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Given the current situation, Nick Fury didn't dare make a single careless move. In fact, he couldn't afford to act at all.
With H.Y.D.R.A.'s infiltration reaching such a horrifying level, every decision he made, every order he gave, would inevitably be observed. Watched. Analyzed. Even the slightest irregularity would stand out like a flare in the dark.
Which meant that right now, the one thing Fury absolutely could not do was openly strike at H.Y.D.R.A., attempt to purge them, or try to sever their influence within S.H.I.E.L.D. Any move like that would be nothing short of suicide. It would fail before it even began.
What Fury needed to do instead was far more difficult.
He needed patience.
He needed to quietly cultivate his own power.
Only when he had accumulated enough strength, enough leverage, would he be able to face H.Y.D.R.A. directly.
Until then?
He would have to pretend he knew nothing.
He would let H.Y.D.R.A. continue hollowing out S.H.I.E.L.D. from the inside. He would even play along when necessary, acting as their weapon if that's what it took to avoid suspicion.
Because the moment he revealed himself…
It would all be over.
Fortunately, Fury still had one critical advantage: the power of the Glare-Glare Fruit. That ability allowed him to secretly observe, plan, and prepare, completely beyond H.Y.D.R.A.'s awareness. When it came to quietly building his own forces, they couldn't interfere even if they wanted to.
That alone was a small but vital comfort.
And when it came to building real power, there was one factor Fury couldn't ignore under any circumstances...
Devil Fruit users.
Individuals who wielded bizarre, rule-breaking abilities. People who could bend reality, rewrite battlefields, and change the fate of the world itself. If Fury could secure the loyalty of more Devil Fruit users, he was confident that even reclaiming S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be an impossible dream.
Unfortunately…
That was exactly where the problem lay.
Because of the strict purchase limits imposed by the Shopkeeper, Fury could only create three Devil Fruit users in total, himself included.
The Shopkeeper had mentioned that becoming a "member" could increase one's quota, but what actually qualified someone as a member remained a mystery.
That uncertainty gnawed at Fury, leaving a quiet frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior. Still, he knew better than to rush things.
For now, all he could do was assign Natasha, Black Widow, to gather intelligence discreetly. If she uncovered even the slightest hint about the membership requirements, she was to report back immediately.
Beyond that, Fury had no choice but to wait.
"Besides that…" Fury muttered softly, rubbing his temples as he reorganized his thoughts.
As much as he wanted to avoid doing anything that might alert H.Y.D.R.A., there was one issue he simply couldn't ignore.
The Iron Man armor.
H.Y.D.R.A.'s secret development of powered exoskeletons hadn't escaped his notice. With the Glare-Glare Fruit, every shadowy experiment and hidden facility had already been exposed to his sight.
Fury knew exactly where they stood. The armor was nearly complete.
They were missing only one thing...
A power source.
Once that final hurdle was cleared, H.Y.D.R.A. would possess the most terrifying weapon humanity had ever seen. And if that armor were ever mass-produced…
They wouldn't just threaten the world. They would own it.
That wasn't paranoia. It was reality.
Even with the situation stacked heavily against him, Nick Fury knew he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
He had to interfere.
As for the "partner" of Howard Stark that Marco was thinking about, Fury knew exactly who that was.
Fury possessed far more knowledge about the events of that era than most people ever would. Howard Stark had trusted him deeply enough to leave certain items in Fury's care, meant to be passed on to Tony Stark when the time was right.
In terms of intelligence alone, Fury already held a natural advantage.
And when that was combined with the Glare-Glare Fruit, a near god-tier ability for surveillance and tracking, the advantage became overwhelming. With enough caution and precision, Fury was confident he could locate Anton Vanko before H.Y.D.R.A. ever laid a hand on him.
No matter what it took, Anton Vanko could not be allowed to fall into H.Y.D.R.A.'s grasp.
Silently, Fury made his decision.
*Knock! Knock!*
The sharp sound pulled him from his thoughts. Fury looked up just as the door opened, revealing his most trusted agent standing there.
"Natasha, come in," he said, gesturing casually.
Black Widow stepped into the office, posture straight and expression composed.
"Well?" Fury asked, glancing at her with his "good eye." His tone was relaxed, but his focus was razor-sharp.
Natasha shook her head slightly. "No progress. They're not interested in joining any kind of superpowered task force."
She hesitated briefly before continuing, "Sir, if I may be honest… they're not agent material. I think this plan might be a little unrealistic."
And she wasn't wrong.
Nick Fury had already begun laying the groundwork for a superpowered team, much earlier than in the original timeline.
Another ripple caused by Rosh's butterfly effect.
"Natasha," Fury said calmly but firmly, "you were there during the Afghanistan operation. You saw it firsthand. No one understands the combat potential of that kind of team better than you."
Initially, Fury's interest in recruiting Devil Fruit users had been purely practical. The Shopkeeper's purchase limits made it impossible for him to create many ability users himself, so recruiting those who already possessed powers was the most efficient alternative.
That alone had justified the effort.
But after witnessing the sheer dominance of the Devil Fruit user combat squad in Afghanistan, Fury's mindset had changed. Now, with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s deep corruption by H.Y.D.R.A. fully exposed, his options had grown even narrower.
This was no longer just a strategy. It was a necessity.
That was why Natasha had been reaching out, evaluating, and testing potential candidates nonstop. Unfortunately, the results had been far from ideal.
"They're either violent, lawless types," Natasha continued, "or people at the very top, elites with influence, wealth, and power. Neither group is easy to control, let alone recruit."
Fury nodded slowly, his expression steady. None of this surprised him in the slightest.
"I figured as much," he said. "Then we'll take our time."
He leaned back slightly, voice calm but resolute. "Slow and steady. That's the only way forward."
"Yes, sir, and that's exactly what I wanted to brief you on," Natasha continued, her voice steady and precise.
"Wade Wilson. Former mercenary. He's technically retired now and selling skincare products of all things, but that's just a phase. Someone like him can't endure a peaceful, mundane life for long."
"There's still too much restlessness in his blood."
She paused briefly before adding, "If Pepper Potts was able to hire him to help rescue Tony Stark, then there's no reason we can't employ him for other… specialized assignments."
Fury remained silent, listening closely.
"Next is Wilson Fisk," Natasha went on. "He's grown tired of ruling the underworld from the shadows. Lately, he's been making moves toward legitimacy, clean businesses, and public investments. According to my intel, he's even harboring political ambitions."
Then her tone shifted slightly.
"And Trish. She's impulsive, idealistic, and deeply obsessed with justice. She wants to punish criminals, stand in the spotlight, and be recognized as a hero."
"What she craves isn't money or power," Natasha said bluntly. "It's applause. Admiration."
She finished with a quiet sigh. "As for Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane, I didn't attempt contact. My reach simply isn't enough to deal with people at that level."
Nick Fury nodded silently to himself.
Each of the three names Natasha had listed came with clear motivations and equally clear vulnerabilities. Weak points that could be leveraged, approached carefully, and turned into opportunities.
They were, without question, prime candidates for targeted recruitment.
And as for the others? Even those who seemed unreachable for now weren't crossed off Fury's list.
Because giving up had never been his style.
Not now. Not ever.
The bald man played the long game.
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Next Chapter: The Secret Rhodey Wasn't Ready For
Next Next Chapter: War Machine Goes Shopping
Next Next Next Chapter: War Machine's Best Match
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