Chapter 4: Iron Egghead Assassinated

"Close it," Steve Rogers commanded.

Natasha Romanoff used her staff to poke the energy column that connected to the portal, shutting it down. The airborne portal was closed, and Tony Stark's iron-clad body plummeted straight down.

"How am I going to land?" Tony Stark stared intently at the video, wanting to know his fate. "Did I crash to death?"

Two Natasha Romanoffs, whether in the video or outside of it, were both fixated on the red figure descending from the sky.

Everyone was focused on whether Tony Stark had successfully landed after his feat of carrying the nuclear bomb.

However, the screen went black, and the video ended there.

The red armor descended from the sky, the final image.

Nick Fury: "..."

Tony Stark: "..."

Natasha Romanoff: "..."

The question setter is truly despicable! Just at the crucial moment, they stopped showing it!

Did he survive or not?!

"I finally understand why the question setter doesn't show up," Tony Stark said with extreme exasperation after a long while. "They must be afraid of getting beaten up by me!"

"Stark, you don't have to worry. As you said, no hero who saves the world in movies ever dies," Nick Fury also had an urge to shoot him, "and neither will you."

"If this Thor truly possesses the power of the mythical legends, then flying should be a piece of cake for him," Natasha Romanoff said, "so he should be able to fly and save Stark in mid-air."

"Whether I died or not in that last scene doesn't matter," Tony Stark rare serious expression. "What's important is that I had foreknowledge of this future, so I can prepare in advance and avoid this situation."

"Stark is right. Knowing the future in advance is more important than the future itself," Nick Fury scanned both of them with his one eye. "This video doesn't have any time markers, but whether it's Stark or Romanoff, your appearances are almost identical to the present, with no noticeable changes."

"Which means the time when this future event occurs won't be too far off," Natasha Romanoff continued Nick Fury's words. "The Chitauri invasion of New York is likely to happen within a few years."

"The armor I'm wearing in the video is exactly the same as this one, Mark 7," Tony Stark pointed to the armor displayed nearby. "I've only just finished making Mark 3. Given my research capabilities, it would take about... two to three years to go from Mark 3 to Mark 7." Tony Stark paused for a moment and added, "approximately."

"Such a short time?" Nick Fury, who could maintain a calm expression no matter the situation, couldn't help but change his face. "In two or three years, New York will be attacked by aliens?"

If someone had mentioned an alien invasion of Earth under normal circumstances, Tony Stark would have used his unparalleled sarcasm to verbally annihilate them. But now, he asked with great seriousness, "Egghead, do aliens really exist?"

"They do," Nick Fury remained silent for two seconds and nodded. "More than a decade ago, before I became the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., aliens descended upon Earth. I lost one of my eyes during that time."

"Aliens are actually real!" Tony Stark was shocked in his heart, and he became even more convinced that the video he just saw was a glimpse into the future.

"Fury, is Captain America really dead?" Natasha Romanoff also asked. "You saw it too, he fought alongside us two or three years from now."

"According to history, Captain America chose to crash the plane into the sea to prevent it from flying into New York..." Nick Fury said.

"So, nobody has seen his body?" Tony Stark interjected.

"Correct, his body was never found," Nick Fury replied.

"Captain America isn't an ordinary person; he's a super soldier injected with a serum. So even after almost seventy years, there's still a possibility that he survived," Natasha Romanoff said.

"Peggy Carter is still alive. I'll pay her a visit," Nick Fury said. "If anyone in this world knows Captain's whereabouts, it's her."

"The hundred-year-old veteran Captain America still has a lead to follow, but what about Thor?" Tony Stark looked at Nick Fury's bald head and resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment. "He's a character from mythology. How do we find him?"

"Do I look like Odin to you?" Nick Fury retorted irritably. "How would I know where to find his son?"

"You do have a resemblance, at least if Odin looks like the one from mythology," Tony Stark said. "But I think you're only similar in terms of appearance. I mean, unless Odin is also an egghead."

"Could you please stop mentioning the word 'egghead'?" Nick Fury's veins bulged with anger. Tony Stark was as much of a genius as he was a sharp-tongued individual, and it was a constant struggle to interact with him without raising one's blood pressure.

"As for Thor, since we have no leads, let's put that aside for now. What about Bruce Banner?" Thankfully, Natasha Romanoff intervened in time, preventing Nick Fury from transforming into a furious parent.

"I've been keeping tabs on the big guy's whereabouts," Nick Fury said after thinking for a moment. "But I don't think it's necessary to disturb him right now. He's calm, which is good for him, especially in this society. I'll send someone to contact him when the Chitauri are about to arrive."

[The second question begins. Please be prepared.]

[After being stabbed and escaping from Alexander Pierce's men

, where did Director Nick Fury hide?]

[A) Hawkeye Clint Barton]

[B) Iron Man Tony Stark]

[C) Captain America Steve Rogers]

[D) Black Widow Natasha Romanoff]

[The answer to this question is correct, and you will be rewarded with a Green Goblin skateboard. Answering incorrectly will result in a deduction of one year of lifespan.]

"Egghead, is it because your head has offended too many people?" Tony Stark immediately spoke up after reading the question. "Although it sounds absurd, maybe you were assassinated because someone didn't like your egghead. You know, there are so many people who love eating boiled eggs, and once they think of your head, they lose their appetite..."

"Shut up, Stark. This isn't Chinatown, and not everyone is obsessed with boiled eggs," Nick Fury suppressed the urge to shoot this guy and said, "I've been targeted for assassination many times in the past, but I've never sought refuge at someone's house. So, just like the previous question, this should be a future segment, an assassination that hasn't taken place yet."

"Alexander Pierce, that name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?" Tony Stark felt that the name was familiar but couldn't recall who it was for the moment.

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(End of this chapter)