S.H.I.E.L.D. Combat Command Center.
Previously, the snowy interference signal allowed at least some visibility in key areas, which was barely acceptable.
Now, it's completely blurred; from the initial high-definition, uncensored view, it's become an abstract painting, and an impressionistic one at that. Who can stand this?
"Motherfucker!" Nick Fury was so angry he picked up his middle-aged thermos, raised it high, then gently put it down.
He couldn't bear to break it.
Then he saw Coulson's mug next to him.
Smash!
I'll break this!
Fury immediately let out a sigh of relief, his body and mind relaxed.
As expected, he had to break something.
Anger needed a sense of ritual.
Coulson: "Convex "
He really wanted to hit someone.
Then he glared at Fury, who raised his chin, his single eye slightly narrowed: "What are you looking at?"
Coulson: "...Nothing, I just think Director's hairstyle today is exceptionally stylish."
He was a complete coward.
Fuming and shivering.
Unreconciled.
Coulson turned his head, his eyes meeting Black Widow's; how captivating and soul-stirring those eyes were. How could he bear to lay a hand on an innocent her?
Hit a woman?
He couldn't win!
As for Hawkeye next to him, forget it.
Smash!
Coulson slapped his thigh, "Damn it, I'll just hit myself!"
This World isn't worth it!!!
For Fitz and Simmons, the shocking and speechless reactions to the S.H.I.E.L.D. bigwigs' antics lasted only half an hour before they could return to normal work.
Now, what shocked them was that no matter how silly or idiotic the bigwigs acted, Maria Hill maintained a serious and solemn face throughout, her eyes unwavering, and her movements meticulous.
She was simply invincible.
On the sub-screen, Fitz pulled up Magneto's basic information: "Based on cross-referencing, when this kind of electromagnetic interference occurs, it's highly likely that Magneto is in action."
During World War II, Magneto became active and drew the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor, the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Paper files about him filled warehouses, and audio-visual data amounted to dozens of TBs. If Nick Fury were to rank the enemies he least wanted to face, Magneto would definitely be in the top three.
Magneto was simply the natural enemy of the Sky Carrier. If he managed to catch one, a magnetic version of the "Universal Pull" could drag it down and crash it into a densely populated city. Do you think that would be fun…
The destructive power would absolutely be no less than a high-yield nuclear bomb.
Therefore, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pursuit of Magneto was ambiguous; they didn't dare to push him too hard. The dirty work, the hard work, and the work that offended people were handed over to those idiots in the Military, while direct confrontation was given to the X-Men.
S.H.I.E.L.D. acted as a central coordinator, supporting whoever was weak and fighting whoever was strong, ultimately hoping that the Brotherhood and X-Men would fight each other to the death.
"How did Magneto show up there?" Fury was startled.
The situation had exceeded expectations.
No.
Events involving Mike almost never developed normally.
But Magneto…
Could Mike handle it? This person, famous for decades, with enemies all over the World, still roaming freely, speaks volumes.
Based on Magneto's combat record, Mike was not favored.
"There are two Mutants, Brotherhood members, in the Continental Hotel's adjudicator unit," Coulson knew the full story, but he never expected Magneto to personally come out for two unknown nobodies.
Could those two Mutants be Magneto's illegitimate children? If so… Thinking of the Chameleon, whose kidney was stabbed, Coulson could only pray it wasn't him.
At this moment, the screen on one of the sub-monitors shifted, and a sleek aircraft flashed by in an instant.
Fitz: "High-speed flying object detected, suspected to be the X-Men's Blackbird jet, estimated to arrive over Central Park in one minute."
Fury rubbed his forehead. Another one coming to join the fun? He was considering if evacuating only Central Park was insufficient, and whether to urgently evacuate the surrounding blocks as well.
"Forget it." It wasn't that Fury didn't care about the lives of ordinary citizens, but by the time a full evacuation procedure was completed, it would be too late. At this moment, God was most useful; one could pray anytime, anywhere, without waiting in line or making an appointment. However, He was busy, and whether He responded was another matter.
"Motherfucker!" Fury couldn't remember how many times he had cursed today. At least twice in this chapter, and possibly more to come.
At this moment, field personnel sent a communication: "Military convoy spotted two blocks away, Commander Glenn Talbot."
"Why would that idiot be out there?" Fury wondered.
Then he realized.
Major General Talbot, a powerful figure in the U.S. Military, was currently riding a wave of popularity and had his sights set on S.H.I.E.L.D. To turn "Major General" into "Major General," S.H.I.E.L.D. was undoubtedly a target.
Firstly, there were only so many total resources. If S.H.I.E.L.D. took a bit more, other departments would have to take a bit less.
What? You said S.H.I.E.L.D. was subordinate to the International Security Council, not a subordinate department of the U.S.?
Heh heh~
Headquartered in the U.S., with an American Director, core American members, and primarily active in the U.S., it was only missing the name "United States S.H.I.E.L.D." Its nominal affiliation was useless.
Secondly, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Agents and intelligence security mechanisms were deeply detested by the Military and politicians.
Whether the mechanism was good or not was hard to say.
It had its pros and cons.
S.H.I.E.L.D. turning into HYDRA-S.H.I.E.L.D. was inseparable from its "black box" security mechanism, but it couldn't be entirely blamed on the mechanism. Could other systems necessarily prevent HYDRA's parasitism?
Talbot's method was essentially to establish a public enemy, rally friends with common interests, and then, after defeating the wealthy, share the spoils.
See, isn't it similar to the "praise one, step on one" tactic in China's entertainment industry?
Don't overthink people's motives as too profound and mysterious.
Talbot didn't know the purpose of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s evacuation, but he opposed whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. approved, and approved whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. opposed.
If he couldn't kill you, he'd disgust you, provoke you, and then wait for you to make a mistake. Keyboard warriors and hypocrites were practically paragons of conscience and moral examples compared to the likes of Talbot.
Talbot was there to cause trouble for S.H.I.E.L.D., though if there was credit to be gained, he wouldn't mind taking some.
Field personnel requested: "Director, if they force their way in, should we use force to stop them?"
"No, no." Fury quickly said: "Let them in, be polite, remember to greet them with a smile. Perhaps this time next year, we'll be laying flowers at Major General Talbot's grave, so leave a good impression."
Fury secretly clenched his fist, "Glenn, Glenn, this is your own doing. God, please give him a strong hand."
Glenn Talbot, in his fifties, maintained an excellent appearance and physique, exuding a Military demeanor. He looked good and was eloquent, a prominent figure in the Military, a typical young hawk.
He was prepared to force his way in, but the guards not only didn't stop him but were very polite, their playful eyes making Talbot suspicious.
A trap?
Talbot looked at his bulletproof Military SUV and the light armored vehicles designed for urban combat that guarded him front and back, and his heart filled with strength.
Strength makes people brave.
Advance!
At this moment, Talbot was fearless. He seemed to envision Nick Fury's disgusted expression, as if he had been fed excrement, after Talbot caused him trouble.
Hmm, he was in a very pleasant mood.
Afterward, he should find a fallen woman to inject some excess positive energy, in the manner of pile driving.