# Chapter 16
Central Park - New York City
Next Morning
The morning sun cast dappled shadows through the trees of Central Park as Lin Chen arrived at the designated meeting location.
When Lin Chen stepped into the clearing, he immediately assessed the situation with the practiced eye of someone accustomed to tactical evaluations.
A imposing bald Black man stood at the center—Nick Fury, unmistakable with his signature eye patch and commanding presence. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Standing next to him was a middle-aged man with a friendly but obviously practiced smile—Phil Coulson, wearing his standard suit and tie combination. His expression was professional and carefully neutral.
And next to Coulson stood a stunning woman with long burgundy hair that caught the morning sunlight. She wore form-fitting black tactical clothing today that highlighted her athletic figure while maintaining complete functionality. Natasha Romanoff—the Black Widow.
Lin Chen's eyes lingered on her for several moments longer than strictly professional, taking in her striking appearance with obvious appreciation.
"Well, if S.H.I.E.L.D. sends representatives who look like that, maybe I should reconsider my stance on government organizations."
Nick Fury and Phil Coulson stood in awkward silence, exchanging brief glances as their carefully prepared diplomatic approach was immediately derailed by Lin Chen's casual flirtation.
Natasha's lips curved into a knowing smile, her green eyes assessing Lin Chen with equal interest. "Thank you for the compliment," she replied smoothly.
Lin Chen finally turned his attention to Fury and Coulson. "So, What do you want from me?"
They moved to a nearby bench and sat down, the casual setting contrasting with the serious nature of the conversation about to unfold.
Nick Fury's expression became more serious, his single eye fixing on Lin Chen with intensity.
"Do you know how much impact your past actions have had on the entire United States?" His tone was grave and carried the weight of genuine concern.
"Impact?"
Lin Chen replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, there's indeed been a lot of support and cheers from New York citizens. People seem pretty happy that someone's actually protecting them instead of just talking about it."
"This isn't alarmist!" Fury's voice sharpened. "Lin Chen, military organizations and secret mutant research facilities are actively after you. The only reason you haven't encountered them is because we've been running interference."
"You think I'm afraid of them?"
Lin Chen's tone remained casual but carried an edge.
"Let me remind you what I've done. I rescued Tony Stark from terrorists in Afghanistan. I stopped the Abomination when your military couldn't. I've prevented multiple civilian casualties in Hell's Kitchen. I saved innocent people during New Mexico incident."
His expression hardened slightly. "Is this how the United States establishment repays favors? By sending hunters after someone who's been protecting their citizens? I wonder how many punches those organizations can take from me before they reconsider their priorities."
Lin Chen's attitude was uncompromising, and he met Nick Fury's gaze without flinching.
Fury remained patient despite the confrontational tone. "Lin Chen, we're different from them," he said more gently. "S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't like those politicians who only care about control and power. We actually want to protect people."
He leaned forward slightly. "As long as you agree to join the Avengers Initiative, you can silence those bureaucrats. The people will feel safer knowing you're officially part of a legitimate organization."
"Ah, so we're getting to the real point," Lin Chen said with a cold snort.
"Without your Avengers, I can still make people feel safe. I've been doing it just fine on my own. As for those old politicians talking nonsense in their offices? Let them talk. Their opinions don't affect my operations."
"Lin Chen, you know that heroes need lives too," Fury pressed, his voice taking on a more persuasive quality.
"And so does your ally Daisy. This world is far more dangerous than you think. We can't face what's coming alone. We need to work together."
"Danger?"
Lin Chen stared at Fury coldly, his expression becoming calculating.
"I think it's more dangerous that you're actively studying the Tesseract without understanding what you're dealing with. You're playing with forces you can't comprehend or control."
The effect was immediate and dramatic.
"Indeed, the energy of that artifact is mysterious and dense—" Fury began automatically, then stopped abruptly. His pupil contracted sharply, and cold sweat broke out across his forehead despite his iron control. "How do you know about the Tesseract?!"
Nick Fury was genuinely shaken. He was extremely confident in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s information security protocols.
The Tesseract project was classified at the highest level—absolutely top secret, accessible to only a handful of people in the entire organization.
How could an independent operative possibly know about it?
Lin Chen enjoyed seeing the shocked expression on Fury's normally unflappable face. "I know more than you think," he said with deliberate mystery in his tone.
"There are forces in this universe that Earth cannot control," Lin Chen continued seriously.
"Future disasters will be caused by your arrogance—by thinking you can harness power you don't understand. Do you really think you have everything under control? Or do you think you can rest easy now that you have Captain Marvel supporting you from somewhere in space?"
Nick Fury's eye widened further, and he stared at Lin Chen with something approaching alarm. Lin Chen's intelligence network far exceeded anything Fury had imagined. How on earth did he know about Carol Danvers?
Could there be a leak inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Impossible.
The number of people who knew about Captain Marvel could be counted on one hand.
"You should give up on recruiting me," Lin Chen said with finality. "I will not join S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers Initiative. If someone tries to force the issue, I don't mind giving them a personal demonstration of exactly how powerful I am."
After a long moment of tense silence, Nick Fury sighed heavily. "I know you're powerful and mysterious. But sometimes the solution to a problem isn't necessarily through force. Diplomacy and cooperation have their place."
He shifted his approach. "Since you don't want to join the Avengers program officially, how about being an outside consultant? No obligations, no restrictions. Just someone we can call when situations require your unique capabilities."
Fury was making a calculated concession. As long as Lin Chen and S.H.I.E.L.D. maintained even minimal connection, it would be valuable for both sides.
He'd previously made a detailed psychological analysis of Lin Chen's character: young and energetic, possessing a strong sense of justice, but unwilling to be constrained by authority or bureaucracy. It was normal for someone his age with his power to think that way.
Being an external contractor was actually more aligned with Lin Chen's interests than official membership.
And Lin Chen recognized this truth as well.
After thinking for a moment, he responded. "I can work as an independent contractor, but I won't be restricted by your protocols or chain of command. When there's real danger—genuine threats to civilian populations—I'll help. But you must pay me appropriately for my services and expertise."
It was a compromise that served both their interests.
After all, there were many situations where operating under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aegis would be more efficient than working completely independently.
"That's acceptable," Fury said, standing and extending his hand. "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s external operations network."
They shook hands, sealing the agreement.
Fury and Phil Coulson prepared to leave, but Natasha made an excuse to stay behind. "I need to discuss some operational details with Mr. Lin Chen. I'll catch up with you later."
Fury gave her a barely perceptible nod—the kind of subtle communication between experienced operatives—before departing with Coulson.
Once they were alone, Natasha moved closer to Lin Chen with the confident grace of someone completely comfortable in her own skin. "So, Lin Chen. Now that we're going to be working together occasionally, perhaps we should get better acquainted."
Her voice carried a subtle invitation that was impossible to miss.
"I'd like that," Lin Chen replied, matching her tone. "Though I suspect you already know quite a bit about me from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files."
"Files can only tell you so much," Natasha said, her green eyes studying him with genuine interest. "They don't capture personality, humor, or what really motivates someone. I prefer to form my own opinions."
They talked for several minutes, the conversation flowing easily between professional discussion and personal interest.
Natasha was skilled at this—making connections, building rapport, creating bonds that could be useful later. But Lin Chen sensed something genuine beneath the professional technique. She was actually interested in him as a person, not just as an operational asset.
"Here," Natasha said, pulling out a card with her personal number written on it. "Call me if you need anything. Or if you just want to continue this conversation sometime." Her smile suggested multiple interpretations of that invitation.
She turned to leave, and Lin Chen couldn't help but appreciate the deliberate, graceful way she walked—a movement designed to draw attention and leave a lasting impression.
His phone suddenly buzzed with an urgent call from Daisy.
"Boss, we have a situation," Daisy's voice was tense with concern. "There are two men fighting in a remote area about seven kilometers north of your location. Both aren't normal humans. One of them has some kind of bone claws, and the other has similar physiology. They're tearing each other apart and causing panic in civilian."
Lin Chen's expression immediately became serious. "Send me the coordinates. I'm on my way."
"Already done."
As Lin Chen prepared to open a portal to the location, he wondered, if his guess is correct.
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