"To be honest, even though you were abducted by the Kree, your temper hasn't changed at all Mam." Ned, sitting in the back seat, glanced at Carol as he spoke.
"If you don't want me to knock your teeth out, then keep your mouth shut."
Carol, as always, was radiating an aura of menace, speaking without even turning her head.
"You're welcome to try, if you think you can."
Though Captain Marvel was touted as one of the Avengers' strongest, Ned, with the Mind Stone in his possession, wasn't the least bit intimidated.
Firstly, because Carol hadn't fully awakened yet—her powers were still being suppressed by the device installed by Yon-Rogg. As a result, she had barely tapped into her full potential, merely using her energy blasts as a powerful weapon.
Secondly, even if he couldn't win, Ned could always rely on his portal-opening abilities to make a quick escape.
"Are you provoking me?"
Carol turned her head sharply, her face full of killing intent as faint light flickered in her raised hand.
"If that's what you think, then sure."
Ned wasn't a fan of Carol—especially after her arrogance and negligence caused Earth to nearly explode in the future. Now that he had the chance to encounter a not-yet-mature Captain Marvel, he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to mess with her without worrying about serious consequences.
"Okay! Okay!"
Seeing that Ned and Carol were about to ignite into an all-out fight, Nick Fury, who was driving, hurriedly intervened. "If you two super freaks want to fight, be my guest. But do me a favor—don't destroy my car. It's issued by the agency, and if it gets wrecked, I can kiss my bonus goodbye this year."
"Hmph!"
Hearing Fury's words, Carol begrudgingly sat back in her seat. She still didn't trust this man claiming to be her brother. After all, what kind of brother would intentionally go out of his way to irritate his sister?
"Okay, Mr. Mystery Man, care to explain how you know my name?"
Fury glanced at Ned cautiously, his tone probing.
"Because I'm a prophet," Ned replied casually.
"…"
Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the base where Project Pegasus and Dr. Lawson's files were stored.
"This is government property. Turn around immediately."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nicholas Joseph Fury," Fury announced arrogantly, pulling out his credentials and showing them to the scanner at the gate.
"Nicholas Joseph Fury? You've got three names?"
Carol raised an eyebrow, confused by Fury's introduction.
"Most people just call me Fury. Not Nicholas, Joseph, or Nick—just Fury."
Fury's response reminded him of something. He glanced at Ned through the rearview mirror, his thoughts unclear.
Ned had called him "Fury" straight away, further proving that the secrets this so-called prophet carried far outweighed even those of the alien superwoman sitting next to him.
"What does your mom call you?"
"Fury."
"And what do you call her?"
"Fury."
"What about your kids?"
"If I had any, they'd call me Fury too."
"Verification complete. Please proceed."
After an exchange that could easily qualify as a highlight reel, the gate's scanner finally approved their entry, and the doors swung open.
A little further down the road, they reached the base proper.
"Hold on a second—you look like a rebellious teenager."
Fury stopped Carol as she got out of the car, tossing her a cap with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. "Put this on. The logo will make you look less out of place here."
Normally, Carol might have exchanged a few quips with Fury, but with Ned around, she simply took the cap without expression and put it on.
"Uh… no offense, sir, but your outfit is a bit…"
After settling Carol, Fury turned to Ned, who was still wearing his sorcerer's robe and cloak, and spoke hesitantly.
"It's fine. Trust me," Ned said with a calm smile.
Fury shrugged and led them to meet the base's director.
"We're S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. We're here to see Dr. Lawson."
Fury handed over his credentials as he spoke.
The director took the credentials, glanced at Fury and Carol, then said, "Alright, please wait in the lounge for a moment. Someone will assist you shortly."
Returning Fury's credentials, the director gestured for his soldiers to escort them to the lounge.
As they walked, Fury and Carol exchanged a glance, both perplexed. They turned to Ned at the same time.
"We're clearly three people. Why did that guy act like he didn't see you at all?"
Once inside the lounge and after the soldiers left, Carol voiced her confusion to Ned.
"Just a small trick. Don't worry about it," Ned replied with a smile. Then he added, "You're here for Dr. Lawson? Why didn't you just ask me? Dr. Lawson died during the crash when the Kree abducted you. You two were flying the plane together."
"You're still trying to brainwash me? I'm a warrior of the Kree Starforce. Do you think I'll believe you?"
Carol had been about to ask more about Lawson's death, but when Ned once again mentioned her being abducted by the Kree, she angrily snapped back.
"Wait! You said Lawson is dead?" Fury suddenly interrupted their argument. "Then why are these people having us wait here?"
Bang! Bang!
Fury hurried to the door and tried to force it open, only to find it locked, requiring fingerprint verification to unlock.
"Shit!" Fury cursed under his breath. Turning his back to Ned and Carol, he said, "Don't panic. Let me figure out how to get us out. Trust me—no mere security door can stop a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."
As he spoke, Fury used his communicator to send his location and situation to the agency, requesting backup.
Afterward, he pressed a piece of tape to the credentials the base director had touched earlier, lifting the man's fingerprint. Fury then applied the print to the scanner.
Beep!
With a soft beep, the door unlocked. Ned and Carol both gave Fury a thumbs-up before quickly leaving for the archives.
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T/N:
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