The audience's breathing suddenly calmed, as if the entire hall was holding its lungs in suspense. Everyone stared at the unopened file in Tony's hand, waiting for him to peel back the first page and expose the truth of this mysterious organization. Curiosity burned like wildfire. What exactly was this alliance? A secret order, a coalition, or merely a shadow cast by power?
It wasn't just the millions watching the live broadcast who leaned in. Even the Administration, locked in their secure video conference, seemed to press their faces closer to the glowing screens.
The historian Johan's eyes narrowed, his hand tightening over his notes. He whispered that the document might represent more than rumor; it could illuminate another system that had shaped Terra's past, a chapter forgotten yet essential to understanding the future.
Far away, in the Supreme Court, seven elders sat at their round table. Their attention was fixed, not on politics or law, but on the slim folder in Tony's hands.
"The greater truth of that age is about to be revealed," One elder murmured.
[ Tony glanced at the surrounding display screens, each alive with flashing news feeds. He picked up the file on the table. Across its cover were the words: Preliminary Report of the Avengers Initiative. ]
[ Just as he prepared to open it, a firm hand pressed it down. Director Nick Fury lowered himself into the chair opposite, eyes sharp. "That's not the file I want you reading." ]
[ "And frankly, Stark, I'm not sure this one even concerns you." Fury slid another report across the table. "This is Romanoff's full assessment of your character." ]
[ Tony skimmed the page aloud: "Psychological profile: Stark demonstrates impulsive tendencies…" He shot Fury a look. "That was last week. I was dying." ]
[ "Self-destructive behavior noted," Fury read on. "Classic narcissist." ]
[ Tony smirked. "Aren't we all? At least she got that part right." ]
[ "Avengers Initiative recruitment assessment: Iron Man, qualified. Tony Stark..." Fury's voice hardened. "Not recommended." ]
[ "You'll take the armor, but not the man inside it?" Tony bristled. "I've got a brand-new heart, and Pepper's still with me. Our relationship is solid. Doesn't that count for something?" ]
[ Fury leaned forward, elbows on the table. "For now, you'll serve as a consultant. That's as far as I'll go." ]
[ Tony froze, then let out a sharp laugh. Rising, he clasped Fury's hand with mocking cheer. "You couldn't afford me anyway." ]
The stream erupted with confusion.
"Wait, what? So Iron Man made the cuts, but Tony doesn't?"
"This means the suit is recognized as a weapon, but Stark as a person is too unstable."
"Damn! Doesn't that mean the Avenger's combat strength is higher than Iron Man himself?"
"Holy h*ll, Terra back then must've been insane!"
"I wonder who else got in. How many people were chosen?"
"Tony's savage, 'you can't afford me!'"
"I think Romanoff's evaluation nailed it."
"Shame we didn't see the full file…"
The audience was left unsatisfied, but the chatter only grew louder. The stream's viewership still surged toward the forty-million mark, dipping only slightly before stabilizing at thirty-eight million.
Meanwhile, Tanner's stream exploded with gifts and tips, the flow never stopping. The amounts weren't large, a Dollar here, a couple there, but their sheer number piled into thousands.
In the Administration's office, the experts frowned deeply. Unlike ordinary viewers who reacted to spectacle, they sought the hidden implications.
Feng, the sociologist, smiled wryly. "The puzzle is only more tangled now. At least we know one thing: this organization has power equal to, if not surpassing, Iron Man."
He leaned forward. "But how many members? How many exceed him? What unique abilities exist among them?"
Speculation filled the air, their expressions hardening. After all, Iron Man alone was capable of outclassing terrorists and shrugging off advanced jets. What kind of force would a whole alliance of such beings represent?
Johan finally spoke, his voice weighted. "One thing is certain. In that era, there truly existed individuals with extraordinary power."
The others nodded grimly. Unless the organization was made of nothing but machines like Stark's suit, the evidence pointed to genuine superhuman abilities.
Then came another question: "If S.H.I.E.L.D. is the keeper of these secrets, why was it created at all?"
The chief raised his head. The question struck like lightning. Yes… why did S.H.I.E.L.D. exist? To gather power for amusement? To oppose governments? Impossible.
In their mind, an image resurfaced: the massive mechanical leviathan, an alien craft mistaken for a beast. Could S.H.I.E.L.D. have been formed to counter something like that?
Perhaps it wasn't merely Terra's creation, but a weapon controlled by S.H.I.E.L.D. itself, a defense against greater, unseen enemies. If so, then the enemies Terra faced in that age were far more formidable than imagined.
The chief's temples throbbed. The implications twisted his thoughts into knots. And then, the live stream jolted to a new scene:
[ On the endless plain, a black sedan tore across the dust. It screeched to a halt. Agent Coulson stepped out, adjusting his sunglasses. He looked down into a massive basin. At its center lay a crater, dozens of meters deep, where vehicles strained to haul something from the pit. ]
[ Coulson lifted his phone. "Sir, we've found it." ]
[ The camera pulled back, revealing what lay at the bottom: a short-handled hammer, forged of gleaming uru metal, resting quietly in the dirt. ]