Inside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, the projector in Nick Fury's office powered down with a low hum. The negotiations with the World Security Council had just ended, leaving behind a palpable tension. Fury sat in silence for a moment, eyes narrowed, processing the directives he'd just been handed.

The Council had issued a clear demand: eliminate the anomaly—Kurogai Alexander Blackwood, also known within S.H.I.E.L.D. as "The Heterochromatic-Eyed or The Eyed One."

Fury leaned back in his chair, frowning. "Like it's that easy," he muttered under his breath. "If I could've taken him down clean, I'd have done it years ago."

He had encountered Kurogai before, during a covert Hydra operation that targeted an orphanage. Even then, Fury knew that Kurogai wasn't someone to underestimate. The young man was powerful—unpredictably so—and more importantly, utterly unbound by traditional control measures. Unlike enhanced individuals who could be recruited or coerced, Kurogai Blackwood was something else entirely—a wild card that refused to fit into any box.

"He's uncontrollable… maybe it's not about control at all," Fury said, massaging his temple. "Maybe I need a counterbalance."

And then the idea struck him—like a flash of lightning in a storm cloud.

A team.

If one person couldn't match Kurogai, maybe several could. Not ordinary agents, but people like him—extraordinary individuals with abilities, convictions, and power. Together, they could neutralize threats beyond the reach of traditional forces.

His mind raced. There had already been intelligence about what happened in the Canadian town. Kurogai had reportedly clashed with Dr. Bruce Banner—when the latter lost control and transformed into the Hulk. The reports claimed the battle lasted over half a day. That kind of duration wasn't just impressive, it was unheard of.

If another enhanced individual had intervened during that battle, it might have tipped the balance. They might have even subdued Kurogai.

(He's being delulu lol...)

Fury stood and walked toward the wide windows overlooking the S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carrier runway. The horizon was still, almost deceptively peaceful.

"There's more out there," he said quietly. "We've seen alien technology, beings with power beyond imagination. Earth won't stay quiet for long. We need to be ready."

That team—his hypothetical solution—was becoming less a dream and more a necessity. He would gather them. People like Stark. Like Rogers. Like Thor. And maybe, just maybe, they could be a safeguard for Earth.

(I don't know if Nick was supposed to know who Thor is in this timeline....so I didn't edit it out)

Still, deep inside, Fury knew this so-called team wouldn't solve the immediate problem.

Because Kurogai was something beyond comprehension.

If Fury knew the truth, that Kurogai had been holding back during the fight with the Hulk, he might have scrapped the whole plan on the spot. What he mistook for an even match was actually a prolonged experiment. Kurogai had been testing and refining the abilities of the artifact he now wielded—the Fifth Eye Ring: Zafkiel.

If Kurogai had been serious, the Hulk might not have made it through the first five minutes.

But Fury didn't know. All he had were reports, half-truths, and a growing fear.

---

Far from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, Kurogai remained deep in the desert. The horizon shimmered under the weight of the sun, and the only sounds were the shifting sands and the rumble of something massive in the distance.

Kurogai stood alone, his dual-colored eyes calm and calculating. Nearby, a battered—but still alive—giant lizard trembled. It had become his unwilling sparring partner in a series of ability tests.

He had familiarized himself with the current abilities of the Fifth Eye Ring and was finally ready for the next phase.

Without hesitation, he turned toward Dr. Bruce Banner, whose unconscious form lay slumped against a rock formation. With a single flick of his finger, Kurogai fired a bullet infused with the fourth power of Zafkiel.

Fourth Bullet: Dalet (Rewind).

Time itself unraveled for Banner, returning both his mental and physical state to its peak. Almost instantly, the transformation began—the Hulk roared back into existence, furious and confused. Kurogai had trapped him again.

Another round had begun.

But this wasn't just combat—it was data collection. Kurogai used the Hulk's raw power to push his own further. Every clash, every blow, was a step toward mastering Zafkiel's time-altering capabilities.

Hours passed. Mountains cracked, the earth shook, and still the battle raged. Neither S.H.I.E.L.D. nor the Canadian military could locate them, no matter how many satellites they deployed.

Kurogai moved with precision, evading the Hulk's massive fists, landing pinpoint attacks in return. He wasn't trying to win—he was trying to learn.

Then it happened.

The signal.

A faint snap, almost imperceptible to anyone else, echoed in Kurogai's perception. The pencil he had left with Tony Stark—infused with a subtle magical thread—had broken.

Kurogai stopped mid-motion, his gaze sharpening. "Something's happened to Stark."

He paused, allowing the Hulk to catch his breath. Kurogai's thoughts turned toward the man of iron and intellect.

Was it a breach?

A threat?

Or something more subtle, more dangerous?

Whatever it was, it had his attention now.

---

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