Nick Fury clutched his wounded thigh, gritting his teeth.
Despite the intense pain, as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he couldn't let himself cry out.
Because there were cameras in here!
"It's okay, you can scream if you want. No one will laugh at you."
"Because before I came in, I destroyed all the cameras in your room."
"Unless your left eye is actually a camera that can record everything today through your eyepatch."
Ronan raised the gun a few centimeters, closing one eye again.
Earlier, he had aimed at Nick Fury's side, intending to give him a warning.
But unexpectedly, he missed.
It wasn't entirely Ronan's fault that his shooting was so poor.
After all, what sorcerer uses guns instead of spells?
They'd just be called a shooter then.
"What exactly do you want?"
"If you intend to kill me, then shoot right here!"
Nick Fury pointed to his head, his words almost coming out as a roar.
He couldn't bear this kind of humiliation.
As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he had always been the one holding a gun on others, not the other way around.
This made him feel a level of humiliation he'd never known before!
"Don't be so impatient; the game has just begun. Why rush?"
Ronan put down the handgun, slowly unscrewing the suppressor.
This suppressor was something Ronan had taken from Tony Stark in the world of Endgame.
One of Tony Stark's latest inventions.
Not only could it fit various handgun models, but it was also impressively quiet.
Most importantly, it didn't reduce the power of the bullets.
By now, Nick Fury was sweating profusely.
He simply couldn't understand what Ronan's real intentions were.
To kill him?
Or just to humiliate him?
Or maybe because...
Suddenly, Nick Fury recalled something Ronan had said earlier.
"You don't know anything, yet you try to pry into other people's secrets."
That sentence suddenly made everything clear for Nick Fury.
"You knew I was investigating you?"
Nick Fury blurted out.
Ronan paused for a moment, but his helmet concealed his expression completely.
Even if Nick Fury wanted to read his face, he couldn't.
"I must admit, as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., you do have some thinking ability."
Ronan nodded, and to Nick Fury's astonishment, he tossed the handgun aside.
That move left Nick Fury dumbfounded.
What was he trying to do?
"Can't figure it out, can you?"
Ronan observed Nick Fury's expression, his voice filled with mockery.
Nick Fury remained silent, his eyes fixed on Ronan's helmet.
He wished he had eyes that could see through the mask, to finally know the man behind it.
"Since you're having trouble, I'll tell you."
"You don't think I didn't notice you secretly pressing that button with your right hand, do you?"
Ronan crossed his legs, delivering this stinging remark.
He noticed it?
Nick Fury was stunned.
If he saw it, why didn't he stop me?
"I bet you're wondering why I didn't stop you, right? Why I let you press the button."
At that moment, Ronan seemed like a demon lurking in the shadows.
This demon not only saw through others' thoughts but also seemed to pull them deeper into the abyss with every word.
Nick Fury felt completely exposed, as if Ronan could read his every thought.
Could he really read minds???
"Don't overthink it. I can't read minds."
Ronan shook his head, honestly telling Nick Fury the truth.
Yet this only convinced Nick Fury even more that Ronan could somehow read his thoughts!
What should I do? What should I think? How can I protect myself?
For the first time, Nick Fury truly understood what it meant to be weak, pitiful, and helpless.
"Okay, okay. Since you look so pitiful, I'll reluctantly give you the answer."
"The reason I didn't stop you is that I wanted you to realize something."
"That everything you're doing is just pulling yourself deeper into the abyss."
Ronan spread his arms wide, looking every bit the villain.
And honestly, before coming here, Ronan had studied the moves and lines of several villains.
You could say he had absorbed the best traits of many classic antagonists.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, a knock echoed through Nick Fury's office.
"See? They're here, right on time."
"If I didn't let you send out your elite team and crush them under my feet one by one..."
"How else would you realize the gap between us..."
"Is so vast?"
Ronan's tone was lighthearted, but Nick Fury suddenly seemed to understand something!
From the very start, Ronan had been waiting for him to press that button.
Because only by pressing that button would S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite agents arrive.
And that's when Nick Fury would truly feel despair.
Knock, knock, knock.
The knocking came again.
"Come in."
Ronan called out towards the door.
The office door opened, and the silhouette of Black Widow stepped inside.
When she saw someone else in Nick Fury's office, she seemed momentarily taken aback.
"Um..."
"Am I interrupting your conversation?"
"Maybe I should wait until you're finished?"
Despite her words, Black Widow closed the door behind her.
Ronan shrugged, "Doesn't matter, do whatever you want."
Seeing this familiar "Iron Man" in front of her, Black Widow narrowed her eyes.
"Cap!"
"Now!"
Just as she finished speaking, a section of the ceiling burst open.
A round shield came hurtling toward Ronan's face at high speed.
"Oh wow, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s walls are pretty flimsy too."
"And your agents are a bit too ruthless, don't you think?"
Even as he spoke, Ronan kept his back to Nick Fury, not even glancing at the incoming shield.
In the next instant!
Bang!
Suddenly, Black Widow went flying backward.
The familiar shield struck her back, and a figure dropped down from the ceiling.
That figure was none other than Steve Rogers.
"Cap, can you aim better next time?"
Black Widow clutched her side, quickly moving over to Nick Fury.
Even in this situation, she had the presence of mind to joke.
It seemed she had a lot of confidence in their team.
"Sorry, I'll aim better next time."
Steve Rogers casually apologized, turning his full attention to Ronan.
He recognized the helmet and the outfit.
Not long ago, they had fought side by side against alien invaders.
But now, it seemed like they were enemies?
What on Earth had happened?