Chapter 116: Preparing for Evolution
Nick Fury didn't fully understand what Finney meant and still had doubts about him. He knew Finney didn't like S.H.I.E.L.D. and usually didn't interfere in others' business. So why was he suddenly giving advice?
"Even though you're on the edge of danger, your intentions are good," Finney said calmly. This was probably the only thing he could acknowledge about Nick Fury.
"I don't want Earth to be in chaos, so I'm reminding you to prepare," he continued. Then, to mislead Fury, he added, "But I advise you to give up on that thing. Peace is better for everyone."
Finney tricked Fury into thinking he meant Asgard might try to take the Tesseract, but really, he was worried about research on the Tesseract. He knew Fury wouldn't just hand it over, which is why he said it that way.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D. property!" Fury insisted, just as Finney expected.
"If you add Hulk, can you keep the Tesseract?" Fury asked.
Finney smiled secretly but shook his head, saying, "It depends on who comes and how many people." He didn't want to reveal too much, but added, "With their Rainbow Bridge condition, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Why should I leave it for you? It doesn't help me or Earth," Fury said. Finney had to refuse to avoid suspicion.
Fury then asked when "they" would come. Finney feigned ignorance: "You should ask Asgard."
"Thanks for the reminder. I'll prepare," Fury said, then offered to take Finney back. Finney refused, saying he could leave on his own.
After saying goodbye, Fury went to the joint NASA–S.H.I.E.L.D. base where the Tesseract was being studied. He met Eric Selvig, who said the Tesseract's energy was nearly impossible to handle safely. Fury was frustrated but understood the difficulty.
Fury also checked with Hawkeye Barton, who was monitoring Selvig. Barton reported that Selvig was normal and hadn't contacted anyone outside. Fury decided to increase security around the Tesseract and left.
Meanwhile, Finney planned other ways to evolve the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. One option was Tony Stark's new Arc Reactor, though it was very valuable and hard to get daily.
In the evening, Finney visited Tony at his villa, where Pepper was now living with him. Pepper asked about Skye, who was too lazy to help at work.
Finney found Tony in his studio, working on a Mark 7 model. They casually discussed weapons before Tony asked, "What brings you here?"
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(End of Chapter)