c17: Flicker, Then Flicker
"This sounds like a cosmic fairy tale."
That was Nick Fury's first reaction upon hearing Ryan Wong's story.
"It must be a myth from some esoteric ninja clan buried too deep for our records."
When S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global mythos database cross-referenced with Wakandan archives, Kamar-Taj scrolls, and even data obtained from Apokolips found no mention of the entities Ryan described, Nick Fury was forced to consider that conclusion.
But "Goddess of Gaia"? That naming convention sounded distinctly Eastern perhaps a Shinto offshoot or even linked to hidden enclaves like the Japanese Eternals.
It reminded Fury that Japan remained one of the few blind spots in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global intelligence net a gap that needed immediate attention.
Still, Ryan Wong, whose background came under the direct command of the elusive Namikaze Minato, maintained a deadly serious tone. Despite every red flag in Fury's mental file, he couldn't dismiss Ryan outright.
"The Immortal of Six Paths sealed the Goddess of Gaia on the moon? How is that even possible?"
"A Ten-Tailed Behemoth? That sounds like a mythical fusion between Marvel's Fin Fang Foom and DC's Anti-Life Entity. Totally implausible."
"This Six Paths Immortal split its power into nine creatures living weapons? That's borderline Genesis Chamber tech from Krypton. But still—creating sentient beings from pure chakra or energy? That's basically god-tier... Yet this 'god' supposedly died of old age?"
Fury processed these thoughts in rapid-fire succession. But when Ryan Wong declared the purpose of Minato's mission to New York, Fury's right eyelid twitched involuntarily.
Should I believe any of this? Or is it all an elaborate smokescreen?
That was the question hammering at Nick Fury's strategic mind.
According to Ryan's account, if the nine tailed beasts were ever merged again, they would reconstitute into the Ten-Tailed Beast a being with the destructive power to erase planets. If this were even remotely true, and if he ignored it out of skepticism, he risked becoming—by negligence or doubt a co-conspirator in Earth's annihilation.
And that was something Nick Fury could never allow.
Whether the myth was real or not wasn't the key issue anymore. What mattered was that someone believed it enough to act. If hostile factions were indeed working to unseal these ancient entities—whether they were real, enhanced symbiotes, or dimensionally anchored beings S.H.I.E.L.D. had to engage, if only to preempt catastrophe.
Because in Nick Fury's world, flickering doubts become raging fires and he knew better than anyone: sometimes, the end of the world starts with a story no one believed.
After thinking it through carefully, Nick Fury spoke to Natasha over the comms: "Natasha, hand him the communicator."
It was obvious now—they knew Natasha was being remotely directed. If S.H.I.E.L.D. continued that approach, it would signal a lack of respect, or worse weakness.
Although this Minato Namikaze figure appeared calm and calculated not the kind to lash out recklessly—Nick Fury had learned from his dealings with enhanced individuals like Hulk or Martian Manhunter that still waters often hid the most volatile power.
Nick Fury didn't want to gamble. He preferred to take early, calculated actions that could choke off crises at the root even if it meant operating through more difficult channels.
"You're the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?" The voice that came through the receiver was surprisingly calm measured, even and that slightly gentle tone gave Nick Fury a bit of reassurance. People that composed rarely lost control. Maybe just maybe—this man could be reasoned with.
And maybe, with the right angle, S.H.I.E.L.D. could even work with him.
That thought widened Nick Fury's pupils just a fraction. His breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
But the seasoned Fury buried the reaction fast.
Even Maria Hill, standing at his side, didn't catch it.
But Ryan Wong did.
Ninjas—especially those from covert divisions like Konoha's ANBU were hypersensitive to human signals. The twitch of a finger, the narrowing of an eye, the subtle tightening of a breath. To Ryan, it was clear: his words had landed.
The slight curve at the corner of his mouth showed he was pleased.
Rattled? Good. That meant his earlier tale hadn't fallen on deaf ears.
"Mr. Namikaze," Nick Fury said with a calm edge, "I need a direct answer. Are you saying these tailed beasts actually exist?"
"Of course they exist," Ryan Wong replied respectfully. "Our founding Hokage what your analysts might call the First of Konoha—once battled the strongest of them: the Nine-Tailed Beast, a force so powerful it could reshape terrain with a single roar. He fought it, subdued it, and sealed it."
"The Nine-Tailed Beast?" Nick Fury narrowed his eye. "Isn't that just folklore from East Asian myth? Kitsune legends, trickster spirits with nine tails?"
"I understand the confusion," Ryan said, unfazed. "But don't conflate them. The creature I refer to isn't a shapeshifter or a spirit. It's colossal—its tails level mountains. It doesn't walk among men as myth. It crushes cities as a fact."
Nick Fury's frown deepened. "According to what you told us earlier, the Six Paths Immortal's seal should be absolute even after millennia. So how did this Nine-Tails escape long enough to fight your village's First Hokage? The logic doesn't track."
Ryan was ready for that question. "They're separate matters—please don't mix them up. The ancient seal placed by the Immortal remains mostly intact, embedded with cosmic chakra akin to the Source Wall or the Time Stone. But the Nine-Tails had already been pulled from the Ten-Tails centuries ago. It had a different seal one more vulnerable to treachery."
Nick Fury leaned forward, his voice sharp. "And when exactly did this 'battle' with the Nine-Tails take place? There are no seismic records, no public incident logs."
"Roughly five years ago," Ryan replied, evenly. "There was a massive earthquake that served as our cover. The event was labeled a tectonic anomaly your seismologists studied it but found no fault origin. That was no earthquake. That was a battle."
"And why haven't we heard a single word about it until now?"
Ryan Wong's tone cooled. "Because we buried it. If even a rumor had spread, someone would've tried to investigate. Curiosity is dangerous, Director. Imagine if an organization like A.I.M., or LexCorp, or even Hydra located the sealed chamber. One mistake, one experiment too bold, and the world could be unmade."
"No one," he continued, "wants that weight on their hands."
Fury said nothing, but the silence was heavy.
"As for how the Nine-Tails got loose," Ryan added, "that's classified. It involves a high-level betrayal within our village. I'm not authorized to speak on it."
"But I can say that our First Hokage defeated the traitor, re-subdued the Nine-Tails, and resealed it—this time using the Immortal's original lunar-aligned sigil. That seal is located beneath New York, chosen for its leyline intersections and mystical convergence."
He paused.
"That's the full situation. Do you have any further questions?"
Nick Fury didn't respond immediately. But Ryan could tell—he wasn't just listening anymore. He was considering.
And that was exactly what Ryan had hoped for.
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