The elevator ride was quiet. Fury stood at the front, staring at the floor numbers as they changed. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week, his shoulders set in a stiff line that made his long coat look heavy.
"You've been keeping to yourself in Georgetown, Adrian," Fury said.
"That was the plan," I replied.
The doors opened with a dull thud. We stepped out onto a metal walkway that felt small compared to the size of the room.
Below us, three Helicarriers sat in their cradles. They were massive, grey, and covered in enough weapons to level a city. And they didn't look like the ship from the New York fight. These looked different, like they were built to hunt.
"Project Insight," Fury said, leaning his weight against the railing. "Three of them, all linked to a satellite grid."
I looked at the long-range cannons. I knew the specs. I knew Stark's tech was what kept them in the air, and I knew the software was already sorting through millions of names.
"We find the threat before it happens," Fury said. He didn't sound like he was bragging. He just sounded certain. "We neutralize it before anyone gets hurt."
"You're aiming a gun at the whole planet, Nick," I said.
Fury looked at me, his expression remain flat. "It's about safety, Adrian. New York changed things. We can't just wait around for the next hit. We have to move first."
"By deciding who gets to live from a basement?"
Fury's jaw tightened. He looked back down at the ships. "This system keeps people safe. It's security."
"It's a target," I said. I stayed a few feet back from the railing. "You've spent your life in the shadows. You know how people are. You build something this big and this perfect, and you're just begging someone to steal the keys."
"The security on this is my business," Fury said, his voice dropping. "It's locked down."
I didn't push it. I knew Alexander Pierce was probably watching us right now. I knew the servers downstairs were already running a ghost of a man who'd been dead for decades. Fury was standing in a trap he'd built himself, and he was proud of how solid the walls were.
"You're trusting everyone in this building to be as honest as you are," I said. "That's a lot of people to bet on. You've handed out a remote control for every life on the street and you're just hoping the guy holding it stays your friend."
Fury looked back at his fleet. I could see the doubt flicker in his eyes, just for a second, before he pushed it back down. He was a smart man, but he was too deep into his own plan to see the flaws.
"It's what the world needs," he muttered. "People are scared."
"The world doesn't change, Nick." I looked at the lead carrier.
The silence between us stretch long.
"Don't be surprised when the locks fail," I added.
I turned and headed back to the elevator. Fury didn't move. He stayed there on the walkway, a small figure next to the machines he'd built to keep the world in line.
As the elevator rose, I watched him through the glass. He wanted to protect everyone, but he'd forgotten that once you build a cage, you don't always get to decide who goes inside.
I walked out into the D.C. afternoon. The city felt tense, like it was waiting for another crack.