"Congressman, we need checks and balances. If an uncontrollable company becomes too powerful, it will threaten world security."
Nick Fury was allowed three minutes to make his case. He racked his brain, using existing problems to persuade the Congressman before him. Although this man's power was average, he could connect with more influential people, thereby influencing the administration of the White House.
"Superheroes, Super Soldier Serum, and now the Tesseract. Without a force capable of counterbalancing them, what's happening in New York State will play out across the entire United States."
Nick Fury was referring to the Superhero Act. After being passed in New York State, it had been brought up for discussion in Congress.
Now, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, many people supported the Superhero Act. Spider-Man's influence in New York had even surpassed Tony Stark's, and was now spreading from New York State across the whole of America.
Meanwhile, Iron Man was entangled in a mess of troubles, preparing for the first court appearance in two months. Compared to Spider-Man, a superhero dedicated to helping civilians and fighting crime, it was inevitable that Tony Stark's popularity would decline in the face of hundreds of lawsuits.
"So, Mr. Fury, what is your plan? Remember, the other side seems to have swayed quite a few Congressmen. If you want me to block the Superhero Act, it will come at a significant cost."
The Congressman was somewhat persuaded by Fury, but he asked this in return. It was unlikely he would exert himself, but merely providing some support, he thought, was something he could manage.
"SHIELD Director, and the Avengers. I need your support, sir, for these two initiatives."
After speaking, Nick Fury took out a tablet and played some videos: a salvage operation at sea revealing a frozen man with a distinctive shield, the Hulk rampaging through city streets, an alien who had recently destroyed a town with lightning, and Tony Stark mired in legal troubles.
"These individuals could all become members of the Avengers. But I need the Council's support for SHIELD. Their combined strength could be formidable, potentially forming the last line of defense for America."
The Congressman watched the videos Nick Fury showed him. He simply nodded silently, then handed a file to Nick Fury.
"Mr. Fury, I can propose this to others. But if your methods prove useless, your position as SHIELD Director will be untenable. And your target isn't just Future Biopharmaceutical; there are others..."
Nick Fury opened the file and looked at its contents. He immediately frowned and muttered,
"What the fuck?"
The file contained only one item: General Ross planned to restart the Super Soldier research program through public bidding, and sought to lift the restraints on the Abomination, inviting Emil Blonsky to lead a Super Soldier unit.
Nick Fury knew something about the Abomination. He had heard that there were riots in the early years of his confinement, but now it seemed he had gained control over the Abomination's power, and his threat level had been reduced. Moreover, with the Super Soldier Serum available, even if the Abomination were released and rioted again, they could quickly neutralize him.
A controllable Abomination didn't need to be locked up forever. Releasing him would allow them to utilize his value.
However, Nick Fury realized this was an awful development. Was this forcing SHIELD into a competition? Competing with Future Biopharmaceutical was bad enough, but now there was also the military's Super Soldier program?
With the military opening bidding, many biotech companies would likely join in. Soon, superheroes would be everywhere.
"Mr. Fury, what do you think? If you're confident, I'll go find the other senators for a game of golf. Whether Councilor Joannas is invited depends on your answer."
After reading the file, Nick Fury knew he had no choice. Even if he refused, there would be another 'Nick Fury' to take over and form a new Avengers.
Or rather, before he even came, the International Security Council members and some Congressmen had already decided to form a team like the Avengers. Nick Fury just happened to come knocking.
"I'll do my best, sir."
"Go home and wait for your appointment notice, Director Fury."
After saying this, the middle-aged Congressman stood up, checked his watch, and said, "Almost time for golf."
Nick Fury also got up and left. Once in his car, he immediately sent messages to several of his subordinates. The situation had changed drastically. From now on, the Avengers would be SHIELD's top priority.
"I didn't expect the life energy on Earth to be exceptionally good. Anyone with inside information will probably sense something wrong here soon."
Hyuga Mirai gazed at the Divine Tree before him. In just a few months, it had already grown over thirty meters tall.
By the time this Divine Tree fully bears the Chakra Fruit, it will likely be over a kilometer high. And because the Divine Tree constantly absorbs natural energy from its surroundings and the planet's life energy as it grows, barrier techniques to conceal its traces are useless; it cannot stay hidden for long.
Kurenai Yuhi leaned lazily against Hyuga Mirai's shoulder and asked casually, "Is that so? Will anyone try to stop us?"
"Probably not. At least, as far as I know, no one will hinder you."
This sentence wasn't spoken by Hyuga Mirai. Behind him, a spatial portal opened, and the person who stepped out addressed Hyuga Mirai and Kurenai Yuhi.
"How remarkable. In all the magic I know, absorbing life energy is incredibly difficult, yet this tree accomplishes it with ease..."
"That's because you never considered working on it, Ancient One. If you could set aside your concerns about life and death, you could be just like the so-called gods of the universe. In fact, you're already doing that, as long as you don't actively seek death."
Seeing that the Ancient One showed no intention to attack, Hyuga Mirai took out a capsule container. He found a space capsule containing a leisure tea set, pressed the button, and tossed it out.
Bang.
A complete outdoor tea house appeared, containing not only tea but also hundreds of other beverages.
"Impressive. Is this alien technology?"
The Ancient One didn't continue the previous topic. Instead, she asked about the object before her.
Hyuga Mirai shook the capsule container in his hand and said, "Space Capsules. They record the molecular memory of an object, then alter and compress it, finally storing it in this small capsule. If you're interested, take some with you when you leave. Consider it a gift for allowing me to stay on Earth peacefully for a while."
The Ancient One nodded slightly, a small smile on her lips as she asked, "If I didn't want this, could I ask you to move this tree to another planet? After all, the universe is vast..."
Hyuga Mirai interrupted, "I'm sorry, Ancient One. I thought we could sit down and have some tea."
"Of course we can have tea. I was just asking."
The Ancient One waved her hand dismissively. The Eye of Agamotto could no longer see all futures. She thought there might be a timeline where everything worked out, so she came to inquire. But it seemed the other party was firmly set on planting this tree; convincing him otherwise would be impossible for now.
"Mr. Mirai, this tree has already shortened Earth's lifespan by one-third. And that's because you stopped when you did. But by then, Earth's population might decrease even faster than its lifespan..."
"Ancient One, if you're just using some vague future to persuade me, forget it. We both know the future is uncertain. The moment I take a sip of this water, the future you see will vanish!"
Hyuga Mirai frowned slightly at the Ancient One. Her goal was still to stop him from planting the Divine Tree. But Earth was even more suitable for the Divine Tree than the ninja world. Even the Celestials conducted experiments on Earth. He was only taking a bit of the planet's life energy.
"Master, the future you speak of doesn't exist. The true future is me."
This was the path of evolution for life forms. Even if human civilization were destroyed, it wouldn't happen by the time Earth perishes. The Ancient One was completely mixing up concepts.
The Ancient One now had two paramount responsibilities: first, to protect the Eye of Agamotto while passing on the legacy of the Sorcerer Supreme, and second, to prevent the invasion of the Dark Dimension.
She didn't have the energy to fight someone whose strength she couldn't gauge, and all for just one-third of Earth's lifespan. If she failed and Earth lost its Sorcerer Supreme, the Dark Dimension would erode it, and even the remaining two-thirds of the planet's lifespan couldn't be saved.
Seeing she couldn't convince Hyuga Mirai, the Ancient One simply shook her head and asked about other matters. Apart from some things he couldn't share, Hyuga Mirai didn't conceal much and told the Ancient One quite a bit. He also learned from her some information about the nearby Asgard, at least what Kamar-Taj had recorded.
After a while, as the Ancient One prepared to leave, Hyuga Mirai suddenly spoke to her, "Master, besides the Divine Tree, my goal also includes the Infinity Stones. If possible, could you give me the Time Stone? In exchange, I promise not to plant a second Divine Tree on Earth."
The Ancient One was taken aback. This was the first time she had encountered someone of equal or greater strength acting so shamelessly. Was he using her duty as Sorcerer Supreme to threaten her?
"I may need some time to consider it, Mr. Mirai."
"Of course. It makes no difference to me. At most, I'll wait a few years."
Hyuga Mirai said nonchalantly. Unless the Ancient One chose not to appoint a next Sorcerer Supreme, continued to prolong her life by drawing power from the Dark Dimension, and found a way to extend lifespan.
After the Ancient One left, Hyuga Mirai looked at the Divine Tree for a while. He suddenly felt that a single clone might not be enough to protect it. To be safe, he used Yin-Yang Release to create another clone to guard the tree long-term.
His clones were the best barrier. No supernatural being could destroy the Divine Tree. As for human technology, even multi-megaton nuclear weapons couldn't destroy it. And they wouldn't dare try.
"Mirai, is everything okay?"
Kurenai Yuhi asked after the Ancient One left. She felt the energy on the Ancient One wasn't strong, but she didn't seem afraid of her genjutsu at all.
"It's fine. She knows the consequences of hindering me. When the cost doesn't match the desired outcome, people give up on their initial decisions."
Upon hearing this, Kurenai Yuhi's eyes curved into a smile. "As expected of Captain Mirai. So impressive."
As she spoke, she provocatively rubbed against him with her voluptuous curves. Since getting married, Kurenai seemed to have loosened up her personality. According to her, she had to make up for over a decade Mirai had spent away from the village.
"Kurenai, that won't work on me. We've been married for almost ten years. My heart is like a rock now, my desires as calm as still water."
"Oh? Very impressive, Captain Rock."
Kurenai Yuhi's eyes were filled with allure. She was wearing a loose gauze dress today, saying she didn't want to restrict the baby now that she was pregnant. But with it slightly clinging to her, Mirai could fully appreciate her perfect figure, especially...
After a while, Hyuga Mirai turned his head and asked, "Kurenai, doesn't even a lake sometimes get rippled by a gentle breeze?"
"I don't know, Captain Rock."
"That's so irresponsible, Kurenai."
"Captain, although we should give you time to adjust to life decades later, time won't wait. Join us."
After being reinstated as SHIELD Director, Nick Fury's first move was to approach Captain America. Steve Rogers was currently confined to a specific neighborhood while SHIELD completed its evaluation. But Nick Fury didn't foresee any risk assessment issues with Captain America, so he used a little authority.
Steve Rogers shook his head, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Director, I'm a man out of time now. Please find someone else."
"No one else knows the Tesseract as well as you do. That thing is dangerous, but our idiot politicians traded it for some so-called Super Soldier Serum. And it's a one-time, ongoing purchase."
Nick Fury cursed as he handed the documents to Captain America. Thanks to those idiot politicians, he hadn't slept well in days.
"Watch your language."
Steve admonished Nick Fury before taking the documents and reading them. The Tesseract was handed over to Future Biopharmaceutical, along with a contract for purchasing Super Soldier Serum.
Five hundred thousand dollars per vial. An incredibly favorable price. If the US military wanted, they could purchase a thousand vials of Super Soldier Serum and, within half an hour, use a thousand super soldiers to dismantle the military defenses of any European country.
And what was five hundred million dollars to the US military?
Nothing. Their annual military budget topped the world.
"Why would they think of something so stupid?"
After reading the documents, Steve rubbed his temples and asked Nick Fury.
After a moment of silence, Nick Fury finally replied, "They're politicians."