章節 51: Meeting Fury
Liam walked down a familiar quiet street towards an old café on the outskirts of New York. His eyes scanned the area, noting something unusual.
'No agents... Strange. There's usually at least a few around. Did they decide not to show after that little incident with Natasha?'
He continued towards the café, his memory recalling specific spots where agents had been stationed the last time he was here. This time, however, there was no one—no surveillance, no watchers, nothing. As he neared the café, he noticed a single black SUV parked nearby. The car was slightly higher and longer than the usual SHIELD models he'd seen.
An agent stood outside the vehicle. Spotting Liam, the agent reached for his earpiece, muttered something, and opened the car's back door.
'They want me in the car?' Liam thought, puzzled. 'Not exactly Fury's style.'
Approaching the vehicle, Liam raised a brow as the agent nodded toward the open door. "They are waiting for you inside," the agent said.
Liam sighed but nodded, stepping into the car. The interior was built for business, with two forward-facing seats at the front and two pairs of two seats facing each other, arranged somewhat like a typical limousine in the back.
'Classy, though smaller than I'd have thought for Fury.' Liam thought.
Sitting opposite him were Clint Barton and Phil Coulson, their expressions unreadable.
"So, what's the deal?" Liam asked as he sat down, his tone carrying a bit of irritation. "I thought we were meeting inside the café."
Coulson offered a polite smile. "After your... interaction with Natasha, we decided this would be more appropriate."
'Somewhat expected.' Liam thought, feeling a glare lock onto him, he looked at Clint.
Liam smirked as Clint's threatening glare locked onto him. "Ah, so you brought the bowman along for backup. Where's your bow, little man?" he teased, his tone deliberately provoking.
Clint's glare intensified, his knuckles tightening.
Liam chuckled. "Careful there. If you glare like that during the entire ride, your eyebrows might just cramp up and stay like that forever."
Coulson cleared his throat, signaling the driver. The SUV began to move, smoothly pulling into traffic.
"Anyway, where exactly are we going?" Liam asked, shifting his attention to Coulson.
"We're headed to our headquarters. You'll be meeting our boss there," Coulson replied politely, ignoring the jab at Clint. "Would you care for a drink?" He gestured to a mini-fridge concealed beneath the seat.
Liam rolled his eyes internally. 'You could've just said that earlier, and I'd have saved us all some time by opening a portal. But where's the fun in that?' His lips curled into a mischievous grin. 'Especially with how easy it is to irritate Clint.'
"I'll take a drink," Liam said casually, accepting the cup Coulson handed him. "So... long drive, huh? Is Hawkeye here going to glare at me the entire way, or are we switching to awkward silence soon?"
Coulson ignored the dig again and replied calmly, "Yes, it'll take a while."
Clint finally relaxed his death glare but kept a close eye on Liam. Liam, noting his change, decided to give the archer a break, turning his attention to the passing scenery outside the window.
'I could sling-ring us there in seconds, but there's really no point in exposing my abilities already. Especially if its just to save a few hours.' Liam thought.
After a few minutes of silence, Coulson spoke up again. "Say, this is more of a personal curiosity—how do you keep disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere? We can never seem to track you for long."
Liam turned to Coulson, a sly grin forming. "You're not seriously expecting me to answer that, are you?" After a pause, he added with a touch of humor, "Actually, I'll tell you. It's simple. Magic."
Coulson chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Magic, huh? Can I learn it?"
"Anyone can learn magic," Liam replied immediately. "But the question is, can you handle the consequences?"
Coulson leaned forward, interested. "What consequences?"
Liam's expression turned more serious as he locked eyes with Coulson. "It's not just about the learning—it's about the life that comes with it. A lifetime of fighting, training, and more fighting. And trust me, it's never-ending."
Coulson leaned back, considering his words. "Fighting what, exactly? The U.S. hasn't seen wars on its soil in a long time."
Liam shook his head. "We don't fight in surface-world wars. But wars? There are always wars. You just don't know about them."
Coulson's expression turned contemplative as he processed the response. 'Surface-world wars? Wars we don't know about? I'll need to inform Fury. Although I doubt it's real since S.H.I.E.L.D. is not the worlds largest intelligence organization for no reason afterall.'
To keep the conversation going, Coulson replied, "If that's all it takes, I think I'd be up for it."
Liam's expression changed, revealing a wide smile. "If you really mean that, I'll let you know when you're ready."
Coulson felt a chill as Liam's smile deepened. "What do you mean?"
"You'll see," Liam said, his grin widening before he turned back to the window. The rest of the drive passed in silence.
The car eventually came to a stop, the door opening to reveal SHIELD's large, modern headquarters. Liam stepped out, glancing at the large amount of agents and business related people entering and exiting the building.
"You must not be too worried about me," Liam said, noticing the amount of people walking around. "Didn't even bother to evacuate the building."
Coulson stepped out beside him. "As I've said, I trust my evaluation of your morals."
With that, Coulson gestured toward the entrance. "Please, follow me. We'll take you to see the boss."
Clint remained close as the three of them entered the building and rode the elevator to an upper floor. When the doors opened, Liam immediately recognized the figure waiting for them.
'Alexander Pierce.' Liam thought as he observed the older man in front of him. 'One of Hydra's current heads and the highest ranking infiltrator in S.H.I.E.L.D.'
"Good day, Secretary Pierce," Coulson greeted respectfully.
Pierce turned, his practiced smile in place. "Ah, Coulson, Clint. And who might this be?" He asked.
''This here is Liam Hawthorne, Secretary Pierce.'' Coulson replied.
''Ah, the man in the indestructable armor. I've heard many great things about you.'' Alexander said, extending a hand.
Liam replied to him before shaking his hand. "Yes, that's me. It's a pleasure."
"Of course. You're quite the enigma, aren't you? The man in the indestructible armor." Pierce's smile widened. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. Myself or Director Fury would be happy to assist." With a final nod, he excused himself. "Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a meeting downstairs."
Liam watched him leave, feeling disgusted. 'SHIELD's so full of liars, it's like I'm in a poorly written reality show.'
Coulson interrupted his thoughts. "Alexander Pierce. One of our top executives. Now, let's continue."
They moved deeper into the building, stopping in front of a large set of doors. Coulson opened them as he and Clint walked in. Behind the doors, a spacious meeting room with a long table inside it were revealed. Seated around the table were mostly familiar faces.
To his left, Clint and Coulson whom had just taken a seat. On his right sat three women: Natasha Romanoff, Maria Hill, and a younger brunette Liam didn't recognize.
But his attention remained on the man at the head of the table. Nick Fury.
Liam pulled out the chair prepared for him and sat down, a sly grin forming. "I'm pretty sure I asked for a private meeting, didn't I, Fury?"
章節 52: Ghost
Fury stared at Liam and answered evenly, "I'm sure this wouldn't have been necessary if it wasn't for the way you handled my agent, Mr. Hawthorne."
Liam smiled, leaning back slightly in his chair. "Please, call me Liam. I understand your reasoning, but there's a reason I specifically asked for a private meeting."
Fury's expression didn't change. "And what would that reason be?"
"Well…" Liam began, his tone casual, "as you are well aware, I know quite a bit of sensitive information. Disclosing it here, in a room with people I don't personally know or trust, might not be the wisest course of action, wouldn't you agree?"
Fury didn't flinch. "Every person in this room is highly trusted within SHIELD. Any sensitive information you might have will remain secure from the outside world."
"Right, right. Secure from the outside world," Liam repeated, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Well then," he said, leaning forward slightly, "let's start with the first topic: the superhero team. The Avengers Initiative."
Fury's expression didn't change. "What exactly do you want with the Avengers Initiative? As far as I'm aware, that's classified information. You shouldn't even know it exists."
Liam nodded, smirking. "How I found out isn't important right now. What matters is I want to know how far along you are in setting it up."
Fury's tone sharpened. "If you've managed to dig up information about the project, I assume you already know its status. So, spare me the pretense."
"Alright then." Liam smiled wider. "I want to negotiate a deal. I'll join the Avengers Initiative as its first member and give you my assistance when the world's in desperate need. In return, you honor our previous agreement—and make sure the world's governments keep their noses out of my business starting now."
Fury leaned back slightly, assessing him. "Those are some interesting terms, but I'm not sure you're even eligible for the program anymore. You claimed to be on our side, yet when a gaint killer robot attacked a city, you bound up one of my most valuable agents just to watch."
Liam nodded, unbothered. "I had my reasons."
"Reasons?" Fury's voice deepened. "Civilians could have been hurt—were hurt—because of your actions. SHIELD agents, too. According to this assessment from Agent Romanoff…" Fury glanced at Natasha, who was seated quietly nearby, before continuing, "…you're described as deceitful, a pathological liar, a coward, and selfish. Overall? Not recommended. I'm sure you understand what that means."
Liam tilted his head thoughtfully. "Mmm, not entirely incorrect. I can see where she's coming from. But Fury," his tone changed, his eyes locking on Fury's, "are you sure you don't need me?"
"Need you?" Fury shot back. "This is the largest intelligence organization on Earth. What exactly do you think you bring to the table that we don't already have?"
Liam grinned, leaning in slightly. "Let's see… you've got a billionaire playboy playing in oversized toys, a giant green monster—what's he called again? Oh, right. The Hulk. Tell me, Fury, if they ever go loose in a city, is SHIELD really prepared to deal with them without losing thousands of civilian lives in the process?"
Fury's expression remained unreadable. "We'll handle it when the time comes."
"Sure you will." Liam's tone was nonchalant, almost dismissive.
"Even if we couldn't," Fury countered, "there are others who can. What makes you think you're so special?"
"Oh, I'm well aware of everyone on your list to join your little team," Liam said smoothly. "But none of them can handle a Hulk. Not unless you want to press your pager, of course." He leaned forward, his grin sharpening. "But you wouldn't want to call her every time something goes wrong, would you?"
For the a short moment, Fury's expression changed before he regained it again.
'Ah, I struck a nerve,' Liam thought, his grin growing.
"You've got a lot of confidence," Fury said, leaning forward slightly. "So tell me—why? What gives you the guts to walk into a heavily guarded SHIELD base alone?"
Liam shrugged. "Simple. There's no one here who can stop me if I want to leave. If I wanted to, I could kill you and everyone in this room without breaking a sweat."
At those words, Clint, Natasha, Hill, and the brunette agent—reached for their weapons in unison.
Liam sighed, disappointed. "Your armor might be impressive," Fury said, motioning to Ava, "but without it, you're just a man."
Liam's eyes narrowed as Ava activated her helmet, the distinctive multi-eyed design of Ghost's mask instantly recognizable.
'Ah, Ava Starr. That makes sense,' Liam mused. 'I'd almost forgotten about her. She did work for SHIELD during this period.'
Ghost lunged at him, her form shimmering as she attempted to phase. But Liam's movements swift and precise, he summoned Incursio around him and put his left hand behind his back, summoning an Eldritch whip. Liam swung the whip forward and made it bind around Ava's legs, causing her to fall because of the sudden stop.
'So it worked.' Liam thought. Liam had used the whip with dimensional energy from this universe to pretty much anchor her body in this dimension in a physical state. This had stopped the constant phasing and made the whip stick around her.
"Don't bother raising your weapons," Liam said calmly, his eyes flicking toward Clint, Natasha, and Maria Hill. His gaze briefly landed on Coulson, who hadn't moved, a look of approval appeared in Liam's eyes for a moment.
With a sigh, Liam unsummoned Incursio and released Ghost from the whip. "Let's not make this messier than it needs to be, shall we?" He returned to his seat.
"You're testing my patience," Fury said, his voice cold.
"I'm warning you now—don't try that again," Liam said flatly. "Or I won't spare their lives next time."
Without waiting for a response, Liam pulled an envelope from his jacket and slid it across the table. "Now, let me show you something. Decide what you want to do after that."
Fury took the envelope and opened it, scanning the document inside. His expression didn't change, but Liam could sense the gears turning in his head.
When he finished reading, Fury folded the paper neatly and slid it back into the envelope. "How am I supposed to know this is legitimate?"
"You can find out," Liam replied, leaning back. "And when the time comes, if it turns out I'm lying, you're free to kick me out. Deal?"
Fury thought about it in silence. Finally, he gave a nod. "We'll see."
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