"First, the Avengers are a team," Steve began, his voice steady. "Even though the person who originally assembled us has left S.H.I.E.L.D., we won't abandon this identity. The world needs the Avengers to exist."
Hong Fei gave a slight nod, his expression neutral. The point wasn't without controversy. Some argued that the rise of superheroes had inadvertently fueled the emergence of supervillains. Hong Fei didn't care to delve into whether that logic held water, but he believed heroes — super or otherwise — were necessary.
Throughout history, humanity had always looked to heroes for inspiration. These figures might not have flown or been impervious to bullets, but they were the original embodiment of the word "hero."
As for superheroes, their existence was undoubtedly beneficial. They could accomplish feats beyond the reach of ordinary people, facing threats or disasters that would require exponentially more resources for a conventional response.
Setting aside the broader context, the individuals known as the Avengers — whether Steve or Tony — had undeniably made significant contributions. Debating the causality between superheroes and supervillains was pointless. Someone had once put it succinctly: keep the good, and let the bad go to hell.
Steve continued, "The current acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is Hill. She's highly capable and has already reached out to each of us. She's arranged for all the Avengers to meet in a few days and will oversee shaping us into a stable team."
Hong Fei murmured, "That sounds like a step in the right direction."
"Tony's building a new Avengers Tower," Steve added. "It'll serve as our permanent base. Even though we're still getting to know each other, I'm confident we'll become a reliable team soon."
"I agree," Hong Fei said.
But what did any of this have to do with him? Confusion flickered in his eyes, though Steve didn't notice. The captain pressed on, delivering what felt more like a monologue than a conversation.
Across the table, Tony finally had enough. He set down his cola, cleared his throat, and cut Steve off mid-sentence.
"Steve, let me handle this."
His tone was laced with exasperation.
Tony turned to Hong Fei.
"Here's the deal. There's only one part of this plan that involves you. We want to establish a long-term, effective partnership with your team. I know you're not interested in joining the Avengers, and frankly, a lot of what you've done would classify you as a villain — especially the things you've done to me."
His eyes locked onto Hong Fei's, sharp and unyielding, as if recalling past grievances. The hostility in his gaze was unmistakable.
Steve intervened quickly. "Tony, stay on topic."
He gave Hong Fei a reassuring pat on the shoulder, signaling him not to take offense.
But Hong Fei wasn't angry. If anything, he felt a flicker of satisfaction. Getting Tony Stark — ego and all — to set aside their history and approach him for cooperation was no small feat. Besides, the subtle aura of wisdom radiating from the three skill cards he possessed softened his demeanor, making his smile appear modest, gentle, and disarmingly humble.
Tony sighed. "Anyway, I'm not here to dredge up the past. During the Battle of New York, you made me see you in a new light. You and your team played an undeniable role. That's why we're here. I will not deliberately try to overturn these established facts, so I came here today. The plan is just as I said; we can cooperate."
After saying this, he and Steve both stared intently at Hong Fei. Hong Fei didn't think twice and nodded immediately: "Cooperation is certainly good; I like cooperation. So, do you have any detailed plans?"
"You agreed?" Tony immediately raised his eyebrows high, a look of obvious astonishment appearing on his face. Steve had a similar expression.
Hong Fei: "Is this strange? Honestly, I don't really trust S.H.I.E.L.D.; I could even say I am very resistant to it, which you both know. But the Avengers, in my view, are different."
"How are they different?" Tony immediately asked.
Hong Fei replied without hesitation: "Because you are in the Avengers."
Instantly, the room went quiet. Steve's eyes were full of gratification; he squeezed Hong Fei's shoulder heavily. His expression made one feel as if, in the next second, he would open his mouth and say: 'Good brother, you are in my heart!'
Even someone with Tony's temper and personality couldn't help but be stunned into silence for a moment by such a sentence. Look at Hong Fei's eyes, how sincere! His smile, how kind! His tone, how warm! His words, how deeply they touched the heart!
To put it in plain language: at that moment, both of them had been "flirted with" by Master Hong.
Tony recovered, raised his hand to cover his mouth, and coughed lightly. "Ahem, alright, let me ask you formally one more time: did you really agree?"
Hong Fei smiled and said sincerely: "Of course. There is nothing worth pondering further. I know you must have complaints or even hatred toward me, but I have known you the longest, and back then, you weren't even Iron Man yet... forget it, let's not bring up the past too much. In short, whether it is you or Steve, you are both people worthy of my unconditional trust."
"Thank you!" Steve interjected solemnly, "Hong, rest assured, this cooperation plan will definitely not make you suffer any losses."
Tony was suddenly made to feel uncomfortable by Hong Fei's gaze and tone. He couldn't help but wave his hand, his voice rising slightly: "Alright, it's good that you agreed; let me tell you about the specific plan.
This cooperation plan is something I thought about and polished while lying down after my surgery. There aren't many implementation clauses. First, the daily operations of the two teams will remain independent. But to demonstrate our attitude and sincerity toward cooperation, we should communicate with each other regularly.
I have also thought about the specific method of communication; formal work like meetings is completely unnecessary. Moreover, the special nature of our two teams has already determined that it is unlikely that either team will have too many members. So my idea is: we can exchange one member within a certain period.
When all members have completed a round of exchange, everyone will have a certain degree of understanding of each other's personalities, abilities, and fighting styles, and will be able to become familiar with the operational methods of different teams, learn each other's strengths, and improve cooperation efficiency when fighting together again in the future."
To be honest, Hong Fei regretted it a bit before he had even finished listening. It wasn't that he was afraid of his own people being seduced away, nor was he afraid of his own secrets being known by others. What he was afraid of was that after his subordinates went to the Avengers, they might corrupt them or simply bring them back. Or perhaps, would a few wild horses, once unbridled, turn the Avengers upside down and cause chaos? In that case, wouldn't Tony come directly to him to claim his life?
Beside him, Steve said excitedly: "If possible, I want to be the first one!"
Tony, opposite him, directly refused: "No, this must be decided by a full team vote."
Steve could only shake his head regretfully.
Hong Fei pondered for a moment and probed: "Tony, independent operations are fine, and I agree with the exchanges, but isn't this member exchange method a bit too radical?"
"Radical? I think it's quite normal. There are exchange students between universities belonging to different countries; our two teams added together don't exceed three digits, so why not?" Tony asked bluntly, and he even showed a hint of deeply hidden urgency.
Hong Fei understood his thoughts too well. Although he had just been "flirted with," he still believed from the bottom of his heart that Hong Fei was not a good person. Therefore, right now, he was still harboring evil intentions, attempting to dig up more secret information from Hong Fei's side through the method of exchanging members, and using this to determine more deeply whether Hong Fei was a good person or a bad person. Even more, he might want to use such means to learn more of Hong Fei's secrets or weaknesses, making it easier for him to turn the active into the passive. Anyway, there must be many considerations behind his decision.
Hong Fei smacked his lips: "Do you really want to do this?"
"I think this is most appropriate. Captain, what do you think?" Tony turned his head and threw the question to Steve.
Steve nodded: "I think it's feasible."
"This... alright then, I agree."
Tony secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued: "Second point: when one side needs support, the other side, on the premise of being able to provide support, cannot refuse for any reason."
Hong Fei: "In principle, I agree."
"What do you mean?" Tony didn't understand.
"Literal meaning." Hong Fei crossed his arms. "I like to help others, but I am also very vengeful. Any operation related to the government of this country, my people and I will not participate in, unless it involves a large number of ordinary people, like the Battle of New York."
Tony frowned deeply: "This is hard to define, because when ordinary people suffer from disasters, the government will not sit idly by."
Hong Fei laughed immediately: "I just mentioned the Battle of New York."
Steve's face immediately couldn't hold it; he felt ashamed. Tony was the same, but after all, he was a celebrity capitalist, and his skin was much thicker. "That matter has already ended..."
Hong Fei interrupted: "You don't need to explain any further; this is my bottom line."
Tony paused, looked at Hong Fei's firm gaze, and could only give up.
"Alright then, I will add this."
"Hmm."
"Third point: information sharing. Of course, this refers to information sharing within a limited scope, mainly regarding cognitive information or clues about criminals; both sides have an obligation to share with each other."
Hong Fei: "Then I should just give you the information of everyone on my side, right?"
"Agreed."
"Good. Currently, there are only these three points suitable for the situation of both sides. If there are clauses that need to be added in the future, we can talk again. If you have any suggestions, you can say them now."
"I have no suggestions and no objections." Hong Fei shook his head.
Tony looked at Steve. Steve took over: "Then it's settled. How about we agree on a time for all members of both teams to sit down together and jointly sign this cooperation agreement?"
Hong Fei: "Sure."
"And the time?"
"It's about half a month until January; let's just make it next year. You decide the specifics; I am available anytime next year."
"Good, thank you, Hong. Today's meeting was very successful!" Steve was very grateful.
After chatting for a while, the two prepared to leave, and Hong Fei stood up to see them off. Arriving at the door, Hong Fei and Steve hugged to say goodbye. Tony stood by, arms crossed, his expression unreadable at first. But something about Hong Fei's genuine smile and open gaze got under his skin — maybe it was the unexpected trust in those earlier words. Against his better judgment, Tony found himself responding: "Thanks for cooperating."
Hong Fei's lips quirked. "Don't mention it. Cooperation's my favorite flavor."
The casual reply left Tony shifting his weight, suddenly hyperaware of the cognitive dissonance gnawing at him. One part of his brain replayed every humiliating detail — the kidnappings, the extortion, the times Hong Fei had laid him out flat with fists or blades. Yet another part, traitorously, recognized something unsettlingly familiar in the man before him. The push-pull of it made his teeth ache. Maybe he was losing it. Schizophrenia sounded about right. He exhaled sharply.
"Look, I get it now. This universe? Absolute minefield. Moving forward — way forward — we should be pooling resources. Gathering every enhanced individual we can find, whether they want to join the Avengers, run their own ops, or fly solo."
"Now that's thinking ahead," Hong Fei mused.
Tony knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would hemorrhage paperwork at the suggestion. Their playbook had one underlined rule: power stays in-house. Join up, get surveilled, or get branded a threat. Simple. Clean. Infuriating. If Hong Fei hadn't been a walking extinction event, they'd have sicced the Avengers on him months ago. Round two: bureaucratic boogaloo. Not that their paranoia was entirely unfounded — but there had to be better solutions than treating everyone like ticking bombs.
Nah. They just liked flexing. This wasn't even Fury's call; it was baked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s DNA, that same old imperialist swagger passed down like a shitty family heirloom.
Steve snapped his helmet into place before climbing into the car.
"Hong, we've got the Avengers. What's your team called?"
Everyone's a villain? Hong Fei barely swallowed the words. When the silence stretched, Steve chuckled.
"Might want to workshop that. Makes things easier down the line."
"Yeah. I'll get right on that," Hong Fei deadpanned.
He watched the taillights disappear down the drive before turning back to the house, forehead creased. For once, he was actually stumped. What did you call a group like his?
......
On the highway, Tony drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. The comms crackled.
"Still think he's a live wire."
"Power doesn't equal malice, Tony."
"Not talking potential. I'm talking track record. And did you miss the part where he basically declared war on the government?"
Steve's sigh filtered through the headset.
"Heard it. Doesn't mean he's wrong."
"You cannot be serious."
"Picture this: you're pulling civilians out of a warzone. Then — surprise — some bureaucrat greenlights a nuke on your coordinates. Tell me you wouldn't want to burn something down."
Steve paused. "Hell, I'd probably skip the metaphors."