The banks of the Potomac River lay silent, pinpricks of light shining through the heavy night.
The clock had just struck midnight when Nick Fury received Coulson's emergency report. An extraordinary high-energy reaction had occurred in Bucharest, Romania, far away in Eastern Europe. Its warning level approached that of a small nuclear bomb detonation.
The shocking news made the Black director's expression turn grave. S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately mobilized vast amounts of data and activated its enormous intelligence network. For the moment, the only clue they had was a clear satellite photograph: an immense blood-red pattern enveloped the entire city, while a dazzling mass of light churned violently at the center of Constitution Square.
"This is the core of the energy release. The intense fluctuations interfered with the image, so it isn't very clear."
Maria Hill, the female commander, pointed at the holographic projection. That enormous sphere of light nearly covered half the city.
"Why are we only getting this now?"
Fury frowned. If some criminal syndicate or terrorist organization had been secretly planning to destroy a city with a nuclear bomb, they should have learned of it long ago. With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network, almost no major terrorist attack in the world could evade the eyes and ears of agents stationed everywhere.
"New York is seven hours behind Romania, and the local government doesn't seem willing to let other forces intervene," Coulson explained.
The middle-aged agent with the receding hairline had recently enjoyed a rare stretch of peaceful days. Assigned as Captain America's liaison, he could see his childhood idol whenever he wanted, and that practically had Coulson over the moon.
Anyone paying close attention would notice that he had changed into a brand-new suit, and his increasingly sparse hair was combed especially neatly. Someone unaware of the circumstances might have assumed