Allies Through the Barrel of a Gun

A week later, Aeo and Bruce were invited to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in Washington D.C.

Seeing the magnificent Trident building from the movie appear vividly before his eyes, Aeo couldn't help but feel a slight ripple of emotion.

"Ha, I thought Agent Natasha and the others would be here to greet me. Did I put so much pressure on you guys that you had to send out your biggest ace, the famous Captain America, even though you're still injured?" Aeo quipped sarcastically. "Hey, big guy, I'm sorry about beating you up like a dog that day..."

"Enough!" Bruce glared at the young man helplessly and apologized to a grim-faced Steve Rogers. "He doesn't actually have a bad temper, it's just..."

"We all made mistakes that day..." Captain America, truly one of the most righteous and big-picture-thinking superheroes, managed to endure Aeo's provocation.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Zod..."

"..."

Aeo was slightly taken aback by Captain America's magnanimity and said sheepishly, "Uh, it-it's fine..."

"If you're finished, then let's go." The other person who had welcomed them spoke up. "I've heard a lot about Mr. Zod's reputation, but I wonder, is it also Mr. Zod who steals like a petty thief?"

Looking at the iPad in the beautiful agent's hand, which displayed a blurry photo inadvertently captured by a camera of the Son of Krypton stealing money from an ATM using a Smart Terminal when he was young, even the thick-skinned Son of Krypton couldn't help but blush slightly.

"What? Who is that?"

"It's nothing, just a small thief." Agent Melinda May, a Level 9 agent who had been investigating the Son of Krypton's landing incident for ten years, said with a hint of anger. "Although some people are very powerful, in modern society, we are not completely defenseless..."

Aeo shrugged.

Bruce also snapped out of his thoughts about the young man's past criminal activities and glanced at him with a peculiar expression. "Let's not talk about that for now. Uh, Agent Melinda, aren't you going to introduce us to your S.H.I.E.L.D.? I mean, I've never been here before, your headquarters..."

Melinda's expression softened slightly, and she managed a faint smile. "Of course, Mr. Bruce Wayne, this way please!"

Seeing the stark difference in treatment between the two sexes, Aeo and Captain America, who was also left behind, exchanged a speechless glance.

"Alright, should I say Bruce has such amazing conditions that even Phoenix is tempted to steal him away, or should I pity us, a nobody and a little kid, unloved? Hey, nice to meet you, Captain Rogers."

Perhaps because they were both being ignored, Aeo didn't dislike the big guy in front of him as much. He extended his hand. "I'm sorry about hurting you that day!"

Captain America, still in a cast, met the young man's gray eyes. He saw only sincerity and apology within them. The captain paused slightly and shook Aeo's hand with his uninjured arm.

"It's okay!"

In a secret meeting room at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, and an unfamiliar middle-aged man were present to welcome the arrival of the young man and Bruce.

"This is Phil Coulson, a Level 9 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, on the same level as Natasha, Hill, and Agent Melinda. And this is Melinda May, whom you've already met."

Perhaps it was because he was on his own turf, the King of Agents had regained his pride and confidence as the King of Agents.

"Today, we've invited you and Bruce Wayne to our headquarters, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, because we all know that you, the powerful Superman..."

"Wait." Aeo couldn't help but interrupt him. "Superman? Sorry, please don't attach such a lame name to me! It's making my skin crawl!"

Nick Fury's face darkened. He wasn't sure how a black person's face could get any darker... He gritted his teeth. "Then, what do you wish for us to call you? AO? Or MR. Zod?"

The familiar address from the black man made Aeo pause slightly, as if he saw a familiar and kind figure. His expression softened. "...General."

"What?"

"You can call me General." The young man suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with brilliance. "This is the responsibility I should bear in my homeland."

"!"

Everyone present was deeply shaken. Given the extreme secrecy and importance of this meeting, every word spoken by each person present was not without purpose and contained countless meanings and backgrounds. Therefore, when Aeo uttered "General," the elites and veteran agents present couldn't help but let their imaginations run wild, deeply moved.

To be a general, you at least need an army...

Nick Fury's single eye gleamed with light, clearly indicating his inner turmoil. However, what came out of his mouth was, "General? Fine, since you insist... Then, General." He said it with a joking tone, as if that could dispel the gloom in his heart.

"General Zod, your arrival has brought immense shock and challenge to me, my country, and the world. You know, all along, we believed humans were the only life in the universe! Even though we've been constantly finding more and more things around the globe that are suspected to be alien weapons, we've never seen a real, living alien!"

"Until your appearance!" The King of Agents glared fiercely at Aeo.

Bruce and Rogers both frowned slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't realize this was another declaration of war..." To everyone's surprise, it was Tony Stark who interrupted him. "Hey, I know you guys are very wary of this, sorry, alien kid, but please, when you can't beat them..."

The billionaire complained to S.H.I.E.L.D. executives. "Yes, you can't beat him, and he's been showing at least a minimum of restraint. So, shouldn't we also be mindful of our words? When we call ourselves civilized people... Listen, I don't want to be your cannon fodder again! When you know you can't win..."

Aeo smiled. Iron Man was truly an unrestrained guy, never caring about others' feelings when he spoke. Seeing the ugly expressions on Nick Fury and the others, he couldn't help but want to express his admiration for Iron Man, who had been his enemy just before.

"It seems," Melinda said mockingly, "that someone's temper has changed a lot after being beaten to a pulp last time. He's even learned to flatter people..."

Nick Fury's expression changed. Just as he was about to salvage the situation, Iron Man exploded.

"I'm a scientist, a genius, a playboy, but I'm not an idiot. Even if I'm worried about what he might do, I will never provoke or agitate him like a fool! That's suicidal behavior, so if you want to die, don't drag me down with you!!"