Reminder

When Aeo and Bruce returned to Wayne Tower, they discovered that Stark wasn't the only one killing time by chatting with Old Alfred now and then. Nick Fury and Maria Hill were also there, looking gloomy and lost in thought.

"Hey, Aeo, are you okay?" Tony called out first, his sharp eyes catching sight of him. Nick and Hill stood up as well.

"...Master, young master." The old butler stared in shock at Aeo, who was shirtless, with his pants in tatters.

"I'm fine." Aeo shook his head. "Get me some clothes, Old Al."

Alfred looked uncertainly at Bruce, but Bruce merely nodded. So Old Al went to find Aeo a change of clothes, still utterly bewildered.

A short while later, Aeo reappeared before them, dressed again.

He stared coldly at the head of the intelligence agency. "All right. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Listen." Nick Fury said anxiously, "I don't know who attacked you, but I can guarantee it wasn't our people..."

Aeo cut him off. "Are you sure?"

He tossed Winter Soldier's shattered mechanical arm onto the floor in front of him. He'd picked it up earlier. "Do you know whose this is?"

Nick Fury and Hill stared at the remarkably advanced piece of technology in confusion, momentarily led astray by Aeo's question. "Sorry, this is..."

"It belonged to the man leading the attack today. One of his arms had been modified to look like this. He looked to be in his twenties and wore a mask, so I couldn't see his face... And this attack involved F-22s and Tomahawk missiles. This is war! Is S.H.I.E.L.D. ready for it?" the boy deliberately threatened.

"Ready for war!"

Nick and Hill's expressions changed. Stark was startled too, and was about to say something when Bruce discreetly shook his head at him. Iron Man, who'd gone to help at Bruce's request—though his help hadn't been needed—was momentarily taken aback. But he quickly caught on, his gaze flicking uncertainly between Bruce and Aeo, who was confronting Nick and the others.

"Other than Captain Rogers, who wasn't there, you're the only ones who knew about me." Aeo didn't hold back as he accused Nick Fury. "And not long after you left, I was attacked. I can't help suspecting that either you sold me out, or you were pretending to cooperate while actually planning to use force to make me submit..."

"No." Hill shook her head quickly. "We didn't..."

"Why do you think someone among us sold you out?" The Black man was every bit the head of an intelligence agency, immediately grasping the key issue. "Are you saying there's a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Why not?" Aeo scoffed. "What's so hard to believe about a foreign spy infiltrating and corrupting an intelligence agency?"

Aeo stared coldly at him. "For all you know, someone close to you could be a double agent, gathering and processing intelligence for S.H.I.E.L.D. while also working for some other country or organization. Hasn't that happened plenty of times throughout history, Director Fury?"

"No, that's impossible!" Nick still couldn't quite accept the fact that Hydra had corrupted S.H.I.E.L.D. long ago. He shook his head. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security protocols mean no one can access all the intelligence! Even Agents Hill and Natasha each have access to only a portion of the classified information. The whole picture..."

"The whole picture is in your head." Bruce finally spoke. "Is that what you were going to say?"

Nick Fury's one eye gleamed darkly as he looked uncertainly at the silent Stark and Batman, whose attitude seemed to have changed.

"..."

Bruce paid him no mind and continued, "But don't forget, above S.H.I.E.L.D. there's the World Security Council. There's also Secretary Alexander Pierce, who answers to the Federation and deals with S.H.I.E.L.D..."

"With so many people involved, how can you guarantee that S.H.I.E.L.D. is airtight and never makes a mistake?"

Even Tony Stark, who hadn't thought much of it before, couldn't help pursing his lips slightly. It seemed Batman's words had struck a nerve.

"All right, I used to think S.H.I.E.L.D. was powerful, but now it looks like you're nothing special." He snarked. "Listen, Director Fury, I also think someone among you must have leaked Zod's whereabouts. Otherwise, how do you explain that Zod was attacked right after you left? The world doesn't work on coincidences like that..."

"As for the F-22s..." Stark glanced worriedly at Aeo and hesitated. "Was it really the Federation that launched the attack?"

Bruce picked up an iPad and made a startling revelation. "No. On the way back, I hacked into the military's database and discovered that Lieutenant General Wicks Riley, who issued the attack order, had just died in a car accident. So..."

Under the astonished gazes of the Black intelligence chief and Hill, Bruce calmly continued, "The mastermind must have realized that their secret was exposed and killed Riley to stop us from uncovering their identity and information through him..."

Nick Fury's face darkened terribly. He said nothing, watching as the hidden enemy and Aeo's group kept getting ahead of him. At last, he said, "In that case, do you have any suspects? Who among us leaked General Zod's information?"

Seeing that S.H.I.E.L.D. had finally taken the bait, Aeo and Bruce exchanged a smile.

After the King of Spies and his beautiful agent left, Aeo turned to Stark with a hint of gratitude and apology. "I'm really grateful you came, Tony! After you heard I'd been attacked..."

"No need to thank me." Now that everyone was safe, the guy had reverted to his usual wisecracking self. "You know, Bruce and I may always be at each other's throats, but our families have been close friends and strategic partners for half a century. So when he asked, I naturally had to help. I just got there and found you'd already dealt with the enemy..."

Remembering the hellish scene, Iron Man couldn't help shuddering slightly. "...In the end, I wasn't much help. Anyway, Aeo." He forced a smile.

"I have to say, your abilities are seriously unreal. You got hit by a Hellfire Missile and were still fine. You're practically a god..."

"Master Tony!" The one who interrupted him was the old butler. "I know you've always been a free spirit, but please show God a little respect!" The old man, who had faith in the Light—no, in God—looked at him earnestly.

"God is merciful!"

Stark wanted to argue, but didn't want to upset the lovable, respectable old man. He could only shrug and mutter, "You never know."

Aeo smiled.

Patting Iron Man on the shoulder, Aeo said meaningfully, "You're right, Tony. Sometimes God isn't quite as... gentle as we imagine."

"!"

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