"More important than that?"
Arthur had noticed Natasha holding a folder earlier, but he hadn't expected the sudden, urgent return to official business.
He sat up straighter, asking immediately, "What happened?"
"According to the latest intelligence I've received, this Hydra base we're investigating is not quite what we originally thought," Natasha explained, the official dossier open on the table. "There's one particularly critical detail that was overlooked before, but now, with solid evidence, it's been confirmed: Loki's staff is currently inside that base."
"Loki's staff?"
At the mention of the Asgardian artifact, even Arthur's calm facade shattered.
His brows furrowed deeply. "I remember that after the whole Loki incident, that staff was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. But later, they claimed it was lost, didn't they?"
Natasha nodded, watching him. "What are you thinking?"
Arthur rubbed his temples, a gesture of profound mental exertion. "It's too early to say anything concrete. Whatever I say now would just be speculation. I need to focus."
"Getting ahead of yourself will only cloud your judgment," Natasha agreed. "Loki's staff itself might not be a huge deal. Asgardian artifacts are often beyond human comprehension anyway. But… if someone has been researching it, if they've managed to uncover something from it, that could put us at a devastating disadvantage."
Arthur narrowed his eyes, the gravity of the situation settling in. "What I'm more curious about is… what exactly did S.H.I.E.L.D. want to do with it?"
Natasha looked at him in silence, letting the question hang heavy in the air.
Arthur's expression darkened, and he finally closed his eyes, sighing. "I still trust that one-eyed bastard's principles. He wouldn't play mind games with me at a time like this. What's really worth worrying about… is whether S.H.I.E.L.D. is truly clean anymore. Whether Hydra's rot has spread deeper than we know."
Natasha nodded gravely. "Perhaps the biggest mistake ever made was recruiting that doctor into S.H.I.E.L.D., that was the seed of all this poison."
"Unfortunately, history can't be rewritten… time can't go back."
Arthur seemed suddenly distant, lost in thought. If he could somehow return to that moment seventy years ago, the moment he first reappeared in this world, would he still make the same choices?
More importantly, if he brought all his current memories back to that time… could he prevent so many tragedies from happening?
Would he still board Red Skull's plane?
Or… would his life unfold with entirely new possibilities?
Arthur shook his head, pushing the dizzying thoughts away, and refocused on the woman in front of him. "Natasha, I need you to shift your priorities. I want every single level of S.H.I.E.L.D., top to bottom, brought under your surveillance. Remember, your eyes only."
"Absolute secrecy?" Natasha asked, already calculating the staggering logistics of the task.
"Absolute secrecy," Arthur said firmly. "This matter is to be classified under top-level security clearance. Unless it directly involves someone, even I won't have access to it unless more than half of the Superhero Alliance members vote to unlock it."
Natasha gave a slow, professional nod. "Understood. But this may be harder than you think."
"No matter how hard it is, we'll find a way to make it happen." Arthur leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Maybe this isn't the perfect solution, but given our current circumstances, it's necessary. I can accept S.H.I.E.L.D.'s existence, no matter what their public operations are. But I cannot accept a corrupted S.H.I.E.L.D.
"So this organization, this institution, every single person in it must fall within our scope of vision. To preserve operational independence, their data can be placed in a classified archive. But if anything happens, I refuse to find myself powerless again, having all this strength yet not knowing where to use it… that's the worst feeling in the world."
Natasha accepted his directive without question. "Then what about this Hydra base?"
"I wasn't planning to go personally," Arthur admitted, "but since Loki's staff is involved… I'm afraid I'll have to make the trip myself."
"Loki's staff…"
Natasha looked at Arthur, her eyes narrowing slightly as she connected the dots.
Arthur nodded, confirming her silent query. "In this universe, the six Infinity Gems are the foundation of all cosmic energy. The gem embedded in Loki's staff… is one of those six, the Mind Stone! This object cannot be allowed to fall into anyone's hands. It must be under my personal control!"
Natasha nodded as she took detailed mental notes.
At that moment, Arthur suddenly sighed, his posture slumping slightly. "Am I… being too domineering?"
The Superhero Alliance now held immense, almost global influence.
Whether in wealth, technology, or the rapidly rising military and political powers of various nations, its reach had already begun to spread across the world.
Yet Arthur had never intended to interfere too deeply in Earth's internal affairs.
His focus had always been, and should be, on preparing for threats from beyond the planet.
But this time was different.
A strange and uneasy feeling stirred in Arthur's heart, a chilling premonition that if this matter were left unchecked, the balance of power across Earth might be completely redrawn.
For Arthur, given the current circumstances, that was something he absolutely could not allow.
The universe outside was chaotic enough. The Earth had to remain calm.
Stability and steady, rapid progress, that was the world Arthur was fighting to secure.
"I understand every step of your plan," Natasha said, rising to her feet, her expression serious and focused. "From now on, I'll prioritize this matter above all else and handle it as quickly as possible. But… I'm afraid it may not have much immediate impact on the immediate threats we're facing."
"That's all right," Arthur replied quietly. "We'll simply wait and watch. When we're in a position where all we can do is move forward, we stay alert. There may be vipers lurking in the grass, but as long as we remain vigilant, those vipers will expose themselves before they bare their fangs."
Natasha looked deeply at Arthur for a long moment, then suddenly, the intensity broke into a genuine, heartfelt smile.
"As expected… this side of you is the most captivating. I've realized that the way I love you is different from the way Lily does. What I love is your idealism, your goals, the heroic image you planted in my heart ever since we were young. When I finally met you in person, that image came to life. That's why I fell in love with you, without hesitation…
"But Lily, she loves you simply because you are you. The human behind the hero."
(End of Chapter)
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