He couldn't be wrong.
The distance. The altitude.
That was a cataclysmic explosion in the direction of New York.
Even from miles away, he could feel the tremors vibrating through the floor. The clouds above the Triskelion were scattered by the atmospheric pressure wave.
Short of World War III, Nick Fury couldn't imagine anyone detonating a nuke on American soil.
Surely the US government didn't bomb itself?
Wooo—Wooo—
The rhythmic wail of the Level 1 alert siren filled the Triskelion.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway. The door burst open.
"Director Fury! Meteor impact confirmed near Crystal Lake!"
"Satellite analysis suggests... the event is linked to these individuals."
Agent Maria Hill, face grim, handed over a tablet.
Fury glanced at the screen and froze.
The image was grainy, taken from high orbit, but he recognized the silhouette instantly.
Rollin. And Madison.
So... Rollin summoned a meteor just to kill a slasher villain?
Fury's eye twitched.
You son of a bitch. I underestimated you. You really gave me a big surprise.
He was furious at the noise Rollin had made, but a cold sweat also trickled down his back. He was glad he hadn't tried to detain the boy earlier.
This level of destructive power...
If he pushed Rollin too hard, and the kid decided to drop a rock on the Triskelion—or the White House...
Who could stop it?
Coulson knocked and entered. "Sir, I—"
"Save it. I know."
Fury stared at the pixelated image of Rollin.
"Immediately upgrade Rollin's threat level to Maximum. File him under 0-8-4."
"Same level as the Hulk, sir?"
"No. Above the Hulk!"
Fury added, "Add a note: 'Extremely Dangerous. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary.'"
"Also, get me Barton and Romanoff."
Coulson hesitated. "Sir, they're currently on vacation."
"New York just got cratered, and they're on vacation?!"
Fury forced himself to remain calm. "Go to Crystal Lake personally. Gather intelligence."
"And find out what happened to Jason."
Jason Voorhees was also a 0-8-4.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had monitored him since his "birth." When he was just a human killer, they ignored him. But after he resurrected and started slaughtering S.H.I.E.L.D. containment teams, he became a priority.
They had tried to purge him five times. Every time, he came back.
Ten years ago, he evolved psychic abilities, wiping out three elite squads. They realized they couldn't kill him, so they contained him at Crystal Lake with a permanent surveillance team.
The team had reported "All Quiet" for years.
Until Rollin showed up.
And then, a meteor fell.
Fury didn't need to be a genius to connect the dots. Jason resurrected again. Jason messed with Rollin. Rollin pressed the delete button.
Under the meteor, all beings are equal.
Fury rubbed his temples. He had to figure out how to handle Rollin. A wild card like this walking around New York...
The door opened again. This time, it wasn't an agent.
It was Alexander Pierce. Former Director. Fury's mentor. And current World Security Council Secretary.
"Nick. I heard about the Crystal Lake Event. Tell me how you plan to deal with this terrorist."
Fury looked at his mentor. "I plan to observe him for a while longer before deciding."
"Observe?"
Pierce's voice rose an octave. "You're telling me a dangerous radical dropped a meteor on American soil, wiped his ass, and left—and our response is 'no response'?"
"Nick, let me give you some advice."
"Mobilize the Avengers. Send in STRIKE team. Show this punk that America isn't his playground."
Pierce slammed his hand on the desk. "The United States won World War I and II. Our military is invincible! We crush gods and monsters!"
"How dare some out-of-town beggar shit on our heads?"
Fury was silent for a moment. Then he said quietly, "He's different. He's Chinese..."
Pierce paused, ignoring the implication. He slammed the desk again. "Enough! Just tell me what you're going to do!"
Fury looked at the frozen image of the meteor impact on the big screen. He chose survival.
"My decision stands. We wait and see. As for your suggestion... maybe next time."
"Nick Fury!!"
"Enough, Alexander! I am the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Fury stood up, his single eye burning. "If there's nothing else, you can leave."
Pierce's face contorted with rage. "Hmph! Nick, you will regret this!"
Bang! The door slammed shut.
Fury watched Pierce leave.
Politicians just have to move their lips. I have to actually deal with the fallout.
Facing super-powered threats, demons, aliens...
Fury looked at the screen again.
"I'm walking on thin ice my whole life. Will I ever reach the other side?"
New York City. Rollin's House.
After the "exciting" vacation, Maria went home. She left in a daze, her face flushed with a strange, feverish red.
Yulenka and Jennifer, however, stayed.
Rollin's house was spacious—a two-story detached home with five rooms. He rarely cleaned the spare rooms, so they were dusty.
The moment Jennifer arrived, she transformed into the perfect housewife. She began cleaning with terrifying efficiency, humming happily.
Yulenka, meanwhile, brought a tray to the living room.
"Water for you, Big Brother. And for you, Big Sister Madison."
Rollin was surprised. "Thank you. How did you know I like hot water?"
Yulenka smiled angelically. "My teacher said Chinese people love drinking hot water. So I prepared warm water for now, and boiling water for later."
Rollin raised an eyebrow. Interesting.
Madison's mouth twitched. Her eyes darted between Rollin and the ten-year-old girl.
She started to worry.
Rollin isn't going to make a mistake, is he?
This girl is dangerous.