Begin from the original form of torture and become immortal

Chapter 1736 Quarrel
Fury's voice rarely betrayed a genuine weariness and anxiety born of immense pressure, more impactful than any roar. His single eye, like a searchlight, was fixed on Tony, its sharp gaze seemingly trying to pierce through all his technological confidence and arrogant facade: "To keep this thing in your 'basement,' instead of having it forcibly taken over, dismantled, or even 'preventively eliminated' by the Pentagon, the Kremlin, or any major power in the world with the capability and reason to be alarmed..."

"Do you know how much effort I put in? I staked all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation, my personal political capital, and even the pledge I made to the Security Council! The only reason I convinced them was to ensure that this place has the most stringent, reliable, and transparent security measures in the world! To ensure that any slightest disturbance can be detected, assessed, and controlled immediately! To ensure that no lunatic—including yourself—has the opportunity to face it alone!"

He suddenly closed in on Tony, so close that they could feel each other's breath.

"The price is, Stark! The price is that it can never again be your 'private scientific experiment' alone, Tony Stark!"

He took a deep breath, the motion seeming to draw in the thin, radiation-laden air around him, his voice carrying an almost cruel resolve: "So, put away your 'I can handle this all by myself' act. Private solution? Private custody? That option vanished the moment the highest levels became aware of the 'core's' existence! Now, this is a forward outpost for humanity's survival, and outposts must be guarded!"

Fury's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"It is now a global, top-level potential extinction crisis! Once the restraints fail, the decay chain reaction of the core material will be fully ignited, releasing not only energy shockwaves! Unimaginable radioactive contamination will spread like a plague! The entire Pacific Ocean current system will become a conveyor belt of deadly matter! Coastal countries? Inland cities? Nowhere will truly be spared! Atmospheric circulation will carry deadly dust to the stratosphere, engulfing the entire globe! That's not a war, Stark, that's humanity pressing the slow and complete button of extinction!"

"A super mess that could turn the entire Pacific Ocean into a boiling, millennia-old radioactive broth at any moment, and instantly collapse half of the Earth's biosphere! The biggest and most dangerous mess that humanity has ever made is locked in your basement!"

Fury's words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last embers of arrogance Tony was trying to maintain.

The immense responsibility and the apocalyptic vision depicted in Fury's words were so heavy that the air itself seemed to freeze.

Steve Rogers's expression grew even more grim. He clenched his fists instinctively and stared intently at the churning energy core once more, as if for the first time truly understanding the device's destructive potential.

Beneath Natasha's calm mask, a very subtle flicker of emotion crossed her eyes.

Clint Barton straightened his back even more, his gaze no longer focusing solely on the physical threat, but rather scanning the entire containment facility's system architecture more deeply, assessing how long it could hold out in the worst-case scenario.

Rumlow, still lurking in the shadows, scanned the area with his sharp gaze, but when Fury mentioned "the Pacific Ocean turning into a radioactive soup," his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and the greedy assessment in his eyes seemed to deepen, as if he were calculating the "opportunity" that this disaster could bring.

"so,"

Fury took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and resumed his cold, efficient commander demeanor. "There's no room for negotiation. I won't take away your personal freedom for now, after all, only you and Chang Wei truly understand this thing. But the key to this 'Hell's Precinct' can no longer be held solely by you."

His single eye swept sharply over the four people behind him.

“Captain Rogers,” Steve immediately straightened up, his gaze meeting Fury’s firmly, “you will be the highest-ranking security coordinator on site. Your task is to ensure Stark’s operations are under control and to have the highest priority emergency decision-making authority in any unforeseen circumstances. If necessary, you can take all necessary measures, including physical intervention on Stark himself or forcibly shutting down the device—a higher priority than any other instruction. Understand?”

Fury's orders were clear and ruthless, granting the captain almost life-or-death power.

"Understood, sir."

Steve's voice was steady and powerful, without the slightest hesitation.

"Agent Romanov,"

Fury turned to Natasha, “Your task is twofold. First, to deeply assess Stark’s mental state, the risks of his decisions, and whether he has made a complete and honest disclosure of all the potential risks of the device. I need to know the meaning behind every subtle change in his expression. Second,”

Fury glanced almost imperceptibly in Rumlow's direction before quickly looking away. "Closely monitor all personnel entering this area, including our own, especially anyone showing 'excessive professional interest' in the core structure of the device. You have the highest level of independent reporting authority and are directly responsible to me."

This demonstrates the utmost trust in Natasha's ability to read people and her talent for espionage, and also suggests that Fury is not entirely without suspicion of Rumlow.

"Copy that, sir."

Natasha nodded slightly, her voice calm and even. Her gaze swept over Tony and Rumlow again, like the most sophisticated scanner, etching every subtle reaction of the two into her mind.

"Agent Barton,"

Clint immediately focused his attention. "You're in charge of environmental security. Familiarize yourself with all the physical structures, ventilation, energy, and emergency escape routes in this area. Establish defensive nodes and monitor for any unauthorized energy fluctuations or signs of physical intrusion. Also, I need you to prepare a... 'ultimate contingency plan'."

Fury lowered his voice even further, “A physical sabotage plan that, when the ‘core’ constraints fail beyond a critical point and all conventional means fail, can direct its destructive power in the direction of least harm—or at least away from densely populated areas. Use your arrows, or anything else you can think of.”

Clint's eyes sharpened instantly. He nodded silently. This mission meant that in the most desperate moment, he would be one of the people who pressed the "destruction button."

He subconsciously touched the cold grip of the compound bow on his back.

(End of this chapter)