Originally, Tony had just wanted to search for information related to demons and demon slayers, but he hadn't expected to find so many messy things.
This information was highly secretive and bizarre. If he hadn't already learned about "demons"—supernatural creatures—Tony would definitely have treated it as some prankster's joke, glanced at it, and stopped caring.
But now, he believed.
Therefore, he conducted an in-depth investigation, classified all the information, then analyzed it further, searched for evidence, and verified authenticity.
In the end, he obtained some more credible information.
The Hand, the Chaste, the Vampire Empire, Blade, Ghost Rider, entities suspected to be demons...
These were all supernatural existences, and they represented possibilities for solving his physical condition.
However, the information searchable online was too limited. Except for the fact that becoming a vampire could 100% resolve palladium poisoning, the rest of the possibilities still required specific investigation.
But turning into a vampire... what was the difference between that and becoming a demon?
If he'd been willing to become a vampire, he would've agreed to Tamayo's conditions long ago and become a demon.
However, although he couldn't find a definite solution, Tony did find news about demons.
Last night, the police had received a case report.
In the wealthy villa district of Greenwich Village, a family had been attacked by unknown assailants. All the household occupants died tragically, and their bodies were even partially consumed.
This case made Tony suspicious.
Although the Blade he'd learned about through Jarvis was a ruthless guy who'd ignore nearby civilians to kill his targets, he would never attack ordinary people.
Also, Blade was half-vampire, half-human.
Not to mention that he didn't drink blood—even if he did, he wouldn't eat human corpses.
Therefore, the murderer who'd attacked that family was someone else, and Blade had most likely rushed in to hunt the murderer, then ended up taking the blame.
So who was the real murderer?
Because he'd just learned about demons through Tamayo and was still very focused on it, after seeing the words about bodies being consumed in the case file, the first thing he thought of was demons.
"Jarvis, help me contact the NYPD. I want to know more details about this case!" Tony said.
The information available online was too limited. He needed to learn more through the police department.
...
While Tony was investigating, Coulson had also returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to report to Fury.
"...That's the complete situation."
"Well, I see." After listening, Fury pondered. "All things considered, it's not too bad."
"It really isn't too bad."
Coulson also responded with a sigh of relief. "Although I suspected from the beginning that he had extraordinary abilities, I didn't expect that beyond his supernatural information-gathering capability, he also has abilities to conjure items from thin air and possesses speed, strength, and skills surpassing ordinary humans. He could be said to be very dangerous. If someone like him turned to evil, I don't know how much disaster would result."
"Your worries are excessive." Fury cast a glance at him. "If he's a law-abiding citizen, then he wouldn't have refused your recruitment. If he's not law-abiding but doesn't want to do evil, then he won't turn to the dark side because of this conflict. What's more, he knows our recruitment was actually protective in nature. And if he himself is a villainous guy, then even without this provocation, he'd still do evil."
"Although that's true, when he drew his blade against us, I was in a cold sweat..."
Having said that, Coulson unbuttoned his coat, revealing his torso covered in bandages, with a long bloodstain running from his left shoulder to his right abdomen.
"In just a split second, he cut wounds this long on agents standing in eight different directions, including me. At that time, I was genuinely worried that someone of that level might be driven to the villainous side."
"But now it seems your worries were excessive."
"Yes, he showed mercy. Although the stab wound looks serious, it's very shallow. Just a flesh wound."
"I see. Upgrade that guy's file to S-rank and mark him as someone not to be provoked."
"Yes, sir."
After Coulson acknowledged the order, Fury nodded slightly, then changed the subject. "So, what about Stark? Where did he go with Quinn?"
"I only know he drove to Hell's Kitchen and stopped for an extended period on the street at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 50th Street. He and Quinn entered the alley on the side of the street. Specific circumstances are unknown."
"Have Natasha find out where they went."
"Understood!"
"There's a new person at his shop. Have you identified them?"
"No." Coulson shook his head with a wry smile. "Currently, I only know through Daredevil that his name is 'Otto Suwen.' Where and when he came from, family situation—nothing. Like the suspected demons and the Vongola Family, he's a complete unknown."
"Hoo~"
Fury took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "One after another, all like this. I don't know what their relationship is."
After speaking, Fury fell into deep thought.
After a while, he continued, "We need to capture someone and get clear answers. Regarding the fourteen individuals suspected to be demons, have you found any traces of them?"
"Yes." Coulson considered his words carefully. "Through surveillance footage and field tracking, we've located six targets. One of them encountered Blade last night."
"And the result?"
"Unknown." Coulson shook his head gently. "They fought in a villa in Greenwich Village. No one witnessed the specific process. We only have reports from people in nearby villas who saw the entity break through a wall and escape."
"In other words, it lost?"
A grave expression appeared on Fury's face.
Although Blade wasn't widely known to the public, he wasn't a secret within S.H.I.E.L.D. His power was well-documented.
But even a powerful warrior with the combined advantages of vampires and humans could only break through walls and flee. How terrifying was the enemy?
"...Probably, yes."
After Coulson finished speaking, he felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
Even extraordinary individuals like Blade could only run away. Could ordinary agents really handle these entities?
Even if they could, how many lives would it cost?
"...Make contact with Blade. I need information about the enemy."
"Yes, sir!"
"Also, have Hill come to my office."
"Understood."
...
After a while, Hill entered the office.
"Director Fury, you wanted to see me?"
"What's the status of the Vongola Family?" Fury asked directly.
"They're still renovating an abandoned church in Harlem."
"Send someone to make contact with them, and if possible, try to recruit members."
"Understood!"
Watching Hill leave the office, Fury retrieved the quantum communicator that Carol had given him and stared at it.
After a moment, he sighed. "I hope things don't get so bad that I need to use this thing."
Character Notes:
Blade - From Marvel Comics. A dhampir (half-vampire, half-human) vampire hunter. Possesses vampire strengths without their weaknesses and is dedicated to hunting vampires.
The Hand - From Marvel Comics. An ancient criminal organization of mystical ninja assassins who serve a demonic entity called The Beast.
The Chaste - From Marvel Comics. A mystical martial arts organization opposing The Hand, dedicated to maintaining balance and order.
Ghost Rider - From Marvel Comics. A supernatural entity bonded with human hosts, manifesting as a flaming skeleton who punishes the guilty. Rides a motorcycle and wields hellfire.
Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel - From Marvel Comics/MCU. A superhero with cosmic powers who gave Fury a quantum communicator for emergencies. One of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe.
Maria Hill - From Marvel Comics/MCU. High-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Deputy Director. Fury's trusted second-in-command.
Daredevil/Matt Murdock - From Marvel Comics. A blind lawyer with enhanced senses who operates as a vigilante in Hell's Kitchen. Mentioned as a S.H.I.E.L.D. information source.