On this night, it wasn't just Tony who couldn't sleep.
At this moment, in the region of Iraq, at a U.S. military base camp.
A military-green helicopter descended slowly, and Coulson, his hand gripping the side handle to steady himself, squeezed out of the cabin. He shielded his face from the sand dust stirred up by the propellers.
"Agent Coulson!" An older armed soldier approached to greet him, offering a warm smile. "Mr. Fury asked me to pick you up."
"Good. Where is he now?" Coulson inquired eagerly as he walked, wasting no time.
"He's at the temporary command center," The soldier replied, gesturing for Coulson to follow. He led the well-dressed Coulson through the military tent camp to a wooden building at the back.
"You can go in yourself."
The soldier halted at the doorway, standing guard there. Coulson took a deep breath and, carrying strong emotions, entered the room. His gaze traveled forward, revealing a middle-aged man with a shaved head and a black overcoat. The man had his back turned towards the entrance, busy marking detailed locations on the wall-mounted map.
"Director Fury!" Coulson couldn't contain his excitement upon seeing the man before him. He shouted loudly and approached respectfully, saluting.
"Coulson, how many times have I told you? I'm not the Director anymore. I'm just a member of the frontline investigating Hydra," The middle-aged man replied, shaking his head lightly.
He turned around, his face rugged and imposing. His left eye was concealed behind a black eyepatch, leaving only his sharp, eagle-like right eye.
Combined with his dark skin and the aura of leadership that had long been established, Fury·Fury was undoubtedly the most formidable enemy for any remnants of Hydra.
"Even though you voluntarily resigned, in my heart, you will forever be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!" Coulson spoke with genuine sincerity.
"Enough," Fury walked over, patting Coulson's shoulder, and then began his analysis. "You came all the way from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York headquarters to the frontline for a reason, right?"
"Yes, that's right," Coulson remembered the purpose of his journey and reached into the inner pocket of his suit. He continued, "A few days ago, during my attempted talk with Tony Stark, I encountered a mysterious silver-haired young man in New York. He was very peculiar and enigmatic."
"When I asked about his identity, he gave me this," Coulson said, pulling out a black card from his pocket. He handed it to Fury and explained, "He said that as soon as you see it, you will understand."
The moment Fury saw the black card, his composure slipped away. He quickly grasped the black card in his hand.
The familiar cold touch sent shivers down Fury's spine. Subsequently, the black card's front, initially entirely black, gradually revealed an image of a sinister, grinning demon.
As if struck by lightning, Fury shivered all over. He tightly clenched the card in his hand and stared intensely at Coulson, his voice trembling, "What does this young man who gave you this card look like?"
Coulson had never seen the Director in such a state of disarray before. Surprised and taken aback, he tried to recollect. "Well, he was wearing a hooded jacket and sunglasses, so I couldn't see his face clearly. But he was tall, and he had silver hair, I don't know if they were real or colored."
"Devil Card, hood, silver hair…" Fury muttered to himself. His typically stern face softened, showing a hint of excitement and joy. "It's him, he's definitely back!"
"Him? Who is he?" Coulson was a bit bewildered.
Taking a few deep breaths, Fury suppressed his inner excitement. He looked at Coulson mysteriously and asked, "Do you remember what I told you decades ago?"
"Decades ago, there was a God who left us. From that moment on, the whole Earth was shrouded in darkness. Even though society seems to be progressing continuously, without him, the new era still feels dull."
Fury tightened his grip on the card and, with mixed emotions, said, "And now, that god has returned."
"Director, you mean that young man…?" Coulson's body trembled violently, and he almost stumbled to the ground feeling shocked and dazed.
That legendary figure was his idol from childhood to adulthood!
Fury smiled and didn't answer. He gave a tacit order, saying, "Coulson, arrange for my return journey. I'll be heading back to New York tomorrow! I need to meet an old friend!"
The next morning.
**New York, Stark Industries New Tower.**
A blond young man in a black suit approached the entrance, his gaze coldly sweeping over the building. He paid no mind to the dozen guards armed with batons and firearms stationed at the entrance. Instead, he walked straight ahead.
"Hey, you kid! Non-Employees…" One of the guards began to raise a baton, moving forward to intercept. But in the next moment, the young man kicked him with force, sending him flying and rolling about five meters away.
Swiftly catching the baton, the blond young man surveyed the other guards who had closed in. In a cold tone, he said, "I'm Red Ten, and I have an appointment with your acting chairman, Obadiah Stane."
Seeing their comrade injured, the dozen guards' eyes reddened. Upon hearing the young man's words, they no longer hesitated and brandished their batons, with some even starting to reach for their firearms.
Red Ten narrowed his eyes, and his body moved suddenly. He swung the baton with brute force, sweeping aside the guards with incredible speed. He charged toward the guard holding a handgun, putting him down with a powerful punch before he could fire.
He dominated the scene with overwhelming strength!
In just thirty seconds, the dozen guards lay unconscious on the ground. Red Ten stood in the center of the first-floor lobby, discarded his blood-stained baton, and nonchalantly brushed off the dust from his sleeves.
"Clap, Clap, Clap…"
Applause rang out, and Stane, clapping his hands cheerfully, walked out of the hall. He praised Red Ten with admiration, "You truly live up to your reputation as a legendary Card Bearers."
"Obadiah Stane." Red Ten glanced at him coldly and said in a frigid tone, "I advise you not to test my strength. If it weren't for the fact that Raza mentioned you're footing the bill, I would have easily put you on the ground."
Stane lowered his head, not doubting the truth of what Red Ten said. He got straight to the point and asked, "Since you're here in New York, when are you planning to take action? Do you need my assistance?"
"Tonight is when it happens. I've just come to inform you, and I don't need any help from you!" Red Ten snorted arrogantly and turned to leave.
Watching his figure disappear, Stane looked down at the guards lying on the ground and rubbed his hands with excitement. "The Card Bearers is indeed powerful, unbelievably so! Tony, tonight, I'll start by eliminating the people around you, to give you a wake-up call. I hope you realize my intentions soon, my dear nephew!"
**At the same time, in Tony's mansion.**
Tony was in the basement, fine-tuning the color settings of the Iron Man suit. J.A.R.V.I.S finally had some free time and discreetly met with Vis. Together, they followed the cables and arrived at the central broadcasting television building in downtown New York.
They were both working together to complete the mission issued by Kyle.
"Virus, I'll handle the southeast area of New York, and you take care of the northwest," J.A.R.V.I.S stated.
Vis raised an eyebrow playfully and responded, "How are you talking to me? Call me Vis, young machine!!"
J.A.R.V.I.S and Vis simultaneously entered the data control center of the building. The two artificial intelligences joined forces and instantly took control of all the internal systems and programs of the broadcasting television station.
Then, a countdown of three seconds began.
In unison, they muttered to themselves:
"Card Assembly Order! Officially initiated!"
**(End of this chapter.)**
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