The next day, after completing all his preparations, Lucas flew directly to the recently renovated S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Under a barrage of gazes filled with mixed emotions—fear, curiosity, awe—Lucas walked straight into Nick Fury's office.
"Good morning, Nick Fury," Lucas greeted casually, looking at bald man behind the desk.
"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" Nick Fury asked calmly.
"I want the Tesseract," Lucas said bluntly, getting straight to the point.
Nick Fury's pupils instantly contracted.
"Lucas, you should understand what that object means to S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury said without hesitation.
"We seized it from Germany and HYDRA at the cost of countless soldiers' lives."
"Captain Steve Rogers even sacrificed his life because of it."
There was no point pretending ignorance—if Lucas had come in person, secrecy was already meaningless.
Lucas wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled.
"You've been sitting on a ticking time bomb for decades," he said.
"And despite all that time, you don't even understand the surface of it."
"Worse yet, your repeated attempts to activate it have already drawn the attention of its former owner—and other… entities."
Nick Fury slammed his hands onto the desk and stood up.
"You're saying alien civilizations have set their sights on Earth?"
"And not the friendly kind," Lucas added calmly.
Fury's gaze sharpened.
"Who are they?"
"Cosmic pirates. Asgardians. Universal warlords. And others," Lucas replied casually.
"Enough," Fury cut him off.
"Even so, I will not hand the Tesseract over to you."
"Nick Fury."
The smile vanished from Lucas's face.
He stepped forward, an overwhelming pressure flooding the room as he stared down at Fury.
"I am not asking you."
"I am not negotiating with you."
"I am ordering you to hand over the Tesseract."
"You don't have that authority!" Fury growled.
The crushing pressure forced Nick Fury to one knee, yet he clenched his teeth and refused to yield.
Lucas folded his arms, looking down at him.
"What are you relying on?"
"The fact that your name is Nick Fury?"
"Or the fact that eight out of ten people in S.H.I.E.L.D. are HYDRA agents?"
Fury froze.
"You knew all along?!"
At the same time, his hand subtly moved, pressing a hidden button beneath the corner of his desk.
Lucas snorted.
"After World War II, you people absorbed every mad scientist and 'talent' you could find," he said coldly.
"If HYDRA hadn't infiltrated you, that would've been the real miracle."
Then he smiled again.
"Oh, right. You also formed the Avengers, didn't you?"
"The button you just pressed should bring them here within ten minutes."
"Let me think… Right now, you've got Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America—who you pulled out of the Arctic."
"And Tony Stark. He joined exactly as you planned."
"Oh, and the Hulk. You dragged him back from Calcutta, though he still can't control himself when he transforms."
Lucas tilted his head.
"So tell me—are they why you think you can stand up to me?"
Nick Fury's eyes were filled with disbelief.
These were classified plans, known only to a handful of people.
How could Lucas possibly know all this?
Was he monitoring S.H.I.E.L.D. constantly?
Or did he possess some kind of precognition?
He did not.
This was a psychological game.
Lucas knew Fury too well.
After the Atlantis incident, a hyper-vigilant Fury would definitely accelerate the Avengers Initiative.
And the people Lucas named were exactly the strongest assets Fury could mobilize the fastest.
Fury's reaction confirmed everything.
"What you're seeing today," Lucas said coldly,
"is me personally explaining to you that in front of true power—"
"They are meaningless."
"Oh, one more thing."
Lucas snapped his fingers.
"The Tesseract is currently stored in the Adirondack Mountains, New York—inside the joint S.H.I.E.L.D.–NASA Dark Energy Research Facility, correct?"
"The Pegasus Project," he added with disdain.
"A truly awful name."
Nick Fury's face had turned ashen.
"So this was your plan all along," Fury said hoarsely.
"Ever since the Philadelphia incident—everything was for the Tesseract."
Lucas shook his head in disappointment.
"Nick Fury, your vision is far too narrow."
"You think I did all this just to obtain the Tesseract?"
He scoffed.
"You of all people should know what's out there—Kree, Skrulls, the Shi'ar Empire."
"You've got a pager in your pocket that can summon Carol Danvers—the woman you believe is Earth's final trump card."
"Am I wrong?"
Nick Fury's legs gave out again, and he collapsed back into his chair.
"Hm. By now, Hawkeye should've arrived."
Lucas glanced at the clock, then turned toward the door.
"He's probably got people waiting outside."
He walked over and opened the door himself.
The moment it slid open, dozens of gun barrels were aimed straight at him.
"You don't actually think these can threaten me, do you?" Lucas asked with a disturbingly gentle smile.
The agents exchanged uneasy glances.
They all knew what had happened in Gotham.
Weapons that terrified Atlantis hadn't even scratched Lucas—what chance did they have?
And more importantly—
Lucas Reed was a recognized hero of humanity, officially endorsed by America.
One agent lowered his weapon.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, every gun was lowered.
"Good," Lucas said calmly.
"Now return to your posts."
Without hesitation, the agents turned and left.
Nick Fury's bald head bulged with veins.
"Hawkeye," Lucas said casually, glancing toward a corner.
"Come out. I don't think you want me punching you."
Two seconds later, a hand appeared—then Clint Barton stepped out awkwardly.
"I surrender," Hawkeye said immediately.
"Please don't hit me. I really don't want to spend the next few months in a hospital bed."
Just then—
"Hey, Lucas—what's going on here?"
Outside the office window, Tony Stark, wearing the Mark VI armor, hovered in midair.
"Oh, Tony," Lucas said lightly,
"Nick Fury was about to have you beat me up."
"What?" Tony's shocked voice echoed from the armor.
The faceplate snapped open, and Tony stared at Fury like he was insane.
"Oh, hell no."
"Nick Fury," Tony snapped,
"Have you completely lost your mind, or did you wake up today and decide to eat stupidity for breakfast?"
_____
T/N:
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