The next day.
Washington, D.C.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Inside the Triskelion, Nick Fury stood with a stern expression, eyes locked on the holographic display before him.
Beside him stood Black Widow Natasha and Hawkeye Barton, both equally grave.
Fury shifted his gaze from the screen and addressed them.
"He's an extremely dangerous individual. We've seen his strength firsthand. Unless we use strategic-level weapons, nothing we have can threaten him. What about his identity—any leads?"
Natasha quickly replied.
"It's as if he appeared out of nowhere. There's no record of him existing before this."
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mission was to protect the entire planet.
So even though Maguire had destroyed the Lizard Army and saved New York, in their eyes, he was still a massive threat.
His power was terrifying, his freedom absolute.
People always feared what they couldn't control—and no one knew what kind of monster he really was.
After yesterday's slaughterhouse battle, no one believed this man could be a "good guy."
Natasha spoke again.
"Look at his outfit—it's very similar to those two kids. Is there some kind of connection? That black spider-suit, apart from the color, isn't much different from Spider-Man's."
Fury immediately ordered,
"Call those two kids. Ask if they know him."
Natasha suddenly recalled the day she had gone to Holland's home, where she had coincidentally run into Maguire—wearing a black suit.
A bold thought flashed in her mind.
"Could the Hellblood Demon actually be Maguire?"
Shocked but convinced, she decided to call Garfield.
Meanwhile, in Queens, at Holland's home, Holland paced anxiously.
"Damn it, why isn't Maguire answering his phone?"
Garfield, equally worried, said,
"Exactly, I've called him over ten times. No clue where he is—it's driving me crazy."
Then Holland's phone rang.
The two of them lit up with excitement—until Holland saw the caller ID.
"Wait… who's this?"
Garfield urged,
"Don't think about it, just pick up."
"Is this Holland? It's Natasha."
"It's me. What's wrong?" Holland asked cautiously.
Natasha's voice came through.
"Yesterday… that black-suited man. Do you know him?"
Holland froze, glancing nervously at Garfield. Garfield quickly shook his head, signaling him to deny it.
So Holland answered,
"No. I don't know him. How could I possibly know a guy like that?"
"Alright then," Natasha said coolly. "And what about you two joining S.H.I.E.L.D.? Have you decided yet?"
Garfield again shook his head firmly.
Holland replied,
"Not yet. We'll think about it and let you know."
He hung up immediately.
Back at headquarters, Natasha turned to Fury and Barton.
"Holland definitely knows that man. He was lying. And if he knows, then Garfield probably knows too. Which means the three of them are connected."
Fury wasn't fooled either.
"Dig into Holland's connections with full force. If Holland knows him, and Garfield does too, then odds are… that man is their ally."
Meanwhile, at Stark Tower in Manhattan, Tony sat on his couch, watching the recordings of yesterday's battle on a virtual screen.
Over and over, his mind replayed the moment Maguire slapped him across the face.
"What the hell? Why did he hit me? Do I… know this guy?"
He still couldn't fathom that Maguire had done it simply because Tony fired one shot at the Goblin.
Just then, Pepper Potts walked in, her professional suit sharp as ever. She stopped in front of Tony as he stared at the footage, frowning.
He muttered to himself, analyzing Maguire's abilities.
"That material—so flexible, yet insanely hard. And that power… there was no visible energy source. Which means only one thing—his physical strength is beyond imagination."
Maguire's image dominated Tony's thoughts.
But don't get it twisted—it was pure scientific curiosity.
And as all these people obsessed over him, what was Maguire himself doing?
In his villa…
The Bully was sound asleep, snoring peacefully.
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