A Brewing Storm? Crisis Looms

In the mirrored dimension, Ned glanced at the burly men standing respectfully nearby. He ignored them, casually opening a portal to his bedroom and stepping through.

Throwing himself onto the bed, he pulled out his phone and dialed Tony Stark.

"Sir, Mr. Leeds is calling," J.A.R.V.I.S. announced.

Tony, in the middle of checking his physical condition, froze. His expression tensed as he quickly said, "J.A.R.V.I.S., delete all my diagnostic records!"

Tony took several deep breaths to steady himself. To be honest, he dreaded anyone finding out about his current condition. And out of everyone he knew, Ned Leeds was the most likely to uncover it through some inexplicable means. The second would be Nick Fury, that scheming shadow-lurker no one fully trusted.

"Put him through," Tony finally said.

"Stark? Are you… doing that kind of thing right now? That was fast! Want me to teach you a mystical trick for kidney health? It's just a simple chant and an easy motion. Interested?" Ned's teasing voice came through as soon as the call connected.

"Dammit, Ned! What do you know, you little brat? Should I have Happy relay this conversation to your grandma?" Tony shot back before cutting straight to the point. "What do you need?"

"I need Nick Fury's number," Ned said without hesitation.

"Oh?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need that old spook's number? Don't tell me you're short on cash and planning to moonlight?"

"Uh…" Ned paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Thanks for the idea, Stark. I hadn't thought of that. Now hand over the number."

"Fine. J.A.R.V.I.S., send it over."

"Goodbye," Ned said, hanging up immediately after receiving the info, leaving Tony fuming on the other end.

"Who is this?" Nick Fury rubbed his temples as he answered the phone, sounding annoyed.

These days, trouble had been piling up, leaving him feeling overwhelmed. So, getting an unexpected call didn't seem promising.

"Nickolas Joseph Fury?" Ned's voice rang through, using the full name Fury had once revealed in the Captain Marvel timeline. Fury stiffened, instantly recognizing it.

"Who are you?" Fury's eyes narrowed. It had been years since anyone called him by that name. He wasn't some low-level agent anymore, nor did he introduce himself like that. These days, people just called him Fury.

"You may know me better by another name—'The Phantom,' the Mystic Sorcerer," Ned said in a deliberately cryptic tone.

"Son of a—!" Fury swore and immediately hung up. He barked orders to his A.I.: "Delete the call log and encrypt the number that called me. Lock it down from any further contact!"

"Understood, sir," the A.I. responded.

Taking a deep breath, Fury exhaled heavily before dialing another number. "Stark, did your magician friend reach out?"

"Of course, didn't he call you?" Stark replied while fiddling with his suit. These days, he found solace only in the company of his armor.

"Dammit, I knew it was you who gave him my number!" Fury's voice was seething with frustration. "You absolute idiot! Do you have any idea how many eyes are on me right now? That call was probably intercepted by every spook organization in the world! If terrorists blow up his house tonight, it's on you!"

Stark had been ready to give Fury a piece of his mind, but Fury's outburst made him pause. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he felt a cold sweat trickle down. "Who could've guessed you'd let yourself get cornered like this? Fine, I'll call Ned and explain."

"Hey, Stark. That old geezer Fury might have some issues. As soon as I mentioned my name, he freaked out and hung up," Ned said as soon as the call connected.

Hearing this, Fury's already dark expression turned even stormier. "Mr. Leeds, talking about someone behind their back isn't exactly polite, don't you think?" Fury said coldly, deliberately revealing his presence on the call.

"Pfft! Haha! Fury, this isn't behind your back; he's saying it to your face!" Stark burst out laughing.

"Uh…" Ned hadn't expected Stark to have already pulled off a three-way call, leaving him slightly embarrassed. "Hi, Fury. Fancy meeting you here."

"Ha! Hahaha!" Stark's laughter grew louder, making Fury wish he could punch him through the phone.

"Leeds, your earlier call may have caused you serious trouble. Do you understand?" Fury finally said, steering the conversation back to business.

"What?" Ned sounded confused.

Fury explained the potential risks of the call, emphasizing the many covert groups likely listening in. "You may not fear these shadowy pests, but your family could be vulnerable," Fury concluded.

Ned hadn't anticipated this level of fallout from a single call. He had assumed Hydra would keep a low profile with Fury still around.

After a moment of thought, Ned said, "Can you meet me? Let's talk at Stark's place. I'll tell you what I called about, and I have a plan—one that might resolve S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal issues and keep Hydra from acting up for now. There's a major threat coming, and this isn't the time for internal chaos."

"Alright," Fury agreed without hesitation. He wasn't particularly interested in Ned's plan, but the mention of a "major threat" caught his attention.

After the Battle of New York, Fury had reviewed all the footage and concluded that none of the Avengers, not even Thor, was as mysterious as the so-called "Mystic Sorcerer." If Ned called something a "major threat," Fury couldn't afford to dismiss it.

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