Fury's Big Trouble

"In just four hours, more than 800,000 people have signed a petition demanding that Congress establish a special investigative committee to thoroughly investigate your inaction—and possible complicity—in Captain Rogers' murder."

"The White House Press Secretary's Office was surrounded by reporters half an hour ago. They demanded that President Matthew Ellis make a statement on this—"

Maria Hill did not continue. Instead, she left the choice to Nick Fury.

Nick Fury did not take the tablet, merely shooting it an angry glance.

He slowly rose and walked over to the window across from him, which had been sealed shut with wooden planks. Sunlight leaked through the gaps, carving a sharp dividing line of light and shadow across his dark face.

"Maybe I really should have recorded a video back then—"

Nick Fury muttered to himself in regret. If he had said, "Captain Rogers is innocent," to a phone or the media cameras back then, he probably would not be in such a passive position now.

Maria Hill stood silently for several seconds behind him. Then she picked up the cup on the table, pushed her wheelchair to the coffee machine with one hand, poured out the remaining dregs, brewed another cup of black coffee without sugar or milk, and placed it on the windowsill beside Nick Fury.

This was a special kind of body language she had learned over more than a decade at Nick Fury's side. When ordinary words could not express something, she would first use actions to show her support.

"Sir, the problem now is that the public does not need to know the complete truth. They only need a narrative they can understand—"

After some thought, Maria Hill said in a very gentle tone, "The narrative John Jameson gave them is both simple and clearly targeted. I'm