never forget.