Bab 25: The turning gears of Fate
Nick Fury stormed into the SHIELD Helicarrier, his trench coat billowing behind him as agents scattered from his path. Maria Hill followed, silent but with an expression that screamed, I told you so.
He strode into the command center, past the glass-walled offices, and right into the war room where Alexander Pierce waited.
Pierce, SHIELD's Secretary of Defense and secretly a high-ranking HYDRA operative, was already seated at the head of the table, his fingers steepled and his expression unreadable.
Fury barely made it through the door before Pierce spoke.
"Well, Nick?" Pierce asked, his tone calm but laced with condescension. "How did it go with our cosmic wildcard?"
Fury exhaled sharply and sat down across from him. "The guy's more stubborn than Stark on a bad day. He's got unimaginable powers, no question, but he's not interested in playing hero—or joining the Avengers."
Pierce's jaw tightened, his calm demeanor slipping for just a moment. "Did you try everything, Fury? This isn't a coffee date we're asking him on. The survival of the planet—hell, the galaxy—could depend on having someone like him on our side."
Fury met Pierce's glare head-on. "I did try everything. The man's got the ego of an emperor and the priorities of a civilian. He's not biting, Pierce. Not everyone can be bought with patriotism and shiny toys."
Pierce leaned forward, his tone colder now. "Let me be clear, Nick. People like him don't just get to say no. If he won't join us willingly, we make him join—one way or another."
Fury bristled but kept his voice steady. "And risk turning him against us? You want to poke the guy who could incinerate half the planet with a sneeze? Be my guest. But don't expect me to clean up the mess."
Pierce's icy glare lingered on Fury before he leaned back, waving him off dismissively. "Fine. You're dismissed. I'll handle this myself."
Fury rose, clearly biting back a retort, and stormed out of the room. Maria Hill shot Pierce a wary glance before following her boss.
As the door closed, Pierce reached for a secure comm device, inputting a code that activated a scrambled channel. A holographic image of Madame Viper, HYDRA's infamous femme fatale, appeared before him.
"Viper," Pierce said, his tone curt. "We've got a situation."
The woman on the other end smirked, her green lipstick catching the dim light. "Let me guess. The infamous David doesn't want to play nice?"
Pierce nodded. "Precisely. Fury failed to bring him in. That means it's your turn. Approach him… creatively. Use any means necessary. Seduction, manipulation—whatever it takes to bring him under our control. If we can't have him, HYDRA will."
Viper's smirk widened. "Oh, Alexander, you know how I love a challenge. Consider it done."
The transmission ended, and Pierce sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers once more. "Let's see how charming you really are, Mr. David," he muttered.
Meanwhile, in the Baxter Building, Reed Richards was hunched over a massive console, his elongated fingers typing furiously. Around him, monitors displayed schematics of the Negative Zone, with complex equations scrolling alongside visuals of exotic matter.
Johnny Storm lounged on a nearby couch, tossing a fireball between his hands. "Reed, you've been at this for days. When are we going to actually test it?"
"When it's ready," Reed replied without looking up, his tone distracted. "The Negative Zone is uncharted territory. One mistake could destabilize the dimensional barrier."
Susan Storm entered the lab, arms crossed and her expression tense. "Reed, can we talk?"
"Of course, Susan," Reed said absently, still focused on the console.
"Not here. Privately," Susan said, her voice firmer.
Reed finally glanced up, his eyes flicking to Johnny before returning to her. "Can it wait? I'm on the verge of a breakthrough."
Sue's jaw tightened. "It's always about the breakthrough, isn't it? The Negative Zone, the multiverse, the quantum whatever—you spend more time with your equations than with your friends and me."
Reed frowned, clearly baffled. "This is important, Sue. The work I'm doing could change—"
"I know what it could change," Sue snapped, cutting him off. "But what about us, Reed? What about me?"
Johnny awkwardly stood, muttering, "I think I'll... uh, go grab a burger," before slipping out.
Reed sighed, rubbing his temples. "Sue, you know I love you. But this project—"
"Save it," Sue said, turning on her heel. "I'm going out. Don't wait up."
She grabbed her coat and stormed out of the Baxter Building, leaving Reed staring after her, a mix of frustration and guilt on his face.
Later that evening, Susan sat at a dimly lit bar, nursing a martini. The chatter of other patrons filled the air, but she paid it no mind, her thoughts swirling.
As she sipped her drink, a striking woman with emerald-green hair and piercing eyes slid onto the stool beside her. It was Madame Viper, though Sue didn't recognize her.
"Tough day?" Viper asked, her voice smooth and inviting.
Susan glanced at her, surprised. "You could say that."
Viper smiled, her expression one of practiced empathy. "Men can be so… oblivious, can't they?"
Sue chuckled bitterly. "You have no idea."
"Oh, I think I do," Viper said, her tone laced with subtle intrigue. "Sometimes, it takes someone outside your usual circle to really see you."
Sue raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling the woman's intense gaze. "Do I know you?"
"Not yet," Viper said with a sly smile. "But I have a feeling we're going to get along just fine."
The bar was buzzing with life, the music loud, and the drinks flowing. Susan Storm nursed a martini at the counter, her mind only half on the drink and mostly on Reed's latest obsession with the Negative Zone.
Across the bar, Viper sat, her sharp green outfit a little too dramatic for the venue. She sipped something more refined, keeping a sly eye on Susan. Seduction wasn't her preferred method, but orders were orders. And who knew? This David fellow might be worth the effort.
That was when the explosion rocked the street outside. Glass shattered, bottles tumbled, and patrons screamed. The force sent Susan stumbling into a table, while Viper managed to keep her balance with alarming grace.
"What the hell was that?!" Susan shouted, shaking off the shock.
Before anyone could answer, the wall exploded inward, debris scattering everywhere. And there he was—Abomination. The hulking, scaly nemesis of the Hulk, grinning like a kid let loose in a candy store, except his candy was destruction.
"Well, this is new," Viper muttered, unimpressed.
Susan, instinctively, raised her hands. "Everyone, get out! Now!"
Her force fields flickered to life, forming a protective dome that corralled the fleeing bar-goers to safety.
The dome might've been impressive to most, but not to Abomination. He smashed a fist into it, the impact so forceful that even Susan winced. The first punch cracked the field. The second shattered it entirely.
Susan staggered back, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"Oh, come on! That was reinforced!"
Abomination roared, taking deliberate steps forward, his grin widening. "You're next, lady."
Susan braced herself. Her powers were drained, her mind racing for an escape route. Viper, still standing beside her, raised an eyebrow and quipped, "Any more brilliant ideas, Invisible Woman?"
Before Susan could respond, a sudden whooshing sound filled the air, followed by a resounding CRACK.
Abomination went flying, yes flying—backward like a bowling ball, smashing into a parked car and sending alarms blaring.
Standing where Abomination had just been was David, barefoot, hair mussed, and wearing pajama pants covered in cartoon bananas. He rubbed his eyes, his expression halfway between annoyance and exhaustion.
"Do you know what time it is fucker?" David grumbled, cracking his knuckles.
Susan stared at him, wide-eyed. "It's you, Super....."
David cut her off, pointing at Abomination, who was groggily getting to his feet. "You! Big, ugly, and scaly. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get REM sleep in New York? First, it's the car alarms. Then, it's people screaming outside my window. And now this?"
Abomination blinked, clearly confused by the lecture. "Uh—"
"No," David snapped, holding up a finger. "I'm talking now." He turned to Susan and Viper. "And you two. Why didn't anyone text me about this happening in MY neighborhood! I would've handled it before it turned into a whole thing. This guy almost destroyed the house next to mine!"
Viper crossed her arms. "I don't even have your number."
Susan opened her mouth, closed it, then decided to focus on the lunacy at hand. "You were sleeping through that?"
"Yeah, well, not anymore," David grumbled. He turned back to Abomination, rolling his shoulders. "All right, let's wrap this up. You get one chance to walk away."
Abomination, clearly offended, roared and charged. David sighed. "Why do they never listen?"
With a casual motion, he stepped forward and delivered a single flick of his finger . Not a wind-up. Not a dramatic haymaker. Just a straight flick.
The impact sent Abomination soaring through the air again, this time crashing into a hot dog cart three blocks away.
David shook his finger with nonchalant expression. "Ow. You ever poke something that feels like a giant cactus? That guy needs moisturizer or something."
Susan stared at him, incredulous. "You just… flicked him. And… that's it?"
"Yeah, that's usually how these things go," David said, yawning. "Supervillain shows up, causes a ruckus, gets beaten up. Then I go back to bed. Happy ending."
He looked at Viper. "You're not secretly a villain too, are you? Because if you are, I'm beating you next."
Viper, surprisingly nonchalant, smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it, handsome. Thanks for the rescue, maybe I can show you my gratitude later , somewhere private ~"
Susan looked at her new friend with a shock. She quietly muttered, " He also rescued me, you know. And why is he so good looking even in his silly pajamas!"
David clapped his hands together. "Great. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He pointed at Susan. "Pretty force field lady, nice work with the evacuation. Keep at it. But also take care of yourself first."
He gestured to Viper. "Mysterious femme fatale with snake obsession, keep being mysterious. I'm going home." To which , Viper was shocked in her core, but her training helped her keep a poker face.
And with that, he floated into the air, banana pajama pants billowing dramatically, and flew off into the night.Susan and Viper stood there in silence, the sounds of sirens approaching in the distance.
Finally, Viper said, "Well, that was… something."
Susan nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think I need another drink."
Meanwhile in her drunken mind, 'He called me pretty! and even told me take care of myself ! Reed never cared about me like this! What should I do? He's so good looking and strong, hundred times better than that jerk Reed!
That's it. I'm gonna break up with that Jerk. But I heard he's already got a girlfriend, will he even look at me?
No, Susan! You got this! You are a super hero! You can win him over if you're sincere, right?
And he also called me pretty, so he might be interested in me, right? Yes, you can do this Susan!' she mentally cheered herself .
Viper worriedly looked at the distracted Susan who had a weird expression on her face. " Is she one of those kind ?" She thought to herself. she then shrugged and said, " Yeah, I think I'll head home."
She left the bar, not knowing that she also had that same weird look on her face when David warned her.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Virtuosso
Virtuosso What is red all over and smiles ? A yandere who just stabbed you.
Ko ko koko ko
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone