Chapter 1216: Pleasing to the Eye, and Being Ugly Is a Crime
What made Phil even more uneasy was that Loki, the second prince of Asgard, had dropped a Destroyer in the desolate wilderness of Texas. What about next time?
For example… now?
While New Haven wasn’t as big as New York, there were a lot of people in Yale University nearby.
If another Destroyer fell, hundreds of people would immediately die here.
How troublesome! Phil could only sigh as he looked at Thor, who was acting all lovey-dovey with Dr. Jane.
Calling his men over, he instructed them to be on the alert tonight, and then arranged for a helicopter to take him to New York.
New Haven was only 100 kilometers away from Manhattan. He could still make it back tonight.
Night fell in New York again.
But this was the city that never slept. It stubbornly exuded the light of money and power, and called out to people who were also restless to participate in the carousing at night; all kinds of wine receptions, performances, and confidential discussions were underway.
For example, at that moment, Phil was sitting in a car in Central Park and looking at the dazzling giant STARK sign not far away.
Many thoughts were whirling in his mind.
Why hadn’t he reported this to Nick Fury in advance?
Batman definitely knew Natasha’s identity. Why didn’t he look for her, but for an “old acquaintance” like Phil?
Also, what on earth was this “big business”? For Batman to say that it was “big,” it wouldn’t be a regular one, and probably wasn’t a matter of money.
Apart from Batman and Iron Man, why had Thor, Asgard, Loki, the Destroyer, Whiplash, V, Boogeyman John, and Black Cat appeared?
How many potential threats did Earth face now? How many trump cards did Nick Fury have to deal with this increasingly troublesome situation?
Each question would mess up the thoughts of a regular person.
Now, they were all running through Phil’s head. He was holding two donuts and a cup of coffee that he had just bought, but he forgot to eat them.
Suddenly, someone tapped on the passenger window.
Phil came back to his senses and immediately reached for the gun at his waist. He looked out the window and saw a black SUV with no lights on.
At the same time, he received a text message on his phone. “I’m next to you.”
Phil glanced at the message and put things together.
He immediately opened the car door and walked over to the black SUV, before he entered through the back.
The door closed automatically, and he heard the familiar deep voice. “Long time no see, Phil.”
Phil gave his typical bland smile. “Yes, it’s been a long time, Batman.”
Luke said, “How is it? Do you enjoy traveling with the crown prince of Asgard?”
Phil’s face stiffened, before he smiled bitterly. “It’s not bad.”
Luke said, “Alright, since you’re on the clock, let’s get down to business.”
He pressed a button, and a virtual screen appeared in the car. He tapped on a catalog. “I’ll give you five minutes. Take a look.”
Phil’s eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the virtual screen. He opened the catalog.
For the next five minutes, he simply checked and flipped through the items in the catalog.
Five minutes later, Luke waved his hand and the virtual screen disappeared.
Phil’s eyes darkened as he grew anxious. “Wait, I’m not done.”
Luke asked, “You want it?”
Phil immediately replied honestly, “Yes.”
Luke said, “Only you can use these for now, and they have to be kept completely confidential from SHIELD. Can you do it?”
Phil was stunned. “What?”
Luke chuckled. “What do you think SHIELD is like?”
Phil frowned. “You don’t trust SHIELD, and don’t believe that it’s protecting world peace?”
Luke nodded. “Of course. I don’t believe in a slogan. I only believe in the truth.”
Phil was shocked. “What truth? Do you need me to prove it?”
Luke chuckled. “No, I’m giving you a hint. Find the answer yourself.”
Phil: “What hint?”
Luke stared at him for a long time with his blood-red lenses before he said, “Are you sure you want the answer from me first?”
Phil hesitated for a moment before he nodded decisively. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Luke asked, “Have you heard of Hydra?”
“Of course. Wait!” Phil was halfway through his sentence, when his eyes suddenly widened. “Are you saying that there are Hydra members in SHIELD?”
Luke said, “Yes. For example, you can look into that bald man, Justin Sittwell.”
He had taken a note of the bald agent last time, because this guy’s hostile attitude had been very baffling, and his reaction to the Destroyer’s attack even more so.
Even if he wasn’t Hydra, it was still a big problem.
Phil’s expression turned solemn.
He had indeed investigated Sitwell after the Destroyer’s attack, but hadn’t found any problems with him.
But for Batman to call him out by name, how was that not a problem?
Thinking that, Phil started to sweat.
Sitwell wasn’t a newbie, and was about to be promoted to become a level five agent.
If this person was Hydra, that meant that Hydra had infiltrated SHIELD.
For a moment, Phil even forgot the “goods” that Batman had shown him earlier as he quickly considered the possible consequences of this matter.
Luke didn’t disturb him and simply sat there quietly.
In the end, Phil was an old agent who had weathered many storms. In less than two minutes, he suppressed the various questions in his heart. “Can this be considered a freebie?”
Luke said, “Yes. You’re too weak. If I don’t give you something to protect yourself, you might die.”
Phil was silent for a moment before he said with a bitter smile, “That’s true. I don’t think I would be able to afford it on my salary.”
There was nothing to be gained from discussing how weak he was.
Luke said, “This is business. You can talk to the person yourself later. It has nothing to do with me.”
Phil: “Okay.”
But he was still a little puzzled.
Until now, SHIELD still wanted something from Batman, so as long as he was willing to show his support for Nick Fury, the director wouldn’t let go of this free “super fighter.”
After a brief silence, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why me?”
Luke chuckled and gave the reason he had long thought of. “Because you’re pleasing to the eye.”
Phil: “What?”
Luke said, “Even if Nick Fury isn’t Hydra, even if he doesn’t have any selfish motives, that doesn’t stop me from hating the guy.”
“You have a grudge against him?” Phil was dumbfounded.
Or are you actually discriminating against the director? Phil added inwardly.
Luke, however, smiled. “Then, if you’re pleasing to the eye, is it because you helped me a lot?
“If it’s really hard to understand, you can think of it as him being too ugly. In this world, being ugly is a crime! So, I can’t be bothered with him,” Luke said casually.
Phil: … This reason seemed even more vicious than the previous one.