"Is there a problem?"
Seeing his subordinate repeatedly glancing at him, Nick was quite puzzled. If you have something to say, just say it! How would I know if you don't speak? Looking at someone like that—if someone didn't know better, they'd think you're a pervert. You're a grown man; why act like a child who can't bring themselves to speak? You've been an Special Agent for so many years; stop playing this game. It's truly an eyesore.
"I don't understand, Director. Why use Victor Von Doom? He was involved in that incident just a while ago."
Barton asked, puzzled. He was deeply confused as to why Nick would use this man, and even ordered him to keep a close watch on him, attacking immediately if there were any suspicious movements. Such behavior left him completely baffled. If they were going to use Doom, why be so strictly guarded against him? If they were so wary of this person, why let him participate in such a secret experiment? This contradictory behavior from the usually sharp Director Nick was very puzzling, and he didn't even offer an explanation afterward. Barton was now very conflicted; after all, the task had fallen to him, and it was difficult to handle.
"That's exactly why I'm using him. In terms of talent, I think Reed, whom the Military favors, is still a bit inferior to Victor—about on par with Thor. But can we contact Reed right now? Obviously not. If I were to drag Reed into S.H.I.E.L.D. today and poach him from the Military, by tomorrow, all the top brass in the Military would likely be targeting us."
Facing his subordinate's confusion, Nick settled down to explain his reasoning to Barton. After filtering through the candidates, Victor was the only one left who could be used and whose stance wasn't too bad. He had a prominent family background, was wealthy, and had no bad records. Aside from being a bit narcissistic and having a rampage after suddenly gaining powers, it wasn't really a big deal. Kidding aside, which one of them as an Special Agent hadn't bloodied their hands? Would they care if this person had killed someone?
As long as he could be used, it was a good thing. Initially, his first priority was Tony, and Tony was indeed the most suitable, but the other party's personality destined that Nick wouldn't be able to handle him—especially Tony's headstrong behavior. With Tony's brilliant brain, who knows, one day his place might be filled with surveillance and listening devices. How could Nick let Tony visit S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters casually? Furthermore, researching the Symbiote was something that couldn't see the light of day. His goal wasn't just to research the Symbiote and call it a day. Nick patted Barton on the shoulder, signaling him not to worry about such small matters, and turned to leave the office. He intended to use the Symbiote for combat. He knew the characteristics of the Symbiote, and he also knew its two greatest weaknesses. If this matter were completed, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strength would reach a new level.
"If the Symbiote suit can be created, I can finally rest easy and hand over the Director position."
Walking along, Nick sighed with emotion. He hoped that day would come sooner, but Barton's questioning of his actions earlier had disappointed him. Such an Special Agent could never become a leader. One cannot give up potential benefits just because of some trivial matter. If one only follows some ridiculous bottom line, then that person is simply not suitable to be a leader. As a high-level leader, one must absolutely not be emotional; they must prioritize the big picture. Never underestimate any target, and utilize everything that can be utilized, regardless of whether it is good or bad. He had originally wanted to give Barton the opportunity to become Director, but now it seemed he was not suitable.
"Hello, Mr. Victor Von Doom."
Amidst his musings, Nick walked out of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and found a coffee shop to make a call. Soon, a figure appeared before Nick. Nick recognized Victor at a glance and greeted him warmly, but Victor ignored him completely and sat down. Facing Victor's rude behavior, Nick didn't get angry; his face remained the same. Nick sat opposite Victor. Nick had long known that one couldn't treat these talented people with a normal attitude, otherwise, one would definitely be angered to death. These guys were more arrogant than the last, like Tony or a certain Dr. Pym; this attitude was acceptable.
"I don't want to waste time. I want to start the research directly. I am very interested in this thing."
Victor didn't waste time and got straight to the point. He was currently very annoyed with dealing with such organizations. If it weren't for such a miraculous creature that had piqued his interest, he might not even have considered meeting the other party. Now, he didn't want to drag it out any longer and stated his intentions directly, as well as the fact that he was indeed interested. He wanted to see if the other party had the guts and could afford the price to hire him.
"No problem at all, Mr. Victor. Please tell me if you need anything else."
Actually, when Victor said that, his tone already carried a hint of sarcasm, but Nick's swift agreement left Victor stunned. He had originally thought this Director Nick Fury would be like the Military brass, looking grim and then arguing with him, but he hadn't expected the other party to have such composure. This was something Victor hadn't anticipated. No matter how much one believed in their own strength, they would usually be kept waiting for a couple of days; he had used this method himself before, but he hadn't expected such an unexpected situation. If Nick knew Victor's thoughts, he would surely show a 'benevolent elder's gaze' and say to Victor, 'Child, you are still too young.' As a black-hearted leader without integrity, if he didn't even have this much guts, how could he scare those politicians into obediently giving money... uh, ptooey! Giving funding.
"Nothing for now. If I have any requests, I will bring them up."
Feeling that the person sitting in front of him wasn't just a one-eyed Nick Fury, but an old fox smiling very 'wantonly,' Victor knew he couldn't fool him, so he didn't say anything more. Anyway, he would wait until he saw the experimental materials. At that time, he could give this guy some difficult problems, and completing the things he wanted to do along the way would be quite nice as well.
"Then, happy cooperation, Mr. Victor."
"Happy cooperation."
Two guys as shrewd as foxes shook hands 'amicably' at this moment. From a distance, it looked like two fox demons. The two schemers reached a consensus. Nick fulfilled his words readily, taking Victor directly into the research room of a S.H.I.E.L.D. 'branch.' One Symbiote was being forced to undergo research here, and no one knew where Director Nick had hidden the other one. But this didn't hinder Victor's shock; such a creature, just like a slime, was truly too interesting. It seemed this deal wasn't bad at all.
"I don't want to go to school. School is no fun."
While Nick was making moves, Artoria was having a huge headache from the noise. Galacta had been very happy to go to school on the first day, but she ended up returning in less than half a day. When told to continue going to school, she threw a tantrum in front of Artoria, refusing to go no matter what. She was exactly like a little brat in kindergarten. This gave Artoria a headache; she felt like a parent. Would Mordred turn out like this in the future? Just thinking about the two of them, one big and one small, throwing tantrums all over the floor in front of her made Artoria's scalp tingle.
"If you don't want to go, then don't. Stop making a scene."
This creature was not only throwing a tantrum but also pulling on Artoria's clothes. In just a short while, her clothes were torn by this creature, and Artoria's thigh was exposed. This made Artoria so angry she wanted to pull out her Holy Sword and give Galacta a slash. Clearly, based on her appearance, she was a total goddess, but here she had turned into a crazy woman. Artoria really couldn't imagine how Galactus had raised his daughter. Galacta, you're so dense, does your dad know? Regardless of Artoria's complaints, the moment Galacta heard she didn't have to go to school, she jumped up from the floor and rushed towards the snacks on the side.
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