"Wake up... Wake up now!"
Somewhere in the haze of unconsciousness, Nick Fury heard a girl's voice echoing in his ears.
"Wake up, you damn baldy! Stop sleeping! Get up!"
The voice kept calling out to him, mixed with some rather unpleasant nicknames.
Slowly, Nick Fury opened his eyes, and what greeted him was the sight of the countryside rushing past at high speed.
"WTF!"
The words escaped his lips before he could think.
"Hey! Watch your language!"
A displeased voice came from the communication device near him—it was Kagura.
"What the hell is going on? Where am I?!"
Nick Fury looked around, trying to make sense of his situation.
To put it simply, he was currently seated on what seemed to be a self-propelled chair, speeding through the vast American countryside at over 120 km/h. It was a truly exhilarating scene.
"Holy shit! This damn chair can actually drive?!"
"I told you to mind your language, Director Fury!" Kagura's annoyed voice rang through the emergency comms embedded in the chair.
"I just saved your life, and the first thing you do when you wake up is curse? Really?"
"Kagura Hitomi?" Fury finally recognized the voice.
"That's right, it's me! So, how's my 'Eggshell' holding up?"
"I don't know about the 'Eggshell,' but the 'yolk' here is definitely still intact. How the hell did you pull this off? Last I remember, that vehicle's entire system was fried. And with War Machine's firepower, how the hell am I still alive?"
"Important things always need a backup. It's a good habit to have."
Kagura chuckled. "This seat operates independently from the vehicle's main system. It only activates in the most extreme emergencies. It even has a name—'Prism' Escape Pod."
She proudly explained her creation.
The "Prism" Escape Pod was a high-tech, emergency mobile seat designed by Kagura and manufactured by Rhodes Island Industries.
In a crisis, it deployed a one-time-use holographic projection system to recreate the surrounding environment, simulating deceptive scenarios to allow for an unnoticed escape.
This advanced holographic technology was based on Rhodes Island Industries' "Prism" system, with inspiration from Stark Industries' developing "Refractor" hologram tech, making its illusions nearly indistinguishable from reality.
When the "Prism" Escape Pod activated, it ejected Fury from the destroyed "Eggshell" vehicle while deploying a full-scale hologram to confuse War Machine.
By the time War Machine fired and obliterated the "Eggshell," the real Fury had already fled.
The ensuing explosion from the Arc Reactor provided further cover, ensuring the fake wreckage looked entirely authentic while concealing the fact that a portion of the system had already escaped.
"So yeah, you owe your life to me!" Kagura declared proudly. "Oh, and by the way, you're still completely off the grid, undetectable by any known tracking system. Also, fun fact—the design for this system was inspired by the Batmobile!"
"The Batmobile? What the hell is that? Just another one of your weird obsessions…"
Fury smirked. "Anyway, where exactly are you taking me?"
The self-driving chair was covered in a transparent, rigid film.
Aside from a few holographic projections displaying real-time data and communication feeds, it had no visible control interface. Everything was fully automated.
"I'm taking you somewhere safe, Director Fury," Kagura replied. "As far as your enemies are concerned, you're already dead. That gives us time to strategize."
———————————————————————
Upstate New York – Rhodes Island Industrial Logistics Warehouse
The "Prism" Escape Pod carried Fury into a warehouse. As soon as the doors shut behind him, a yellow caution line lit up on the ground, forming a square boundary around the chair.
"Hmph. So, it's underground, huh?"
A seasoned veteran, Fury immediately understood the implications of the warning line.
"That's right. Underground is always the safest option. Welcome to your designated safe house."
Kagura activated the lift, lowering Fury from the warehouse floor into a concealed underground facility.
The safe house wasn't particularly large—just enough to serve its function.
As the "Prism" Escape Pod's hatch opened, Fury stepped off the life-saving chair, stretching his body after being curled up in it for so long. "I have to admit, you really outdid yourself, Kagura."
"Go on, keep the compliments coming. A girl loves being praised."
Emerging from the shadows in a uniform and short skirt, Kagura smirked. "But enough small talk. Looks like you're in a serious mess."
"Yeah, a huge one. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised. I have no idea who infiltrated us, how deep it goes, or how long it's been happening. Right now, anyone could be the enemy."
Fury exhaled and sat down in the safe house. "The situation is so bad that even War Machine was part of the attack. At this point, there's no one I can trust."
"Oh? So… do you trust me?"
Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Kagura eyed him curiously. "I'd love to know what put me on your 'trustworthy' list."
Fury turned to face her, his one good eye gleaming with sharp intelligence. "Are you expecting me to say, 'I trust you because you saved my life,' and then shower you with praise?"
"Hahaha, of course! I told you—I love compliments!"
Kagura laughed playfully. "Well? Are you gonna say it?"
"You…"
Fury sighed, shaking his head before suddenly grabbing a metal cup from the table and hurling it at her.
'Clang!'
The cup passed straight through her body and hit the wall before falling to the ground.
A faint blue ripple shimmered through Kagura's form—an unmistakable sign of a holographic projection.
"Looks like you're the one who doesn't trust me, Kagura."
Fury smirked. "Given the circumstances, I could easily assume you planned to trap me here and replace me without anyone knowing."
"How rude, Director Fury." Kagura pouted. "I'm still overseas! You think I can just teleport? If you had waited until I reached Washington, you'd be dead by now!"
"Relax. If I'm sitting here, it means I do trust you. Thank you for your help, Miss Kagura."
"That's more like it. You're welcome, Mr. Fury."
She smiled knowingly. "Trust is the foundation of cooperation. Without it, I wouldn't be able to help you."
Nick Fury trusting someone? Now that would be a real crisis.
"So… what's the plan now? Are you pulling Rhodes Island Industries into this mess? Calling the Avengers? Or are we on our own?"
"Nope."
Kagura shook her head. "We're not alone. While Rhodes Island and the Avengers might not be the best fit for dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal affairs, we do have other allies."
She glanced at the safe house entrance. "He should be arriving any minute now."
"Who?"
"Who else? Our beloved Captain America, of course."