"Pfft... cough, cough, cough!"
Standing to the side, Natasha finally failed to keep a straight face. Although she quickly masked it with a series of coughs, her trembling shoulders completely betrayed her current mood.
Nick Fury's single eye snapped toward her, his gaze as cold as a Siberian blizzard. In response, Natasha simply blinked her emerald eyes innocently and, stifling a laugh, spoke up: "I just remembered something funny."
Before Nick Fury could ask what was so funny, he heard a faint "kuku-ku" sound from behind him.
He turned to find Agent Coulson's face flushed bright red, his body shaking like a leaf. One might have thought he was having an asthma attack!
Motherf—!
Fury felt like committing a triple homicide right then and there. But considering that Peter—his literal living ancestor at this point—was right in front of him, he could only suppress his rage and explain:
"Peter, I didn't mean..."
"Hmm?!"
Peter let out a single sharp nasal grunt, and Fury was forced to humiliate himself further by changing his form of address:
"Arbiter, listen to my explanation. HYDRA has not been destroyed. On the contrary, they disguised themselves as scientists and infiltrated America through Operation Paperclip. They remain a massive threat to national security!"
"Oh~" Peter acted as if he had just seen the light. "No wonder someone like you could become the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. It all makes sense now."
Fury: "..."
He wanted to slam the desk in fury, only to realize the desk had already been atomized by Peter. He was forced to white-knuckle his own pants. After a long pause, he pretended he hadn't heard the insult and continued:
"That's not the point. The point is that once the Captain is resurrected, he will serve as a deterrent! He can personally identify high-level HYDRA members, helping us root them out!"
Fury put on an expression of deep concern for the country, hoping to move Peter. But Peter just leisurely sipped his coffee, dropping words that made Fury want to explode:
"Look at you, getting all anxious again!"
"I never said I wouldn't help. I was just critiquing your terrible lying skills. I told Natasha from the start: as long as you can afford the price, I don't mind solving some small troubles for you."
"So... demonstrating my power counts as one favor. Waking the Captain counts as a second."
"Two favors. S.H.I.E.L.D. will owe me twice. That's reasonable, right?"
Fury's grip nearly tore his trousers. Even facing the military or high-level government officials, he had never been this passive! But he had no choice. If the boy across from him decided to flip the table, they'd all be buried with it.
For the Avengers Initiative... to save S.H.I.E.L.D. astronomical financial costs... to get a strategic-level 'Priest' who can raise the dead...
Fury muttered these justifications to himself like a mantra before squeezing the words through his teeth: "Fine. I agree."
The moment the words left his mouth, Nick Fury felt like he had aged ten years.
"Then, let's start with the demonstration." Finishing his coffee, Peter stretched and stood up.
Fury instantly perked up, already debating whether to have Peter heal his blind eye. He had hidden many secrets behind that iris, after all. But while he was agonizing over the decision, he saw Peter teleport directly in front of Coulson.
"What's your name?"
Coulson, looking flattered and a bit overwhelmed, replied: "I am Level 8 S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson, sir!"
"Great. Relax."
Peter patted his shoulder with a smile and then placed a hand squarely on top of his head.
Eh? Coulson froze. Nick Fury also froze. What was this kid doing?
In the next second, a soft, warm white light erupted from Peter's palm, instantly enveloping Coulson.
Coulson felt a warm current surge through his body. Wherever it passed, chronic issues like lumbar strain, rheumatism, and... ahem... kidney deficiency and frequent urination vanished like melting snow.
But what truly shocked him was... his head felt incredibly itchy. Like he was growing... something.
Coulson instinctively reached up to feel. His fingertips didn't meet a smooth scalp. They met a layer of dense... stubble!
He looked at a nearby mirror. Watching the hair sprouting and rapidly lengthening on his crown, he nearly burst into tears of joy.
"I've grown hair! Sir Arbiter, thank you!" Coulson shouted in excitement. He had been saving up for a hair transplant; this just saved him a fortune.
The joys and sorrows of men are rarely shared. At this moment, Nick Fury just found the room very noisy.
Motherf—!
Are you deaf?! I told you to demonstrate your power FOR ME! What the hell do you mean by curing my subordinate's baldness?!
Seeing Coulson's "newly-haired" and utterly undignified joy made Fury even angrier. Dammit, I want hair too!
"COULSON!"
A low growl, suppressed with endless rage, erupted from Fury's teeth.
"Ah? Director?" Coulson snapped out of his euphoria, looking at Fury's face and realizing a bit too late that he had... perhaps lost his composure.
But he couldn't help it! The Arbiter chose him! Coulson silently stroked his flowing new locks, unsure of what to say.
Peter's smile deepened. This was exactly what he wanted. Shatter Fury's ego, undermine his authority, and use his powers to buy the loyalty of his most capable men. In the long run... who really calls the shots at S.H.I.E.L.D. won't be up to the Nick Fury
Peter turned back to Fury with a faux-innocent look. "Mr. Nick Fury, are you satisfied with my demonstration?"
"Sat... satisfied!" Noticing Peter's "kind" smile, Fury lost his nerve again. He was being played like a fiddle!
"Good. Now take me to the Captain. Once he's awake, I need to head home."
With an expression like he was attending his own mother's funeral, Fury led Peter to the lab. There, Peter saw Steve Rogers, frozen like a human popsicle.
Placing his hand on the ice, Peter activated his ability. The thick ice encasing the Captain began to melt at an impossible speed.
Under the gazes of Fury, Coulson, and Natasha—who were now looking at Peter—the ice vanished completely, and Captain America opened his eyes.
The moment he did, a very flippant voice rang in his ear:
"Oi~! How about a little spar to warm your bones?"
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