Chapter Twenty-Six: The Lich King Is Shifting His Gaze

Phil Coulson, a newly promoted Level 8 agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., was considered a model American operative, the quartermaster on the front lines of superhero battles, and one of Director Nick Fury’s most reliable subordinates.

He was also an unfeeling engine driving the plot forward.

In this universe teeming with superheroes, he was the ultimate workhorse; whenever Nick Fury encountered anything involving superheroes or supervillains, sending Coulson always yielded results.

Ever since that day of terror, he had been tirelessly occupied with Rold’s affairs, hardly sleeping at all.

He even cared enough to make sure Rold was eating properly, sleeping well, and every night, he would offer a warm “good night” before Rold went to bed.

From the moment Tony Stark was kidnapped, to the attack on the street, and the clash between the knight in the video and those creatures from the lab, Coulson sensed a thread linking these events.

Handing over the documents to Nick Fury, Coulson collected his thoughts.

“Director, aside from the aforementioned biotech companies, I discovered something peculiar during the investigation into Tony Stark’s case.”

“Before Tony disappeared, a suddenly opened stock account began buying Stark Industries shares en masse. What’s more, Norman Osborn transferred fifty million into this account from his private funds. Our checks show that Osborn has a new subsidiary called ‘Shinra.’ Their acquisition process is highly professional, but the registration IP is unknown—we can’t trace it.”

Nick Fury frowned at the latest report. Norman Osborn had always been so mild-mannered that even S.H.I.E.L.D. hardly paid him any attention.

Despite his doubts, Fury listened as Coulson continued, and the two made their way to a hidden room beside the lab.

“In addition to Osborn, several other mysterious accounts have been buying Stark Industries shares. It’s unclear whether this is Tony’s doing—perhaps he’s trying to regain control of his company through a proxy, or stabilizing the stock price by increasing his holdings under different names. But it’s also possible that whoever kidnapped Tony orchestrated all this as part of a larger plan.”

“My instincts tell me this newly registered ‘Shinra’ isn’t as simple as it seems. If acquiring the shares is no coincidence, then Tony Stark’s abduction is definitely connected to this company.”

“However, all these transactions are legal, which makes our investigation difficult.”

“Then check every single account. As for ‘Shinra,’ don’t act rashly for now. What’s Natasha’s progress?”

Nick Fury finally voiced his main concern.

“I’m sorry, Director. Agent Natasha’s mission failed. Perhaps she wasn’t the Hulk’s type, but more importantly, the military intervened.”

“That old Ross, damn him!” Fury cursed.

After all, the Hulk was exactly the man he wanted—why was Ross perpetually meddling?

To hell with those military fools!

“Go on, I’m listening,” Fury said, glancing through the intelligence report.

“There are three people among these biotech companies that warrant our attention.”

“One is Curtis ‘Curt’ Connors. He’s researching reptilian regeneration systems and various aspects of reptilian biology, aiming to restore his lost arm. He’s been trying to transfer the genetic trait of lizard tail regeneration to humans. In other words, we have reason to suspect he may have succeeded.”

“Limb regeneration? Reptiles? Spiders?” Fury nodded. “Could that giant spider be a product of his experiment?”

“Yes, which brings me to the second person: Otto Gunther Octavius, an employee of Norman Osborn. He’s focused on genetic mutation and physical engineering. Though his lab is highly secretive, our agents managed to uncover some information.”

Coulson handed Fury a photo of Otto with mechanical tentacles.

“The spider and these mechanical limbs—they look like the joint result of two researchers. More importantly, both men work for Osborn’s genetic division, researching biotech, and Shinra is also linked to Osborn…”

Too many coincidences are seldom just that.

“Of the three, the one we must watch most closely is AIM—the one you’re thinking of. We know almost nothing about this company’s research into military technology and genetic engineering.”

Fury immediately flipped to the AIM dossier. No one understood AIM better than he did, with its notorious focus on war technology and cellular science. He was the one who’d exposed them in the first place…

“Think about it, Director. Three experts in genetic engineering and advanced physics, all working in military technology and cellular biology, collaborating under Osborn’s umbrella. Each company has the technical strength alone, but together they can achieve almost anything. Their success in any breakthrough wouldn’t surprise me.”

Nick Fury fell silent, unwilling to imagine the implications.

“Agent Coulson, there’s a new report from Afghanistan.”

An agent knocked on the door and delivered another intelligence briefing.

“New intel?” Coulson stepped out.

“Yes, from inside Stark Industries. We’ve uncovered some information that may relate to Tony Stark’s abduction, and it seems Tony is on his way back.”

Coulson immediately started reading the report.

“Director, I think Agent Natasha will have plenty to do once she returns.”

Meanwhile, aboard Tony’s private jet, Vikan—with runes and armor shifted to frost mode—rested his chin in his hands, the chill radiating from him cooling the entire cabin.

Gazing with a solemn expression at Tony, Rhodey, and the others, Vikan’s face bore an inscrutable mystery as he spoke:

“Gentlemen, are you familiar with the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse?”

“As described in the Book of Revelation?” asked Rhodey, ever skeptical of this armored figure. Barton, nearby, perked up his ears to listen.

“Partly correct, but not entirely,” Vikan replied. “Apocalypse is one of the world’s oldest organizations, dating back to the fifth century AD. We were created by this planet itself to purge the viruses within its body.”

“Wait a minute, you mean this planet?” Tony flexed his hand. “Are you saying our planet has its own consciousness?”

“Of course. Every energy entity possesses a will of its own.”

Foolish humans, Vikan thought, casting Tony a glance before repeating what Erica had relayed to him telepathically.

These words, naturally, were originally instilled in Erica by Rold.

“Under Apocalypse there are Four Horsemen: Frost, representing calamity; Conquest, representing war; Plague, representing decay; and Chaos, representing perpetual change. There’s also another version, as you mentioned—the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation.”

“But what I want to tell you is that the calamity of frost may be contained, the violence of war may be reckoned with, decay may give way to new life, and chaos will eventually subside—but above all, only Death remains eternal.”

“All of them? You mean there are more than four Horsemen of Apocalypse?”

Tony zeroed in on the inconsistency.

“Is it so strange that there are multiple sets of Four Horsemen?”