Hearing this, Coulson broke out in a cold sweat and wished he could disappear into the ground.
Fury's face turned pale and then red.
He thought he had the trump card, but it not only expired, but also became a handle for others to mock his incompetence.
This stark contrast between reality and reality humiliated the king of spies.
But Nick Fury is not one to give up easily.
Since intelligence gathering isn't working, we need to drop an even bigger bombshell to regain the initiative.
"Good! Very good!"
Fury gritted his teeth, straightened up, and unleashed his final trump card.
"Since you're so capable, do you know why that assassination attempt back then was carried out with such high standards? Why were assassins of that caliber used?"
"Because your father, Howard Stark, is not just an ordinary billionaire!"
He was the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D..! He was also S.H.I.E.L.D..'s first director! He was a close friend and angel investor of Steve Rogers!
"You all know better than I do what an angel investor is. You could say Captain America is your henchman!"
Fury had barely finished speaking.
The office fell silent instantly.
This time, Tony didn't reach for the glass, and Luca stopped swirling the wine in his glass.
The two brothers were both stunned.
Was Howard Stark the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D..? Or its first director?!
Tony looked on incredulously.
He always thought his father was just a scientist who sold weapons, and at most had some cooperation with the military.
But he never imagined that his father, who spent all his time in the lab and seemed indifferent to him, was actually the head of the world's largest intelligence organization!
Luca's reaction wasn't much better.
I see!
Everything makes sense now!
Luca quickly pieced together all the clues in his mind.
He had found it strange that he had seen Bucky assassinate his parents in the illusion.
Even if the Stark Family is wealthy, would they really need to resort to super assassins?
For wealth? For life? For skills?
Ordinary competitors simply don't have this capability.
But if Dad is Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., then everything is a closed loop!
The assassination of the bureau chief signifies a clash between power and belief.
So, who killed him?
Since her father is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.., it's impossible for someone within S.H.I.E.L.D.. to openly assassinate their own boss.
Even if there were traitors, they wouldn't dare to go this far.
Then, the matter becomes clear.
Looking at the entire world, there are people who have the motive and ability to assassinate the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.., and who possess the superpower of mind control...
There should only be one organization!
Hydra!
Luca's gaze sharpened.
There's no doubt about it, it's definitely Hydra!
Back then, Captain America crippled Hydra, and his father, as Captain America's best friend, established S.H.I.E.L.D.. to suppress Hydra.
Therefore, in order to retaliate and to remove the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.., Hydra sent Bucky to cause the car accident!
The logic is completely self-consistent!
Luca had already sentenced Hydra to death in his heart.
However, he did not state this conclusion.
He wouldn't share intelligence with Nick Fury.
Instead, Luca's eyes lit up, and an idea popped into his head.
The next second.
He suddenly stood up from the sofa, feigning extreme shock and anger.
"What did you say?!"
Before the other party could react, Luca strode up to Fury and started pointing.
"My dad is the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D..?! And the first director?!"
Fury was secretly pleased to see Luca finally shocked.
He thought he had finally got the situation under control, so he puffed out his chest and said proudly.
"That's right. Mr. Howard single-handedly created S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"Therefore, S.H.I.E.L.D.. is your only ally. Perhaps you could hand over command of the Justice League to us, and then we can work together..."
"Give me command my foot!"
Luca interrupted Fury, slamming his hand on the coffee table.
"Since S.H.I.E.L.D.. was founded by my dad, isn't it just the Stark Family's private business?!"
Speaking of which...
Luca roared indignantly, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"My dad died, and according to the law, his estate should be inherited by Tony and me!"
"In other words, the position of director of S.H.I.E.L.D.. should have originally belonged to my brother and me!"
"You damned cotton machine! You've been keeping this from us for almost twenty years?! Not only did you seize the Stark Family's assets, but you also secretly became the director, swaggering around like a tyrant!"
"This is called embezzling the inheritance! You are a shameful usurper!"
These words were spoken.
Fury was utterly bewildered.
It's like hearing a joke about the universe rebooting.
What the heck?!
Is S.H.I.E.L.D.. the private property of the Stark Family?!
What kind of robber logic is this?!
Coulson was sweating profusely; he had never seen such a shameless person in his life.
Tony immediately understood what Luca meant.
He also stood up abruptly, his face full of anger as he accused Fury.
"That's right! No wonder you've been keeping it a secret! You were afraid we'd take back the director's position!"
Tony walked over to Luca, and the two brothers started singing in unison.
" Fury, now that the truth is out, hand over S.H.I.E.L.D..'s financial statements! Every penny you've spent over the years, every plane you've bought, every agent you've hired—it's all Stark Family money!"
"I demand an immediate audit! If you're short even a penny, I'll have the legal department sue you until you're left with nothing!"
Fury was absolutely furious!
His breathing became rapid, and his chest heaved violently.
"Bullshit! Stark! S.H.I.E.L.D.. is a global security organization! It's under the jurisdiction of the World Security Council! Not your private workshop!"
"I became director based on my own abilities and the council's appointment! It has absolutely nothing to do with your legacy!"
"Don't try to intimidate me with the council!" Luca sneered.
"My dad funded and worked on this organization, why should it be managed by those idiots? I think you're just a lackey working for the council!"
Luca did not back down; instead, he stepped forward.
As he moved, the Bio-Force Field erupted instantly.
The atmosphere in the office seemed to have become heavy.
The water glass on the table began to tremble slightly, and the glass window made a buzzing sound.
A sense of oppression washed over me.
Fury and Coulson felt short of breath, their legs felt heavy, and their backs were soaked with cold sweat.
Luca looked down at Fury from his superior position, his eyes filled with nothing but coldness and murderous intent.
"Listen, Fury."
"You think you're some kind of all-powerful king of spies. But in reality, you're just a pathetic blind man."
"Even my father, the first director of S.H.I.E.L.D.., was assassinated right under your noses, and you haven't uncovered the truth all these years."
Luca leaned forward slightly, staring at Fury's single eye.
"You'd better go back and thoroughly examine the financial statements and the list of secret agents."
"Even the director can be killed, so what makes you think there aren't other heads growing in S.H.I.E.L.D.."
Grow other heads!
This statement served as a reminder to Fury.
As a secret agent, how could he not understand the implication in those words?
It grew other heads? What kind of monster has many heads?
What else could it be but the Hydra?
Is Luca implying that S.H.I.E.L.D.. has been infiltrated by Hydra?!
Fury felt a chill run down his spine.
If this is true, then everything he's seen over the years has been a lie?
Having done all this, Luca withdrew his Bio-Force Field with satisfaction.
The oppressive feeling disappeared, and Fury and Coulson were panting heavily.
"Alright, that's enough of the show. Time to get lost."
Luca picked up his glass of red wine and waved to them with his back turned.
"Get out of my building with this trash paper. If you dare to barge in without an appointment again, I'll show you what true superpowers are."
Tony sat back down on the sofa and tapped on the table.
" JARVIS, see the guest out. And while you're at it, spray some air freshener in the building; there's this awful spy smell."
"Yes, sir. Calling security." JARVIS's gentle voice rang out.
Fury stood there, frozen, his hands clenched into fists.
He came today intending to use the truth to put the Stark brothers in their place.
As a result, he was not only mercilessly mocked, but also given a warning that sent chills down his spine.
He lost, and lost utterly.
" Coulson, let's go."
Fury gritted his teeth and strode out of the office.
The moment the elevator doors closed.
He knew he no longer had the right to put on airs in front of the Stark brothers.
In the office.
Seeing the two slink away, Tony couldn't help but laugh out loud.
" Luca, that was a really dirty trick. I bet Black Nick Fury won't be able to sleep a wink when he gets back."
"Isn't this exactly what we wanted?"
Luca shrugged.
"Aren't S.H.I.E.L.D.. and Hydra just two dogs? Let them fight it out."
"And we just need to watch them fight like dogs, and while we're at it, we can drag out our enemies one by one."