Chapter 199

"Can't investigate him?"

Steve frowned slightly.

Natasha smirked. "Of course… not. It's just going to be a bit tricky."

"But compared to having no leads at all, investigating a senator is much easier. At least now we have a target. And who knows? This Senator Stern might just be one of the big fish in Hydra."

Hearing that, Steve nodded.

If Stern really was part of Hydra, his position as a senator in New York meant he was likely in a high-ranking role within the organization.

And that—

Was good news, both for Steve and S.H.I.E.L.D.

"We should report this to Director Fury first. Investigating a New York senator is beyond my clearance. We need Fury's approval for this."

With that, Natasha started the car.

Vroom!

The S.H.I.E.L.D.-registered sports car roared to life and sped off.

As she drove, Natasha didn't notice the subtle ripple of emotion that flickered in Steve's eyes the moment she mentioned Fury's name.

...

A Few Hours Later

Inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, the Triskelion, Washington, D.C.—

Natasha led Rogers straight to Nick Fury's office.

Knock, knock.

Hearing the knocks, Fury, who was reviewing a report, furrowed his brow but didn't look up. "Come in."

As Natasha and Steve entered his office—

Fury let out a sigh and shut the file he was reading.

Looking up, he glanced at the two standing before him, a faint smile appearing on his dark-skinned face.

"Director…"

After greeting him, Natasha subtly glanced toward the door.

Fury caught the hint immediately and, without any visible movement, pressed a green button beneath his desk.

The moment he did—

The lighting in his office dimmed.

The automatic blinds lowered, sealing off the room from any outside view.

At the same time, a concealed device built into Fury's desk activated, quietly jamming any surveillance or eavesdropping attempts.

Three seconds later—

Fury leaned back and said calmly, "Alright, you can speak freely. The jammer is on—no one can hear us now."

Natasha nodded and turned to Steve. "Captain, you should tell him. You got the intel."

Steve glanced at her briefly before turning to Fury. "I met the kid you mentioned. He's… definitely unique."

After giving a rough summary of his meeting with Eren, Steve continued, "Before I left, he said—since I apparently helped him with 'psychological counseling' through those training tapes—he'd give me a tip: investigate Senator Stern."

Steve didn't hide anything about the meeting itself, but he omitted Eren's final warning to him.

Instead, he made it sound like Eren only gave him the senator's name as a gesture of gratitude.

"Didn't think those old tapes of yours would come in handy like that," Fury quipped.

Then his expression turned serious. "Senator Stern is a key political figure in New York. He's also influential in Congress. If he really is part of Hydra, a lot of things suddenly make sense."

After a moment of contemplation, Fury turned to Natasha. "The Captain is too well-known. He can't move quietly. You'll be in charge of investigating Stern, Agent Romanoff."

Natasha nodded. "Got it. But I'll need your authorization to access all classified files on Stern."

"Granted," Fury replied without hesitation. "I'll give you a temporary clearance override. You can pull whatever data you need. But be discreet—if Stern is really Hydra, he won't let us get dirt on him so easily."

"Relax, Director. I've never failed a mission like this before."

Recalling Natasha's impeccable record, Fury nodded in approval.

Then, turning back to Steve, he said, "Hydra isn't something that can be taken down overnight. You just woke up recently, Captain. For now, your priority should be adjusting to the modern world."

"I'd recommend going out, seeing the world, getting familiar with how things work now."

"Oh, and I arranged for someone downstairs to help you get up to speed on modern technology. She'll teach you how to use electronic devices and help you integrate into the present."

Adjusting to the modern world, huh?

Steve didn't refuse. Instead, he nodded sincerely. "Thanks."

Fury checked his watch. "Your appointment is at one in the afternoon. It's already 12:18. You've got time to grab some lunch before heading to Room 408 on the fourth floor."

Steve hesitated for a second, glancing between Fury and Natasha.

He quickly realized they wanted to discuss something without him.

Understanding the hint, he nodded and said, "Alright."

Then he turned and left Fury's office.

Once the door shut, Fury turned to Natasha.

"The Captain mentioned that kid used some kind of strange 'magic trick' to isolate their conversation from the crowd. You were there. What did you see?"

"I didn't see anything."

Natasha's face darkened as she recalled the experience. "In fact, if the Captain hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have even realized that something happened during that time."

"It felt like someone had… blocked or altered my memory of that period."

Hearing that, Fury's expression became equally grim.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Looks like this kid's abilities are far beyond what he claims. Natasha, what do you think—can we recruit him?"

Natasha gave him a strange look. "That won't be easy. Didn't you say he's loaded? Recruiting rich people isn't exactly a simple task."

She paused.

Then, with a smirk, she added, "But… maybe we can give it a try."

Natasha couldn't help but think of Tony Stark—the infamous playboy.

During her time undercover at Stark Industries, she had gotten a full grasp of his personality.

If it weren't for the Harlem incident exposing her cover—

She might still be dealing with Stark's persistent flirtations.

Her remark reminded Fury of the numbers he had seen in Eren's latest evaluation report—specifically, the assets section.

A massive portfolio of Osborne Group and Stark Industries stocks—

Eren had quickly risen to become a billionaire and was well on his way to the trillion-dollar club.

If he weren't so low-key—and if the Forbes list hadn't been published yet—

Eren would have already been the media's newest darling, right after Tony Stark.

Forget anyone else—

Even Fury had been momentarily stunned by those numbers.

A young man with that much wealth and such an unusual ability—there was no way he would willingly subject himself to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control.

Letting out a long sigh, Fury muttered under his breath.

And then—

For some reason, he suddenly recalled the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had disappeared inside Eren's home.

If Eren had possessed such abilities back then—

Could he have been responsible for their disappearance?

Fury's gaze darkened as he considered the implications.

Forget it.

For now, just increase surveillance on him.

I'll find a chance to approach him myself later.

If they could recruit him, great. If not…

After sending Natasha off—

Fury barely had a few minutes of peace before another visitor arrived.

"Director…"

Phil Coulson entered, his left arm fully covered by a glove and his suit sleeve.

Fury's eyes lingered on the concealed arm before asking, "How's the recovery? Getting used to the new arm?"

"Not bad at all. Gotta admit, when Tony Stark builds something, it's top-notch. This arm is way more flexible than a standard prosthetic. Plus, with all the 'extras' inside it, my combat skills and survival chances just skyrocketed."

"If I had to fight Clint again… this time, I wouldn't lose."

"…Though, the arm is a bit too stiff when I sleep."

Fury rolled his eye and scoffed, "Oh, cry me a river. Do you know how many people would kill for a Stark-built prosthetic? You should count yourself lucky."

After some brief banter—

Fury got to the point. "You were supposed to be on leave for a while, but you know how things are. Global incidents are piling up, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is stretched thin, so…"

"Director, no need to explain—I get it."

Coulson had already figured out that his vacation was officially over the moment Fury called him back.

So, without waiting for the usual buildup, he cut straight to the chase. "What's the mission?"

Fury smirked at Coulson's bluntness and handed him a file he had prepared in advance.

It was a mission briefing.

Opening the document, Coulson quickly grasped the situation.

Fury explained further, "Last night, near the town of Puente Antiguo, New Mexico, satellites detected an unusual atmospheric disturbance. A mysterious object fell from the sky, emitting an extremely strong energy signature. Your job is to investigate and find out what it is."

He glanced at Coulson and added, "Clint will be joining you on this mission. And if you're still itching for a rematch, I'm sure you two can arrange something."

The moment Coulson heard Clint's name—

His earlier bravado about wanting a rematch vanished.

"Come on, I was just kidding! Who in their right mind actually wants to fight Clint?"

Jokes aside, Coulson quickly focused back on the mission. "Wait, Clint's coming too? That means this might be more serious than it looks."

Fury shook his head. "I just want extra insurance. I don't want to see you losing another body part."

He sighed before adding, "Oh, and one more thing—local authorities reported a crater near Puente Antiguo this morning. You should check it out first."

"A crater?"

Combining that with the satellite data of a falling object—

Coulson nodded. "Got it. I'll leave immediately."

"Good."

Just as Coulson was about to open the office door and step out—

Fury called out behind him.

"Oh, I almost forgot—about your arm, I approved a Level 1 workplace injury compensation. The money should hit your account soon. Also, due to your outstanding performance, you've been promoted to Level 7 Agent. Congratulations, Coulson."

Hand still on the doorknob, Coulson's eyes instantly brightened.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Level 1 injury compensation package was tax-free—and came with a hefty $500,000 payout.

For Coulson, that was no small sum.

And with his promotion granting him higher clearance—

Today was shaping up to be a very good day.

(End of Chapter)

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