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*****
Whether or not SHIELD should be preserved was a question that left Fini feeling quite conflicted.
In the original timeline, a series of accidents had led to that mutual-destruction outcome. However, the primary catalyst was Alexander Pierce's faction of Hydra, which had nearly completed Project Insight and was preparing to step out of the shadows.
Fini didn't know if Project Insight was still moving forward, but the loss of Arnim Zola had undoubtedly dealt it a blow. Moreover, Hydra now suspected there was a leak within their ranks and was frantically scrambling to stay hidden; why would they want to expose themselves now?
Thinking of this, Fini realized something ironic: both SHIELD and Hydra believed they had internal problems, but the actual cause of their headaches was him.
Because of the non-stop holiday well-wishes, Fini didn't dwell on it too long. He decided to see what Nick Fury had to say first—perhaps it wasn't even about Hydra.
Two days after Christmas flew by. Fini arrived at the designated address to meet with the Director.
Looking at Nick Fury, who seemed to own only one set of clothes, Fini sighed and sat down across from him. "Long time no see."
"Drink?" Fury looked at Fini with his one good eye and took a sip of his own lemonade.
"I'm good." Fini shook his head and cut straight to the chase. "Why did you call me here?"
"I have a few things I want to ask you." Fury didn't answer directly. Instead, he noted, "I heard you graduated early. You even bought a laboratory in Seoul?"
Fini's brow furrowed slightly. While he knew Fury wouldn't stop monitoring him, no one liked being investigated. "Yeah. Life is expensive; a man's gotta work." He looked at Fury. "Is there a problem?"
Fury stared at Fini for a long moment with his single eye before eventually dropping the subject. "Are you familiar with 'Hydra'?"
Fini's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained a mask of calm. "I am."
Fury was becoming accustomed to Fini's intelligence gathering, so the answer didn't surprise him. He pressed on: "How much do you know?"
"Probably more than you'd expect," Fini replied, narrowing his eyes. He was still debating which path to take regarding this information.
Fury fell silent. After a long pause, he asked in a low voice, "Do they... still exist?"
In truth, Fury already had the answer in his heart; he was simply hoping to extract more details from Fini.
"Yes." Fini nodded, offering no further explanation.
The atmosphere turned quiet again. Fury frowned at the water in his glass. After a while, he sighed. "I suspect that Hydra agents may have infiltrated SHIELD."
"Be a bit more confident. You can lose the word 'suspect.'" Fini shrugged with a look of amusement. Suspect? Half of SHIELD was probably Hydra at this point.
Fury looked up instantly, staring hard at Fini. "Do you know who they are?"
"No." Fini shook his head. Although he had demanded a list of Hydra agents from Zola, he still hadn't opened those two USB drives. He was worried they might be booby-trapped.
That said, he wasn't completely in the dark. Thanks to Jasper Sitwell, he knew plenty of names within Alexander Pierce's faction.
Fury gave Fini a deep, searching look. As a master spy, his ability to detect lies was top-tier. He could tell Fini wasn't being entirely truthful.
"I need your help," Fury said gravely.
But before he could elaborate, Fini shook his head and declined. "Not right now. I'm going on a long trip in a few days, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."
"A long trip?" Fury was stunned again. "Where are you going?"
"Asgard."
Fini didn't bother hiding it. If he went missing from Earth, he didn't want Fury causing a mess trying to find him.
"Asgard?!" The answer was clearly beyond Fury's expectations. He double-checked: "You're going to Asgard? How?"
"Magic," Fini said, giving Fury a look that suggested the answer was obvious. "I have some business to attend to. I'm not sure of the return date, but I'll be back within six months at the latest."
Fury was still stuck on the first half of the statement. "That portal? You can already perform interstellar transport?"
"What? Am I not allowed to improve?" Fini watched Fury's expression with interest. While his spatial talent had grown significantly, he was still a long way off from interstellar travel on his own. To open a portal to Asgard, he'd need to borrow power from the Space Stone.
Fury remained silent, finding Fini's progress difficult to believe. Not long ago, the kid could only teleport within the limits of New York; now, suddenly, he could cross the stars.
"Were you really on a desolate planet during those six months you were gone?" Fury asked, re-evaluating Fini's history. To him, that half-year away from Earth was the only thing that could explain such an anomaly.
"I'll send you there to see for yourself sometime!" Fini rolled his eyes at Fury's suspicion.
Fury didn't push the Vormir issue. Instead, he asked about the portal. "How exactly did you learn this magic?"
"Learned it by accident," Fini said with a shrug. Finding the Ancient One had indeed been a stroke of luck.
"You're saying... it can be learned?" Fury's posture stiffened. He looked up at Fini. "Do you think... I still have a chance?"
"What?" Fini was caught off guard.
"To learn this magic. Do you think I have a chance?" As Fury spoke, he even rotated his wrist, mimicking the way Fini opened a portal.
"..."
Fini looked at Fury, speechless. Internally, however, he wondered if Fury actually could learn it. Talent for the mystic arts varied from person to person, and he couldn't say for sure that Fury lacked it.
However, even if Fury were a magical prodigy, Fini was certain the Ancient One wouldn't choose to teach him. He decided to nip the Director's sorcerous dreams in the bud.
"No." Fini shook his head firmly. "Besides, I don't know how to teach people. So forget about it and focus on being a good Director."
(End of Chapter)