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[Frog] Chapter 171: Nick Fury’s Plan
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 17:54:36 +0000 UTCEarly in the morning, the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier was bustling with activity.
With the agency now at Level 7 alert, every available resource was mobilized, leveraging S.H.I.E.L.D.’s global intelligence network to track down Loki and Hawkeye.
Inside a dark conference room, Nick Fury stood alone in the center.
Surrounding him were six or seven virtual screens, each projecting the faces of the highest-ranking leaders in various sectors of the United States.
The group looked grimly at Fury, clearly aware of the gravity of the situation.
Even Nick Fury, who rarely felt pressure, found himself weighed down by the presence of these powerbrokers.
“Gentlemen,” Fury began, “I am here to report on the situation. I will personally handle the matter, and I assure you that the Tesseract will be recovered.”
The U.S. President, displayed in the central screen, responded sharply.
“Recovered? How do you plan to recover it? That Norse god named Loki has taken control of one of your top agents. I assume you don’t even know where they’re hiding right now.”
The other leaders—military and political alike—turned their critical gazes toward Fury.
“Nick Fury, this has to be the most egregious failure in your 26 years of leadership,” one of them said.
“If you fail to resolve this situation perfectly, we will remove you from your position as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m sure there are plenty of others within the agency who can do your job better.”
The man speaking was none other than the Secretary of Defense, a figure second only to the President in authority.
Fury’s one eye fixed on him. “Of course, sir. If I fail to resolve this, I’ll resign voluntarily. You won’t need to remind me.”
Surprisingly, the Secretary of Defense smiled faintly at Fury’s sharp retort.
The other leaders, hearing Fury’s acknowledgment, refrained from pressing further.
The President continued, “So, what’s your plan?”
Fury took a deep breath and surveyed the faces of the gathered leaders.
“I believe it’s time to activate the Avengers Initiative.”
The room fell silent. The leaders’ expressions shifted slightly, though their true thoughts remained concealed.
---
Outside the conference room...
Agent Hill and Agent Coulson waited anxiously for Fury to emerge.
Their security clearance wasn’t high enough to participate in the meeting.
Everyone inside that room was capable of shaping the world’s future with a few words.
As the leading global superpower, the U.S. wasn’t taking this lightly.
Were it not for the presence of rival powers like China and Russia, the world might already have been dominated entirely by the U.S.
“Hill, shouldn’t we start doing something? Just standing here isn’t helping,” Coulson said, visibly impatient.
They’d been waiting outside for nearly two hours. Since the previous night, there had been no updates on Loki or Hawkeye. It was as if the two had vanished from the face of the Earth.
“Barton isn’t just anyone. If he wants to stay hidden, few in the world can find him,” Hill replied. “Let’s wait until Fury comes out and hear what he has to say.”
Coulson sighed and nodded reluctantly. As a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he was well aware of Hawkeye’s capabilities. Unless Barton wanted to reveal himself, finding him would be nearly impossible.
---
An hour later, the conference room doors finally opened. Fury emerged, his face dark and brooding.
It was clear that the discussion about the Avengers Initiative hadn’t gone smoothly.
Hill and Coulson immediately approached him, but before they could speak, Fury began issuing new orders while walking briskly down the corridor.
“Coulson, contact Tony. We need his help.”
“Then locate Agent Romanoff. Have her figure out a way to bring in Dr. Banner. If we’re going to recover the Tesseract, we’ll need his strength.”
“Understood, sir,” Coulson responded. “I’ll handle it right away.”
With that, Coulson headed off in another direction.
Hill, following behind Nick Fury, immediately asked, "Director, what about me?"
"Come with me," Fury said. "I have a plan to connect you with Spider-Woman."
"No matter what method you use, you must persuade Spider-Woman to work with us. She not only possesses incredible strength but also AI technology that rivals Tony’s."
Not long ago, Fury had fully investigated the events involving Ivan Vanko that night.
He discovered that the AI responsible for controlling and ultimately killing Ivan Vanko was brought in by Spider-Woman.
When Fury first learned this, he was genuinely shocked. But it also made sense to him why every time S.H.I.E.L.D. attempted to investigate Spider-Woman’s identity, all their leads were cut off at critical moments.
It was clear now that the AI had been intercepting their efforts.
---
Inside Fury’s Office
After hearing Nick Fury’s plan, Hill nodded solemnly.
"Understood. I’ll handle it immediately. Once I find her, I’ll bring her directly to the helicarrier. Where are you headed?"
"To find someone else," Fury replied.
"Who?" Hill asked curiously. Who could warrant Nick Fury’s personal attention?
Fury glanced at Hill before answering, "Steve Rogers."
"I believe he’s finally adjusted to this era. It’s time for him to return to duty."
"Rogers, Spider-Woman, Banner..." Hill listed off the names of the people they were recruiting, her eyes suddenly widening as something clicked in her mind.
"Director, has the higher-ups approved it? The Avengers Initiative?"
Fury didn’t answer directly, instead saying, "This is a priority operation. Right now, we can’t afford to worry about formalities."
Hill immediately understood Fury’s intent. "Understood. I’ll get it done."
---
Meanwhile
At the NYPD headquarters
"Check your ammo and vests!" George Stacy shouted to the officers gathered for the operation.
"Double-check your comms equipment!"
The officers promptly conducted their checks, and a moment later, the room fell silent.
George called out, "Move out! Osborne Industries!"
A convoy of ten police cars roared down the streets of New York, heading toward Osborne Industries.
---
On top of a skyscraper in downtown New York, Gwen, dressed in civilian clothes, held a coffee and a breakfast sandwich.
Watching the police cars below, she finished the last sip of her coffee, stretched, and said, "Finally, they’re on the move."
With a graceful backflip off the skyscraper, Gwen donned her Spider suit mid-air, shooting her webs to swing behind George Stacy’s convoy.
---
At the same time, Alan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his home, his gaze also fixed in the direction of Osborne Industries.
The window screen in front of him displayed a live feed of Osborne Industries' interior.
Thanks to Red Queen’s intervention, the company had no knowledge of George and his team’s movements.
Alan glanced at the display, smirking.
"This time, I’ll seal you away for good."
A burst of golden light flashed.
From the void came a resonating phrase:
"Armor Fusion..."
---
