New York, The Foundation's temporary base. Hill put down the phone that had been ringing incessantly, turned it off, and then looked up to ask Coulson, "How many places has he been?"
"Three: Sokovia, Russia, Nepal."
"How long did it take?"
"A little over a minute."
Looking at Hill's expression, Coulson added, "He has a teleportation-like ability, that's not surprising."
Hill shook her head, "I'm not wondering why he can appear in so many places in such a short time; what I don't understand is why he had to go to these places."
Coulson frowned, "Didn't they say anything?"
Hill sneered, "Although they wouldn't tell me directly even if they knew what happened, I estimate that they don't even know what exactly happened yet. Otherwise, they wouldn't have adjusted their tone to be so gentle, and even with a hint of weakness."
"That's to be expected; they should be afraid."
"If they were good people, they shouldn't be afraid. This only exposes their guilt from top to bottom, inside and out."
Coulson shrugged, "That was never a secret."
Hill threw the phone aside and turned back to ask, "Do you think he is a good person?"
Hearing this, Coulson instinctively turned his head to look around, then lowered his voice and said cautiously, "I know what you mean, but I don't think discussing this has any practical significance, since we are all working for him now."
Whether Hong Fei was a good person or not, Coulson knew very well. Stop kidding, would a good person make a man as approachable as him laugh until he fainted while facing a wall? Hill seemed to have thought of something too, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, "Fine, let's not talk about this. What do you guess he is doing in those places?"
Coulson looked at the very blurry photo on the tablet, pondered for a moment, and said, "I think he is probably doing something good this time."
"How so?"
Coulson turned the screen to face Hill and zoomed in on the blurry appearance of the iron armor in the screen, "Because he is wearing this iron armor with a clearly different color scheme."
Hill glanced at it, "I've seen it. During the Dark Elves invasion, he wore this iron armor to repel the attack."
"Yes, but his subsequent appearances switched to the black iron armor, and now it has changed to red."
Hill frowned, "You mean, different colored iron armor represents different meanings for him?"
Coulson nodded, "Hmm, someone brought up this question at the press conference hosted by Captain Rogers, but the Captain refuted it on the spot. However, I thought about this question carefully afterward, and I feel that although the media who raised the question definitely had bad intentions, the fundamental logic of their analysis is very likely correct."
Hill watched intently, and Coulson continued, "This iron armor only has three colors: red, yellow, and white. Red is the most prominent, yellow is secondary, and white is the least. We all know what red represents, the yellow dragon pattern confirms its source, and white should just be the stripe on the edge of the flag or used to embellish the eyes of the iron armor. In short, whether it is the design or the color scheme, this iron armor is impossible to separate from a certain place. Moreover, he is ethnically Chinese, so I think this colored iron armor must have a special symbolic meaning."
Hill was very smart and immediately realized it upon hearing this.
"So you mean, by wearing this iron armor, he must be a good person and will definitely do good things?"
"Uh... that's roughly what I mean, but I don't think it's that absolute, because he was never a person easily seen through by others."
Hill nodded first, but then her expression became serious.
"If your guess is correct, then I have to be even more worried about what he is doing. I can't fathom how dire the situation must be to push him into revealing his powers so blatantly," Hill said, her brow furrowed.
"He's risking exposure, harassment from governments—all to carry out these destructive acts in front of civilians."
Coulson nodded, snapping out of his thoughts. The two exchanged a glance, their unease palpable. The Dark Elves' invasion still lingered in their minds, its fallout not yet fully understood. What could be coming next? Coulson broke the silence.
"Tony and the others are already in Washington."
"I know," Hill replied. "They've locked down S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. What's strange is that none of the Dragon King's people are involved."
"Do you think it's connected?" Coulson asked. Hill shook her head.
"I don't know."
She hesitated, then turned the question back on him.
"What's your take on Mr. Pierce?"
Coulson didn't miss a beat.
"I used to respect him deeply. Fury trusted him, so I did too. But after what happened with the Captain... I'm not so sure anymore."
"Exactly," Hill agreed.
"I think Pierce is at the heart of this."
Coulson's mind raced as he considered the implications. Hill pressed on.
"And whatever it is, it's going to be massive—far-reaching." Coulson hesitated, then suggested, "Should I reach out to Mr. Xu?"
"Yes," Hill nodded.
"It'll help us prepare. And keep an eye on his movements."
"Understood," Coulson replied.
Meanwhile, in the Cairo suburbs near the Khufu Pyramid, the scene was anything but ordinary. The towering pyramid rose from the golden sands, its ancient stones bathed in the harsh equatorial sunlight.
As dusk approached, the glare of the setting sun made it hard to keep one's eyes open. Suddenly, a Portal opened above the pyramid, and Hong Fei descended in his sleek iron armor. The commotion drew the attention of tourists who were about to leave, their gazes snapping back to the spectacle.
The nuke was inside the pyramid—a baffling feat, given the narrow entrance and tight local security. HYDRA's reach was clearly formidable. As Hong Fei descended, a burst of golden Dragon Power erupted from him, and a White Dragon surged out of the light. It circled the pyramid before diving toward the entrance. Just as the dragon's head was about to breach the pyramid, a blinding yellow light exploded from the ground.
The sandy terrain trembled violently, sending dust and rocks spiraling into the air. The wind howled as the debris coalesced, forming a massive humanoid figure. When the dust settled, the creature stood taller than the pyramid itself.
Its body, crafted from gravel, solidified under a golden glow. It had the torso of a man but the head of an eagle, its beak sharp as a blade and eyes piercing. Above its head floated a radiant disc resembling the sun, encircled by a massive serpent.
Its sandy skin shimmered with light, every inch glowing with power. Hong Fei froze for a moment, stunned by the sudden appearance of the colossal being. But the reactions of the people below snapped him back to reality.
Locals dropped to their knees, worshipping the giant with fervent cries, tears streaming down their faces as their excitement reached a fever pitch. The sight was like devout believers witnessing their long-worshipped deity descending in broad daylight.
"Ra."
The name spilled from their lips. Hong Fei recognized him instantly—the Sun God of ancient Egyptian mythology. But the real question was: how could he actually exist? The White Dragon turned to face the colossal figure. Their gazes locked, and the being spoke first. The eagle-like beak parted, "Outer god, leave this place."
It could think. The White Dragon frowned and addressed the crowd for the first time, his voice resonating like a bronze bell, "I am not a god."
To which the deity immediately countered, "Do not lie. You bear both a god's aura and a god's station."
After a deliberate pause, Ra continued, "Eastern deity, this is no place for you. Depart at once!"
As he spoke, the crimson disc above his head—the symbol of the sun—began rotating. The massive serpent coiled around it stirred, its arrowhead-shaped face turning toward the White Dragon as its forked tongue flicked out. Hong Fei glanced at the thousands of prostrate humans and the distant city before stating firmly, "I'll leave after retrieving what I came for."
He whirled toward the pyramid—only for Ra's voice to boom behind him before he'd taken three steps, "You will take nothing!"
The whoosh of something massive cutting through air came rushing at his back. The White Dragon spun and unleashed a torrent of golden Dragon Power from his maw. The blast collided with red beams shooting from Ra's solar disc, triggering a cataclysmic explosion that warped the very air. The kneeling crowd flattened against the sand, some burying half their faces in the grit. The White Dragon snapped his jaws shut.
"I told you—I'm no god. I recognize your divinity, but I'm not here to steal from you. I'm dealing with the catastrophe about to strike this place."
"Outer god, leave this place!"
Ra kept repeating the same phrase, his expression utterly implacable.
"You really want to fight me?"
"This is not your domain."
"I mean no harm."
"You are unwelcome."
Hong Fei studied his opponent anew—not the towering physique, but the divine energy thrumming within. As an ancient Sun God, Ra's power fell short of Odin's but surpassed most deities, certainly eclipsing the current Thor. But what good was strength without sense? Learning Ra's identity had initially thrilled Hong Fei—slaying a god promised rich rewards and accelerated Dragon Power fusion.
Yet time was slipping away. The nuclear device inside the pyramid wouldn't wait. Hong Fei feinted another charge. The humans below erupted in furious curses while Ra, equally displeased, launched another assault. After trading blows, Hong Fei realized breaching Ra's defense quickly was impossible. He wheeled about.
"Last chance—let me pass?"
"Leave this place!"
Ra remained steadfast.
"Fine! Have it your way!"
With a shake of his head, Hong Fei vanished through a portal. Cheers erupted across the planet. The great Sun God Ra drove away the number one superhero on Earth. Their god reigned supreme! Not even the Thunder God could compare! Watching the White Dragon disappear, Ra's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. His gaze drifted to the ant-like humans groveling at his feet, his face settling into serene detachment.
But the triumph would prove short-lived. After a tense ten seconds, Ra's body blazed with divine light once more, shedding a cascade of fine gravel from his form. Just as he prepared to depart, his massive eagle head twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees—fixing its piercing gaze on the pyramid behind him. The ancient structure trembled violently before erupting outward with catastrophic force.
Enormous stone blocks hurtled through the air, propelled by the shockwave. Cracks spiderwebbed up the pyramid's sides, splintering its corners and core within seconds. Then—light. A searing, blinding flash tore from the heart of the ruins. Ra, the Sun God himself, stared as humanity's imitation sun bloomed before his eyes. Moments later, a monstrous mushroom cloud unfurled over the African horizon.
At the same time as this abrupt and abnormal explosion occurred, research facilities across the globe lit up with frantic alerts. Data streams flooded in, monitors screaming with unprecedented readings. Governments and shadowy organizations alike scrambled to analyze the event—and in that instant, the world finally grasped what the Dragon King had been orchestrating all along.