First Meeting with Fury

"Henry, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Nicholas Joseph Nick Fury. Just call me Nick Fury, that's what my friends call me. Actually, I would have preferred to meet you at a more appropriate setting, rather than under these circumstances."

Standing on the side of the street, "Nick Fury," introduced by Barbara Morse, was a tall, middle-aged Black man with prominent eyes. He sported a buzz cut in the Black style, and his shrewdness and witty remarks immediately made him likable upon first meeting.

What If...? you didn't know the tangled mess of relationships behind this guy.

Henry, who was meeting the other party for the first time, did not show any obvious likes or dislikes. Instead, he extended his hand in response to the other party's handshake, and then looked at Barbara Morse with an expression of complete ignorance.

Compared to Barbara's ambiguous relationship between school life and adulthood, Nick Fury, who fought in the Vietnam War, served as a spy during the Cold War, and eventually joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. as an agent, has a much richer experience in interpersonal relationships.

Nick Fury frankly stated, "It was my idea to have Bobbie contact you. I'd wanted to reach out to you for a while, but I didn't expect it to cause some misunderstandings. We meant well."

"I didn't want our misunderstanding to deepen until I found a better opportunity, so I stopped trying to contact you. I never imagined you would become a target of those aliens. Have you considered any reasons why?"

Is this an attempt to excuse Barbara Morse's past behavior?

It has to be said that this is a plausible reason. At least Barbara didn't show any malice when she contacted Henry; she simply concealed some things. Under these circumstances, Henry certainly wouldn't immediately threaten to kill her upon meeting her. He simply pretended not to know those unnecessary details and answered Nick Fury's questions.

"I can't think of any reason why I'm being targeted. That's why I want to find the answer. Otherwise, I would have started working on the problem long ago."

"That's true."

The thought of recruiting him flashed through Nick Fury's mind as he stood before him. He knew very well who the man was: the CEO of Stark Studios.

Although he wasn't with Stark Industries, the salary of a CEO was something he couldn't afford on his own. What kind of offer could he possibly make to lure him in?

He already showed great backbone by not turning around and begging for help or financial support.

The ideal way to deal with such people is to stimulate their patriotism and guide them to the path of patriotism, rather than engaging in vulgar discussions about money or interests. This approach is quite effective for some young people who still harbor ideals.

However, Barbara had tried this method and was certain it didn't work. The other person wasn't someone who could be swayed by "ideals" or "money."

The success of Tony Stark's recruitment, judging from the intelligence they gathered, was more of a competition, or rather, a resonance, among geniuses.

The digitization of films, which is subtly disrupting the peace of Hollywood, is the work of this young man.

What If...? any college student made such a declaration, they would most likely be seen as one of those boastful newcomers in Silicon Valley. Nine out of ten would be exposed as bragging, while the remaining one would soar to great heights.

But backed by Stark Industries, their claim to digitize film production carries a completely different weight. The shadow cast by Howard Stark still lingers in the minds of many who experienced it.

To outsiders, however, this young man was merely a puppet of Tony Stark. Few believed that he was truly the mastermind!

It was this fierce mutual respect between geniuses that caused Nick Fury to miss out on this genius he had long coveted, and fall into Stark's control.

All of the above are Nick Fury's deductions. If Henry knew, he would not only refute them point by point, but would also dismiss most of them with disdain.

However, this doesn't prevent Nick Fury from treating the Stark Studios CEO, who was inexplicably dragged into the situation, with a relatively equal attitude.

A young man much younger than him.

Nick Fury said, "It's regrettable to say this, but I believe that S.H.I.E.L.D..'s actions against you are because aliens have infiltrated our organization."

"I've personally witnessed their ability to transform into an adult; I couldn't tell the difference at all. The key person I'm looking for now is the woman who clashed with these aliens."

"Although we can't determine whether she's friend or foe, she definitely has information about those aliens. I know about your special abilities; perhaps we can cooperate for now?"

"At the very least, we need to find a way to root out those people and resolve the problem we both face."

Generally speaking, to maintain their authority, members of an organization are reluctant to expose their weaknesses. After all, maintaining the organization's prestige is beneficial for them to act with impunity. At the very least, they shouldn't do so in front of outsiders; they can handle it internally behind closed doors.

But for a man who could rise to the position of CEO of Stark Studios, and from the very beginning, Nick Fury only wanted to recruit him as an outsider, someone exclusively under his command, the prestige of S.H.I.E.L.D.. was nothing; cultivating personal favor was far more important.

Besides, isn't this the kind of person who hates being kept in the dark the most? That's why Nick Fury didn't hesitate to tell the truth.

Henry truly lived up to his reputation as a seasoned veteran who had become the king of spies; his actions and words were always pleasant to be around. The other party had accurately identified his strengths and weaknesses, seeking a win-win outcome rather than expecting others to make sacrifices for him.

Unlike his own encounter with the X- X-Men, which was like pouring boiling oil on cold water—the outcome was as disastrous as it could possibly be. However, this was also related to the fact that their first meeting wasn't friendly, leaving a bad impression.

It's fair to say that What If...? this person weren't Nick Fury, and if he weren't backed by S.H.I.E.L.D.., based on this first meeting, he could be considered a friend worth making.

Of course, it's also possible that this was all a carefully crafted atmosphere created by the other party to mislead people.

Regardless of the real reason, Nick Fury was right about one thing: he had inexplicably incurred the hatred of the Skrulls, and he had to deal with it. Following his lead was probably the easiest way.

So Henry said, "Nick Fury, I agree with you. So, briefly, what leads do you have right now?"

Nick Fury stated, "While it's unclear whether it's true or not, the woman claimed to be a member of the Kree Starforce. She stole a motorcycle and an outfit from a clothing store nearby."

"The main reason she's here is to use the internet cafe to look up information. I asked the manager and checked her browsing history; she was searching for Pancho Bar. I think that's where we need to go."

"Do you know the locations?" Henry asked. His knowledge was limited to establishments within downtown Los Angeles and airports in various states. Bars outside of Los Angeles were out of the question.

Nick Fury glanced at the car Henry had driven; it wasn't the one in the file. He said, "I know the location. But your car's arrival isn't exactly legitimate, is it? Want to ride with me?"

Henry chuckled, "Is your car convenient for giving my kitten a ride?"

Just then, Kitty, who was lying on the back seat of the stolen old car, raised her tiger head and roared.

"OK, good kitty. You can drive that car and follow me. If we drive into the suburbs, we'll be entering state troop territory."

Their reaction won't be that quick.