Coulson sighed.
"So, right now, we have no idea what he really thinks, or what crazy things he might do now that he has power."
At that point, Coulson hesitated, but finally asked the question that had been on his mind all along.
"And, sir, if I may speak frankly. We knew someone meant them harm, so why didn't we send people to protect them?"
"After all, they're Mr. Howard Stark's own children. And Mr. Howard was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D..."
Before Coulson could finish,
"Enough, Coulson."
Nick Fury raised a hand, cutting him off.
A stern light flashed in his eyes, and his voice grew low.
"There's one thing you need to understand, Coulson."
"Mr. Howard Stark was indeed a great man worthy of respect, an eagle who could soar freely through the sky. But an eagle has no need for chicks sheltered in a greenhouse."
Fury stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the city at night.
"Back then, Mr. Howard entrusted me with the burden of S.H.I.E.L.D. because he hoped we could continue to protect this world and finish the work he left undone."
Fury turned to look at Coulson, his tone deadly serious.
"More importantly, he hoped we could take good care of his two children."
"But, Coulson, you need to understand that taking care of children doesn't mean following them around like a nanny forever, helping them solve every trouble and difficulty."
"That wouldn't be protecting them. It would be ruining them."
Fury pointed at the report on the desk.
"If we want them to truly grow up, if we want them to be able to survive in this cruel world, we have to let go. We have to let them learn to face difficulties themselves, to feel pain, and to experience betrayal and killing."
"Only by facing the trials of life and death can they shed their playboy personas and truly grow into eagles like their father. Do you understand what I mean?"
Coulson stood there in a daze, taking a long moment to come to his senses.
Looking at Fury's inscrutable figure from behind, he felt a storm raging in his heart.
"Director, do you mean..." Coulson ventured, hardly able to believe it.
"Are you planning to let Tony and Luca take over S.H.I.E.L.D. someday?"
Nick Fury turned around and braced both hands on the desk, his expression calm.
"What else did you think?"
"The threats facing Earth go far beyond a single Hydra hiding in the shadows. There are countless unknown enemies eyeing us hungrily."
"We have to be fully prepared. If the Stark brothers really do grow up one day, and we hand S.H.I.E.L.D. over to them,"
"Then I'll be free to do some more important and dangerous things, won't I?"
Coulson nodded in understanding.
"I understand, sir. Then what about Hydra?"
"We have to take action. We can't let them keep running rampant like this."
Fury walked over to the desk, picked up a top-secret file, and handed it to Coulson.
"You're right. Perhaps we've been silent for too long, and those rats in the gutter have forgotten to fear us."
"Go notify the Defenders Squad. Assign them to a field mission to clean out a Hydra branch. Let them stretch their muscles and show Hydra what we can do."
Coulson took the file and wasted no more words.
"Yes, sir. I'll make the arrangements immediately."
Coulson then turned and left the director's office, closing the door behind him.
The office fell quiet once more.
Nick stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
His gaze passed over the city lights toward the Potomac River, flowing quietly in the distance.
After a long while, a quiet murmur sounded in the office.
"This world will soon need a Stark to emerge once again."
Two hours later.
Day had fully broken in Los Angeles.
Morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom of a villa in Beverly Hills.
A large bed stood in the center of the almost excessively spacious bedroom.
Obadiah Stane was still fast asleep.
A faint, satisfied smile lingered on his lips. It seemed he was dreaming of something pleasant.
"Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep!"
Just then, the alarm clock on the nightstand suddenly let out a piercing ring.
Obadiah's pleasant dream was mercilessly interrupted.
He frowned and slapped the switch, silencing the annoying alarm.
Then he rubbed his eyes, yawned, and sat up in bed.
As was his habit, he shouted toward the door.
"Maria! Bring me a cup of coffee! And tell the cook I want an omelet for breakfast today, with extra butter!"
Obadiah's voice was loud, echoing through the empty villa.
But several seconds passed without any response from outside the door.
Obadiah frowned, puzzled.
He assumed the new maid was slacking off downstairs and hadn't heard him.
Thoroughly annoyed, he cursed.
"Damn idiots! I pay you so much, and you can't even bring me a cup of coffee quickly! I'll fire every last one of you later!"
Still cursing, Obadiah threw back the covers, ready to get up and wash.
He sat on the edge of the bed, looking for his slippers.
By then, his mind was gradually clearing.
He seemed to remember something, and a smug, unrestrained smile appeared on his lips again.
"I wonder if they're quick about it. That damn Stark should be dead by now. It's time for me to take full control of Stark Industries."
Obadiah immersed himself in fantasies of becoming the richest man in the world.
But just as he slipped his feet into his slippers,
A voice suddenly rang out in the bedroom.
"Then you might be in for a terrible disappointment, Uncle Oba."
"Not only are we not dead, we're alive and well. We even made it over here this morning to see that stupid look on your face."
The instant Obadiah heard the voice, he froze.
He knew that voice all too well!
It was that damn Luca Stark!
That's impossible!
Obadiah cried out in his heart.
Then he quickly turned around and looked in the direction of the voice.
What he saw next terrified him.
Two people were sitting quietly by the bedroom window!
They were Luca and Tony!
Tony Stark stood with his arms folded, looking at him expressionlessly.
Luca was playing with an apple, a chilling smile on his lips.
Obadiah was dumbfounded.
How could they be here?!
Hadn't those people gone to assassinate them?!
Or had they run off with the money?
No! No! Absolutely impossible!
Obadiah sprang off the bed in fright and stumbled back several steps in his bare feet.
But he still looked at the two of them in disbelief.
There was another question facing Obadiah now, one that terrified him most of all.
This was the most heavily guarded area in Beverly Hills!
The villa was surrounded by state-of-the-art alarm systems, and he had hired several armed security guards and a whole group of servants.
How on earth did they get past those alarms and into his bedroom?!
Where were the servants and security guards? Were they all dead?!
Seemingly seeing through Obadiah's questions,
Tony lowered his arms and spoke in a flat tone.
"Uncle Oba, there's no need to make wild guesses. You're right, someone did try to assassinate us last night."
"But unfortunately, we survived."
Tony pointed at the bedroom door and continued answering Obadiah's questions.
"As for the security guards and servants, I fired them on the spot with three times their wages. They're probably already on a plane back home."
"Oh, right. Just so you know, since you bought this villa with company funds, I've already had the legal department handle the paperwork. I'm planning to sell it next week."
After hearing this string of bad news, the bewildered Obadiah wore a thoroughly bewildered expression.
Under the succession of blows, he shook his head repeatedly and roared, making one last attempt to resist.
"Fuck! What nonsense are you talking about?! This is my private villa! I paid for it! What gives you the right to sell it?!"
Obadiah pointed at Tony and Luca, his face full of anger and innocence.
"Damn it! What crazy talk is this? What assassination? I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm your uncle! How could I possibly try to assassinate you?!"