章節 7: Chapter 7 - Under Surveillance

Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division.

Nick Fury stood in the center of the room, surrounded by an array of monitors. Dozens of agents tapped away on keyboards, scrolling through frame-by-frame analysis of footage from JFK Airport.

Every screen showed a different angle of one man—one seemingly ordinary man who had just helped prevent a near catastrophe aboard a transatlantic flight.

"So, a kid from Japan lands in New York, helps a plane full of people, and somehow manages to slip past the media swarm undetected." Fury muttered, his voice dripping with skepticism. "This ain't no regular day at the office."

Every angle, every frame, slowed down to fractions of a second, revealing the man who moved like smoke through the crowded airport. Agents surrounded him, furiously typing on keyboards, replaying sequences, muttering about his speed, agility, and almost preternatural reflexes.

Fury's eye darted between the monitors, piecing together what Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division knew—or more accurately, what they didn't know—about this guy.

The footage from the airport replayed in slow motion as Hero darted through the terminal, avoiding the media circus that had somehow caught wind of his arrival. Every dodge, every roll behind luggage carts and service doors, played out in perfect detail. Fury's eye narrowed.

"Witnesses say he was… a real lifesaver during the turbulence. Quick reflexes, superhuman strength, and, as you can see, pretty good at evading the press."

Some called him a hero. Fury just called him trouble.

"Damn, he's good." Fury muttered.

One sequence caught his attention—Hero, barely visible, maneuvering around a team of seasoned Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division agents stationed at the airport. They had been placed as a failsafe, just in case something happened. But watching the footage now, Fury could see that Hero had slipped past them like a ghost, unnoticed, leaving them looking like rookies.

"Frame by frame, people." Fury ordered. His one good eye studied the screens intently, his mind running through years of experience in tactical observation. "I want to know how the hell he moved like that."

On one screen, the footage replayed Hero darting through the terminal, dodging reporters with uncanny precision. On another, his rescue of a flight attendant was displayed in slow motion, his reflexes faster than anything Fury had seen outside of enhanced individuals.

At that exact moment, a nearby agent hit the pause button, freezing the screen on a shot of the figure dodging a stack of luggage while simultaneously vaulting over a baggage cart. His movements were fluid, almost too smooth—like they belonged to someone with decades of combat experience, yet without any of the hesitation or brute force you might expect.

"Better than good." An agent beside him mumbled under their breath.

Fury grunted. "He put our top agents to shame. The best we have."

The analyst swallowed hard, clearly knowing Fury's standards and what that statement implied.

Fury took a step closer to the screen, replaying a clip where Hero darted through a narrow space between two carts, making a leap that seemed impossible, yet landed perfectly, his movements graceful but calculated.

"On the surface, it looks like he's enjoying this." Fury said, analyzing the way Hero's face carried a slight smirk throughout his evasions. "But look closer. That's not just style—that's strategy. He's a master tactician. Cold. Calculating."

The footage continued, showing Hero's every move with pinpoint precision. Each evasion was more than just an escape—it was a performance. He wasn't just dodging cameras; he was doing it with flair, making it look easy while actually making it harder for himself. And yet, somehow, it worked. It always worked.

"Shit." Fury breathed, shaking his head. "It's like he's running a damn show, and we're all just the audience."

The agents around him exchanged glances. No one dared to interrupt Fury when he was in his element.

Fury let out a low whistle. "This motherfucker's playing with them, making it harder for himself just for the hell of it—but not a single wasted motion. He knows exactly what he's doing. Bastard's having the time of his life."

Hero slipping through the shadows, practically disappearing from view. He navigated the chaotic airport terminal with such fluidity that his best agents would've been left in the dust. Even the cameras struggled to keep up with him.

"He could've gotten out of there ten times faster if he'd just gone the straightforward route. But no. He's performing, and that's what makes him dangerous. Anyone who can blend strategy with showmanship like that? They're trouble. Big trouble."

"How the hell is he doing that?" One of the analysts muttered from the back of the room.

Fury didn't answer, but he had a feeling the truth was far more complicated than just natural talent.

Behind him, Phil Coulson entered, dossier in hand. "You're gonna want to take a look at this, sir. We pulled everything we could from our contacts in Japan."

Fury didn't turn, still staring at the screens as he heard Coulson flip open the file. "His name's Hero Hirano."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "Hero, huh? Fitting."

Coulson began, his voice steady as he recited the key points from memory. "Born from a one-night stand. Father's unknown—though we suspect he's American. Mother was a journalist, died a few years ago. Younger brother, too. Both died in a car accident. Kid grew up pretty rough."

"Doesn't look like a rough kid to me." Fury grunted, glancing up at the screen, watching as the young man effortlessly vaulted over a luggage cart in the airport. "Looks like he's been training for this since he could walk."

"Officially, it's ruled an accident, but..." Coulson trailed off.

"Doesn't pass the smell test." Fury finished.

Coulson nodded. "Never officially solved. But here's where it gets more interesting."

He flipped through the file, laying out Hero's history. "At 17, Hero was placed on probation for assaulting a politician—a pretty nasty one. He was framed—Japan's corrupt judicial system tried to bury him. But it didn't stick. Not for long."

Fury scoffed. "Probation for hitting a politician? Should've gotten a medal for that."

Coulson's face remained neutral. "He saved a woman from being harassed by the guy. Got dragged through the mud for it."

Fury chuckled darkly. "Sounds like my kind of kid."

"That's just the beginning." Coulson continued. "He's the leader of a group known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Ever heard of them?"

Fury finally turned, raising an eyebrow. "The ones with all the 'change of heart' crap?"

"The very same." Coulson said, flipping through the file. "They've been charged with everything from illegal entry into private estates to hacking airwaves to make public announcements. But what really gets the attention is the results of their heists."

Fury grunted. "The so-called 'change of heart' incidents."

Coulson handed Fury a photograph, showing a once-powerful businessman, head hung in shame, confessing his wrongdoings to a crowd of reporters.

"Exactly. It's the changes of heart they caused. Victims would experience a sudden shift in behavior after the Phantom Thieves 'stole' their 'distorted desires'. These people would confess everything—every sin, every crime—out in the open. And we're talking big crimes—embezzlement, murder, human trafficking. The change is so drastic it's like they're a different person. No one knows exactly how they do it, but… the pattern is clear."

"That sounds like some weird-ass psychological warfare, turning criminals to choirboys." Fury muttered, scratching his chin. "And we've been tracking this?"

"Essentially, yes." Coulson confirmed. "We've been tracking them since the first major incident, but we haven't had much concrete intel on them until Hero landed here. The change of heart phenomenon is still largely unexplained, but Hero's connection to it is undeniable."

Fury leaned back, crossing his arms. "So, you're telling me this kid and his merry band of thieves have been playing vigilante therapist to Japan's elite, and no one's stopped them?"

"Not for lack of trying." Coulson's tone darkened. "Authorities have been after them for years. They always announce their targets with a Calling Card before they strike, taunting their victim and letting the public know what's coming."

Fury's brow furrowed as he flipped through the pages, scanning the extensive file. He paused at a section that detailed the method by which the Phantom Thieves announced their targets: Calling Cards. Coulson handed him a collection of physical reproductions—gaudy, stylish cards that were sent to the targets of their heists.

Fury read aloud one of the cards:

"Sir Kunikazu Okumura, the great profiteering sinner of greed. Your success and global fame exist due to the tyranny you rain over your employees. Thus, we have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth. From, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

Fury's lips curled into a smirk. "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Cute name. They're theatrical, I'll give 'em that."

Coulson pulled up a recording on one of the screens—the infamous broadcast of the Shido calling card, when the Phantom Thieves took on a candidate for Prime Minister. Fury watched as the voice, distorted and bold, boomed across the TV:

[TV] "The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things. The minister of State for Special Missions… Masayoshi Shido!"

[TV] "Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kicking! I'm sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not."

Fury watched, his brow furrowing as silhouettes of the Phantom Thieves appeared on screen. The silhouettes stood in the spotlight, their identities hidden, but unmistakable.

[TV] "Shido himself will soon confess all the crimes that he'd committed. Please look forward to it, everyone!"

[TV] "We're not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just 'cause of his goddamn ego!"

[TV] "Ain't that right... leader?"

The camera zoomed in, revealing a young man with frizzy black hair, sharp eyes behind a birdlike domino mask, exuding an air of rebellion and command.

"Hey! You can see his face!" Someone exclaimed in the recording.

"Jesus Christ." Fury's good eye widened, leaning forward as Hero Hirano—the very man who'd just landed in New York—stepped into full view, addressing the world directly, his voice now undistorted.

[TV | Hero] "Yes. Before this happen, we will take this country!"

The broadcast ended with the Phantom Thieves' leader glaring defiantly at the camera, his message clear.

Fury chuckled. "That kid's got guts. And balls the size of damn basketballs. Hell, he took on the entire Japanese government and came out the other side. Who the hell pulls this kind of shit off and walks away clean?"

"Thing is." Coulson added. "He didn't just walk away. He let himself get captured. The authorities tried to bury him, fake his suicide. Thought they could kill him off and be done with it. Instead, he used the capture to blow the whole thing wide open."

Coulson turned to another page of a report summarizing the aftermath of Shido's confession.

"After Shido was exposed, Hirano became a key witness, testifying against him and exposing the corruption within the Japanese government. He was a major player in taking down their whole system."

Fury leaned back, shaking his head. "So the police hate him, huh?"

Coulson nodded. "More than that. They've got a grudge. He wrecked their public image. But they can't touch him—they've been hiding the fact that he's the leader of the Phantom Thieves just to save face. Don't want him hailed as a hero. They're bitter, but they're also scared."

Fury scoffed. "Typical. Bureaucratic bullshit. They'd rather cover it up than deal with it."

Coulson flipped to another page in the dossier, revealing a mugshot of Hero when he had deliberately allowed himself to be captured before Shido's fall. The Phantom Thief's expression was unreadable—calm, cold, and in control.

"The people of Japan backed him, though. They supported him, got him out of detention, and cleared his probation. Even the woman who testified against him in his original probation case came forward and admitted she was coerced by Shido's people."

Fury let out a low whistle. "Motherfucker had it all planned out."

"They've kept tabs on him ever since" Coulson said, handing over one last file. "But now… he's on our soil."

Fury let out a low, exasperated chuckle. "Motherfucker."

He sat back for a moment, his mind already working on a plan. This wasn't just some random vigilante running around—this was a highly trained, highly skilled operator with a track record of toppling corrupt power structures and outwitting law enforcement. And now, this same young man had landed on Fury's doorstep.

Fury pulled open his desk drawer, his fingers brushing against a folder labeled Avengers Initiative. He looked up at Coulson, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a wildcard, Coulson."

"What do you want to do, sir?"

Fury glanced at the dossier one more time before snapping it shut. "Keep tabs on him. Get me everything we've got on him and his crew. I want to know what he's up to, who he's talking to, and most importantly—" He pointed to the screen. "—how the hell this kid's pulling it off."

"And if he's a problem?"

Fury remained silent for a moment, his mind clearly running through the implications.

"Then we make sure he knows just who the hell he's dealing with."

Coulson raised an eyebrow. "You think he's a threat?"

Fury grinned, his voice dropping to a dangerous low. "Not yet. But if he's running around with that kind of power, changing people, breaking the rules, bending reality…? Yeah. He's a motherfucking threat. The only question is whether he's our threat… or theirs."

Fury's gaze shifted to the screen one last time, the image of Hero in his Phantom Thief mask burned into his mind.

"Hell of a show." Fury muttered under his breath. "This motherfucker might be exactly what we need. Or, he's the next goddamn headache I didn't ask for."

Fury leaned back. "Damn showoff… but I like him."

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Puns intended.