~By the Potomac River, the Trident Building~
Freshly returned from the Arctic glaciers, Coulson looked weary and travel-worn...
As Director Nick Fury's trusted right-hand man, his workload was indeed heavy.
Not long after resolving the Tony Stark situation, he had been dispatched by his superior to the distant Arctic for a salvage mission. Now, he had to wrap up the aftermath of the Fantastic Four incident, otherwise, he could expect an inquiry call from the White House tomorrow.
The honest and reliable middle-aged man strode into SHIELD headquarters, greeting a few familiar colleagues along the way. He was well-liked across all departments. Riding the private elevator upward and passing through multiple layers of security checks, Coulson finally met the long-waiting bald director.
Nick Fury, clad in a black trench coat, stood quietly by the window. He had once participated in and passed all the training programs of the Green and Black Berets special forces, making him a top-tier soldier with extensive experience and military knowledge.
Later, he joined the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), serving as the highest-ranking commander of multiple intelligence agencies and becoming a strategic expert deeply trusted by the White House.
Thanks to his astonishing résumé and leadership skills, Nick Fury became the commander of S.S.R (Strategic Scientific Reserve) and expanded this covert intelligence organization.
With support from the World Security Council, he rebranded it as S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division), transforming it from an official military operations and intelligence agency into a special department with broad functions.
"Phil, you've worked hard," Nick Fury snapped out of his thoughts and, for once, expressed concern for his subordinate, "How's the cleanup going with the Fantastic Four?"
As early as the Brooklyn Bridge incident, SHIELD had taken notice of the Fantastic Four's extraordinary abilities and had been secretly monitoring them. At the time, Nick Fury had been preoccupied with Tony Stark and a certain war hero sleeping in the glaciers, so he had temporarily overlooked this superhero team.
Who would have thought that Victor Von Doom would suddenly emerge, transforming into Doctor Doom and wreaking havoc in Manhattan? Fortunately, there weren't many casualties... otherwise, the one-eyed director might have had to make another trip to the White House.
"Dr. Richards is quite easy to talk to," Coulson shrugged.
The Fantastic Four were far easier to approach than Tony Stark. Reed was, at heart, a pure scholar, and aside from Johnny's lively and impulsive nature, the rest weren't particularly difficult to communicate with.
"However..." The middle-aged agent hesitated before continuing, "General Ross took Victor Von Doom away before I could transport him back to headquarters. He claimed Doom was military property!"
Nick Fury's dark face stiffened, "What does Ross want with him? Isn't he busy replicating the Super Soldier Serum?"
Coulson shook his head helplessly. It was no secret that SHIELD had never been well-received by the military or the White House. For a special department rooted in this country and handling multiple functions, yet not under the president's jurisdiction, it was nothing short of a massive irony.
Unlike the CIA or FBI, SHIELD didn't rely on federal funding, it was directly financed by the World Security Council. The only authority that could restrain it was the World Security Council itself!
"Does Victor Von Doom still have any value?" Fury cut straight to the point.
If there was something SHIELD could extract from Doctor Doom, the one-eyed director might still try to reclaim him from the military. But if he was useless, then letting General Ross take him wouldn't matter. Right now, avoiding and minimizing conflicts was the priority.
"We ran tests, there are no signs of life. Dr. Richards also confirmed that after exposure to extreme heat and rapid cooling, even a metal-enhanced body couldn't withstand it."
Coulson relayed Reed's conclusion. Honestly, he couldn't understand why General Ross would be interested in a metal statue.
Fury pondered for a moment but still couldn't decipher the military's intentions. He decided to set it aside for now.
Perhaps the Army general had his own plans, like that Super Soldier Serum replication project, which Fury held little hope for. People like Steve Rogers were rare specimens.
There were plenty of determined soldiers and physically powerful brutes, but individuals with truly noble hearts were few and far between.
Even someone like Nick Fury, a spy who had spent his life in the shadows, had to admit that he saw in Captain America the spirit of freedom and the ideals this country pursued.
Glancing at the organized data on the screen, the bald director narrowed his eyes and murmured, "It's not all bad, at least. This should make Tony Stark realize that Iron Man isn't the one and only invincible entity."
Seeing the usually stern director crack a smile, Coulson seemed to recall something. He nearly blurted out a question but held back at the last moment. As an agent, it wasn't his place to pry into his superior's confidential matters.
Within SHIELD, clearance levels were strictly enforced. Any overstepping would be met with ruthless disciplinary action.
"No need to be so tense," Fury saw through his trusted aide's thoughts and waved it off, "You're right, the Avengers Initiative has been approved by the World Security Council. They used to reject my requests, deeming it too dangerous. But with Iron Man's emergence and the growing mutant problem, they've finally given the green light."
Nick Fury blinked his lone eye, gazing at the flowing Potomac River as he said solemnly, "The reason I've been pushing the Avengers Initiative is that I sense war coming..."
"...This is an era of explosive species growth. During World War II, super soldiers were the pinnacle of power. Captain America led the Howling Commandos and nearly single-handedly defeated the Nazi war machine. But now, superpowered individuals are emerging left and right, not to mention those troublesome mutants. SHIELD was meant to be the world's shield, but against these forces, we're no longer enough."
The bald director's tone carried a trace of melancholy, like a veteran returning to the battlefield only to find his weapons and tactics obsolete.
"Perhaps people haven't realized it yet, but an age of superheroes is upon us," Fury lowered his head, his eyes glinting with an inscrutable light.
Coulson deeply understood his superior's words. He knew full well the threat these superpowered beings posed to the world. Without effective measures to curb their unchecked actions, what purpose would SHIELD even serve?
"Consider the Fantastic Four case closed. Their threat level is low, so no further surveillance is needed. Oh, and..." The director picked up a report on the desk and skimmed it, "Sean Cyphers... He was also involved in that failed space mission. Keep an eye on him. If Victor Von Doom was affected, he might have undergone changes too."
Coulson nodded, noting it down. The man was a rising star in science and had founded a promising research institute. On paper, there was nothing noteworthy, except for one surprising detail: he had once appeared on a SHIELD branch's watchlist, albeit the lowest-level kind.
"Tenth-grade high school student, caught up in gang violence..." The middle-aged agent glanced at it and dismissed it.
No wonder Garrett complained about HQ's overly meticulous classification system. Petty cases like this happened a dozen times daily in New York, even the police just took statements and moved on.
'Probably just a coincidence,' Coulson thought as he left the office.
The agent had no intention of digging deeper. Gang conflicts were a daily occurrence in New York. From the records, this seemed like just another West Coast drug lord running into typical turf war troubles.
After all, this wasn't sunny California... Hell's Kitchen was crawling with powerful gangs.
Hopefully, tonight he could enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner with his cellist girlfriend. The perpetually busy Coulson thought apologetically...