"The formation of the Avengers must accelerate," Fury declared, his voice cutting through the tense air. "This incident has made it abundantly clear—our world is facing increasingly powerful threats. Our old methods are obsolete. Even our elite agents pale in comparison to these new dangers. We need individuals of extraordinary capability to form a specialized team."
He paused, his single eye scanning the five shadowed figures before him. "Only then can we ensure the world's order remains intact."
One of them leaned forward. "Do we know who these threats are?"
"No," Fury admitted flatly. "That's precisely the problem. They operate from the shadows, biding their time, while we're left reacting. This undermines everything S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for."
Another voice chimed in, skeptical. "If they're purely a threat, why target The Hand?"
"Interests," Fury replied without hesitation. "The Hand holds secrets. This isn't just a feud between criminal factions."
"Then why did they let you go?"
Fury's jaw tightened. "They didn't let us go."
"Nick Fury," the figure pressed, "we're not uninformed about what happened that day."
Fury cursed inwardly, his mind racing to identify the leak. Outwardly, he remained composed. "Ladies and gentlemen, we kept this quiet to avoid public panic. Civilians can afford to ignore them—we cannot. Each of those six individuals poses a significant threat. Their technology surpasses the military capabilities of entire nations. If they decide to act, governments worldwide would be powerless to stop them."
He leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "This isn't just unfair—it's a direct threat to global stability. We need a counterforce, and we need it now."
The room fell silent. After a moment, one of them spoke up. "Fury, have you considered recruiting them? If they're already six strong, why not make them the Avengers?"
"No!" Fury's voice cracked like a whip. He forced himself to stay seated, though every fiber of his being wanted to leap to his feet. "They're not suitable. Each of them has S.H.I.E.L.D. blood on their hands."
"But you've recruited such people before."
"That was different."
"There's no difference," another figure countered. "We're willing to give those who repent a second chance. It's necessary."
"I agree," a third voice added. "It's feasible. We have precedents."
The remaining two remained silent, their expressions unreadable.
Fury opened his mouth to argue, but the most vocal figure cut him off. "Enough. Last time, you took Abomination. Use this opportunity to recruit all six. The Avengers project barely passed as it is. If you're serious about this, don't squander this chance."
With that, the five figures rose and exited, leaving Fury alone in the darkened room.
A moment later, in the pitch-black room where no figures could be seen, a single word broke the silence: "Motherfucker."
Stepping out, Fury summoned Natasha and Barton. Seeing his two top agents, a flicker of relief eased his frustration—but only slightly. "Natasha, Barton," he began, "you're both aware of the Avengers initiative."
They nodded in unison. "Yes, sir."
Fury leaned back in his chair and said solemnly: "Starting from today, the Avengers is officially established. You two are the first batch of members." Hearing this, Natasha and Barton looked at each other and said: "Yes!" "Tony is now a special consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. and also a reserve member of the Avengers. If he can ever get rid of those bad habits, I will let him join the team.
Natasha, how is he now?" Natasha: "Stark did not suffer heavy injuries, just a twisted neck. Besides, his state after waking up is very bad. That failure made his mood very low, and he has been staying in the studio without coming out." "Good! Failure will become the greatest motivation to spur him forward. Don't forget to monitor his physical condition; he is just a very smart ordinary person."
"I understand." Fury turned to look at Barton: "The investigation into Tokyo Bay can end." "Okay." Barton's face was calm, but he felt relieved in his heart. Deep in his heart, he had always thought that the Tokyo Bay incident did not need much investigation. First, those who died were people who deserved to die.
Barton couldn't wait to say to Hong Fei, "Well done," because if it were him, he would have done the same, just not as cruel and bloody. Second, the organization to which the killed belonged had already been wiped out. Finally, the murderer was clear, but everyone just didn't say it out loud. What about the missing tanks? Weren't there no tanks found in the Rand Building either?
Fury: "General Ross seems to want us to bear the loss of his fighter jets. Barton, you and Coulson go solve this matter together. S.H.I.E.L.D. does not have the habit or precedent of bearing war losses for others." "Yes!" "Go. After you come back, you have a new task."... Manor
Active skill card: Financial Master (Green) - Alexandra
Another bottom-tier raw material card.
Finance is certainly a good major, but it doesn't quite suit him. Although The Hand has five leaders, Alexandra is a pillar whose role is more prominent than the other four. Many plans and strategies come from her hands. To a certain extent, she is the helmsman of the big ship that is The Hand. It's just that both skill cards are a bit disappointing, all non-combat types.
Putting away the card, Hong Fei went back upstairs. Dr. Erik Selvig secretly sent a message; he had already met Nick Fury. This means Fury is about to start researching Universe magic, using what the scientists keep calling inexhaustible energy to actually make weapons. And now, Hong Fei might even become his excuse for making weapons.
It's him, that group of people, who seriously disrupted social stability, so I had to manufacture weapons as a precaution! A perfect reason (excuse). Until he tinkered around and brought Loki over, he hadn't seen him come up with anything truly decent. He did what he shouldn't have done, yet he didn't achieve any results. Failure! Hong Fei told Dr. Erik Selvig to prepare well.
After officially entering the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base in the future, find an opportunity to safely pass out the location. At that time, Hong Fei would also find a time to snatch the thing back to take a look. If it can be used, use it; if not, sell it. While still thinking, No. 2 suddenly walked towards him. After getting close, his expression was a bit strange: "Boss, there is a guest here.
It's that Miss Natalie." Natasha, using the alias Natalie, initially applied for the position of financial Officer, but later infiltrated secretly with Coulson and was caught. No. 2 is no stranger to her. Hong Fei raised an eyebrow, then laughed: "Bring her in." Soon, Natasha, in casual clothes and wearing a hoodie, walked in with her hands in her jacket pockets.
Hong Fei leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "Did you come here secretly?"
Natasha pulled back her hood, her fiery red hair catching the light as she settled into the chair across from him. "Yes." Her voice was steady, but her gaze was probing. "Do you know about the Red Room?"
"I do." Hong Fei's tone was matter-of-fact.
Natasha's brow furrowed. "I remember destroying it with my own hands."
Hong Fei shook his head, his expression tinged with pity. "Seeing isn't always believing. An explosion doesn't guarantee death."
At those words, Natasha froze, her body rigid, her face a mask of shock. Years ago, she'd personally ordered the bombing of the building where Dreykov, the Red Room's leader, had been stationed. That explosion had marked the end of the Red Room—or so she'd thought. Alongside Barton in Budapest, she'd wiped out countless Red Room operatives, believing she'd eradicated the organization for good.
But she hadn't. The Red Room still existed, lurking in the shadows, more hidden and more dangerous than ever. Its operations had grown more secretive, its development perhaps even accelerated. Dreykov, the man who'd created her, remained a terrifying figure—a man without mutations or combat skills, but with a mind sharp enough to manipulate everything from behind the scenes.
Natasha studied Hong Fei intently, searching for any hint of deception in his eyes. She found none. After a long pause, she bit her lower lip. "You know my past?"
"I do."
"Like what?" Her voice was cautious, guarded.
She wasn't volunteering information, instead steering the conversation with questions. Hong Fei didn't play games. "You were taken into the Red Room as a child. You lived in Ohio with a pair of Soviet agents posing as your parents. One day, your agent father got what he wanted, your family escaped pursuit, and that facade ended. From then on, you were trained as a Black Widow, eventually rising to the top. You killed countless Red Room operatives, defected, and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. under Barton's leadership."
Natasha's expression wasn't shocked—it was almost resigned, as if she'd expected this. "By the way," Hong Fei added, "you have a sister, don't you? Yelena."
Natasha's eyelids flickered.
"After destroying the Red Room," Hong Fei continued, "you never looked for her again."
Her eyes reddened, her voice barely above a whisper. "The Red Room was destroyed. She might be living a normal life now."
"You don't want your current identity to disrupt hers?"
"Yes."
"So what did you do after we last met?"
Natasha tilted her head, her fists clenching involuntarily. She stared down at the table, her jaw tight, before admitting through gritted teeth, "I can't find her."
Hong Fei's smile faded. "You already have a guess."
Natasha's head snapped up. "How do you know all this?"
"That's not important. What matters is, I'm not part of the Red Room, and I don't know where it is."
The way I obtained this information cannot help you find Yelena and the Red Room."
Natasha stared at him, silent for a long moment. Finally, she broke the silence. "What do you want?"
"That's the wrong question," Hong Fei said, shaking his head. "I don't want anything. I want to destroy the Red Room—completely."
Natasha's expression shifted, confusion washing over her face.
"Stop looking at me like that." Hong Fei crossed his arms. "I destroyed The Hand too, didn't I? Cleaning up criminal organizations is part of my job description."
Natasha burst out laughing. "I never pegged you for such a righteous idealist."
"Prejudice." He smirked. "Tell me I was wrong in Tokyo Bay. Barton must've briefed you. What would you have done in my place?" His eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't have tried arresting him for due process, would you?"
Natasha's lips quirked, but she stayed silent.
"Two reasons I'm telling you this." Hong Fei counted them off. "First, this mess ties back to you. Your past actions forced them deeper underground—not that you chose wrong, but you left the job half-finished. Second..." He leaned in. "Yelena's your sister. If the Red Room's still operating, you know what that means for her."
He straightened, all business now. "I'm swamped chasing their trail, but I want them gone. Understood?" The unspoken truth hung between them: the Red Room's infrastructure was valuable, and those Black Widows scattered worldwide? Even more so. Natasha gave a tight nod.
Technically, he was recruiting her. But she'd have volunteered twice as fast—no one wanted the Red Room destroyed more than she did, no one ached more to pull Yelena out.
Hong Fei raised a warning finger. "One condition: SHIELD stays in the dark. No involvement, period."
Natasha's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Net negative." His disdain for the agency couldn't be plainer. "More bodies mean more loose lips. For all we know, the Red Room's already got sleepers inside SHIELD. And let's be honest—" He spread his hands. "How many leads has SHIELD actually turned up on them?"
She didn't need to answer. The silence said everything.
"This is ground-zero intel gathering. You know their playbook better than anyone, and your skillset's perfect for infiltration." His expression softened into something almost warm. "Optimal solution."
That smile. Natasha froze. She'd seen it before, somewhere.
It's just, why is there an inexplicable feeling of being very willing to believe him?