At last, Fury turned his gaze toward Rumlow in the shadows.
"Agent Rumlow."
"Sir."
Rumlow's voice was low and steady, like a stone dropped into deep water.
"Your assignment is the most straightforward. As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s foremost containment and countermeasure specialist, I need you to thoroughly master the Core device's external security systems, the physical layout of its energy transmission network, and the execution details of every emergency shutdown and physical isolation protocol—as quickly as possible."
Fury's words sounded perfectly suited to Rumlow's "professional" identity. "I need you to ensure that the moment Captain Rogers gives the order, or Agent Romanoff raises an alarm, you can sever or disable this device's critical nodes in the shortest time and by the most effective means. Any hesitation could mean the deaths of millions. Understood?"
"Perfectly understood, sir."
Rumlow's answer was crisp and decisive, carrying an almost ruthless confidence. "I will ensure absolute physical control over the device."
His gaze swept across the Energy Conduits and Field Generator interfaces again, this time with the focused attention of someone carrying out a perfectly legitimate assignment.
The alarm bells in Tony's mind instantly rose to their maximum volume—Fury was practically placing a spare key to Pandora's Box directly into the hands of the man who made him deeply uneasy!
"Good."
Fury looked around at the group, then fixed his gaze on Tony's pale face. "The four of them will rotate shifts around the clock and remain stationed here. This is the bottom line, Stark. Either accept oversight, or I send the highest alert to the World Security Council right now, have carrier battle groups enter the Pacific Ocean, and let United Nations peacekeeping forces take over the entire sea area within a ten-kilometer radius. Your choice."
The color drained from Tony's face in an instant, replaced