"Director Fury, you'd better keep your people under control."
"This time, I'm giving you face. But if anyone dares to approach my family again without permission, I will not show mercy next time."
Lucas Reed lay back on the sofa, speaking calmly into the phone.
"Lucas, this is a misunderstanding. Natasha just returned from a mission—she didn't know much," Nick Fury explained from the other end.
Lucas casually examined his fingernails and replied, "Director Fury, don't insult my intelligence with such a clumsy excuse."
"There will be a three-hundred-thousand-dollar check on your desk this afternoon. How does that sound?" Fury said bluntly.
"That's more like it. Fine, I'll be magnanimous and let this matter go. Goodbye."
Lucas hung up decisively.
---
On the other end of the line, Nick Fury lowered his phone and looked at Natasha, who was standing in front of his desk.
"Director, this was my mistake. I apologize," Natasha admitted immediately.
Fury leaned forward, fingers interlaced on the desk.
"Natasha, last time we accidentally offended him, it cost us over a million dollars. This time, settling it for three hundred thousand is already a bargain."
"But if there's a next time, even if I'm willing to pay three million—or thirty million—it won't save your life."
Natasha responded without hesitation, "Understood, Director. I will make amends and ensure this never happens again."
After all, this time she was clearly at fault.
"Alright. For now, go handle this assignment."
Fury tossed a file onto the desk. Natasha opened it and skimmed through the contents.
"Director, I'll carry it out. But there's something I'd like clarification on—may I ask?"
"Go ahead," Fury said calmly.
"You want me to infiltrate Stark Industries and gradually get close to Tony Stark. That's not a problem," Natasha said carefully.
"But Director Carter previously issued orders regarding this. If she finds out—will that be alright?"
Fury paused for two seconds before answering, "I am the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. now. Is there still a problem?"
"No problem at all, Director. I'll get started immediately," Natasha replied.
"Don't mess it up again," Fury sighed.
Before he could even relax, there was another knock on the door.
"Come in," Fury straightened in his chair.
"Director, the creatures you ordered us to monitor have already entered North America!" Coulson reported urgently as he walked in.
"How many casualties?" Fury asked, frowning.
He knew it was nearly impossible to keep those creatures out entirely, given the length of the North American coastline.
What mattered now was how much damage they had caused.
"Two homeless individuals were killed," Coulson replied.
"They appear to be avoiding attention, advancing covertly. It's extremely difficult to track them."
"Motherfucker!"
Fury slammed his fist on the desk.
"I'd rather they slaughter a few people openly so we could lock onto them!"
"The worst-case scenario is intelligent, goal-driven targets—and that's exactly what this looks like!"
"Damn cowards!"
After forcing himself to calm down for several seconds, Fury continued,
"I'm authorizing you to take two assault teams. Eliminate those things completely before they start causing real chaos."
"Director, we've also discovered that someone appears to be hunting them," Coulson added, handing over another file.
"Hunting them?" Fury took the document and his expression darkened immediately.
The attached photograph showed a figure flying through the air, firing two golden beams of light while pursuing one of the creatures.
"Damn it… where did this guy come from now?" Fury muttered, a headache forming.
"Director, what are our orders?" Coulson asked.
"Kill the creatures on sight," Fury said.
"If you encounter the person in the photo, attempt contact first."
"But be extremely careful with your words. People like this tend to be… mentally unstable, at least a little."
Coulson nodded immediately. "Understood, Director."
He turned and quickly left the room.
"These are troubled times…" Fury murmured.
His gaze drifted to a small photo frame on a nearby shelf.
Inside was an old photograph of a man wearing a blue-and-white star-spangled uniform, giving a speech on a stage.
"It's time to bring him back."
---
Three days later.
Lucas Reed hummed softly as he prepared breakfast in the kitchen, his mood unusually good.
The previous afternoon, Luthor had sent him a message—there had been progress on the gravity chamber.
If nothing went wrong, a major breakthrough could be expected within three months.
Lucas had originally prepared himself for a timeline of one to three years. As long as it succeeded, that would be more than fast enough.
After all, not everyone had a protagonist halo as absurd as Tony Stark's.
Building a battle suit under those conditions was nothing short of defying heaven itself.
Still, Luthor's supervillain aura wasn't bad either—the progress alone was far faster than that of ordinary scientists.
"Good morning, big brother~."
Carrie stumbled down the stairs, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She plopped onto the sofa and instinctively lay her head on Elaine's lap.
"Sister Elaine's legs are way more comfortable than a pillow~," she giggled.
Elaine had been reading the newspaper. Seeing this, she could only sigh helplessly.
"Go wash up, little princess. Otherwise, Lucas will start nagging you again."
"Got it~!" Carrie stuck out her tongue and ran toward the bathroom.
At that moment, Lucas—who was frying eggs—suddenly frowned.
His gaze snapped sharply toward the northwest.
In the next instant, he turned off the stove and appeared beside the sofa and bathroom door.
With speed no ordinary human could follow, he scooped both girls under his arms and dashed out of the house.
Buzz—!
A few seconds later, two golden beams descended from the sky, slicing straight through Lucas's house.
Immediately after, a figure smashed directly into the building—followed closely by another figure in a blue bodysuit, diving in from above.
"Shit!"
Watching his home being torn apart by these two uninvited intruders, veins bulged on Lucas's forehead.
"I think you should teach them a lesson," Elaine said coldly, her face dark as she steadied herself.
Living in Lucas's home had given her an unprecedented sense of comfort and safety.
Seeing it blown apart like this ignited anger in her for the first time.
"Fucking Assholes!"
Lucas cursed explosively.
His figure vanished from where he stood, charging straight toward the battling man and monster.