March 19, 2009 – New York
The afternoon sun spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Hayes residence, illuminating dust motes that danced in the air like suspended gold. It was a peaceful, lazy Thursday, the kind of quiet that usually preceded a storm.
Right on cue, the wards hummed, and the doorbell rang.
A few moments later, Winky escorted a tall, imposing figure into the living room. He wore a long black leather trench coat despite the mild weather, and an eyepatch that made him look like a pirate who had gotten lost on his way to a Matrix convention.
Nick Fury.
On the floor, Arthur was engaged in a losing battle. He was attempting to teach Elena to meditate. At five years old, her magical core was already dense and active, and Arthur knew that without early control, she would be a walking hazard.
But asking an energetic five-year-old to clear her mind and find her center was like asking a hurricane to politely whisper.
Across the room, Tristan was busy constructing something that vaguely resembled a house from his blocks. He was a few years away from beginning his own training, blissfully uninvolved in the chaos.
"Fury," Arthur greeted, standing. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Did you run out of people to glare at today?"
Before the Director of SHIELD could reply with his trademark sarcasm, he was ambushed.
"UNCLE FURY!"
Elena Hayes abandoned her meditation instantly, launching herself at the super-spy like a heat-seeking missile in a pink dress. Whether her excitement came from seeing him or simply escaping meditation was anyone's guess.
Fury caught her with practiced ease—this wasn't their first ambush.
"Hello, troublemaker," Fury said, his perpetual scowl softening by a fraction of a millimeter.
"Uncle Fury, you're not supposed to be here," Elena informed him very seriously as she dangled from his arm. "It's not my birthday. Or Tris's."
"Can't I just visit?"
Elena's eyes narrowed—a perfect miniature of her father's suspicious expression. "Daddy says you only visit when you want something or when something bad happens." She gasped dramatically. "Did something bad happen?"
"No—"
"Oh! Oh! I know why you're here!" She bounced in his grip. "Is it about Uncle Tony? Is he back from his adventure?"
Fury blinked, glancing at Arthur. "Adventure?"
Arthur stood up, dusting off his knees and offering Fury a conspiratorial wink. "The adventure Tony went on. You know, the one he will come back from in a few months?"
Fury caught on immediately. "Right. That adventure. Your Uncle Tony is… still exploring. But he'll be back soon. I hope you're ready to surprise him with a gift."
"I am!" Elena declared proudly as Fury set her down. "I already started making his present." She paused, then placed her hands on her hips. "By the way, Uncle, Daddy says you watch him from cameras all the time when he goes outside. Why do you do that? It's creepy."
Fury froze.
He shot Arthur a look that promised retribution. "We don't do that."
Arthur scoffed loudly. "Really, Fury? So if I visited your office right now, I wouldn't find a file on your desk labeled 'Arthur Hayes Daily Activities'? Complete with timestamped photos?"
Fury didn't reply. He didn't have to. The file absolutely existed, and they both knew it.
Elena's eyes narrowed further. "You should stop snooping on Daddy. He says that's why we can't go to Disney World. Because your cameras and secret agents would ruin the magic."
Fury stared at Arthur with a look that could have peeled paint from the walls. Arthur simply shrugged, the picture of innocent fatherhood.
"Your father is being dramatic," Fury grumbled.
"So you'll stop the cameras when we go?" Elena asked hopefully, widening her eyes. "Please? I promise I'll be good."
Fury sighed deeply. "When your father takes you to Disney World, I'll make sure no one... watches too closely."
"Promise?" Elena held out her pinky finger.
Nick Fury, the man who'd stared down alien invasions and world-ending threats in Arthur's memories of the future, engaged in a solemn pinky promise with a five-year-old.
"Good." Elena released his hand and skipped away, triumphant. "Daddy, Uncle Fury promised! We can go to Disney World now!"
"We'll see about that," Arthur laughed, ruffling her hair as she passed. "Why don't you go help Winky with Tristan? Uncle Fury and I need to have a boring grown-up talk."
As soon as the children left and the door clicked shut, the warm atmosphere dissolved. Arthur led Fury into his study, its walls layered with soundproofing charms. Fury sank into a leather chair while Arthur poured himself a scotch—conspicuously not offering one to his guest.
"Why are you here, Fury?" Arthur asked, settling behind his mahogany desk.
"You know why."
"Humor me."
"Tony Stark."
Arthur raised a brow, taking a slow sip of his drink. "Shouldn't you be asking the military? They have satellites, drones, and an entire army. I'm just a private citizen."
"A private citizen whose company," Fury countered, leaning in, "made some very aggressive market moves days before Stark vanished. Shorting the stock. Building up liquidity. To some people, that suggests foreknowledge."
Arthur laughed, a sharp, barking sound. "Really? That's your lead? You think I kidnapped Tony Stark, my friend, for a bump in my portfolio? Has your brain started losing its edge, Nick? Is it old age? Do you need supplements?"
"I know you didn't take him," Fury said, tone dropping. "But the World Security Council isn't convinced. America's premier weapons contractor, one whose tech could become dangerous even to you, goes missing. And you profit from it. People are asking questions, Arthur. They want answers."
"Tony told me he was planning to shake up the company. He was going to move against his uncle. I bet on corporate turmoil," Arthur said smoothly. "Maybe instead of harassing me about my investment strategy, you should send your agents to investigate Obadiah Stane."
"If only it were that easy," Fury said, frustration leaking into his voice. "Stane has made powerful friends. Senators. Generals. I can't just arrest him on a hunch."
"Then am I any less difficult?" Arthur asked, his eyes sharpening. "Why are you really here, Fury? You already suspect Stane. You're not moving on him because you're worried about Tony's life. You think if you spook Stane, he'll give the order to execute Tony."
Fury sat back, silence hanging heavy in the room. "Do you know where Stark is?"
"Why would I know that?"
"Because you have your... tricks."
Arthur held Fury's gaze. "I know he is alive. He was captured by a terrorist cell of the Ten Rings. Most probably paid for by Stane. Do what you can with that information."
Fury leaned forward, intensity returning to his eye. "Is he alive right now?"
"Yes."
"You're certain?"
"Absolutely."
Fury relaxed marginally, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Can you get him out?"
"I could," Arthur said slowly, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "But I saw that he was building something... very interesting. I decided to let him break out of the situation himself."
Fury frowned. "What is he building? Can you tell me?"
"And ruin the surprise?" Arthur smirked. "Patience, Nicholas. It'll be worth the wait."
Silence stretched between them again, filled only by the ticking of the grandfather clock.
"Is that all?" Arthur asked. "Is Tony the only reason you came to my house?"
Fury hesitated. "Have you considered my earlier request?"
"Coming to the main topic now, are we?" Arthur set his glass down. "I knew you didn't care about Tony that much, otherwise Obadiah would be behind bars already."
Fury didn't respond. Arthur was right—Fury had the means, but using them would cause political hell. Unless Tony's life was in immediate danger, he wouldn't pull that trigger.
"So?" Fury pressed. "Have you considered returning the Tesseract to SHIELD?"
Arthur smiled. He held out his hand, palm up.
Pop.
A cube of glowing blue energy appeared in his grip, humming with infinite power. The Tesseract. The Space Stone.
Arthur had taken it from SHIELD three years ago. It had been a messy affair, but they had practically invited him to take it. He'd originally intended to leave it with them to preserve the timeline, but the universe had its own way of teaching lessons. Prophetic advantage or not, an Infinity Stone in SHIELD's hands was a liability he couldn't ignore.
"A beauty, isn't it?" Arthur murmured, looking at the blue light. "I prefer it to stay with me. Much safer that way."
"You know there are people asking to move against you," Fury said, eyeing the Cube warily. "They fear you, Arthur. They fear Phoenix Group. They fear Ariadne, who they know is backed by you. Having an object of infinite energy doesn't help your case. It is wise to return it. I'll guarantee its safety."
"Safety?" Arthur scoffed. "You mean like the last time? When your scientists turned it into weapons? And your agents used those weapons to try and kill me? Forgive me if I'm not eager for a sequel."
—
Two years ago, Arthur had sensed strange heartbeats lurking outside his home. When he walked out to investigate, he found SHIELD operatives hidden in the shadows, armed with weapons glowing the same unnatural blue as the Tesseract itself. He recognized the energy instantly.
The fight ended before it even began and the agents vanished from existence.
Reading the memories of their commander only made his anger burn hotter. SHIELD had been racing to turn the Tesseract into weapons—ones they believed would give them an advantage over aliens… and over wizards like him.
That very night, Arthur slipped into their secure facility without a whisper and removed the Cube from their hands. Everyone understood who had taken it, but no one had dared demand it back.
—
"That won't happen again," Fury insisted. "I wasn't Director then. I couldn't control everything. Now I can. I can promise you, Arthur—we will just store it. No experiments."
"No," Arthur said simply. The Cube vanished from his hand.
Fury rubbed his temple, looking tired. "You are on the bad side of almost every powerful person on this planet, Hayes. You make billions and don't lobby. You don't play their game. And now Ariadne has moved to New York after dismantling the underworld in Europe. Both of you have affected many interests, and powerful people are angry. They are terrified of your strength, but when pushed to a corner, they will strike. Despite your power, those people do have ways to destroy your life."
"Let them come," Arthur said calmly. "As if I'm afraid of anyone."
He leaned back.
"And for the record… the Tesseract is my property now."
"It is SHIELD property," Fury snapped.
"SHIELD lost custody rights when they tried to kil me with it," Arthur retorted coldly. "Besides, do you really want this back? Or does Hydra want it back?"
Fury went absolutely still. The air in the room seemed to freeze.
"What…? What did you just say?"
Arthur didn't answer immediately. Instead, he waved a hand. With a pop, Winky appeared on the desk, holding a thick crimson folder.
"Grumpy One-Eyed Man file is here, Master," she said proudly.
"Thank you, Winky."
Winky vanished with a pop, leaving Arthur free to ruin Nick Fury's afternoon—and possibly his entire worldview. Time to flip the board.
Arthur slid the folder across the mahogany desk. "After the assassination attempt a few years ago, I started digging into who authorized it. And imagine my surprise when I found something far more interesting than a rogue agent."
Fury stared at the folder before finally reaching out. He flipped open the first page.
His eye widened.
He flipped to the second. Color drained from his face.
He kept going, page after page, growing paler with each one. By the time he reached the midpoint, the man who had stared down alien threats and global crises looked like he might be sick.
"Arthur," Fury whispered, his voice hoarse. "Is this… is this verified?"
"Every word," Arthur said, dropping the playful tone entirely.
"Even Pierce?" Fury asked, sounding like a man watching his world collapse. "He… he's my friend. He made me Director."
"Because he thought he could control you," Arthur said mercilessly. "He was wrong. But yes. He is one of them."
Fury closed the file. His hand was trembling slightly—a rare crack in the armor of the world's greatest spy.
"How?" Fury's voice was barely a whisper. "How did I not see this?"
"Because you were looking for external threats while the cancer grew from within," Arthur said, his voice gentling slightly. "It's not your fault, Nick. They've had seventy years to perfect their infiltration. They didn't die with the Red Skull; they just learned to whisper in the dark."
Fury looked up sharply. "How long have you known?"
"A couple of years."
"Years?" Fury exploded, slamming his palm on the desk and making the crystalware jump. "You've known for YEARS and didn't say a damn thing?"
"I was waiting for the right moment," Arthur said calmly. "Like now."
"Damn it, Arthur!" Fury paced the room, agitation radiating from him. "Do you have any idea what this means? If Hydra has infiltrated SHIELD this deeply—"
"Then they've likely infiltrated other organizations too," Arthur finished for him. "The CIA, NSA, maybe even Congress. Yes, Fury, I'm aware of the implications."
"And you sat on it."
"Yes." Arthur didn't even pretend to be apologetic. "But I'm handing it over now. The real question is - what will you do with it?"
Fury stopped pacing and stared at him. "You're enjoying this. You want SHIELD and Hydra tearing each other apart while you sit back and watch."
"I prefer to think of it as strategic positioning," Arthur said with a shrug. "You deal with Hydra. I keep the Tesseract. Everybody wins."
Despite the horror of the situation, Fury let out a short, sharp bark of laughter. "You're a bastard, Hayes."
"Whatever," Arthur replied with a grin. "Come on, Fury. We both know this is the best play. You get to clean house, I keep my toy cube, and the world becomes a little safer. Plus, once you start this shadow war, nobody is going to have the time or resources to bother me."
Fury picked up the folder like it was a loaded weapon. As he approached the door, he paused, hand tightening on the knob.
"This isn't over, Hayes. The Tesseract—"
"Will stay exactly where it is," Arthur finished. "You have bigger problems now, Director. Hail Hydra, right?"
Fury's face darkened at the mocking salute, but he left without another word, already pulling out his encrypted phone to begin making very careful calls to the very few people he could still trust.
Arthur watched him go, the smile lingering on his lips.
Ariadne's move to New York had stirred up a hornet's nest. The Hand was agitated. Hydra was probing. Tension had been building for months.
Now, with one folder, Arthur had tossed a burning match into the powder keg.
SHIELD and Hydra would devour each other in the shadows.
The Hand would be occupied dealing with Ariadne.
And Arthur?
He and his family would finally have some peace.
"Checkmate," Arthur whispered.