DOTM: Chapter 390/391

Chapter 390: Disintegration of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Ethan's original plan was to return directly to Earth after beating Ronan. After all, he did not have anything to do in Asgard, and going back would allow him to continue learning more from Tony and Howard, as well as practice his magic.

But in the end, Thor made him stay for three more days because they had to celebrate the victory. As a key contributor to the win, Ethan absolutely could not avoid it.

"Are you planning to hold the coronation ceremony early?"

Seeing the scale of the celebration, Ethan wondered if Thor had already completed the coronation ceremony and officially become the God-King of Asgard.

Thor said this was just a normal victory celebration. The coronation ceremony would have to wait another month, as there were many things to prepare.

Ethan felt there was not much to discuss about inheriting the throne with the heir of a nation, so he agreed to bring people over before the ceremony and then left Asgard to return to Earth.

He thought he would run into Tony upon his return, as Tony had practically cleared his schedule recently, spending all his time tinkering in the underground lab.

He did not expect not to see him this time.

"Jarvis, where is Tony?"

Ethan felt he had completely messed up the plot of the Marvel universe, but the best part was that Jarvis was still Jarvis and had not turned into Vision.

In his memory, the AI by Tony's side was always Jarvis; he really did not want it to turn into Friday.

"Mr. Ethan's new ship encountered some trouble. Mr. Stark went to handle the matter."

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"

"The military has some dissatisfaction."

Jarvis did not directly say what the trouble was, but it was not surprising that the military would cause trouble. Building such a powerful warship with piles of black technology on their turf, it would be strange if the military did not cause trouble.

This was already within Ethan and Tony's expectations. Tony could handle this matter well.

Even if the original Tony seemed a bit slow in this area, with Howard's reminders, he would definitely be able to solve this problem well.

As expected, Tony returned quickly, and his expression showed that the matter had been resolved smoothly.

Tony did not hide the specific details, explaining directly that after his father learned the situation, he gave him some ideas, such as helping the military solve some technical problems and even taking out some non-core black technology to establish good cooperative relationships with the military, thereby avoiding more trouble.

To put it plainly, the military did not mind what Stark Industries was messing with again; what they cared about was not being able to participate. As long as they were allowed to participate, even if they did not immediately get good stuff, they would not mind and might even provide some convenience.

For example, Ethan's Prince Eugen would be tested in an area designated as a "military exercise zone," where it absolutely would not be disturbed by any other ships.

Tony did not say what he paid, and Ethan did not care. Anyway, Tony would not possibly hand over the truly good stuff directly.

Even the things he currently possessed would require at least decades of development time to truly be mass-produced and equipped.

If he really waited decades, Tony might have already gone to build a Dyson sphere in space. Would he still care about technology only usable within the atmosphere?

Ethan did not care either. If these people behaved, that would be fine, but if they really did something that disgusted him, it would not be much trouble to drag Thor along and wipe out all these rebels.

"After the test, you can take the ship away... You have a way to take the ship, right?"

Tony had never asked about this. Since Ethan had proactively asked him to help build the warship, he should have a way to take the ship away.

He was curious about what method it was. Was it using that storage space? Those twelve sets of Gold Cloth were not small, and Ethan had casually put them away, so being able to store a warship did not seem unacceptable.

Ethan's storage space had been upgraded several times and was now much larger, but he could not currently fit a ten-thousand-ton class warship inside.

Judging by his current rate of progress, he would definitely have a large enough storage space in the future, perhaps not even needing certain items as "carriers." Storing a warship with just a thought would not be difficult.

But not now. He still had to rely on that special black magic he had just acquired to store the warship. This spell was quite troublesome to cast and dispel, far less convenient than using the storage space.

"Besides your new ship, there is something else you should know."

"What is it?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is finished."

"Oh?"

The long-awaited battle between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, which Ethan had been waiting for, seemed to have finally reached a conclusion.

Nick Fury, that bald guy, still had some capabilities. After getting clear clues from Ethan, he quickly uncovered more leads.

The more Nick investigated, the more alarmed he became, and the less power he found he could use. In the end, he could only actively retract his forces and even deliberately create vulnerabilities to lure Hydra into revealing themselves.

He succeeded.

Hydra thought they had won. Having been suppressed for too long and driven to madness, the Hydra agents could not wait to launch Project Insight. At this time, the three Helicarriers had successfully ascended into orbit.

The successful ascent of these three Helicarriers into orbit was largely thanks to the technical support provided by Tony Stark. This was also one of the results of the initial trade and compromise with S.H.I.E.L.D. when helping Ethan build the warship. Otherwise, without the Battle of New York in the first Avengers movie, Tony would not have had enough interaction with S.H.I.E.L.D. and would not have normally offered help.

Now, because of the Prince Eugen, Tony had helped S.H.I.E.L.D. solve some problems, which also allowed the three Helicarriers to be successfully upgraded.

Then... then the "mole" that Nick Fury had arranged long ago successfully sabotaged Project Insight, which Hydra had meticulously prepared for decades.

Nick Fury, that guy, utilized every force he could. Tony Stark was temporarily called in by him, and Bruce Banner, who was living a quiet life, was also sought out again.

Along with Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye Clint Barton, the first generation of Avengers from the movie universe officially stepped into the spotlight, with the exception of Thor who did not join this operation.

Tony still had no interest in this "super boy" project, but Nick Fury directly told him how terrifying Project Insight would be in Hydra's hands. Even if he did not want to deal with them, Hydra would not let him go.

Things had reached this point where it was no longer a matter of whether Tony wanted to join. If he did not want to be targeted and fired upon by the carriers in orbit the moment he showed himself, then he had better take the initiative to dismantle these behemoths he had personally modified.

Even though he knew he was being used by Nick, that one-eyed bastard, Tony still had to take action.

It was the same for Bruce Banner. They had to act for the sake of a normal life.

If Ethan had not happened to go to Asgard, he would not have been able to avoid this battle either.

It must be admitted that Nick played a bit big. After realizing that completely purging Hydra from S.H.I.E.L.D. was impossible, he decisively designated the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. as a target for destruction.

As soon as Project Insight was executed, those he had listed as potential Avengers candidates would have to display their extraordinary combat power. He had enough confidence in Tony, Steve, and others. Just a few carriers, with Tony prepared, might not even be enough for him to dismantle alone.

Of course, as an elite agent, he also had other cards up his sleeve, but if it really came to that point, even if they could destroy Hydra's Project Insight, there would likely be significant damage, but it would still be much better than the entire Earth being ruled by Hydra through terror and threats.

Fortunately, the matter was resolved much more easily than he had anticipated. The Avengers' combat power far exceeded his imagination. The Hulk Bruce Banner, Captain America Steve Rogers, and Iron Man Tony Stark quickly tore these carriers into pieces.

In Nick Fury's opinion, even a few more carriers probably would not be enough for these guys to dismantle; the destructive power of the Hulk and Tony was simply too astonishing.

Captain America's combat power was not enough to dismantle such large things with his bare hands. His main responsibility was to destroy the Helicarriers' various system hardware and eliminate the Hydra soldiers on board.

Hydra's plan failed. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. was not completely finished, its situation was not much better than in the original plot.

Almost all countries had lost confidence in the organization, and the surviving S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were undergoing seemingly endless various investigations.

At the same time, they were also very uneasy about the Avengers, who possessed extraordinary combat power, mainly because this team was completely beyond their control.

This is where Howard's importance became apparent. If Tony were handling this problem, he would directly call a few of his teammates, turn one of his assets into the Avengers' base, and let the Avengers exist as a private organization.

However, as soon as he proposed this idea, his own father mocked him. "You've lived this long for nothing; your political ability is practically on par with a toddler's."

Tony was very indignant and did not think there was anything wrong with his approach. Especially after being mocked by his father, he felt a bit of an urge to stick with it to prove himself to his father.

His relationship with his father was awkward. After the initial phase of surprise at his parents' resurrection passed, their interactions returned to how they were before Howard's death: frequent arguments.

Luckily, Maria was there to mediate. Although Tony often clashed with his father, he was more receptive to his mother's words. Hearing that his mother also objected, he finally began to consider what was wrong with this approach.

How should he proceed? Howard said he needed to study the "relationships" within Stark Industries and the composition of various factions and forces domestically before he could provide an answer. He could not give a plan yet.

"I did not expect so much to happen in just a few days."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 391: Please Guide Me

Ethan thought for a moment. If he had not gone to Asgard and happened to encounter this battle with Hydra, what would he have done?

He would definitely have taken action. The reason he had leaked information to Nick earlier was because some Hydra idiots had set their sights on him, so he used Nick's hand to expose these pieces of trash.

He could not even just casually deal with it. He had to display overwhelming power.

This was not just for Hydra to see, but for some other people as well.

After showing off his immense power, no idiot would inexplicably come looking for trouble.

So, once he made a move, Ethan would fly to a conspicuously visible spot in the sky, make himself even more noticeable than the sun, and then use a "Galaxy Explosion" to blast the three Helicarriers into atoms. He could not atomize Kree warships, but these Helicarriers would definitely be no problem, as they had no energy shields and their structural materials could not compare to the starship materials of the higher-level Kree civilization.

To make sure everyone could see clearly, Ethan would display the entire process in a very complete and three-dimensional manner, ensuring everyone could see all the details.

"What a pity!"

He had not expected such a prime opportunity to flex his muscles to be missed.

Even though Tony said Steve Rogers had suggested that the Avengers temporarily not disband but instead launch a full pursuit of Hydra to ensure the evil organization was completely destroyed, which meant a series of actions would follow.

But Ethan was not very interested in actions of that level. Let Steve, the guy who had fought Hydra his whole life, handle it. At least it gave the old soldier something meaningful to do, so he would not feel out of place in the new era all the time.

Tony then complained a bit about his father. If it were not for Howard's opposition and ridicule, the Avengers would have already launched their next move, attacking before the Hydra hidden around the world could fully react, striving to completely dismantle the organization in a short time.

"Hydra is something that cannot stand the light. Once exposed, their demise is inevitable."

Hydra's reputation was too bad. Wiping out Hydra had become the "right" thing to do. Any country, any group, would spare no effort to strike at Hydra. Regardless of any previous private cooperation, at this point they would only distance themselves from Hydra and even kick them while they were down.

"So they're finished. As for the Avengers... your idea is too ridiculous. You actually want to operate such a powerful armed group as a simple private organization? Do you think those people in Washington D.C. will really treat you as ordinary 'civilian groups'?"

Tony rolled his eyes. In fact, his mother, Maria, had already analyzed all the pros and cons for him. Tony was just not interested in that aspect and was not willing to understand, which did not mean he was stupid. After understanding the conflicts involved, he already knew his idea was indeed unreliable. He was just habitually being stubborn and wanted to argue with his own father.

"So I ultimately didn't do it."

In reality, it was not easy to do even if he wanted to. There were many issues to deal with.

For example, Steve Rogers was nominally still a military man. He still enjoyed various military benefits, and even during his time working for SHIELD, Nick Fury had helped him recover all the benefits and salary he had missed during those decades of sleep.

Since he was taking their salary, he had to work for them. Leaving the military was not that easy, especially without a powerful organization like SHIELD to help.

Even if Steve Rogers applied for retirement now, he would still have to go through the fixed procedures. Even quitting a normal company is not something you can just walk away from immediately.

Moreover, Steve was not an ordinary soldier. He also had the status of being the military's only successful experimental subject.

Then there was Bruce Banner, who was currently still on the wanted list. Relying on Tony to handle so many trivial matters would not work. It would depend on what solution Howard would come up with later.

The Avengers could not act, but that did not mean countries would stand by idly regarding Hydra. In fact, many powerful agencies had already begun a series of relentless pursuits based on the clues they had received. For example, the Hydra senator who had clashed with Tony was arrested by the FBI in broad daylight.

In the following days, most of the news was about this kind of thing: various well-known figures were found to be secretly part of Hydra and were arrested under the gaze of countless cameras.

"I told you Hydra was finished."

Whether the Avengers continued to pursue them or not was irrelevant. Except for a few bases containing black technology, most of Hydra's bases were ordinary. Using national power to break into them and make arrests was incredibly easy. Most did not even require deploying the military. Just sending in FBI agents was enough. (The FBI are called agents, but they are essentially police with nationwide law enforcement authority, as each state here largely operates independently, and local police only have jurisdiction locally.)

It really seemed like the Avengers were not needed. Plus, Tony had limited interest in this matter anyway. He just had a bit of friendship with Steve. What annoyed him most was that his father was well acquainted with Steve. If his father regained his identity and even if they just met again privately, he would be a generation lower than Steve.

"Don't worry too much about such things... just treat each relationship separately."

After a few casual words of comfort, Ethan stayed at home for a few days before starting to get busy.

He first went to see Steve, representing Thor to invite him to Thor's coronation ceremony. However, he did not expect to see Nick Fury, the one-eyed director, when he met Steve.

"Were you deliberately waiting for me here?"

SHIELD had been dismantled, but Nick Fury had many trump cards, plus his personal abilities were undeniable, and he was the hero who had discovered and actively exposed Hydra. So he did not have to fake his death and hide in the shadows like in the original storyline.

However, it was basically impossible for him to hold a directorial position in any special agency again. Currently, he held the title of Special Affairs Consultant and received a salary from Washington D.C.

"Yes."

Ethan had not deliberately hidden his movements. He had not used teleportation magic to come see Steve this time but had used normal channels: flying to Washington D.C. on Tony's private jet and then taking a taxi to Steve's apartment.

When he appeared at the airport, Nick Fury received the news. He even found out Ethan's destination and came over ahead of time to wait for Ethan.

Although Steve's relationship with Nick Fury was not great, since the other party said he had important matters to discuss, Steve could not just leave him standing outside. He had to invite him in, chatting casually about SHIELD and Hydra while waiting for Ethan to arrive.

Because of Nick's presence, Steve also knew Ethan was coming, so he was not surprised when he opened the door and saw Ethan. He had even prepared coffee in advance for him.

Ethan sat down calmly and took a sip of the freshly poured coffee. Hmm, authentic instant coffee. It was not very realistic to expect Steve to brew some high-end coffee himself.

"Is there something you need me for?"

"I wanted to ask if you were serious about wanting to recruit Hill?"

Ethan nearly spat out the coffee in his mouth. He had not expected Nick Fury to actually remember that. Was this the rhythm of arranging all his old subordinates before retiring?

He quickly realized something was off. This guy was not an honest person, and Ethan had not hidden his thoughts at all, looking at Nick Fury with extreme suspicion.

Not just Ethan, even Steve, sitting nearby, was scrutinizing the one-eyed director with suspicious eyes, wondering what this guy was up to.

"Don't look at me like that. I have no ill intentions."

"I know you have no ill intentions, otherwise I wouldn't still be sitting here drinking coffee." Ethan interrupted what Nick was about to say. "I don't like beating around the bush, and I especially dislike conversations that are like guessing games. I want to know why you want to send Maria Hill to me? I want the truth. I don't believe it's as simple as just wanting to find Hill a new job."

After hesitating for a while, Nick finally decided to state his true thoughts.

He had interacted with Ethan quite a few times now and had gradually figured out the personality of this mage from another world.

Overall, Ethan was a very simple person. His thoughts were similar to most ordinary people, and he possessed considerable self-control. Even with great power, he would not act recklessly based on that power.

Furthermore, Ethan did not like playing mind games. But this did not mean the mage had no scheming ability. If someone tried to scheme against Ethan, treating him like a fool, it would only provoke a very fierce retaliation.

"I hope Hill can go out with you to broaden her horizons, or learn something and bring it back."

"Huh?"

If you were to say who on Earth, besides Tony and the others who had learned a lot of "truth" by following Ethan, and the Ancient One in Kamar-Taj, knew relatively more, it would be Nick Fury.

He deeply felt how backward Earth was, but there was nothing he could do. The more he knew, the more he felt Earth's weakness. How exactly could such a weak world be protected?

Superhero groups were one solution, especially since Tony and Thor seemed to get along, which could somewhat connect them to Asgard.

But as an excellent agent, he could not always place hope on others. He had to find a way from within himself.

The simplest way was to improve himself. He was self-aware and did not suggest personally following Ethan out to see the vast world. He knew Ethan did not like people like him and certainly would not let him join. Therefore, finding someone the other party could accept, and whom he absolutely trusted, became the best choice.

(To be continued.)