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"Dammit, what are these people up to?"
Late at night, the extremely busy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, arrived at the Vampire Clan's building. The area had already been cordoned off by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and even the New York police had been dismissed. What had really caught Fury's attention was the energy fluctuation detected at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s base. A strong one. It was unlike anything that they had ever seen.
It wasn't hard to tell that someone was clearly causing trouble in New York again.
When the mission report came in, Fury couldn't sit still. He rushed to the scene, only to find the first floor completely scorched, with all the clues swallowed up by the flames. He cursed under his breath.
But when he followed the agents down a hundred meters below ground, the sight made his eyelid twitch. It looked like a volcanic layer—the entire underground space, marked as "117," had been melted by extreme heat. Broken stone pillars, collapsed walls, and strange, indecipherable symbols carved into the blood-stained altar remained.
Fury's eyes were drawn to the platform in the center, and he quickly figured out what it was. His suspicions were confirmed when an agent from the tech department came over with a tablet after scanning the area.
"According to the database, these text imprints match ancient patterns used by the Vampire clan," the agent said.
"So, what was done here?" Fury asked, frowning.
"It seems to have been an altar used to summon some kind of great being."
Fury rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. This building was clearly the core of the Vampire clan's operations, their base camp. Something went wrong during the summoning, leading to a fight with another group. Judging by the scene, all the vampires and whatever they summoned had been wiped out.
For the first time, Fury thought about the mysterious organization he had been tracking, the one that always eluded him.
"So, what about the surveillance?"
Fury asked without much expectation.
As he suspected, the agent replied without hesitation, "The footage from today's surveillance was deleted. We tried to recover it, but had no luck." Whoever was behind it had covered their tracks perfectly, leaving no clues.
Fury nodded, acknowledged the agent, and returned to the building's first floor. He lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and gazed up at the moon, which was half-obscured by dark clouds.
His mind wandered as he stared at the dim crescent, imagining shadowy figures in black sweatshirts and hoods, their faces hidden, powerful and unfathomable.
Ever since Fury became aware of this mysterious force, he'd used S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources to investigate unsolved cases that had piled up over the years. Every time he dug deeper, it was like trying to follow a thread hidden in thick fog. No matter how hard he tried to unravel it, the end always eluded him.
The world was vast, and even with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s immense power, they couldn't control everything. And tracking down this force, one that could easily tamper with surveillance and manipulate military satellites, was even more challenging.
One clue kept nagging at him—Natasha Romanoff.
Specifically, a Russian city Barton had traveled to.
Initial analysis from S.H.I.E.L.D. suggested the base of this mysterious group might be in Russia. Agents were sent, but they returned empty-handed. It was as if this organization was nothing more than a mirage—a phantom, elusive and untouchable.
Fury didn't know their numbers, their leader, their race, or their purpose. The only thing S.H.I.E.L.D. knew was that this group had once helped the Mutant Academy, obliterated Stryker's base in a blitz, and supported a group of mutants. Could they be mutants themselves?
Now, they had appeared in New York and Texas. Every group, every organization had a purpose, something that could be traced. But this group defied logic. Their actions were erratic, lacking any clear pattern or motive.
And that terrified Fury. He had even reached out to Professor Charles for help, only to be flatly refused, despite offering the Mutant Academy favorable terms. For Charles to react that way, it meant he had reservations. Perhaps this was a power even he feared.
The one slight comfort for Fury was that, so far, this mysterious group hadn't caused any overt damage to the world's order. Whenever they appeared, it was usually linked to events beyond ordinary comprehension.
As Fury reflected on the events in the building that night, a vague realization came to him. It was as if the pieces were finally aligning, bringing him closer to understanding those elusive figures he had been tracking. His one good eye glinted with determination, just as Agent Hill's voice crackled in his earpiece.
"Tony's got a situation," she said.
"I'm listening," Fury replied.
"Obadiah, one of the Stark Industries directors, made a move. Thirty minutes ago, he left his villa and went to Hell's Kitchen—to meet with Kingpin at his building. Also, Obadiah's been secretly cultivating an armed force. His troops have entered New York."
"Kingpin?" Fury raised an eyebrow. "I see. Keep a close eye on things, and send Coulson to bolster our presence. His mission isn't just to watch Tony Stark."
"Understood."
The communication cut off, and Fury took another drag of his cigarette.
He wasn't surprised by Odaiba's actions. Tony's decision to shut down Stark Industries' Weapons Division had caused massive turmoil within the company. Stock prices had been plummeting, and it was no shock that Odaiba, desperate to seize control of the Stark Industries, would make such moves.
What did surprise Fury was that a billionaire from the upper echelons of society would stoop so low as to meet with a criminal like Kingpin. Apparently, a heavily armed elite squad wasn't enough to settle his nerves—he needed outside help.
Fury knew better than to underestimate Kingpin's power. As one of New York's most influential underworld leaders, he was always on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar. His resources and influence could be a real threat, even to someone like Tony Stark.
But this new development gave Fury hope. If Kingpin was involved, Tony might face serious trouble, and in that chaos, Fury could find a chance to uncover the tip of the iceberg—the link to the mysterious force he'd been chasing.