Steve Rogers' words made Nick Fury, who had just stood up, sit back down again.
With just one sentence, Nick Fury calmed down once more.
He remembered that the other party had said before leaving that whoever investigated his identity would ultimately pay the price, with S.H.I.E.L.D. bearing the consequences.
And judging from his demeanor, he wasn't joking.
Moreover, as Steve Rogers had said—
He kills.
If the same thing happened again, and that person came knocking…
Thinking about this, Nick Fury couldn't help but touch his thigh.
The pain in his leg was a constant reminder that he had to remain calm. Very calm.
"So, our plan has now entered the second stage."
"How to defend against our opponent."
At that moment, Tony Stark had already entered a "revenge" mentality.
Of course, his revenge was different from the revenge he planned against those responsible for the bombing.
In the former case, he was humiliated, embarrassed in front of his own lover—he had been put to shame.
This made Tony Stark feel disgraced.
So, being embarrassed by the other party like that, Tony Stark felt he had to make the other party pay.
That's just Tony Stark's personality.
"Looks like you already have a plan."
Steve Rogers looked at Tony Stark.
Though the two of them didn't see eye to eye, Steve Rogers had to admit that in Tony Stark's professional field, he was indeed still one of the best.
At the very least, he was one of the top in his field.
"I've observed the way he disappears and reappears—he moves in a manner that is entirely unpredictable."
"So if we can't predict his moves, let's ensure every one of his moves falls within our control."
"For example, like this..."
Tony Stark pressed a button in his hand, and the image on the screen changed again.
On the screen, a demonstration of sorts—similar to an animation—began playing.
A person would suddenly appear at a point, and the ground below them would light up.
Then the person would move quickly to another point, and the ground below them would light up again.
It was something akin to a sensory device.
"The guy is still human, and no matter how powerful, he cannot change this fact."
"As long as he's human, there's a way to defeat him."
"For instance, no matter how fast he is, once he stops, he can't defy the principle of gravity."
"As long as he's human, he has body heat, and thermal imaging can detect his response."
"So if we set up something like this in a confined space, we can detect his movement in advance."
"And that way, we have completed the first step in defending against our opponent."
This was also the most critical step.
If they couldn't predict his movement, no matter how powerful their weapons were, if they couldn't hit their target, they were as good as useless.
So this step was crucial.
"But even if you can detect his movement, can you fight him?"
"In my view, it's extremely unlikely."
Steve Rogers shook his head—he didn't entirely agree with this concept.
He had fought against the guy, and everyone knew the result. It was a crushing defeat.
What's the point of being able to predict his moves?
They were still going to get beaten up.
Black Widow and Hawkeye also nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same sentiment.
"What if we replace the sensory system with other kinds of weapons?"
"Like electricity, flames, or any other kind of attack."
"As long as he lands, he'll be attacked."
"And all we need is one button to change the surface beneath him—this way, it's foolproof, isn't it?"
Tony Stark shrugged. This was the most comprehensive plan he could think of in such a short time.
After hearing his words, the group remained silent.
It did sound like an effective approach.
But nobody knew how effective it would be when put into practice.
Moreover, there was another thing they hadn't accounted for.
"What about his mage-like abilities?"
"Do you have a way to counter that?"
Nick Fury pointed out something they had been ignoring.
All of their defensive measures relied on the assumption that he wouldn't use magic-based attacks.
If he did, all of their so-called defenses would be rendered useless.
So, their approach was only half reliable.
"That's why I asked for those mystical study materials in the first place."
"Ultimately, we still need a way to counter those magic attacks."
"Otherwise, no matter how many plans we have, it would all just be barely defensive."
Saying this, Tony Stark, who had previously been so passionate, gradually grew calm.
These were the hard facts.
No one could say for certain if this guy was an enemy or an ally.
He had once helped them fight against the aliens but had also had conflicts with them.
Even if they were at fault initially.
However, very few people admit their own mistakes willingly.
People tended to push the blame onto the other party, making it seem like the other side was the one that started it.
That's just how humans are.
And Nick Fury was no different.
"Fine, I can share some mystical study materials with you."
"But in return, you'll need to create such a system for our offices."
"Also, any findings you have from researching mystical matters, S.H.I.E.L.D. must get a copy."
Nick Fury took a deep breath and made his demands.
Whether friend or foe, he needed to have defensive measures in place.
Because even those sitting with him now were technically allies, Nick Fury also had contingencies against them.
That's just who he was—Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.
Tony Stark glanced at him, thought about it for a few seconds, then eventually nodded.
Of course, what he researched and what he ultimately shared with S.H.I.E.L.D. were two entirely different matters that he would decide.
Their seemingly pleasant deal, however, was interrupted by Steve Rogers.
"Sorry, gentlemen, but even now, I still don't see him as an enemy."
"Perhaps I'm too old-fashioned, but I see it like this: you trespassed on his privacy, and he retaliated—that's completely normal."
"At least back in my time in the military, soldiers were allowed to counterattack in such situations."
"So I won't participate in this plan."
With that, Steve Rogers stood up, nodded slightly to the others, and walked out.
Nick Fury's face darkened.
Captain America was fine, but he wasn't the kind of subordinate Nick Fury wanted.
Because Steve Rogers had too many of his own ideas.
Soldiers...
Should follow orders.
Whether the higher-ups were right or wrong.