Chapter 175: Arc 5: Chapter 19: Secrets of Avengers

In Fury's office, seeing as to Fury blamed the affair on the DoD made Merlin sigh in relief.

But a new question arises afterward.

As Fury exhorts Hill about some things and after Hill left the office, Merlin then asks:

"How much can you tell me about that mysterious 'Sector Seven'?"

"I don't know much either, Merlin."

Fury sits on his seat and tells Merlin:

"I discovered this when I was flipping through some old documents, the DoD once sent an official exploration team to the North Pole during 1960; no one knew what their goal was, but under the premise of the Cold War, for those soldiers to risk infuriating the Soviets to cross the North Pole, what they seek must be big, and may even be a secret that could turn the tide of war."

"And one more thing."

Fury leans against his seat, crosses his fingers, and tells Merlin:

"The old documents showed that the exploration team sent by the DoD in 1960 had transported something back to the West Coast in secret. And in the few years after the exploration, new technology began to bloom in the DoD; new missiles, new tanks, more advanced information transmitting systems, these things strengthened America."

"I even found some traces, that a lot of new technology was utilized during the 'Apollo Moon Program' that began during 1952; even the 'Star Wars Project' during the 1980s originated from Sector Seven's suggestion; this made me suspect that what exactly did those soldiers find under the ice layer of the North Pole, and what did they gain from it."

Fury says in a serious tone:

"Also, I'm suspecting what was the true aim of our astronauts landing on the moon thirty years ago, and what exactly did they find on the moon's surface in the process of their 6 moon landings."

Fury's string of descriptions gave Merlin chills.

As an adult, he knew how fake history could be, yet he never could've imagined that there would be so many implications in the affair he was interfering with.

If the rumors about mechanical lifeforms and the DoD's Sector Seven are true, then that means that the operation to look for B-127 he had promised Cliffjumper may be met with resistance directly from the DoD.

And this time, his biggest enemy may not be the evil Decepticons as Cliffjumper had said, but the soldiers of the DoD.

"Our colleagues in the DoD are just like us, Merlin."

Fury looks at the surprised expression on Merlin's face and says softly:

"They too hide plenty of secrets, and they're trying to know and control even more. And our relationship with them hasn't been the greatest ever since we took back base 084 from the DoD last time."

"Then do we have to interfere with this affair?"

Merlin asks:

"If those mechanical lifeforms do exist and are trying to launch an attack on us."

"I can't tell for now."

Fury shakes his head:

"There is too little usable intel right now, and Merlin, I have to ask what your source of intel is?"

Fury looks at the documents in his hand, the stories on Cybertronians and their factions, all this seems like they're learned straight from a mechanical lifeform.

This made Fury doubt the legitimacy and validity of Merlin's source of intel.

"There's something I didn't tell you, Fury, before Miss Carter went missing, she met with me. Miss Carter exhorted me to give you some of the data she stored when it's safe. But I'm not sure if it's safe now, so those data have been in my hands; I learned that intel from those data."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Fury's expression becomes serious as he tells Merlin:

"What else did Miss Carter say?"

Merlin hesitates briefly, he looks at Fury and asks:

"Before answering this question, I'd like to ask you some questions, Fury."

"What is the 'AVENGERS' Initiative? And why'd you conduct money transfers on it under the name of SDOLD?"

Merlin says:

"Miss Carter told me before she left that there was darkness in our organization. To be frank, I couldn't believe it, but the truth is there. This is why I never handed you the data in the first place because I can't be sure if you too are part of that darkness?"

"Are you crazy?"

A doubted Fury says rudely:

"I'm the director of SHIELD, the highest-ranking officer in name, what good would it do me to dismantle SHIELD? Plus, do you think that a man like Pierce would allow me to do as I please?"

"Then first tell me what the Avengers Initiative is?"

Merlin asks stubbornly:

"This name doesn't sound like a proper program. Maybe you are a grand villain that's scheming to destroy the world?"

"Hell! Merlin!"

Fury abruptly stands up, places his hands on the table, looks at Merlin, and growls:

"That's not for you to know, and there are no more than 10 people in the entire world who know of this program. We have confidentiality protocols, and you're disobeying them right now!"

"You can punish me anytime, Fury."

Merlin walks forward as well, he presses his hands on the table, stares into Fury's eyes, and says:

"But I have to be sure that you're trustworthy! Otherwise, I won't hand you those data! Miss Carter chose for me to preserve those data for a reason, maybe she too thinks that you're untrustworthy! That you've changed!"

Two close friends were on the verge of breaking out in Fury's office.

Both sides do not wish to step back, Merlin had always treated Fury as his true friend, but now he finds out that Fury has been using him and his department to cover up some of his own, potentially dangerous, secrets.

This made Merlin feel as though he's been cheated and fooled.

While Fury also had his circumstances, there was a reason why SHIELD retained agent levels. As people who guard secrets, they're destined to never be able to speak out their true secrets to anyone, especially a leader who can browse through all of SHIELD's secrets, he can't tell his subordinates about every secret that comes his way.

As trustworthy as Merlin as.

Rules were rules.

Both sides stood off for a few minutes, until Fury grits his teeth and stands back. He glares at Merlin, lowers down, and takes out a document from a safe with fingerprint, retinal, and password locks.

Merlin picks up the document, opens it, and finds it to be his information file.

And on this document, he had a new code...

Avenge 004.

"What does this mean?"

Merlin looks at Fury confusingly, and the latter says:

"It means you're a part of the Avengers Initiative, albeit you know nothing of it."

"You want to know what the Avengers Initiative is? Fine, I'll tell you then, but remember this, Merlin; should anyone, or any power, know anything about the Avengers Initiative from you, then you best prepare to spend the rest of your life in the Raft."

Fury glares at Merlin and says seriously:

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"I'm not looking!"

"Alright."

Merlin puts down the document in his hand, he looks at Fury, opens his fingers, and enshrouds the two in shadow to not let a third person know of the secret Fury was about to speak of.

After doing all that, he makes a 'please' gesture.

"The Avengers Initiative, a secret program suggested by me after the Kree war in 1995, and discussed by the WSC under Pierce's lead, and eventually formed in September 1995."

Fury says in a low tone:

"Its confidentiality is top-notch, and supposedly Miss Carter shouldn't know anything about it. But I know my old superior well, she was the best agent in the last era, she has a frightening network of connections, and I suppose she can find some information if she desires so."

"As for what it's for? Simple."

Fury knocks on the table with his finger:

"Everything that had happened in the Kree war made us realize something. There are dangers in the stars that are enough to threaten our world, dangers that cannot be dealt with conventionally. We as a defense organization must make plans beforehand against these dangers."

"And the appearance of Carol Danvers made us realize that there was a second way to protect ourselves aside from mass improving our current military technology and force...and that is to form a small but elite combat team that can conduct interstellar operations. In it should be superpowers like Carol Danvers, though of course, there are only so many people like her."

Fury says with pity:

"Thus we had to mobilize large amounts of resources to search for people like this, people who have the potential to become superheroes."

"There are two parts in the Avengers Initiative, first is to find and invite members to form the Avengers."

"Then, to deal with possible major battles of crisis that may occur in the future. In our current planning, once a danger like the Kree war occurs, then the Avengers Initiative would come online, and under the guidance of the WSC, they will protect our world and civilization."

"You want to use a few people to deal with an alien armada that may appear in the future?"

Merlin shakes his head:

"Even if the people you find are bad-asses like Carol, this much is impossible. Personal power has limited effect in large-scale battles."

"Of course, we know that too."

Fury says to Merlin calmly:

"Do you know of 'nuclear deterrence?"

"Mmm."

Merlin nods.

Fury then continues:

"The Avengers will have a similar effect as nuclear deterrence. Its existence is not to win wars, but to deter enemies to avoid war."

"Once our enemies know that even if they destroy the Earth, their civilization may be decimated by the fury of the Avengers, then even the craziest of warmongering alien civilizations would hesitate before launching a war."

"If that's the case, then it explains much."

Merlin nods, he looks at the documents and asks again:

"My code number is 004, which means you've found three other potential superheroes before me? Let me guess, Carol should be one of them...what of the other two?"

"I don't want to tell you."

Fury refuses to answer this question with a straight face.

Merlin shrugs and tells Fury:

"You've already said so much, why hide the last bit? Secrets are a burden, Fury, and only by sharing it, can you feel relaxed. And as you know, I have got tight lips."

"Alright."

Fury glares at Merlin again before saying:

"Carol Danvers is 002, 001 is the yet-to-be-discovered Captain America Steve Rogers...don't look at me like that! I'm not the one who listed the serial numbers, Pierce still believes that Captain America is alive, and it was he who labeled Steve as 001."

"As for 003, he's a mutant we're still tracking."

Fury says vaguely:

"He participated in every battle since 1840, and there were records of him in every battle. He once cooperated with the team led by Pierce during the Vietnam War, I was one of the members, and I saw how that mutant fought; he tore apart 50 people within 5 minutes and that's a memory I'd never forget."

"You mean, he's good at fighting?"

Merlin asks:

"What's his name?"

"He can easily gobble you up like breakfast!"

Fury snorts and tells Merlin:

"He calls himself Logan, but no one knows what his real name is."

"Alright, last question."

Merlin spreads his arms and asks Fury:

"Why call it 'Avengers'?"

"Because the future registration of your organization will be as 'Avengers', a group of super-soldiers that will conduct brutal acts of vengeance for their home planet and civilization."

Fury says:

"There was another reason, I originally called the program 'Earth's Defense Program', but the name sucked. Later I saw a picture of Carol and got my inspiration from her..."

"Oh right."

Merlin knows:

"Carol's codename in Project Pegasus back in her time on Earth as a pilot was 'Avenger'."

"Alright, I told you my secrets."

Fury crosses his arms and says:

"You know what you should and what you shouldn't know...now tell me, when do you plan on handing me the data Miss Carter had left?"

"Anytime."

Merlin waves his hand, he looks outside the window and says:

"But let's talk about the Cybertronians first."

"Do you just sit idly and watch the DoD work with the Decepticons, or...do we interfere and capture those dangerous mechanical thugs?"

 

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