Axel stepped out of the fading flames and walked straight to the commander's seat of the Helicarrier as if he owned the place.
Beside him stood Director Hill. Less than five minutes earlier she had finished surgery to reattach her severed finger, and she stared at him with open astonishment.
Noticing her gaze, Axel's foul mood disappeared instantly. Without warning, he smacked Director Hill's butt.
Whack!
The sharp sound echoed through the command cabin.
"Woah!"
A confused female clerk stared at the two of them in shock.
Facing the stunned looks of her subordinates, Director Hill sighed bitterly before asking calmly,
"You just killed Crossbones in New York?"
"Is that what that bastard's called?"
As Axel answered, he pulled Director Hill forcefully into his arms.
She struggled to resist, but the difference in their strength was overwhelming. In the end she had no choice but to endure as Axel held her tightly, her body pressed against him.
Gasps spread across the command cabin.
Director Hill stiffened. She tried to push Axel away while quietly continuing her questioning.
"You're pretending not to know Crossbones? I've already recovered the surveillance devices he and his team were wearing. Your eyes clearly showed you recognized him."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"So tell me the truth. Do you hold a grudge against one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s field teams?
Was it a mission gone wrong somewhere in Asia? Did our agents accidentally harm your family?
Or perhaps it was worse than that. Maybe you and your family all died because of it.
I've searched every database on Earth and found nothing about your identity. No records, no history.
Which means one thing.
You've died before."
Director Hill turned slightly so she could look Axel in the eyes.
"To know you can recover so quickly, you must first have been injured.
And to know you can come back from death itself, you must have truly died once.
Axel, I can feel the hatred you carry. Your life must have been miserable before all of this. I..."
"What 'I'?"
Axel cut her off impatiently.
"Just talk less. If you keep building up emotional speeches like that, we might as well send you to America's Got Talent."
"Huh?"
Director Hill blinked in confusion.
Axel simply laughed and smacked her butt again.
Her body trembled with anger and humiliation.
"Oh right," Axel said casually. "Let me ask you something. Does S.H.I.E.L.D. still have any vibranium lying around?"
Director Hill struggled to steady her breathing.
"Vibranium is the rarest metal in the world. It only appears in extremely small quantities outside Wakanda.
S.H.I.E.L.D. does have a tiny amount in storage, but not even enough to make a handgun.
As you know, the largest piece we ever possessed was used to create Captain America's shield.
However, our intelligence suggests there's a black market dealer operating out of Canada who trades vibranium.
He avoids S.H.I.E.L.D. whenever possible, but if you find him, you might get new information."
She lifted her head slightly, still trying to pry Axel's hand away.
Despite all her effort, she could not stop him. Even with her subordinates watching everything unfold, she had no choice but to endure.
Axel suddenly released her.
"So if I want more vibranium, my options are a shady dealer or trying my luck in Africa."
He thought for a moment.
Then he grinned.
"Alright. Director Hill, we're going to Wakanda."
"What?!"
Director Hill froze.
"That's impossible."
The calm mask on her face disappeared. She shook her head firmly.
Then she pulled out her pistol and pressed the muzzle against her own temple.
Around the room, every agent and clerk went rigid.
Field agents raised their weapons, aiming them at several terrified clerks.
Director Hill spoke in a low voice.
"Axel, understand something.
Your control has limits.
The Helicarrier will never truly belong to you.
Even if you somehow manage to restore it and send it flying again, none of us will be the ones piloting it.
From the very first day the Helicarrier was built, we installed a self destruct system.
Don't push us that far."
She gave him a faint smile.
Then she pulled the trigger.
Click.
Ding.
The bullet never left the room.
Axel caught it effortlessly between two fingers.
He crushed the bullet slowly, shaping the metal into something resembling a flower petal.
"You know something?" Axel said with an amused grin.
"You look really charming right now."
Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms again.
"Where's your room?"
"Damn it..."
Director Hill buried her face in embarrassment. She felt like she would never be able to face her staff again.
But after a moment she raised her hand and pointed toward the corridor.
So the hundreds of people inside the command room could only watch as Axel carried Director Hill away.
They did not come out for several hours.
---
Nick Fury returned to New York as quickly as possible using Skrull technology. After calming down the Avengers, he boarded the Helicarrier along with Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton.
Only then did they hear the shocking news from the staff.
Four hours after Axel entered Director Hill's room, the group stood outside her door with grim expressions.
The surveillance system inside the room had been destroyed the moment Axel entered. No one knew what had happened.
Nick Fury exhaled heavily before knocking on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The quiet sound echoed down the hallway.
Then Director Hill's voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Fury relaxed slightly and opened the door.
Director Hill sat calmly on the sofa.
She smiled faintly and gestured toward the bed.
Axel lay there asleep, snoring softly.
Natasha walked closer and whispered,
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Director Hill replied with a shrug. "He was surprisingly gentle. If the situation had been different, it might have been an interesting encounter."
Natasha looked at her helplessly.
"Are you sure you're mentally okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be? Just because I spent a few hours in a room with him?"
Director Hill shook her head calmly before turning her gaze toward Fury.
After a brief pause she spoke.
"Agents are tools. That is the reality of our job.
But because of Axel's favor, I now hold far more value than I ever did before."
She stood up and walked toward Fury.
"Nick Fury, you were removed from your position before the nuclear strike was launched.
You are no longer the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
I've received several new directives that I need time to process.
So please leave my room."
"Tsk."
A voice came from the bed.
Axel sat up slowly and waved at everyone.
Steve Rogers reacted instantly. He rushed forward and threw a punch straight at Axel's face.
The punch landed.
Axel did not even flinch.
He casually shoved Steve aside like tossing away trash.
Wrapping a bedsheet around himself, Axel walked over and slung an arm over Director Hill's shoulders.
Then he poked Fury in the chest.
"Hey Steve, I've got a question for you."
Steve glared at him while getting back to his feet.
"When you woke up after seventy years and found out your new boss was Nick Fury, what did you think?
Did you ever consider grabbing a whip and making him pick cotton?"
"You...!"
Steve froze for a second, instinctively glancing at Fury.
Axel chuckled and rubbed Director Hill's head.
"And relax. You idiots really think I did something to her?"
He snorted.
"Her finger was literally reattached a few hours ago. If she moved too much it could have necrotized.
We just ate, talked about life without all the spy crap, and had a meeting with Alexander Pierce.
Oh, and I helped her secure the official position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Axel smirked at them.
"So yeah, she's probably trying her best to play along with me and keep all of you alive."
____
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