In a dark, small room, Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., stood in the center with a serious expression, motionless, as if waiting for something.
After a while, several flashes of light appeared in the room, and then the holographic images of five people quickly materialized in the air.
These five figures were all older, exuding an aura of great power and authority—clearly influential political figures.
Not long after they appeared, a short-haired woman glanced at the others beside her to confirm everyone was present, then spoke calmly to Fury:
"Nick Fury, is there something you wish to tell us?"
Fury had been grim-faced since seeing his superiors—the World Security Council members—show up, giving away no emotion.
Hearing the woman's questioning tone, Fury quickly realized they must have already learned something.
But this was within Fury's expectations; he never thought he could keep things hidden from these people forever.
Although he was skilled in manipulating information, something as big as the Atlantic incident was impossible to conceal for long in this age of advanced technology.
He figured that if he could swiftly resolve the situation, all problems would be smoothed over.
Even if it was later revealed that he had hidden something, it wouldn't be too serious. After all, they wouldn't remove him from his position. So what was there to be afraid of?
But...
Unfortunately, his bold move failed, and naturally, he had to take responsibility for it and face the inevitable questions.
Now was the moment of reckoning for him.
Straightening his back, Fury scanned the council members and replied in a calm, unwavering tone:
"You already know, don't you, Councilwoman?"
"Oh?"
The man beside the councilwoman responded with a cold tone of pressure:
"Do you think your unilateral actions were justified?"
"I never said that."
Fury responded in a low voice, but then admitted his mistake:
"However, it was indeed a failure in my decision-making."
"Is that all?"
The councilwoman's voice rose, her displeasure now obvious.
"Why did I have to hear this news from other intelligence agencies? Is S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer accountable to us?"
Sensing her frustration, Fury, well-versed in dealing with these council members, immediately responded with respect:
"Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D. operates entirely under the oversight of the World Security Council. After all, every penny we spend comes from you, doesn't it?"
At this, another councilman snorted and mocked:
"So you do remember we fund you! I thought you only remembered us when you needed money. Is this what we allocate such a large budget for—to let you hire a bunch of actors to fight?"
"They're not actors."
Fury sternly and resolutely defended:
"Each of them is one of our top elites, possessing extraordinary powers..."
"You're playing with fire!"
Another councilman interrupted with a cold warning.
"You can't control this kind of power, Director!"
But Fury remained composed, calmly asking:
"Have you ever fought in a war, Councilman? A real war?"
No one spoke, so he continued slowly:
"When you're in a war, do you want to be controlled?"
"A good soldier is one who obeys orders!"
Another councilman shot back immediately.
Fury disagreed, saying:
"True, but they are not ordinary soldiers..."
Before he could finish, the councilwoman interrupted with skepticism:
"Exactly, so you control the world's most elite intelligence agency, yet you hand Earth's safety over to a bunch of freaks?"
Fury stared intently at the group with his one good eye before speaking:
"I have no intention of entrusting Earth's safety to anyone. I just need a team to handle crises. I believe that even if they act on their own or go out of control, if used correctly, they are the people we need!"
One councilman immediately reminded:
"The Avengers Initiative hasn't been approved yet. You should focus on Phase Two!"
Fury shook his head:
"Phase Two isn't ready, and we can't predict when the enemy will strike!"
A councilman coldly stated:
"But you've already proven that this plan has failed!"
Another chimed in:
"Do you know the pressure we're under right now? You've provoked a civilization we know nothing about! All because of a few agents or something else…?"
Suddenly, Fury responded firmly:
"Not yet!"
"What?"
The council was confused.
"Not yet what?"
Fury's expression was serious, and his tone decisive:
"The Avengers haven't failed yet! This is just a minor setback..."
"Enough! We only care about results!"
The councilman cut him off:
"You have three days!"
…
"So, this is the best you can do?"
Looking at the dejected, disheveled group of superheroes in the meeting room, Fury couldn't suppress his anger and roared:
"Look at yourselves! You're like a bunch of kids who just got beat up!"
Tony, slouched in his chair, glanced at him, and sarcastically replied:
"Director Fury, you should've joined us for a swim! You should be thanking me—without me, do you think your circus would've made it back in one piece?"
Tony's words stung, and several people shot him unfriendly looks, while Thor, as one of the more hot-headed, retorted first:
"Who are you calling a circus? Iron Man! Without me, your suit would've flooded!"
"Oh, really? You don't actually think throwing lightning makes you a god of thunder, do you?"
Tony smirked sarcastically:
"That's hilarious!"
"I could knock you out with my fists!"
…
The two were like a match meeting gasoline, ready to explode at any moment, prompting Fury to shout in frustration:
"Would you shut up already? Are you here to argue?"
He glared at them in exasperation, then sighed, full of regret:
"I can't believe I've taken on the responsibility of gathering a so-called elite team, only to end up with a bunch of freaks like you!"
Tony snickered and was about to respond, but Banner spoke first:
"I think… this is a bit beyond us."
He glanced at the others, as if seeking validation.
"That guy we encountered… He can summon tsunamis and cause disasters at sea…"
"I completely agree!"
Tony chimed in loudly, cutting off Banner, and added:
"That fish guy has strength exceeding a hundred tons, moves underwater at over sixty kilometers per hour, can create massive tsunamis, and possibly control giant sea creatures…"
He gave a disdainful look at the so-called "elites" in the room and bluntly told Fury:
"If all Atlanteans are like him, what use do you think your circus troupe will be? To entertain them?"
"Hey!"
Thor's temper flared again, and he angrily retorted:
"Do you want to test my fists?"
"Oh! Did you hear that? He wants to punch me! I'm so scared!"
Tony mocked with a feigned look of fear, causing Thor to fume, gripping his hammer as if ready to charge.
"Enough!"
Fury stepped between them, feeling a massive headache, and said:
"Can you two calm down? Can't you save your energy for the enemy?"
As he looked at Thor, who was seething with rage, Tony crossed his arms, looking smug as ever, and said:
"You should've let me go alone. Then I wouldn't have almost drowned because I had to drag others along!"
"And you didn't hold me back?"
Thor shot back.
Fury paused, then asked the others who remained silent:
"Do you all feel the same way?"
Captain America pursed his lips, frowning, but stood tall, his expression resolute, as if the retreat they had just experienced hadn't shaken his seasoned spirit.
"Failure isn't scary; losing the will to fight is. We need to pull ourselves together!"
"Captain's right!"
Fury echoed firmly:
"You almost died at the hands of that fishman—don't you want revenge?"
"Believe me, I absolutely do!"
Tony raised his hands and suggested:
"That's why I recommend dropping a few nukes into the ocean and blowing those fish people to pieces—quick and simple!"
Fury glared at Tony, clearly displeased.
From a strategic standpoint, nukes were humanity's ultimate weapon, the last card to play, unless it was absolutely necessary. Furthermore, there were technical challenges to deploying nukes underwater, and there was no guarantee the Atlanteans didn't have countermeasures. If the nukes were ineffective, humanity would be in even bigger trouble.
"Stop talking nonsense—you know that's impossible!"
Tony shrugged, seemingly unimpressed by Fury's rebuttal.
"Oh, so you want us to keep swimming in the ocean? Or feed Mr. Namor's giant pets?"
Fury, growing more frustrated, said:
"Stark, I'm begging you—use your brain! Aren't you a genius?"
Tony's expression turned serious:
"Are you serious? Then, my most rational suggestion would be to leave them alone! If they want to hide, why provoke them? Just because of your ridiculous threat theories?"
"We don't want to, but the fact is we've already provoked them!"
Before Tony could respond, Hawkeye, who had been silent, spoke up:
"We can't just let it go…"
He looked up, his face filled with barely suppressed hatred.
"They killed Coulson, Natasha, and so many others."
Tony, catching Hawkeye's gaze, suddenly found himself unable to speak.
Coulson and Natasha—they were his friends too!
After a long silence, Tony said softly:
"I think... it's time to tell him."