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Natasha wasn't surprised by Shen He's answer.
She glanced at him, seemingly hesitant, but still asked, "In the future you've seen… what becomes of me?"
An agent with blood on her hands, still striving to balance the scales of justice.
It sounded like fiction, but it was exactly why Black Widow chose to stay with Chaldea over remaining deep within SHIELD. Dying for the sake of the world felt like the only fair judgment.
"I don't know," Shen He said calmly. "In the last timeline we observed… many heroes fell. But you survived. So we don't know your ultimate fate. But what's clear is that you've done far more than just follow orders. That's why I trust you."
He wasn't lying.
"What else can I say." Natasha fell silent for a beat, then cracked a small, weary smile. "Do you need me to tell you where Fury is hiding?"
"Haha." Shen He chuckled. "I already know what that old fox is doing. And I doubt he'd tell you his location. He doesn't trust you like I do."
"You really do know us too well." Natasha gave him a sidelong look, half-joking. "If you keep understanding me this deeply, I might just fall for you."
To say that meant the infamous spy had already acknowledged Shen He as more than just an ally—he was a trusted companion.
"I already have a lover."
Shen He waved it off, turning to Steve. "Why not worry about Captain America's love life instead? I'm beginning to suspect he's sworn off women. His heart might belong to Bucky now."
"You forget?" Steve raised both hands, exasperated. "You told me yourself—my girlfriend got married."
"Uh…" Shen He was momentarily speechless.
"Is that true?" Tony asked, mock-wincing. "That's cold, man. Might be the cruelest thing you've done yet."
"It couldn't be helped." Shen He looked at Steve, who seemed to have moved past the heartbreak. "But in Huaxia culture, we believe in complete families. Steve, if you haven't found your goal yet, I'll post your marriage profile on the official Virtual Reality Platform."
It sounded like a joke, but Shen He wasn't bluffing.
He truly believed strong families made stronger heroes.
"Weren't we here to talk strategy?" Steve shifted awkwardly. "What's the plan?"
"Right. Business."
Shen He sat straighter and projected a massive 3D hologram of New York over the table—a full tactical model that hovered midair.
"Back in Chaldea, we used to operate from the shadows. But your world faces calamities one after another. If we stay hidden, we can't reduce the toll of destruction and loss. That's why we've started building power openly."
"Our next step is to spread Chaldea's reputation across New York."
Shen He had considered relocating the alien battlefields to isolated areas—but energy was the issue.
Only the Arc Reactor being developed in Stark Tower could power the gate necessary to breach time-space.
Besides, without a real crisis, the people wouldn't recognize Chaldea's merit and legitimacy.
"So what exactly are we doing?" Steve asked.
"Getting the public to follow evacuation protocols. You only have two months. With limited manpower, you must at least gain influence over the Manhattan sector."
Coulson and Natasha said nothing. They weren't fully informed about the alien crisis.
Even Tony and Steve only had fragments. Shen He had intentionally withheld much.
"It won't be easy." Steve's tone turned grim. "People always push back. Even back in Germany, we couldn't convince everyone to obey orders."
As someone hailed a hero, Steve understood better than anyone—heroism came with constant scrutiny.
"Steve," Shen He met his eyes, "every action you take might save more lives—but no one can save everyone."
Even if Loki were caught early, even with rerouted energy and battlefield relocation, it might still lead to governments disregarding heroes—like that nuclear strike from before.
So Shen He chose to let the Battle of New York happen again.
Tragic, yes—but such pain often catalyzed growth.
His true mission was minimizing casualties—not preventing all of them.
Of course, none of this was revealed to Tony or Steve. True idealists couldn't comprehend such moral calculus.
"I get it." Steve let out a deep breath.
As with every war he'd fought, all he could do was give it his all and make peace with the rest.
"Don't stress too much." Shen He's voice softened. "Our VR company will assist. That's why we built this structure of influence. And Tony's Iron Legion might ensure not a single civilian is harmed."
Natasha and Coulson traded glances—finally starting to piece together the bigger picture.
"Who's the enemy?" Natasha asked. "Hydra? Another global terror plot?"
"Hydra's a pest," Shen He scoffed. "You'll be briefed in full after the meeting. Coulson—this is classified. Don't go scaring the rookies."
"Understood, sir," Coulson nodded. "An agent who leaks secrets doesn't make Level 8."
"Let's discuss tactical rollout next." Shen He opened a notepad on the hologram. "My only principle is this: we're not SHIELD. We won't hide behind secrecy. The people must know us—not as superior beings, but as their guardians. They need to believe in us."
In this country, public sentiment combined with capital flow could sway even politics.
And while powerful individuals often overshadowed the masses in the Marvel universe—even among cosmic civilizations—public trust still streamlined operations.
So Shen He placed high value on the will of the people.
The meeting went long into the night.
Afterward, Chaldea entered full wartime preparation.
Steve and Natasha began fast-track training sessions for Wanda and Skye.
Shen He turned his attention to building power in the Marvel world.
Soon, he'd saved up ten summoning stones again.
The gacha event was addictive—two free draws daily, and one Ten-Pull every five days. Half a month in, he had 31 stones total.
After finishing a mission in a dungeon, he summoned ten times in a row, watching the cascade of rewards explode out of the light.
"Only one guaranteed four-star, huh…"
Shen He sighed. His luck was cursed.
Still, that four-star was something useful.
Name: Messiah VF-25F
From: Macross Frontier
Type: High-Mobility Variable Mecha
Function: Space combat-capable single-unit mech, agile but lacks wormhole travel
Even if it wasn't top-tier, a space-capable fighter would still be handy during interstellar warfare.
As Shen He examined the mecha, he realized he'd never summoned anything with true artificial intelligence.
It made him wonder…
For example, if Miss 2B from NieR were summoned—would she count as a follower or equipment? As AI, her physique far surpassed human norms. If equipment, wouldn't she still retain self-awareness?
Strengthening her… would that mean upgrading alloy density? Intelligence protocols?
The line blurred with AI-based characters.
"Whatever," Shen He finally muttered. "I'll see if something like that shows up again later."
He tossed the mecha to Tony, curious if it could be reverse-engineered.
Shen He himself didn't need it—his evil spirit powers outclassed most weapons. At best, the mech was a glorified spaceship.
Three days later—
Wanda and Skye's training was cut short as Coulson rushed into the Chaldea training hall.
"This is the sixth major fire in the same zone this month," Coulson reported, decked in tactical gear, data pad in hand. "Each incident escalated in scale. SHIELD's records suggest a powered individual is involved."
"But Coulson," Steve interjected, "They're still in training…"
"Field experience is the best training."
A firm, feminine voice rang out.
Jeanne d'Arc entered, clad in Chaldean robes, her golden braid resting neatly on her shoulder.
"This was the Master's order," she said with a small bow. "He has tasked me with assisting you. I look forward to working together."
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