Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Nick Fury stood in the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center, staring at the blue figure frozen on the large screen. The man with the distinctive "S" symbol on his chest, the one who emerged unscathed from the epicenter of the nuclear explosion. Even hours later, that scene remained vivid in his mind.

"Sir, all the data has been analyzed." Hill's voice brought him from his reverie. "Dr. Banner's preliminary report has been uploaded."

Fury opened the report, and lines of data scrolled before his eyes. The energy readings far exceeded those of any known superhuman, including their most powerful asset—Carol Danvers.

"That's impossible." Coulson stood behind him, shaking his head incredulously. "According to these data, he could be moving at speeds exceeding Mach 20 within the atmosphere. That violates all known laws of physics."

"That's precisely the problem," Fury said, closing the report. "His universe may have different laws of physics than ours. Or rather, he represents a different set of physical rules."

Hill pulled up another frame: "What's even more worrying is that he seemed to sense our observation. In the 0.3 seconds before the passage closed, his gaze precisely locked onto our viewing angle."

A sharp glint flashed in Fury's single eye: "This means he not only possesses unimaginable strength, but also equally astonishing sensory abilities."

Silence fell over the command center. Everyone understood what this meant—they were no longer the only organization in the universe aware of the existence of parallel worlds, and that those worlds possessed forces powerful enough to threaten the balance of the entire universe.

"Have you contacted Carol?" Fury asked.

"An emergency signal has been sent," Hill replied, "but she is currently dealing with the Kree-Skrug conflict in the Andromeda Galaxy and will need at least 72 hours to respond."

Fury stood up and paced around the command center: "72 hours is too long. We must reassess our relationship with the Stark brothers."

Coulson cautiously suggested, "Perhaps we should take a more conservative approach. After all, they've shown a willingness to cooperate..."

"Cooperation?" Fury interrupted him. "They demonstrated the ability to selectively travel through time, yet they've kept that a secret. They connected to a world teeming with superhumans, yet they acted as if nothing was amiss. What does that say?"

Hill chimed in, "That means they have far more information than they've shown."

"That's right." Fury stopped in front of the main screen. "Chen Haotian, this suddenly appearing 'brother' of Tony Stark. His background is suspiciously clean, as if it were meticulously designed."

The archives department has searched through all the records, but apart from a brief romance mentioned in some vague diaries by Howard Stark, there is no conclusive evidence to prove Chen Haotian's identity.

"Maybe..." Coulson said hesitantly, "maybe he's not even from our universe."

This statement plunged the command center into silence once again.

Fury nodded slowly: "That's exactly what I'm worried about. If he's also a time traveler, then what is his purpose? Why did he choose Tony? Why did he choose to appear now?"

Hill pulled up the timeline after Chen Haotian's appearance: "Within three months of his appearance, Stark Industries' technological level advanced by leaps and bounds, at least twenty years ahead. Furthermore, they successfully connected three parallel universes, acquiring unknown technologies and samples."

"Not to mention the virus research," Coulson added. "While they claim to have control of all the samples, the Hydra infiltration demonstrates that these trans-cosmic technologies have attracted the attention of various powers."

Fury sat back in his command chair, hands clasped in front of his chin: "We must revise our strategy. We can no longer passively observe and react."

"What do you mean?"

"First, strengthen surveillance of Stark Tower, but do so under the guise of cooperation. Second, activate the 'Guardians Protocol' and gather all available resources. Third..." Fury paused, "...I need to personally meet with Chen Haotian again."

Hill looked at him in surprise: "This is too dangerous, sir. If Chen Haotian really is a transmigrator from another universe, his abilities and intentions are unknown."

"That's precisely why I have to go." Fury stood up. "Sometimes, the best defense is to confront the threat head-on."

Two hours later, Fury's car pulled up in front of Stark Tower again. This time, he entered the building alone without any entourage.

Jarvis's voice rang out in the hall: "Director Fury, Mr. Stark and Mr. Chen are waiting for you in the lab."

When Fury entered the lab, Chen Haotian and Tony appeared to be working on a new energy device. Upon seeing Fury, Chen Haotian smiled knowingly.

"I guessed you'd be back," Chen Haotian said, "a little earlier than expected."

Fury cut straight to the point: "Do you know who that blue figure is?"

Tony looked at Chen Haotian, who nodded slightly.

"In our records, he's referred to as Superman," Chen Haotian calmly replied, "the last son of Krypton, possessing near-godlike power."

"Krypton?" Fury pressed.

"An alien civilization that has already been destroyed," Tony continued, "According to the data we've gathered, Kryptonians would gain superpowers in a yellow solar system like Earth."

Fury's one eye was fixed on Chen Haotian: "Where did you get this information?"

Chen Haotian exchanged a glance with Tony, then answered frankly, "From my original universe."

Despite having suspected it, hearing the confirmation still sent a chill down Fury's spine. His voice remained steady: "So, you really are a time traveler."

"Yes," Chen Haotian nodded, "but I have no ill will towards this world. On the contrary, I'm here to help deal with the impending crisis."

"What crisis?"

"The Infinity War." Chen Haotian's expression turned serious. "Thanos collected the Infinity Stones, attempting to wipe out half of all life in the universe. In my original universe, this war led to catastrophic consequences."

Fury processed this information: "And you think traveling to other universes can stop this catastrophe?"

"It's not just about stopping them," Chen Haotian said. "We need to completely change the ending. To do that, we need to acquire knowledge and technology from various universes and create a solution that even Thanos couldn't have imagined."

Tony added, "That's why we want to connect to the DC Universe. Superman's powers, and the abilities of other superhumans in that universe, could be key."

Fury remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to be fully involved in this project. Not just oversight, but complete cooperation."

"What are the conditions?" Chen Haotian asked.

"First, S.H.I.E.L.D. has veto power over all cross-border operations; second, all acquired technology and samples must be shared; third, I want to be a member of the team."

Tony raised an eyebrow: "You want to participate in the time travel yourself?"

“Not now,” Fury said, “but when you decide to add a third member, I want the right to nominate.”

Chen Haotian thought for a moment, then held out his hand: "Deal."

After Fury left, Tony turned to Chen Haotian: "Do you really believe him?"

"Believe? No." Chen Haotian smiled. "But utilize? Yes. Fury's resources and intelligence network are very useful to us. And..."

"And what?"

"And he knows far more than he shows." Chen Haotian gazed out the window at the New York nightscape. "I suspect he already knew about the existence of parallel universes, and may even have had contact with other time travelers."

On the way back to S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury made an encrypted call.

"They admitted it," Fury said into the communicator, "Chen Haotian is indeed a time traveler, and he knows about the Infinity Stones and Thanos."

A deep voice came from the other end of the communicator: "This confirms the Ancient One's prophecy. The barriers of spacetime are weakening, and the number of time travelers will increase."

"What measures should we take?" Fury asked.

"Observe, but do not interfere. The Ancient One believes this particular time traveler may be a key turning point. The knowledge he brings may change the predetermined fate."

Fury ended the call and gazed at the fleeting street scenes outside the car window. New York was still bustling and vibrant, but he knew that beneath this calm surface, the fate of the universe was quietly changing. And S.H.I.E.L.D., or rather, he personally, had inevitably been drawn into this multiverse-crossing struggle.