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Chapter 52: Invitation to Join the Avengers Alliance
🕑 Added 2025-04-08 13:24:55 +0000 UTCTony Stark was furious.
The security system he once believed was airtight had now been breached twice in a matter of days. Twice!
Did anyone have any idea what he’d been dealing with lately?
And now, this braised egghead strolled right into his home as if he owned the place. Even if he didn’t seem hostile, the sheer arrogance of it rubbed Tony the wrong way.
"How should I put this," Nick Fury said with a slight smirk, "we are an intelligence agency, after all. We tend to have... methods that others don't."
What was he supposed to say? That he’d cut the power to the house while Tony was away and simply walked in?
Sometimes the most sophisticated infiltration technique is just the simplest one.
Of course, it wasn’t quite that easy. A massive estate like this would have backup power systems—but even a brief window was enough for someone like Fury to make his move.
“Don’t get caught up in the details,” Fury said casually.
“Hmph.” Tony snorted. His irritation simmered as he silently vowed to overhaul his entire security network. If just anyone could stroll in like this, it was beyond unacceptable.
“So, what exactly do you want from me? Is this S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to recruit me?”
"Yes... and no," Fury replied, folding his arms. "Let me properly introduce S.H.I.E.L.D. first."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is a global intelligence organization, originally established through cooperation between the five major powers of the United Nations."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "The five major powers? Don’t tell me the Lighthouse Country is one of them?"
"Of course it is. One of our key backers, actually."
"Five global powers working together?" Tony's brow furrowed. "No wonder you’re so cocky. You think that gives you the right to break into private property? According to Lighthouse Country law, I could shoot you right now and be in the clear."
Fury didn’t respond. He understood perfectly—this was just Tony venting.
"But all five powers have their own intelligence agencies. Why do they need you?" Tony asked, genuinely curious now.
He was no fool. He knew these five nations—despite being global leaders—were often at each other's throats behind closed doors. That they could agree on anything, let alone build an intelligence agency together, was remarkable.
"There’s a good reason for it," Fury said. "We deal with things far beyond the scope of conventional intelligence work. Our mission is to protect the safety of Common humans across the planet."
“Protect Common humans?” Tony squinted slightly. That phrasing felt loaded. “What kind of threats are we talking about here?”
"Werewolves, vampires, aliens, witches, off-world invaders... creatures born of experiments gone wrong. And of course, extremists. The kind no normal agency can handle."
“There are werewolves and vampires?” Tony was genuinely stunned.
Sure, he knew about the Hulk, and the military's involvement in creating the Abomination—mutants born from science, more or less.
That, at least, fit into a scientific framework.
Most of what he knew beyond that came from Luo Chen’s diary—and Luo Chen was a traveler from beyond the fourth wall. This, however, was the first time a native of this world was telling him such things.
"Of course there are," Fury replied matter-of-factly. "They've existed since ancient times. The dark side of the world is far more terrifying than you can imagine."
He took a sip of his drink before continuing. "The reason you don’t know is because to us, you're still just a Common man. It’s our job to keep that darkness from reaching the surface."
"Well, aren’t you noble," Tony said with a smirk. He didn’t believe everything—at least not right away.
If Luo Chen had written about it in his diary, sure, he'd trust it to a point. But Nick Fury? Tony wasn’t a gullible kid.
From what he'd gathered, the screenwriters behind the fourth wall didn’t portray Fury or S.H.I.E.L.D. as villains... but Tony wasn’t about to take everything at face value.
"So, if you're so powerful and noble, what do you want with a Common man like me?" Tony asked pointedly, emphasizing the word with visible disdain.
Who was he?
Tony Stark. Super genius. Super scientist. Super philanthropist. Super billionaire. Iron Man.
Common? Him?
"Because," Fury said calmly, straightening his posture, "I’d like to invite you to join an extraordinary initiative I’ve recently begun forming."
He paused for effect, then declared with certainty:
"It’s called the Avengers."
