From this point on, Fury became more cautious, one might even say paranoid.
S.H.I.E.L.D., once full of trust, was no longer trustworthy.
Now, Fury looked at everyone as if they were HYDRA or a Skrull disguise.
That logistics supervisor who was always smiling, was his friendliness just a disguise?
That highly efficient analyst, was she secretly working for some organization?
That new young Agent, was his impossibly clean resume carefully forged?
This suspicion was almost turning into paranoia.
But Fury had excellent professional qualities and was deep enough; he would not show these internal changes on his face, nor would he let anyone see them.
He remained the reliable Agent Fury, only now he would scrutinize signatures more carefully when processing documents, ask a few more questions when approving operations, and be more... selective when assigning tasks.
The Skrulls had been secretly transferred by Fury to a secret prison that only he knew about.
It was a facility converted from an abandoned Cold War nuclear bunker, buried deep underground, with an independent oxygen supply system and food reserves, and no external records.
Fury personally designed the security plan and personally selected the guards, all of whom were recruited through independent channels and had no connection to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Every time he went to that secret prison, Fury would take complex anti-surveillance measures, switching vehicles, changing routes, and even driving in circles around the city.
He could not take risks; he could not let anyone know about the existence of that Skrull prisoner, and even less could he let anyone know that he had taken this hot potato from Howard.
At the same time, Fury began his own investigation.
Using the access Howard gave him, he quietly reviewed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal files, analyzed personnel turnover patterns, and audited abnormal project funding.
He built a completely independent database, existing only on a few non-networked encrypted computers, recording all suspicious clues and speculations.
This was a lonely war; Fury could not tell anyone, could not seek any help, and could not even show that he knew too much.
He was like someone walking in a minefield; every step had to be cautious, and every judgment could determine life or death.
But Fury did not back down; on the contrary, this huge responsibility and danger made him more determined.
He saw the fragility of this World, saw those threats lurking in the shadows, and he, Nick Fury, would do everything in his power to protect it.
Even if it meant suspecting everyone.
Within a month, Howard had completely handed over his work at Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Things at Stark Industries went relatively smoothly; although Tony complained, his actual actions were swift and efficient.
He convened the board of Directors, announced the handover plan, and then began to restructure the company.
Some old-school management was replaced, new R&D departments were established, and the company's strategic direction began to expand from simple weapons manufacturing to a broader field of high technology.
The situation at S.H.I.E.L.D. was more complex; he gradually reduced his involvement, distributed power to several deputy Directors, and quietly transferred key permissions to Fury.
He signed a series of documents, transferring the oversight of certain special projects to the "Special Investigation Office," a department Fury had just established that ostensibly handled routine internal audits.
This process consumed a lot of Howard's energy; there were meetings every day, documents to process every day, and he had to face those farewells, whether sincere or hypocritical, every day, but Howard persevered because he knew it was necessary.
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