Marvel’s Shadowed Knight

Everything happening now was giving Nick Fury a headache.

Whether it was the chaos in Hell's Kitchen or the unrest within the United States, it was all weighing on him.

And now, even New York—usually relatively stable—was becoming increasingly turbulent.

Spider-Man was dead.

Though there was a so-called new Spider-Man running around, it wasn't making much of a difference.

Besides, Nick Fury didn't believe that this new Spider-Man could live up to the legacy of the previous one.

In Fury's eyes, heroes with true integrity—like the original Spider-Man—were rare.

Everyone else had their own agendas.

Even if, for now, they all seemed to be on the same side… the future was unpredictable.

"Hey, I brought you the guy you wanted."

Tony's carefree voice rang in Fury's ear.

Holding the young man in the black Spider-Man suit, Tony casually dropped him onto the bed in front of Fury.

As Tony turned to leave, an energy barrier silently rose around the bed.

"Looks like you really are worried about him," Tony remarked, crossing his arms.

"The name Spider-Man carries too much weight. I can't just trust anyone to take it on."

As Fury spoke, his one remaining eye made it clear how little faith he had in this new Spider-Man.

"Okay, okay, whatever. Not my problem."

Tony clearly didn't care.

Sure, he'd attended Peter Parker's memorial service, but that didn't mean he was interested in whoever was claiming the mantle now.

His friendship with Spider-Man had been with Peter Parker—only Peter Parker.

"But that Batman guy… seems to have caught your attention."

Tony scrolled through past events in New York using his suit's database, his expression intrigued.

"Handsome guy, I'll give him that. Still, not quite on my level."

He pulled up an image of Bruce and critiqued it as if he were an expert in aesthetics.

Fury, however, had no patience for hearing about Batman right now.

The world was already chaotic enough.

And to make things worse, Batman had just delivered the new Black Widow straight to the NYPD—Monica, his ex-wife!

Even though Fury was pretty sure Batman had no idea about their past, it felt like the guy was just rubbing it in his face.

"I think I'll go pay this Batman a visit. What do you say?" Tony suddenly suggested.

Fury shot him a glance and then nodded.

"Just so you know, that guy already took down one of our top agents."

With that, Fury turned his attention back to the unconscious black-suited Spider-Man.

Hearing those words, Tony smirked—not that Fury could see it through his faceplate.

"I'm Tony Stark. He won't refuse a meeting with me."

And with that, he turned and left.

On his way out, he crossed paths with Spider-Woman, who had just returned.

"You're slow," Tony teased with a grin.

Spider-Woman didn't even acknowledge him, walking straight toward Fury.

Tony shrugged—didn't bother him.

With a burst of light, he soared away from the Triskelion.

His destination was clear—Kane Manor.

He was determined to meet this so-called Batman in person.

To the public and the police, Bruce Wayne was just another rich playboy.

But a man who could take down a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with ease?

That was no ordinary person.

Yet, as Tony made his way toward Kane Manor…

Others had already arrived ahead of him.

"Are we really taking such a big risk coming here?"

One of the team members asked, his voice laced with concern.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. might still be keeping an eye on this place."

Crossbones remained unfazed. "If they had enough manpower to do that, the U.S. wouldn't be in such chaos right now."

"Besides, we're just here to do what needs to be done."

As he spoke, figures emerged from the shadows one by one.

It was clear that this time, they were fully armed and ready for action.

Hearing their leader's words, the rest of the team fell silent, offering no further objections.

With Crossbones' command, all HYDRA soldiers sprang into action. The squad responsible for cutting off Kane Manor's external communications sent out a confirmation signal after completing their task.

At the same time, they shut down all power transmission systems within the estate.

At this moment, Kane Manor had become an isolated island on the outskirts of New York City.

HYDRA soldiers moved in swiftly, advancing toward the grand estate.

The moment the main gate was violently breached, the soldiers wasted no time in executing their mission.

They spread out quickly, sweeping through every room and corner with precision, leaving no blind spots.

Only after thoroughly securing the first floor did they cautiously begin their advance to the upper levels.

The events that had taken place in Kingpin's underground lair had made HYDRA's men particularly cautious this time.

But in the darkness, they were not the real predators.

Bruce was already suited up, silently waiting for his guests to arrive.

Though the HYDRA soldiers moved as quietly as possible, their sheer numbers made it impossible to escape Bruce's trained senses. He could hear them, pinpointing their positions with ease.

As one soldier approached the room Bruce was in, Gotham's Dark Knight finally made his move.

"BANG!!"

The ornate wooden door shattered into splinters as Bruce burst through, seizing the soldier closest to the entrance before he could react.

The sudden attack caught the other HYDRA operatives off guard. But instinct kicked in, and they immediately raised their rifles, unleashing a hail of bullets toward the disturbance.

The gunfire erupted, alerting every HYDRA soldier in the manor, drawing them toward the chaos.

Bruce barely flinched as he felt bullets ripping through the soldier in his grasp, their momentum barely denting his armored suit.

It was clear that under such intense fire, the ballistic plates on the HYDRA soldiers' vests wouldn't hold for long.

But at the same time, their ammunition wouldn't last forever either.

Seizing the moment, Bruce hurled the dead soldier's body forward with immense force, knocking down two more HYDRA operatives.

The last remaining soldier barely had time to reload before Bruce closed the distance.

As the soldier reached for his sidearm, Bruce struck first.

A powerful kick landed squarely on the man's arm, forcing him to his knees.

Before the soldier could react, Bruce's fist came crashing down.

The sheer force of the punch not only sent the man sprawling but also knocked his helmet clean off.

By then, the two operatives who had been knocked over had regained their footing and reached for their weapons.

But Bruce had already flung two Batarangs.

Both hit their mark—burying deep into their right shoulders.

(End of Chapter)

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