The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, its light blanketing almost every corner of the city. The season of summer had begun, and the temperature was higher than ever.
The heat was intense for everyone.
But it was even worse for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury sat behind his desk, bandages wrapped from his neck down to his left hand. A visible frown rested on his face as he buried his head in a stack of documents. The frustration was so obvious that faint lines formed across his forehead.
Standing in front of him was Phil Coulson.
The agent's usual bright and confident expression now looked like it had aged several decades in just a few days.
"You mean to tell me every hero we picked for this initiative rejected us?" Fury asked, not even bothering to raise his head from the papers.
"Yes, sir," Coulson replied immediately, doing his best to sound alert and professional.
His current exhaustion was the result of several days of relentless effort. He had personally gone out to recruit the individuals Fury believed were the best candidates.
First, he approached Tony Stark.
The billionaire genius had rejected the offer without hesitation.
Unwilling to give up, Coulson also reached out to several powerful mutants, hoping at least one of them might show interest in joining the initiative.
The answer was the same.
Rejection.
He had even considered approaching the Rangers, but they rarely appeared unless a monster attack occurred. Tracking them down was practically impossible.
For a middle-aged man like Coulson, the entire process had been extremely stressful.
His hairline seemed to have receded even further.
Still, he couldn't complain. S.H.I.E.L.D. was already short-staffed, and everything they were doing was ultimately for the safety of Earth.
Hearing Coulson's confirmation, Fury slowly shook his head and sighed.
The heat only made his expression look even more tired and melancholic.
"The organization is getting worse with each passing day," Fury thought to himself.
A hint of unwillingness flashed through his eye.
"Although S.H.I.E.L.D. is supposed to be a top-secret organization, our development and technology are still far behind the true hegemons of this planet."
For a moment, he stared down at the documents in silence.
"Am I really supposed to give up on my dream?"
Many years ago, during the chaos involving Hydra and the near invasion of Earth, Fury had made a silent promise to himself.
He would protect this planet.
From that day forward, he had spent years learning, suffering through failures, and rebuilding the organization again and again.
Even when faced with overwhelming forces, Fury never gave up.
He believed that one day S.H.I.E.L.D. would be strong enough to stand alongside the secret powers he had witnessed in the shadows of the world.
Even though he was only human—flesh and blood—his will had never wavered.
But this week had been particularly brutal.
First, S.H.I.E.L.D. lost the most important relic they had sworn to safeguard.
The Space Cube.
Then came the second blow.
The Avengers Initiative—his long-term plan to gather the world's strongest heroes into one unified force—was now collapsing before it even began.
It was nothing short of disappointing.
Coulson's sharp eyes noticed the internal struggle Fury was going through, even though the director did his best to hide it.
Knowing the current situation couldn't be changed immediately, Coulson decided to offer what little reassurance he could.
"Sir, you don't need to worry," Coulson said calmly. "I still have some leads on other potential candidates."
Fury finally lifted his head slightly.
"Although they may rank lower than our original choices," Coulson continued, "they can be nurtured and trained. With the right guidance, they might even surpass our expectations."
Fury looked at Coulson quietly.
The agent was clearly doing his best to lift his spirits. Fury couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He wouldn't deny that Coulson's words had given him a small spark of hope.
And right now, that was enough.
"Maybe I shouldn't aim too high," Fury thought. "Following his advice might not be a bad idea."
His gaze slowly sharpened.
"Besides… I didn't give up when I witnessed 'his' power."
The memory flashed through his mind briefly.
"I can't give up now."
Just as Fury finished making that silent declaration to himself, the universe seemed to answer his resolve.
A notification appeared on his screen. Maria Hill had requested entry into his office.
Fury didn't find the sudden request strange. For someone in her position, abrupt visits were normal.
"Let her in," he said.
A moment later, the office door opened.
Maria Hill stepped inside with her usual composed expression.
She briefly nodded toward Coulson in greeting before turning to face Fury. Then she raised her hand in a sharp, disciplined salute.
Even though Fury had told her many times that such formalities weren't necessary inside his office, she still insisted on doing it out of respect.
"I have something to report, sir—and I'm sure you'll be happy to hear about it," she said directly, a hint of excitement slipping into her otherwise professional tone.
"Oh?" Nick Fury hummed in mild surprise. "Go on."
"Yes," Maria Hill replied. "We have successfully located Captain America."
The moment those words fell, Fury nearly stood up in excitement, while Phil Coulson released an audible gasp of disbelief.
"Are you sure, Agent?" Fury asked quickly, forcing himself to calm down before confirming the information. "I want to be certain I'm not hearing things."
"Yes, sir. It's ninety-nine percent confirmed," Hill replied as she stepped forward and displayed a video file that had just been sent to her by field agents.
"He's currently frozen in the Arctic. Vital signs are extremely low, but they confirm he's still alive."
The video played on Fury's screen.
A massive chunk of ice filled the frame. Within it, the unmistakable silhouette of a man lay suspended in frozen stillness. Frost coated the surrounding surface, and faint monitoring equipment blinked beside the icy block.
"I've already sent several agents to remain stationed at the location," Hill continued. "They're waiting for your confirmation before beginning the excavation."
Seeing such clear proof immediately changed Fury's expression.
A rare smile slowly appeared on his normally stern face.
Without waiting for Hill or Coulson to react, he suddenly stood up and grabbed his black jacket.
The transformation was instant.
The tired and frustrated director from moments earlier was gone. Even with bandages wrapped around his neck and arm, Fury now radiated the commanding aura of a leader once again.
Coulson noticed the sudden change and quickly spoke up.
"Sir, you're not fully healed yet. I don't think—"
Before he could finish the sentence, Fury waved him off dismissively.
"I'm fine, Agent. It's not like I'm heading into a dangerous mission."
He adjusted his jacket while continuing to walk toward the door.
"Besides, I won't even be doing anything. The excavation will be handled by the agents already stationed there."
Coulson opened his mouth again, clearly wanting to argue further.
But after hearing Fury's reasoning, he reluctantly dropped the matter.
Truthfully, he was just as eager to go.
After all, the person they were about to meet was none other than Captain America—the hero he had admired since childhood.
Coulson could already imagine getting autographs on every single piece of Captain America memorabilia he owned.
"My dream is finally going to come true," he celebrated inwardly, feeling like a complete fanboy.
But honestly, he didn't care.
This was Captain America they were talking about.
"Agent Hill, prepare the Helicarrier," Fury ordered as he reached the office door.
"We leave in five minutes."
Then he glanced back at the two agents standing inside the room.
"And Phil…"
His eye narrowed slightly.
"Try to keep your enthusiasm under control for now."
Coulson's face flushed with embarrassment, though he tried his best to hide it.
Unfortunately, Hill had already noticed.
She chuckled quietly to herself but chose not to tease him.
Moments later, Fury stepped out of the office.
His stride was firm, his posture confident, and the earlier gloom that had surrounded him was completely gone.
As he walked down the corridor, excitement quietly burned within him.
"It seems the Avengers Initiative still has hope."
--- ✦ ---
Clang! Clang!
The sounds of mining echoed loudly through the cave. It was deep and dark, with only the helmet lights of the workers providing any visibility within the rocky tunnel.
The number of miners reached nearly a hundred. They were all able-bodied men; it was almost impossible to find anyone skinny among them. Each man swung his pickaxe with raw strength, their muscles bulging with every strike as sweat dripped heavily from their foreheads.
The air was hot and thick with dust.
At the far end of the cave, which also served as both the entrance and exit, two figures were stationed as guards.
Bullseye and Typhoid Mary.
Unlike the miners who worked tirelessly deeper inside the cavern, the two of them were comfortably seated on wooden chairs beside a makeshift table. With nothing better to do on this boring island, they had decided to pass the time by playing chess.
"Checkmate~"
Mary giggled softly as she flicked Bullseye's king off the chessboard with her finger.
A mixture of frustration and reluctant acceptance appeared on Bullseye's face.
"I hate this game… fuck chess!" he muttered angrily after losing yet again.
"Just admit you're bad at the game. No need to curse at it," Mary sneered. Then she leaned back casually in her chair.
"You owe me $500 now."
Bullseye's heart ached the moment he heard that number.
Unfortunately, he couldn't deny it.
They had made a bet earlier—$100 for each game played. Since Mary had already won five rounds in a row, the total had naturally climbed to $500.
Worse still, the woman sitting across from him was notoriously unstable.
Refusing to pay her was definitely not a smart idea.
With a reluctant sigh, Bullseye pulled out his phone and transferred the money to her virtual account.
The technology on Earth, while not extremely advanced yet, had progressed far beyond what existed in the original timelines of both Marvel and the Power Rangers worlds. Among high-ranking individuals and wealthy circles, virtual banking systems were widely used. It was even better than normal bank apps.
These accounts allowed people to instantly handle daily financial activities—purchases, transfers, and other transactions.
Even more impressive, the system was extremely secure, with no record of it ever being successfully hacked.
Mary's phone buzzed softly as the money arrived.
She smiled in satisfaction.
Just as they prepared to begin another round of chess, a loud noise suddenly echoed from deeper inside the cave.
Boom!
A thick cloud of dust burst outward from the tunnel, quickly enveloping the two seated guards.
"Cough! What the hell?" Bullseye cursed while waving his hand in front of his face.
Before he could complain further, one of the miners suddenly rushed out of the cave. His face was covered in dirt and sweat, and one hand was clamped tightly over his nose as he ran.
"We found something!" he shouted loudly.
Bullseye and Mary instantly stood up.
"What did you find?" Bullseye asked urgently, his tone sharp.
The miner looked slightly startled by their sudden intensity, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Please follow me, sirs. I'll take you there."
Just as the two prepared to follow him into the cave, a seductive voice suddenly sounded behind them.
"No need."
The three froze.
"You should all stay here. I'll check it myself."
Bullseye and Mary immediately turned around.
Standing there was none other than the woman who had organized this entire operation—Elsa.
Seeing her arrival, the two quickly stepped forward respectfully.
"Welcome, Miss," they both said at the same time.
"Mm."
Elsa simply nodded casually, showing little interest in their greeting.
"Wait here. I'll be back soon."
Then her gaze shifted toward the miner.
"You. Lead me there."
The miner nodded quickly and began guiding her deeper into the cave.
Fortunately, the discovery site was not very far from the entrance, so it only took them a few moments to reach it.
Soon, a strange shimmering light became visible on one of the rocky walls ahead.
The glow was bright enough to make Elsa squint slightly.
But the moment she saw what was embedded within that radiant light, her eyes widened.
Joy and excitement instantly appeared in her gaze.
Her heart raced as realization struck.
"It's here!"
--- ✦ ---
Yeah, so those plot sides are patched up. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, guys.
Please bless thee with power stones.