Chapter 56: Fury's Decision
Chapter 56: Fury's Decision
"Don’t get upset. You should know that as a national security agency, some things aren’t just safe because you say they are. At the very least, we need to understand you so we can make an informed judgment!"
Hill tried to soothe him while guiding him logically.
Jerry drew out his wand and pointed it at a passing mouse, releasing a beam of magical light that instantly turned it into a stone.
"I won’t reveal my true identity to you. I’ve seen a lot of movies, and when a national agency like yours learns my true identity, they usually lock me up and dissect me like an alien.
And don’t even think about trying to capture me. My magic isn’t to be trifled with. Don’t blame me if I turn you all into stone or pigs!"
Turning someone into a pig was definitely beyond Jerry’s current capabilities, but he had gained a deeper understanding of interspecies transfiguration during this time.
Transforming a small animal like a mouse into another object of similar size was still within his grasp.
For Jerry, transforming objects of the same material, as long as they weren’t too large, was no longer a challenge. Now, he was focusing on mastering interspecies transformations.
He said this to add some intimidation and to highlight his uniqueness.
Hill’s pupils contracted sharply as she watched the living mouse turn into stone.
Initially, she had seen Jerry as just a kid who could fly on a broom and use some minor abilities. While such skills were impressive, they didn’t faze her much. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. had many high-tech weapons that could achieve similar effects.
Her colleague, Agent Coulson, had an antique car named Lola equipped with an advanced flame-throwing device that could fly much faster than this young wizard’s broom.
However, turning a living mouse into stone, and the possibility of turning a person into a pig, were things that even S.H.I.E.L.D.’s advanced technology couldn’t explain or replicate.
Jerry’s perceived threat level skyrocketed in her eyes, as did his value.
She also couldn’t help but think that these irresponsible movies had made him overly cautious.
Reflecting on it, she realized that his concerns weren’t entirely unfounded. As a seasoned senior agent, she knew all too well about the dark corners of the country, especially the politicians who cared only about their own interests and were not to be trusted.
"Alright, we won’t delve into your true identity. But I have one question: why are you so determined to do good? Is it because it feels cool, or is there another reason?"
Hearing this, Jerry’s head drooped.
Since he was wearing a mask, Hill couldn’t see his expression, but she sensed a drop in his mood.
Using Superman Mode’s precise control over his muscles, Jerry took a moment to compose himself. He then slowly raised his head, eyes slightly red, and replied, word by word:
"Because someone once told me: with great power comes great responsibility!"
"With great power comes great responsibility!"
Hill’s body stiffened at Jerry’s response, and she repeated it softly to herself.
"Alright, I understand. I’ll report your situation honestly. As long as you don’t use your abilities for criminal activities, we won’t take any action against you. That’s all for today."
Hill gave Jerry a serious look, then turned and left the warehouse.
"Just like that, she didn’t even invite me to join S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Watching Hill leave decisively, Jerry’s face showed a mix of surprise and confusion.
He had thought Agent Hill was there to recruit him into S.H.I.E.L.D., but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Upon further reflection, it actually made sense.
After all, Spider-Man had been roaming around Queens for a while, yet S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't recruited him. It was only later, under special circumstances, that Iron Man managed to recruit him as a consultant.
Perhaps in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s eyes, he was still just a kid. Even if he knew a bit of magic, they wouldn't resort to child labor unless it was absolutely necessary.
This time, they might have just wanted to figure out his true identity.
Unlike Spider-Man, who swung around the city on webs and returned home through his bedroom window, Jerry's identity had been thoroughly investigated by S.H.I.E.L.D.
That's why this encounter happened.
In a way, Jerry felt relieved by this outcome.
While S.H.I.E.L.D. offered plenty of opportunities to earn Little Red Stars, it was also incredibly dangerous.
Although Fury was the director, he was still subject to the constraints of the highest levels of government, and those politicians weren't exactly the best people around.
Therefore, Jerry had never wanted to join S.H.I.E.L.D. He was open to cooperation, but only on an equal, mutually beneficial basis.
The key issue was that his current strength was still too low.
He hadn't even ventured into Hell's Kitchen yet.
Despite having a flying broom and knowing several attack spells, he would still be in trouble if caught off guard by gunfire.
The criminals in Hell's Kitchen had no shortage of heavy weapons.
So, during their conversation, he deliberately used a line from Uncle Ben, Spider-Man's uncle, to mislead Agent Hill, hoping to leave a good impression and guide her judgment.
Ideally, S.H.I.E.L.D. would treat him the same way they treated Spider-Man.
Once he had grown stronger and learned important spells like the shield charm, disarming charm, apparition, and disguise charm at Hogwarts, he could then collaborate with S.H.I.E.L.D. and seek out more dangerous missions to earn more Little Red Stars.
Pausing his brainstorming, Jerry mounted his flying broom and left the abandoned warehouse.
Since he was out, he decided to patrol Queens and look for opportunities to earn Little Red Stars. He had already lost a day yesterday, and he couldn't afford to waste another one.
The cooldown period before he could enter the Mini World was running out.
He needed to earn as many Little Red Stars as possible before his next entry, so he could stay longer at Hogwarts and learn more magic to enhance his magical abilities.
If his memory served him right, the time between Iron Man's appearance and the formation of the Avengers wasn't long.
When the alien invasion of New York occurred, it would be a great opportunity to earn a lot of Little Red Stars, but if he wasn't strong enough, he might not even survive.
Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York base,
Agent Hill, back at the base, reported the details of her meeting with Jerry and her assessment of him to Nick Fury at the Washington headquarters.
After reviewing the report, Fury ordered them to temporarily set aside the investigation into Jerry's wizard identity and focus their main efforts on monitoring Grayborn Academy.
Clearly, compared to a child wizard, the highly destructive Dr. Banner was a much greater threat.
(End of Chapter)
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