Fifteen minutes later, inside the forest of the alternate dimension.
“So, Director Fury—tell me.
How exactly did you convince Tony to talk?”
“And why didn’t he come with you himself?”
Adrian Cross casually played with Celebi on his shoulder as he questioned Nick Fury, deliberately putting on a slightly displeased expression.
But inwardly, he was laughing his head off as he looked at the somewhat disheveled Fury.
Damn, that had felt good.
In truth, Adrian Cross had long since anticipated—and even tacitly accepted—that Tony might reveal his identity to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Although S.H.I.E.L.D.
had already been thoroughly infiltrated by Hydra, there was one unavoidable fact.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
participated in, and sometimes even initiated, the vast majority of major incidents.
It also possessed an enormous amount of intelligence.
That was why Adrian Cross had already been considering meeting this egg-headed Director for some time.
As for his intimidating display earlier?
That had simply been a show of force.
Adrian Cross knew there was no way he could match the King of Spies when it came to schemes, strategy, or political maneuvering.
So he had simply chosen to show Fury his greatest trump card from the very beginning—
Power!
“Tony is a scientific consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.
We recently gave him some research materials his father left behind.”
“As for Tony himself…
he’s busy studying those materials.”
Clearly, Adrian Cross’s strategy had worked.
After witnessing the power of Rayquaza and Celebi, even the King of Spies had been somewhat thrown off balance.
This time, Fury answered directly without holding much back.
“Research materials left by his father?”
Adrian Cross froze briefly before immediately understanding.
Nine times out of ten, those were the materials containing the solution to Tony’s palladium poisoning.
They contained an idea Tony’s father, Howard Stark, had developed years ago.
The new element conceived in those materials would ultimately solve the crisis Tony had originally faced.
Adrian Cross’s mood instantly worsened.
If Tony had already received the research his old man had left behind, didn’t that mean Adrian Cross’s mobile Point-generating ATM was about to disappear?
[Detected: The host has successfully altered the plot event ‘Tony Stark obtains the design data for the new element ahead of schedule.’]
[The host has obtained 200 System Points.]
The System’s sudden notification improved Adrian Cross’s mood somewhat.
“Still, I hope you understand that we bear you no ill will.
This is simply part of my responsibility.”
Seeing Adrian Cross suddenly fall silent, Fury’s heart skipped a beat.
He was genuinely worried that Rayquaza might swallow him whole in the next second.
“So, Director Fury—why exactly did you come to see me?”
Adrian Cross crossed one leg over the other and asked casually.
“Simply put, we want to confirm your identity and learn the origins of your two…
pets.”
“Tony didn’t tell you?”
“He didn’t.”
Fury gave a helpless look.
“In fact, if we hadn’t already suspected that you weren’t an ordinary person, he probably wouldn’t have told us anything about you at all.”
“That guy…
has some loyalty after all.”
Adrian Cross nodded in satisfaction.
“In that case, I can tell you this.
I’m from Earth, but I’m also a Summoner.”
“They are my summoned Pokémon, Celebi and Rayquaza—creatures from another dimension.”
What Adrian Cross said was half true and half false.
Nick Fury, however, was stunned.
“Wait.
Did you say another dimension?”
Coulson and Melinda were equally bewildered.
“That’s absurd, Adrian.”
Fury clearly didn’t believe him.
He had originally assumed that Celebi and Rayquaza were simply animals that had somehow awakened extraordinary abilities.
What Adrian Cross was saying now went completely beyond his understanding.
“You mean they’re aliens, right?”
Fury frowned.
“Not aliens.
They’re from another dimension.”
Adrian Cross cut him off before he could continue.
“Dimensions are special realms within the universe.
You can also think of them as alternate spaces.”
“For example, the space you’re standing in right now is itself a special dimension.”
Adrian Cross was now doing his absolute best to bluff Fury.
As long as he could thoroughly confuse the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., things would be much easier for him later.
Fury looked toward the distant Sky Pillar, momentarily unsure how to respond.
“But humanity has never discovered—”
“Actually, humanity discovered them long ago.”
Adrian Cross interrupted Fury again.
“As early as five hundred years ago, the sorcerers of the mystic arts had already discovered dimensions and begun studying them.”
“Their current leader, the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, mastered the ability to travel between different dimensions long ago.”
“…Sorcerers?
The Sorcerer Supreme?”
Nick Fury was completely dumbfounded.
If Adrian Cross hadn’t already demonstrated such mysterious powers, Fury would have seriously considered having the man committed.
“That’s right.
You may not know about them, but the Masters of the Mystic Arts have always been the most powerful magical force on Earth.”
“Like S.H.I.E.L.D., they are dedicated to protecting the peace of Earth.
The difference is that you protect Earth from internal threats, while they defend it against evil beings from beyond this world.”
Looking at Fury’s expression, Adrian Cross knew perfectly well that the King of Spies would never believe everything he said.
But Adrian Cross didn’t need him to.
“That sounds…
unbelievable.”
While Fury sank into thought, Coulson chose the perfect moment to continue the conversation.
“Then what exactly are these evil beings from beyond Earth you’re talking about?”
Adrian Cross inwardly praised Coulson for being the perfect straight man.
“There are plenty of them.”
“For example, Dormammu, ruler of the Dark Dimension, has always sought to spread the darkness of his realm across Earth.”
“Mephisto, a lord of Hell, constantly hungers for sinful souls to torment.”
“The Frost Giants of Jotunheim have long desired to turn Earth into a frozen wasteland and claim it as their territory.”
“Thanos, the cosmic warlord who commands the Black Order, intends to kill half of all life in the universe.”
“And then there’s Ronan the Accuser of the Kree Empire, rampaging through the universe with his forces.”
Adrian Cross rattled off name after name, all of them completely unfamiliar to his listeners.
But the instant he said the words Kree Empire…
Nick Fury finally believed him.
Fury had known for decades that threats existed beyond Earth.
He had simply believed that extraterrestrial civilizations had yet to launch an actual attack against the planet.
His expression grew increasingly grim.
Because if what Adrian Cross was saying was true, then everything S.H.I.E.L.D.
had accomplished over the years suddenly seemed almost laughable.
They had always regarded themselves as Earth’s protectors.
Yet the greatest threats facing the planet had apparently been held at bay by someone else all along, while everything S.H.I.E.L.D.
had been doing looked almost like children playing games by comparison!
And that realization gave Nick Fury an overwhelming sense of crisis.
Fury was suspicious of everyone by nature.
There was no way he could accept leaving Earth’s survival entirely in someone else’s hands.
So…
“Mr.
Adrian Cross, I would like you to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Fury had completely abandoned his original objective in coming here—
Getting Adrian Cross to join S.H.I.E.L.D.
After this conversation, he had already realized that Adrian Cross’s perspective and the scale on which he viewed the world were simply on a different level from his own.
So Fury could only settle for the next best thing.
“In the future, if we encounter matters involving the supernatural, we may request your assistance.
Every time you help us, we can provide appropriate compensation.
Of course, you will always have the right to refuse.”
“All information concerning you will remain confidential.
No one, including the Security Council, will be able to bypass S.H.I.E.L.D.
to access your information, and no one will be permitted to interfere with your life.”
“In addition, you’ll receive all the privileges afforded to senior S.H.I.E.L.D.
personnel.”
The sheer generosity of the terms made Coulson and Melinda stare at their boss in disbelief.
Adrian Cross looked at Nick Fury for a moment.
Then he gave a slight nod.
“Deal.”