Nick Fury guided the black Chevrolet down the highway, the SUV eating up the miles beneath the glow of passing streetlights.
Evenson sat silently in the back seat.
The shifting light illuminated only the lower half of his face, leaving his eyes hidden in shadow.
After several minutes, he finally spoke.
"This isn’t what we agreed to."
Fury glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"Really? You walked away with an extra paycheck from Tony. I’d say you came out ahead."
"You know that’s not what I mean."
His voice was calm, but noticeably heavier than before.
"The Avengers Initiative?"
Fury shrugged.
"I never formally invited you."
It was a terrible excuse.
Evenson didn’t even bother hiding his skepticism.
"You brought it up in front of me."
"If you had no intention of recruiting me eventually, you never would have had that conversation while I was standing there."
"Maybe I slipped."
Evenson let out a quiet laugh.
"Do you actually believe that?"
Nick Fury hadn’t survived decades as a spy by making careless mistakes.
A man that sloppy would have died on his first mission.
Fury finally sighed.
"Fine."
"The Avengers Initiative is still only an idea."
"My idea."
"It isn’t even an official proposal yet."
"It hasn’t gone through internal review."
"It hasn’t been submitted to the World Security Council."
He paused.
"You know who they are?"
"I do."
"A room full of career bureaucrats with grand ideals."
A faint smile crossed Fury’s face.
That description suited them perfectly.
"I don’t know whether the Council will approve the project."
"So until then, I’m keeping it quiet."
That explained why he’d only spoken about it in front of Natasha and Coulson.
Natasha was already on his shortlist of candidates.
Coulson, on the other hand, didn’t need to know the details yet.
"But you’ve already started recruiting."
Evenson wasn’t fooled.
"I always prepare first."
Fury kept his eyes on the road.
"I’m not going to wait for bureaucratic approval before looking for the people I’ll need."
"And if you recruit everyone..."
"...only for the Council to reject the Initiative?"
Fury snorted.
"They’re bureaucrats."
"They’re not idiots."
"Even if they reject the proposal today..."
"...when the next global crisis arrives and they desperately need a team like the Avengers..."
"I’ll just change the name."
"I’ll give them a way to save face."
"They’ll approve it."
Crafty old fox.
Evenson had to admit, it sounded exactly like something Nick Fury would do.
"There were things I couldn’t say in front of Tony."
Fury’s voice became quieter.
"But you know what I was really talking about."
Evenson thought back to the conversation.
His eyes narrowed.
"Hydra..."
"...and Umbrella?"
Fury nodded.
"Exactly."
"We’ve only just begun uncovering Hydra."
"And now Umbrella has appeared."
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"I don’t like imagining where this leads."
Evenson smiled faintly.
"So the legendary King of Spies is finally feeling overwhelmed?"
"Not overwhelmed."
Fury’s expression remained steady.
"Concerned."
"About the cost."
"You know enough about both organizations to understand."
"If either one launches a full-scale operation..."
"...the damage would be catastrophic."
"I wouldn’t be surprised if they started World War III."
He believed he was imagining the worst possible future.
He wasn’t.
Hydra’s Insight program would be far more terrifying than another world war.
Wars still left room for resistance.
Project Insight would erase that possibility before people even realized they were targets.
Fury’s hands slowly tightened around the steering wheel.
"We’ve spent decades protecting this world."
"Decades of sacrifices."
"I won’t watch all of it disappear."
The SUV screeched to a stop at the side of the road.
"I won’t allow it."
"I’ll do whatever it takes to stop them."
Evenson looked at him.
"Even if that means assembling the Avengers behind the Council’s back?"
"You aren’t planning to simply change the name later."
"If the situation becomes desperate, you’ll deploy them whether the Council approves or not."
"They’ll come after you."
The World Security Council existed to oversee S.H.I.E.L.D.
A little political maneuvering could be forgiven.
Defying their authority outright was another matter entirely.
At best, Fury would lose his position.
At worst...
He could end up in prison.
Fury met Evenson’s gaze without hesitation.
"So be it."
He spoke with quiet certainty.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
"If protecting this world costs me everything..."
"...that’s a price I’ve accepted."
The quotation carried more weight than any speech could have.
For a brief moment, Evenson found himself genuinely moved.
Anyone willing to sacrifice everything for strangers deserved respect.
He was reminded of Highlord Tirion Fordring.
Alliance or Horde, friend or rival, everyone had saluted the old paladin’s courage.
Even if players still joked about some of his less glorious decisions.
His greatness had never been in doubt.
Fury turned fully toward him.
"And what about you?"
"Will you lend your strength to protecting this world?"
"The world needs more heroes."
Really?
That pose, that speech...
One dramatic lighting cue away from recruiting for the Green Lantern Corps.
Evenson looked out the window instead of meeting Fury’s eye.
"I..."
"I’m not a saint."
"I need time to think."
He genuinely couldn’t understand why Fury believed a passionate speech would persuade a warlock.
Yes, he respected the man.
More than he had an hour ago.
But respect alone wasn’t enough to make him shoulder the responsibility of saving the world.
Maybe it was his class.
Maybe it was simply his personality.
Either way, Evenson had always preferred standing behind the front lines, pulling strings and setting traps, rather than charging into battle with sword in hand.
Still...
He doubted refusing now would matter.
When the Chitauri invaded New York someday, Fury would come knocking again.
And when that day arrived...
Ignoring the crisis wouldn’t be an option.
Why?
Because I live in New York, you idiot.
The SUV eased back onto the road.
Leaning against the window, Evenson let out a quiet sigh that only he could hear.
"...Maybe I should start saving up and move somewhere quieter."
"Why does America always attract the end of the world?"
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