Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

"I have a question: how do you know about these things?"

Nick Fury fixed his gaze on Ned and interrupted him. "Back then, even Stark was just a kid, and you… you weren't even born yet, right?"

"What do you mean?"

Stark raised an eyebrow at Fury's words and asked, "You know what he's talking about?"

Stark suddenly recalled Ned mentioning that a certain S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had formed a deep bond with an alien race during that time.

"Back then, I was merely a low-ranking Level 3 field agent, running errands and getting my hands dirty. It was during one of those missions that I stumbled upon these… 'visitors from the stars.'"

Nick Fury knew that even if he kept silent, Ned would spill the details to Stark. So, he chose to explain instead.

"I remember everything vividly. What you've said is entirely accurate, but you shouldn't have any way of knowing these things."

Fury's sharp eyes locked onto Ned.

"Never underestimate the capabilities of a mystic sorcerer," Ned said with an air of mystery, waving his hand theatrically.

Oddly enough, the two men across from him bought into it, choosing not to press further.

"So, what happened in the end? That supervillain? Back then, there wasn't an Avengers team or any advanced weapons. Did Earth really resort to nuclear weapons? Radiation works on aliens too, right?"

Stark's curiosity lit up. "But I don't recall any nuclear tests being reported."

"Stop guessing," Ned replied. "Sure, there was no Avengers team back then, but there was someone—a super 'grandma' who, like Rogers, loved wearing flashy outfits and parading around."

"Pfft!"

Ned's comment made Nick Fury spit out the water he had just sipped.

"Uh… Fury, you okay there?"

Stark raised an eyebrow, confused. Grandma? Sure, he'd seen plenty of grandmas. Why was Fury reacting so dramatically?

"Stark, don't listen to Mr. Leeds' nonsense. Carol was only in her twenties back then!" Fury corrected him firmly.

"Oh~"

Stark nodded, then added with mock seriousness, "So now she's in her forties? Or even pushing fifty?"

"You…"

Fury decided not to engage further but warned, "If you ever meet Carol, I strongly advise you never to bring up this conversation or call her that. Otherwise, she'll dismantle your armor like it's a toy."

"Really? I—"

"Stark."

Ned interrupted Stark's indignation and said, "Fury's not joking."

"With your current armor, you wouldn't last a few moves against Captain Marvel. She can fly, crush interstellar missiles barehanded, and single-handedly scare off an alien fleet."

"You're kidding, right? That infamous alien villain ran off because of a woman?"

Stark raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"His name was Ronan," Ned said matter-of-factly.

"Well then."

Stark turned to Fury again. "Why didn't your fifty-year-old 'superwoman' step in a year ago to scare off Loki and his army? Why let us 'concerned citizens' risk our necks instead?"

"Because the time wasn't right," Fury replied, his tone unchanged.

"Not right? Was that your call or hers? Where is she anyway? New York? Washington? I'd really love to meet this so-called 'grandma.'"

Stark got up, stretching, a smirk plastered on his face as though he intended to teach Captain Marvel a lesson.

"She's in space. On some planet… or maybe no planet at all," Fury replied indifferently.

"You're joking, right? She hijacked Ronan's spaceship or something? Earth doesn't have interstellar travel technology!"

"Neither," Fury said, shaking his head.

"She flies through space using her body, at incredible speeds. She can even perform spatial jumps," Ned added.

Stark fell silent, his usual arrogance dampened.

"Let's move on to the Skrulls. They're not great fighters, and they don't have much experience with espionage. So, how would they solve problems?"

Fury, tired of this tangent, quickly redirected the conversation.

"Use them to weed out traitors," Ned suggested. "Make them shapeshift into senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, obtain their recent memories, and identify the real infiltrators."

"And if some of the senior agents are traitors, you can simply replace them with the Skrulls," Ned added slyly.

"No."

Fury disagreed with the latter suggestion. He'd already experienced having a colleague impersonated by a Skrull.

The Skrulls' abilities had too many flaws. They couldn't fool him, even in his younger days. Let alone S.H.I.E.L.D.'s seasoned agents, who were razor-sharp.

"They're not suitable for double-agent roles, but they could still help identify moles," Fury said, standing up. He was ready to implement Ned's plan to root out infiltrators.

"Don't forget my payment," Ned reminded as Fury moved toward the door.

"Don't worry, the million-dollar fee is as good as yours. And don't forget about what we discussed—arranging a visit to Kamar-Taj. Ask the Ancient One if you can."

Fury had always been intrigued by Ned's abilities and wanted to learn more.

"I'll take care of it," Ned replied with a smirk. "Oh, and if you're starting the screenings, I'd suggest beginning with the highest-ranking official."

"Oh?"

Fury glanced back at Ned, intrigued. 'The highest-ranking? Is he hinting at Hill? No, it can't be…'

"Alexander Pierce."

Fury's expression froze. "Do you know what you're saying? That man is the one who mentored me into this role."

"Test him. You trust no one anyway, right?" Ned smiled nonchalantly.

"..."

Fury stared at Ned for a moment before storming out, his face dark.

"Pierce? That guy's really…?" Stark asked after Fury left.

"Yup," Ned confirmed.

"Ha!"

Stark chuckled, clearly enjoying the predicament Fury now found himself in. "This is gonna be a headache for Fury, that's for sure."

"Stark, we're comrades-in-arms. Shouldn't you be a bit more sympathetic?"

Before Stark could respond, Fury marched back in, his face even darker than before.

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