The commotion on the Helicarrier gradually subsided, the damaged hull managed to regain its balance, and the piercing alarms finally stopped.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was quiet yet oppressive. After an internal conflict, a surprise bombing, a rebellion by the Asgardian, and the serious injury and death of an agent, everyone's hearts were heavy.
Steve and Tony sat back down on either side of the conference table, their expressions solemn, having completely set aside their previous ideological disagreements.
On the lounge chair next to the table, Banner remained in the same state after being paralyzed by the Paralysis Breath, sleeping peacefully like a soundly asleep baby, breathing evenly and without making a sound, becoming the most composed presence in the entire room.
Natasha was worried about Hawkeye, who had been controlled and attacked, and who would surely feel guilty and remorseful after regaining consciousness, so she went to the medical bay alone to check on his recovery.
Rimuru, however, remained relaxed and unaffected by the tragic atmosphere.
He stood leisurely by the window, his hands clasped in the air, his mind completely blank about the Battle of New York, the alien invasion, or the survival of the Alliance.
My mind is completely occupied with food planning.
After all that roughhousing and playing around, my stomach is completely empty.
What should we eat later?
How about a plate of fine smoked ham, two soft-boiled eggs, and a few pieces of crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside deep-fried steak?
Beer is out of the question; alcohol is prohibited during wartime. Iced soft drinks are the best match for meat, refreshing and cutting through the greasiness.
He was happily planning his dinner menu, his mind filled with endless variations of different cuisines, when a dark figure suddenly approached quickly, abruptly interrupting his culinary reverie.
Nick Fury, his face grim, strode up to him, quietly clutching a stack of blank autographed cards stained with faint blood.
Rimuru frowned slightly upon seeing this, and his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
The visuals, the dialogue, the props.
The more I look at it, the more familiar it seems.
Classic scenes instantly flooded my mind; the iconic PUA scene featuring the Black Nick Fury is here.
Sure enough, Fury raised his hand and showed the card in his hand, his voice low and heavy, carrying just the right amount of grief.
"These were found in Coulson's coat pocket."
He always wanted a personalized autograph from you, but unfortunately, he'll never have the chance.
Rimuru at the bloodstained card, then looked up to meet Nick Fury's calm, calculating single eye.
Instant clarity.
I understand.
That old fox is up to his old tricks again.
By deliberately staging a scene, instilling tragedy, and creating a tense atmosphere, they used Coulson's "death" as a bargaining chip to ignite the Avengers' fighting spirit and manipulate everyone's emotions.
What just happened almost shattered the resolve of even a top agent like Natasha.
Since you want to act, I'll take the opportunity to extort you.
Rimuru's eyes gleamed slightly as he spoke.
" Nick Fury, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Fury reacted swiftly, reaching out to precisely cover his mouth, preventing him from exposing the whole charade.
Steve and Tony, standing nearby, were stunned and exchanged a bewildered glance.
What's going on?
What are those two doing sneakily?
Covering his mouth in public? The scene was quite bizarre.
Rimuru struggled slightly to break free, deliberately drawing out his words.
" Coulson, he..."
I know what you're trying to say.
Nick Fury immediately interrupted forcefully, changing the subject, "We'll talk about this after the big battle."
This very statement gave Rimuru exorbitant prices.
He seized the opportunity to lay his cards on the table and openly extort money from them.
"Okay, let's not talk about that. The Avengers need a proper base, right?"
"Give me a piece of land, and I'll build it myself."
Nick Fury's pupils constricted upon hearing this, and he stared at Rimuru with a look of utter disbelief, instinctively about to refuse.
"Impossible!"
"Don't think I don't know," Rimuru added casually, each word hitting the nail on the head. "Those advanced technologies, energy formulas, and material processes I submitted before, your S.H.I.E.L.D.. secretly copied, archived, and military-modified quite a few of them."
Fury's expression changed, and he quickly reached out to cover his mouth again, afraid that he would reveal a bombshell in public.
"Let's start planning the site selection!"
Rimuru smiled and broke free of his restraints, casually dropping a bombshell.
"It doesn't need to be too small, about the size of a medium-sized city is enough."
"Are you crazy?!" Nick Fury couldn't help but exclaim, completely breaking down.
A private estate the size of a medium-sized city?
This isn't a base; it's carving out an independent territory right in the heart of America!
The entire room fell silent.
Rimuru, however, remained calm and composed, turning to look directly at Fury and uttering the most crucial sentence.
"You used the Tesseract to build weapons without authorization, claiming it was to defend against alien threats."
"But I don't believe it. There's definitely an element of wariness towards me involved, right?"
In a single sentence, it strikes at the deepest secret in one's heart.
Nick Fury fell completely silent, unable to refute.
He is indeed protecting against the universe, against the Asgard, and against extraterrestrial civilizations.
But he was even more wary of this unknown powerhouse with a mysterious background, unfathomable strength, and the ability to casually unleash technologies that crushed Earth's.
After a long silence, he gritted his teeth and gave in.
"The area is too big... can it be reduced a bit?"
Rimuru patted his shoulder, his tone calm and reassuring. "Don't worry, you know what I'm capable of."
"Completely concealed by the void, invisible and shielded, with energy isolated; undetectable by satellites in the sky and undetectable by radar on the ground."
"I can completely hide the entire city without affecting any surface order."
The two locked eyes and stared at each other silently for a few seconds.
The deal was settled silently.
Tony and Steve watched from the sidelines, completely bewildered and looking utterly confused.
In just one minute, the two of them covered their mouths, negotiated, played games, compromised, and finalized important matters, whispering to each other as if they were making some kind of secret deal. It was completely impossible to understand their intentions.
After finishing his personal business, Fury instantly switched to work mode, instantly becoming the director and restarting the classic Avengers PUA mobilization meeting.
He then patted Rimuru's arm.
"Never mind anything else for now, help wake Banner up, everyone assemble, pre-battle mobilization."
Rimuru reluctantly stepped forward and casually dispelled the paralysis and sedation effect.
Before long, Banner, who had fully regained consciousness, Natasha, who had returned, and the rested crew were all assembled.
Steve looked at Fury, who was in a somber mood, and then at Rimuru, who seemed completely calm. He couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
" Rimuru, are you really... unable to save Coulson?"
Rimuru was speechless at the question.
save?
How can I save him?
Resurrecting a dead person who "died in public, witnessed by everyone, and whose death was staged for the sake of the plot"?
He was internally ranting and raving.
You really think highly of me.
No matter how outrageous my abilities are, I can't expose Fury's Daju in public, forcibly resurrect him, and ruin the whole cohesive drama!
On the surface, all he could do was shrug helplessly.
"You really think highly of me."
Even if I could do it, I absolutely cannot do it now.
After hearing these words, Steve and Tony were slightly taken aback, but quickly realized what they meant.
yes.
The dead cannot be brought back to life.
That question was indeed ridiculously absurd.
The remaining grief and helplessness in my heart transformed into a heavy fighting spirit.