At the same time
Washington, D.C.
SHIELD headquarters, Triskelion Building.
Top floor, director's office.
In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, Nick Fury turned his back to the door, like a silent statue, overlooking the city dotted with countless lights, symbolizing the cent
er of world power.
His iconic bald head reflected a cold light under the neon lights of the city, blending perfectly with his black trench coat and his face that was always so gloomy that it looked like water could be wrung out of it.
He was incredibly dark, incredibly powerful, and now he was also furious. To what extent? He even felt like he could become a fully automatic cotton machine!
Okay, I lied to you, it doesn't actually need to be fully automatic, semi-automatic will also do.
The atmosphere in the office was depressing.
The holographic screen was looping the Stark brothers' press conference. The image was frozen on Tony Stark's face, filled with confidence and arrogance, as he said, "I am Iron Man."
And Henry Stark's deep eyes as he followed up with the declaration, "I am Superman."
Maria Hill, the new agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., was wearing a smart uniform, holding a tablet computer, standing behind Fury, reporting the situation in her usual calm and efficient tone.
She didn't know why she was transferred here. This director didn't look like someone who could do big things.
Does he keep his back to others all day, afraid that others will know that he is the sunshine rainbow little white horse?
Come on. Is this kind of thing even something we need to care about in this country?
That's right, Maria Hill, originally from the World Security Council, but it seems that for some reason, she arrived early.
"The press conference ended fifty-two minutes ago yesterday. Currently, over ninety-eight percent of the world's mainstream media outlets are reporting on this matter with headlines like 'A Historic Moment' and 'The Age of Superheroes Has Arrived.' Stark Industries' stock price has begun to climb at a terrifying rate due to Tony Stark's announcement of the Ark Reactor's new energy plan. It has already risen by one hundred and thirty-five percent and is still rising."
"Thirty minutes ago, calls from the Pentagon and the White House flooded our external communication lines. They demanded that we immediately take coercive measures against the Stark brothers and nationalize their weapons. The directors of the World Security Council demanded that we provide a reasonable explanation and a detailed assessment report on how to manage these two uncontrollable superheroes."
After Hill finished his report, he quietly waited for his superior's instructions. But Fury said nothing.
He just looked out the window quietly, with a light in his one eye that no one could understand.
Yes, no one can understand him, and no one wants to understand him. After all, ape rt from him, no one will allow goblins to stay on Earth.
After a long time, he spoke slowly in a low voice.
"Where's Coulson?"
"Agent Coulson took people to contact the Stark brothers as soon as the press conference ended," Hill replied immediately, swiping the tablet in her hand. "But... it failed."
She projected an encrypted video recorded by Coulson's micro-camera onto another holographic screen. In the video, Henry Stark's playful face was magnified.
"Coulson, go back and tell your bald boss to understand his place. SHIELD is one of the legacies left by my father, Howard Stark. It was established to protect the world, not to become a tool for certain people to manipulate power and satisfy their desire for control."
"Since when has it become the turn of an outsider to dictate what happens to my family's belongings?"
The video ended, and the office fell silent again.
Hill could clearly feel that the boss standing in front of her, who never showed his emotions, seemed to have become even darker.
What happened? Is the defence broken?
No way! The Director can't be so stingy, right?!
"Legacy?" Fury finally turned around and walked to his desk, resting his hands on it as he stared at the overly young face on the screen. There was a hint of fatigue in his single eye.
"I knew Howard Stark," he said slowly, his voice tinged with reminiscence.
"He's a genius, a genius who can truly change the world. But he's also a jerk. A conceited, paranoid, controlling jerk. He always thinks he can control everything and that he's the smartest person in the world."
He paused, then turned his gaze to the equally conceited face of Tony Stark on the screen.
"His two sons perfectly inherited all his shortcomings."
"But they're completely different from him," Hill added.
"Howard Stark may be conceited, but at least he knows how to follow the rules. And these two guys..."
She shook her head, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.
"They themselves are the rules."
"That's right." Fury nodded, pulled over a chair, and sat down slowly.
"Tony Stark alone is enough of a headache for us. Now, there's another Henry Stark. A monster we can't figure out at all, full of unknowns and variables."
He pointed to another assessment on the screen, marked Top Secret, concerning Henry Stark.
"Superman?" he scoffed.
"That code name is quite fitting. The combat data we collected in New York shows that his strength, speed, and defence have all reached a level that's almost incomprehensible to us. Not to mention he also has eyes that can emit high-energy heat rays."
"We tried to monitor him twenty times using satellites. Four hours of non-stop tracking. But what was the result?"
A hint of helplessness also appeared on Hill's face.
"He seems to have some kind of anti-reconnaissance capability. Our satellites could only capture the footage before he took off, but were unable to accurately locate him. Moreover, he even flew out of the atmosphere."
She projected another image taken by a military reconnaissance satellite onto the screen.
In the picture, Henry Stark, dressed in casual clothes, is floating comfortably in the dark universe with his eyes closed. Behind him is a beautiful planet.
This picture is as beautiful as a science fiction oil painting, but it also reveals a huge sense of oppression.
"Fuck!" Fury looked at the video and finally couldn't help but curse under his breath.
He felt that all the worldviews and common sense he had built up over the past few decades of his career as an agent were shattered today by the two Stark brothers.
Of course, except for the biggest secret in his heart, that is, Carol Danvers.
"And Natasha?" he asked. "Has she found anything new?"
"Agent Romanoff has successfully entered Stark Industries' top management as an assistant," Hill replied. "She just sent back her latest report. In it, she provides a preliminary analysis of the Stark brothers' personalities."
"Tony Stark is extremely conceited and arrogant, enjoying being the centre of attention. His behaviour may seem impulsive and illogical, but in reality, there's a clear purpose e behind every decision. He's a typical self-centred pragmatist. At the same time, he has an extraordinary protectiveness for his younger brother, Henry Stark."
"As for Henry Stark." Hilton paused, looking a little confused.
"Agent Romanov only has two words to describe him."
"Unanalysable and extremely dangerous."
Fury was silent.
He looked at the figure floating in the universe on the screen and felt his temples throbbing.
An Iron Man and a Superman.
Both possess enough power to easily destroy a city.
Both of them have the best brains in the world.
Both of them have wealth that rivals that of a country.
Moreover, these two guys are brothers.
The worst thing is that these two guys are completely out of control.
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