บท 83: Chapter 82
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"If that's the case…"
And then.
Tony Stark's expression began to grow more solemn as he thought of a very crucial problem.
Even though Iron Man didn't know exactly when Nick Fury became the Director, one could imagine that it was not an easy task, even with a wild guess.
This meant that the "Skrull underlings" had once helped Nick Fury do many things on Earth.
They'd been secretly infiltrating for quite a long time!
This meant all along, there had always been aliens hidden on Earth.
So, where had those aliens gone now?
After Nick Fury became the Director, how were those aliens dealt with?
Secretly disposed of?
"Deported"?
Or continued to be secretly nurtured as a highly confidential force?
Any normal person, any qualified spymaster, would make the third choice, right?
This means.
Even now, there was a high possibility that a force of aliens was still lurking on Earth?
That, in the hands of SHIELD Director Nick Fury, there could very well be a force of alien power?
Damn it!
Tony Stark nearly let out a curse.
That egghead Fury had coaxed him into joining the Avengers, even using the threat of aliens as leverage.
And now you're keeping aliens yourself?
That guy really ain't a good egg!
[He went through all that trouble to form an Avengers only to have them participate in a single Battle of New York.]
[At most, they fought Hydra.]
[In any case, it wasn't long before the Avengers were confiscated by the UN, snatched away by force.]
[Making a wedding gown for Secretary Ross for nothing.]
[Really, after all the fuss, it was just fussing for loneliness.]
[Ending up in such a predicament that even a little guy like Spider-Man dared to hang up his phone.]
Upon reaching this point, Nick Fury's expression became quite animated, unsure whether to feel joy or worry.
First of all, the diary made it very clear.
Despite the current slight setback, the Avengers had indeed been successfully created by him.
They even participated in the Diary's mentioned "Battle of New York."
That battle involved gods, nuclear bombs, and even "wormholes" that only appear in sci-fi movies!
Undoubtedly, it was an extraordinary war!
Although the diary didn't reveal much about this war, Nick Fury couldn't glean more information.
Generally speaking, it still corresponded with Nick Fury's original intention for establishing the Avengers.
Wasn't that the purpose of forming the Avengers from the beginning, to deal with extraordinary threats?
From this aspect, Fury had indeed succeeded.
But then, the diary threw cold water on Fury.
Yes, the Avengers were indeed successfully established, but in the end, they were actually taken away by the United Nations!
As an organization comprised entirely of extraordinary warriors, Fury could understand why the UN would want to step in and pick the fruits.
If he were in that bunch, he would do the same.
But the problem is, SHIELD itself was established by the United Nations Five Permanent Members.
Strictly speaking, Nick Fury was a person of the UN. Why would the UN still snatch away from him?
Different factions?
A struggle for power?
Whatever the reason, Nick Fury was confident enough that he could protect his trump card.
None of the other factions could outcompete him.
Or maybe it's because, as the diary says, SHIELD no longer exists, has been destroyed?
Logically, this should be the most reasonable speculation, but because the idea was so preposterous, Fury still didn't believe it.
So~
What exactly happened with the Avengers being snatched away by the UN?
And then there's Secretary Ross.
The name Ross looked familiar, the military troublemaker responsible for the Hulk, wasn't his surname also Ross?
It's just unclear whether this Secretary Ross is related to General Ross.
"Spider-Man?"
Tony Stark, on the other hand, perked up.
Without a doubt, this Spider-Man must be a superhero too!
After all, the name "Spider-Man" follows a completely similar route to "Iron Man."
It's obvious.
But what kind of abilities does this "Spider-Man" have?
Why does his alias contain the word "spider"?
Could it be that his powers are spider-related?
Does he produce webbing?
Or can he climb walls?
Or does he have multiple limbs?
That would be rather horrifying!
Merely by the alias "Spider-Man," it's hard to make a determination.
Iron Man didn't pay too much attention to this.
On the contrary, he was more interested in another keyword in the diary, "little guy."
So, this Spider-Man is just a kid?
Can a child possess extraordinary power and become an extraordinary warrior?
And to hang up on Nick Fury, ignoring that dark-skinned egghead?
Well done!
Tony Stark really felt like giving Spider-Man a thumbs-up.
It must be said, this kind of cool and swanky attitude was very much to Tony Stark's liking.
[As for the subsequent Secret Invasion, not to mention, Fury nearly made a blunder that almost changed the owner of the Earth.]
[And it was entirely the fault of Nick Fury himself for sowing the seeds of disaster.]
[Who would tolerate being treated like a fool, only enticed with promises without any tangible benefits? Would anyone put up with that?]
[Do you really think the Skrulls have no temper?]
[Although the Skrulls were initially defeated by the Kree, losing their home, they are actually not weak in the galaxy!]
Secret Invasion?
Skrull?
Nick Fury's brow couldn't help but wrinkle slightly.
Although there was not much introduction to this invasion in the diary, doubtlessly, it was an invasion war initiated by the Skrulls.
And it even...threatened the entire Earth!
But for this reason, Fury was all the more bewildered.
Indeed, there were some Skrulls on Earth now, but at most, they only numbered a few dozen!
With such a small number, what kind of storm could they stir up?
Let alone threatening the whole world, could they even threaten a country, a state, a city?
Such a small number of people, what could they possibly achieve?
Admittedly, Skrulls possess physical abilities far superior to humans, comparable to a super-soldier like Captain America.
Skrulls also have the unique ability to change their appearance at will, making them naturally skilled spies, born for "secret invasions."
But still, the key issue remains: there are too few of them! With such a small number of Skrulls, Nick Fury couldn't fathom how they could threaten the entire Earth.
So what's the deal with this diary?
On the one hand, it indeed reveals some top-secret information that only Nick Fury would know, not available to outsiders.
It made Nick Fury believe for a moment that the diary's entries were true.
That the devil in question was indeed an inter-dimensional traveler from another universe, who knew the course of the future.
However, at the same time.
Some records in the diary seem absurd or possess significant logical flaws.
This threw Nick Fury into confusion.
Egghead is now genuinely conflicted about whether to treat the diary's spoilers as a fit of hysteria from the devil or analyze them as legitimate intelligence.
However, no matter which it is, when Nick Fury continues reading, his expression becomes grave.
The diary served as a wake-up call!
Indeed, over the years, he had only been drawing big pies for people like Talos, without actually getting anything substantial done.
It was all empty promises!
Although there's no immediate threat, one thing the diary gets right is that the Skrulls are not fools.
Could they have developed their own hidden agendas over such an extended period?
It seems Fury really does need to pay attention to this matter.
[So, after all this, what exactly has Nick Fury accomplished? Other than creating a mess, he has left nothing behind!]
[His sole achievement might be the establishment of the Avengers, though they eventually had little to do with Fury.]
[But one thing that's undeniable is that without the Avengers, New York would have been destroyed eight times over, and Earth would have perished long ago.]
[Even half the life in the universe would have been eradicated by Thanos.]
[So the people of the Marvel world who are still alive should truly be grateful to the Avengers.]
New York destroyed?
Earth annihilated?
Nick Fury neither confirms nor denies these descriptions.
They must correspond to the "age of heroes running amok" mentioned in the diary, right?
From the beginning, the devil had spoken of godly invasions, alien arrivals, and a so-called "universal population control committee," reminiscent of science fiction movie plot points.
And they match the current descriptions.
But as to these future events, Fury doesn't believe them and thus doesn't take these spoilers to heart.
However, it seems the devil acknowledges the Avengers' efficacy.
The diary even informs him that the team he, a mere mortal, established could tackle threats at a city level, planet level, and even interstellar level!
Clearly, the tasks ahead were not something that could be managed by the Destroyer, the Hulk, the devil, and just the two of them as agents.
It's evident that the Avengers would go on to include many more formidable figures!
Would that legendary Asgardian, Thor, as mentioned in the diary, indeed join?
And even become one of the three great leaders of the Avengers?
In this matter, Fury actually hoped that the devil's words were true.
"Thanos, it's him!"
Tony Stark's brow furrowed deeply as he focused on the name.
The diary had mentioned Thanos more than once or twice.
Stark knew Thanos was a super-boss who had tangled with many heroes.
Even so, Stark could never have imagined Thanos being the "universal population control committee!"
The diary had previously suggested that the one wiping out half of the universe's inhabitants was this committee.
Now it's claimed to be Thanos.
There's only one possibility: Thanos is that committee.
Although they still didn't know who this Thanos or the universal committee was, this was a breakthrough nonetheless.
At least they now knew these two heavily monitored entities were one and the same.
[Speaking of the Avengers, since Fury has come to me, he must have approached Stark already, right?]
[Hawkeye and Black Widow are already with SHIELD, which should simplify things considerably. Egghead figures an order should handle that.]
[As for Dr. Banner, he's likely abroad practicing yoga, probably under Fury's surveillance.]
[Captain America, meanwhile, is still well-preserved in the Arctic, waiting to be discovered by some Russian oil exploration team, right?]
[Thor? He hasn't arrived on Earth, so there's nothing to discuss there.]
[Looking at it now, the original basis of the Avengers isn't even half complete.]
Fury's face became grave again.
For his actions regarding the Avengers Initiative were pinpointed by the devil with uncanny accuracy!
Before revealing his plan to Natasha and Barton, the list had always been known only to Fury himself!
And Natasha and Barton couldn't possibly have leaked this list.
Also, the timing wouldn't allow it.
They had only just learned of this list.
Logically speaking, the devil shouldn't know about the list.
So, frustratingly, another precise and seemingly miraculous "prediction" was made by the devil.
No, it was more than just a prediction.
The list of Avengers revealed by the devil included two additional names to Fury's current plan.
Captain America, and Thor.
These are legendary names, one a national hero and the other a figure of myth.
Few people are unaware of these names.
But the real problem is, Captain America died seventy years ago!
And yet the diary suggests he's still lying in the Arctic?
Waiting to be discovered?
This seemed a bit ridiculous on first hearing. Is this some kind of hibernation?
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