Marvel Comics: The Sentinel(Sentry)

Night was falling...

Nick Fury stood by the window, gazing at the surging Potomac River. In the faint glow of emerging lights, a marble obelisk pierced the sky like a sword... the monument built for the first President of the United States, George Washington.

Tourists often flocked to it, taking high-speed elevators to the top to glimpse the city's panorama through small windows.

Due south of the Washington Monument lay the White House, its lawns lush and green...

Twenty minutes earlier, the one-eyed director had received a private call from the Vice President's office. There was no expected reprimand or sharp rebuke, only a friendly inquiry from the politically ambitious Vice President, who exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before hanging up.

Fury remained silent for a long time. He had just learned that this Vice President, a seasoned politician from South Carolina and the House Majority Whip, was not only a man of political ambition, but also a doting father.

Francis Underwood's daughter suffered from a right leg disability, a source of sighs for his wife and a trigger for the girl's mild depression. According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intel, the golden-haired angel had once attempted suicide.

The yet-to-be-released "Chrysalis Serum" from Umbrella was specifically developed for patients with limb deficiencies.

It was likely through this connection that the radiant young man had forged ties with Vice President Underwood. Whether deeper transactions existed remained unknown...

"I don't believe you can always stay one step ahead." Fury stared coldly at the holographic projection of Sean.

His initial suspicion had stemmed from a spymaster's instinct, but deeper investigation revealed the young man was indeed suspicious. He always hovered on the periphery of events, seemingly uninvolved yet surrounded by unsettling oddities upon closer scrutiny.

Having held high-ranking positions in multiple intelligence agencies, Nick Fury knew there was no such thing as repeated coincidence in this world. If it happened, it was orchestrated.

A Vice President's pressure alone wasn't enough to make S.H.I.E.L.D. back down, though the bald director was well aware of the long-standing discontent from the White House and the military. This could easily become another opportunity for politicians to corner him.

"Sir, a call from the Pentagon."

Nick Fury's expression darkened as he picked up.

General Ross's voice came through, and he could almost picture the hawkish officer's arrogant face.

If the White House's dissatisfaction with S.H.I.E.L.D. stemmed from its insulated power (even the President couldn't directly command this massive covert agency), the military's hostility arose from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s terrifying authority, which overshadowed the Pentagon and other intelligence bodies.

This deeply rooted organization could recruit directly from the four major intelligence agencies without seeking funding from the I.C. (Intelligence Community) or the Department of Defense, freeing it from White House and military constraints.

With global branches and a strict confidentiality system, it wielded immense autonomy.

The World Security Council likely never imagined, when expanding the Strategic Scientific Reserve into this behemoth, that it would grow into such a sprawling, unchecked power.

Listening to the stern reprimand over the phone, Fury responded calmly, "Of course I know Mr. Cyphers is an outstanding young man... I merely invited him to assist in a minor investigation. Rest assured, General, we'll return him safely... How long? Well, you know how these things go... interrog– inquiries take time."

Though he despised politicians, the one-eyed director had to admit their deflection tactics were useful now.

About forty minutes later, the conversation had veered from Sean's release to military operations in Central Asia and the Pentagon's intelligence network. No matter how General Ross roared, Fury chatted amiably as if catching up with an old friend.

With a loud...

*Bang!*

...the call ended abruptly. The bald director smirked, "Still so hot-tempered at his age."

Setting the phone down, his smile faded. Fury's single eye gleamed sharply, like a seasoned hunter watching trapped prey struggle.

"Who's next? Oscorp? Or some other corporate giant?" He snorted.

The suspected New York prodigy did have impressive connections... a high-ranking Vice President, and a Pentagon general, all willing to speak for him.

But S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't like other agencies. Even under pressure from two heavyweights, Fury believed he could hold firm.

He watched the video feed of Sean being interrogated by Grant Ward. This was just the first step. More methods awaited.

Even Nazi fanatics during WWII, once processed by S.H.I.E.L.D., spilled every secret unless they succeeded in suicide.

This organization, ostensibly maintaining global order, hid just as much bloodshed and terror as its infamous counterpart, HYDRA.

As his thoughts drifted, the phone rang again. Fury glanced at it... It was not Oscorp or any corporate entity, as expected...

"Tony... Didn't expect your call." The one-eyed director sounded surprised.

<...Pepper told me you took Stark Industries' hard-won partner away...>

The playboy's voice was languid:

<...By tomorrow morning, all of New York will know a promising young man, the epitome of the modern American Dream, was violently detained by some shadowy agency...>

<...No warrant, no congressional or official approval. The backlash will be brutal. The White House won't side with you. Politicians will pile on, preaching about 'checks and balances'...>

Tony Stark spoke casually, as if it were trivial:

<...You think the World Security Council will let this slide? You've got no proof against Sean. Even if you did, the big shots would call it overkill. Not exactly world-ending, is it? Hardly worth S.H.I.E.L.D.'s time...>

Nick Fury was silent for a long moment, "Since when do you know so much about S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

<...Well... honestly, your database firewall was too simple. It took me just over an hour to crack. I didn't get to the core files... But don't worry, I patched the holes on my way out...>

Tony sounded smug, while the bald director's expression darkened further.

Ignoring the provocation, Fury asked, "Why help Sean Cyphers? I don't get it."

<...If you're asking why I'd help someone who might secretly be a villain, that's a meaningless question...>

<...At eight, I learned my father was an arms dealer. That's when I realized the world isn't split into pure good and evil. He always said, 'More people die from smoking than weapons, but cigarettes still get sold. At least my guns come with safety locksʼ...>

<...Of course, the lie that arms dealers sell weapons to 'protect the nation' is just pretty packaging. There are three types of arms deals: white (legal), black (illegal), and (gray) Stark Industries' favorite. A successful arms dealer does all three...>

From his breezy Stark Manor balcony, Tony reclined, the arc reactor in his chest gleaming anew, vitality surging through him...