At last, Oaks heard the term firsthand from Nick Fury.
"What is that? Avengers? Avenge whom? Alliance? Does it have tribes?"
"..."
Though Nick Fury had no idea what tribes were supposed to be, Oaks's mocking expression told him it was best to selectively ignore that part.
"Avenging threats to the world," he said, taking a deep breath. "It's a special response team made up of members whose combat capabilities far exceed those of ordinary humans, responsible for handling special situations beyond the capacity of conventional military forces."
"Such as?"
"Such as..."
Nick Fury paused, then continued.
"A few days ago, the U.S. Military found the Hulk."
"Huh?"
Oaks froze for a moment. They had found Banner?
"Mm. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. must have helped quite a bit."
"It's 'our' S.H.I.E.L.D., Consultant."
Nick Fury emphasized.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pursuit of the Hulk wasn't merely at the U.S. Military's request. It was also because he posed an enormous threat far beyond ordinary dangers."
"This time, in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Hulk caused quite a commotion. Intelligence analysis suggests he may already have slipped back into the United States, and that news kept the military on edge for quite a while."
"Rio? Ha. The U.S. military made such a massive fuss in Brazil's second-largest city, its former capital, as if they were catching a dog in their own backyard. Truly worthy of America."
Oaks wore a look of utter disdain.
"I think Dr. Banner simply had no intention of seriously fighting. Otherwise, with that bunch of worthless trash, none of them would have made it back alive."
"Though the military didn't send worthless trash, I think so too."
Fury snorted and nodded. In fact, in his view, cross-border operations ought to have been S.H.I.E.L.D.'s privilege. The U.S. military had acted directly without