Levis listened quietly as Nick Fury finished speaking, letting the words settle before reacting. It took him a moment, but the real meaning behind the conversation finally clicked into place. After all the circling, all the careful phrasing, Fury's goal had never really been hidden—it was just dressed up well enough to delay the obvious.
So this was what it came down to.
The World Security Council feared him.
That was the core of it. Not misunderstanding, not caution, not politics—fear. The kind of fear that didn't just watch from a distance but actively pushed to control, suppress, or eliminate anything that couldn't be measured.
That was why someone like him, someone who should have been labeled a hero, had instead been quietly pushed out of sight.
Levis didn't care much about titles like "hero" in the first place. If it hadn't been for Professor X's insistence, he wouldn't have bothered stepping in even if people were dying right in front of him. Saving lives had never been his driving motivation. Strength, growth, evolution—that was what mattered.
Before he could respond, Fury shook his head, cutting off the direction Levis's thoughts were heading.
"No, Mr. Weiss," Fury said evenly, his tone steady and controlled. "S.H.I.E.L.D isn't afraid of your power. Power itself isn't the problem. It varies from person to person."
He paused briefly, letting the weight of his next words settle.
"Even something as terrifying as a nuclear weapon can become the foundation of peace. That kind of power doesn't have to be feared—it can be controlled, directed."
Fury's gaze sharpened slightly.
"So no, great power isn't what scares people. And I believe you're no exception."
Levis raised an eyebrow, a hint of genuine surprise flickering across his expression. He hadn't expected that kind of perspective from Fury, especially not delivered so calmly.
It reminded him, faintly, of someone else.
Captain Marvel.
Someone who held overwhelming power and still chose to stand on the side of protection. Maybe that was where Fury's confidence came from—experience with people who could destroy worlds but chose not to.
A slow smile spread across Levis's face as he brought his hands together in a light, deliberate clap.
"Director Nick Fury," he said with a faint chuckle, "you've got a way with words. I'll give you that."
Fury didn't react much, his expression remaining serious, almost rigid.
"I'm just stating facts."
Anyone listening might have believed him completely. He sounded convincing enough, like someone who genuinely stood on the side of reason and justice.
Levis, however, wasn't that easy to fool.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.
"So," he said, his tone casual but sharp underneath, "it's not S.H.I.E.L.D that's afraid of me. It's the World Security Council."
Fury nodded once.
"You could say that."
Levis let out a quiet breath, then smiled—a faint, dismissive curve of his lips.
"And what exactly are they planning to do about it? Try to deal with me?" His voice carried a trace of amusement now. "They can't even handle the Hulk. What makes them think they can handle me?"
There was no arrogance in his tone, just simple, unfiltered confidence. To him, it wasn't even a question worth debating.
If he wanted to, wiping out the people behind that council wouldn't be difficult at all. The real question wasn't whether he could—it was whether it was worth the effort.
Fury understood the implication immediately.
That confidence wasn't bluffing. It wasn't bravado.
It was certainty.
And that made it dangerous.
If someone like Levis ever felt cornered, truly pushed to the edge, the consequences wouldn't be limited to a city or even a country. It would be catastrophic on a global scale.
That thought alone was enough to make Fury's smile tighten slightly.
"Don't worry, Mr. Weiss," he said, his voice steady again. "I've already handled it. The council won't take any action against you lightly."
Levis gave a small nod, accepting the statement for what it was worth.
"Oh? And after that?"
He crossed his arms, his posture relaxed but his gaze focused. The balance between them had shifted without either of them explicitly acknowledging it.
At the start of this conversation, Fury had intended to use the weight of the World Security Council as leverage. Now, that leverage had completely lost its effect.
Levis wasn't someone who could be pressured that way.
Fury took a breath, then moved forward.
"Mr. Weiss," he said, reaching into his coat, "we have a position for you."
He pulled out a document and placed it on the table between them.
Levis glanced down, then picked it up, scanning the contents with mild curiosity.
One word stood out immediately.
"Avengers?"
He looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He hadn't expected this.
"You want me to join this?"
Fury nodded.
"This is a newly established division under S.H.I.E.L.D. As you can see, you'd be the first official member."
Levis's eyes moved across the document again, taking in the details. The concept was simple, but the implications were anything but.
Fury continued, his tone growing more serious.
"The world isn't what it used to be. Incidents like the Hulk and Abomination are just the beginning. There are threats out there we haven't even identified yet—things beyond this planet."
He paused briefly before finishing.
"Earth needs people like you. People with abilities beyond the ordinary. People who can protect it when everything else fails."
Levis didn't respond immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly, letting the idea turn over in his mind.
After a moment, he smiled.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "S.H.I.E.L.D offers me protection, and in return, I work for you?"
Fury shook his head.
"No. It's a partnership."
Levis's smile widened just a little, his eyes sharpening.
"A partnership?" he echoed. "Then what exactly are you offering me?"
He tapped the document lightly with a finger.
"Don't bring up the World Security Council again. I've already said I don't care about them."
His meaning was clear.
If they wanted him, they needed to offer something real.
And in truth, joining the Avengers wasn't a bad deal for him. If anything, it had potential.
The more people with abilities he came into contact with, the more opportunities he had to sign in, to acquire, to evolve.
That alone made it worth considering.
Fury noticed the lack of resistance and felt a quiet sense of relief. That was already a good sign.
"We can share S.H.I.E.L.D's intelligence with the X-Men," Fury said. "And our resources—technology, funding, logistical support—will also be available to them."
That was the real offer.
Not control.
Support.
Levis's eyes flickered with interest.
"Director Nick Fury," he said with a low chuckle, "you've got guts. I like that."
He closed the file and set it down.
"I'm in."
The decision came easily.
What Fury had offered aligned almost perfectly with what he wanted.
With S.H.I.E.L.D backing them, the X-Men could expand far beyond their current limits. Resources, information, reach—all of it would accelerate their growth.
And more importantly…
It brought him one step closer to a much bigger goal.
A city for mutants.
A place that belonged entirely to them.
That was why he had taken control of Dr. Campbell in the first place. If the technology to turn ordinary humans into mutants could be perfected, then building a mutant city wouldn't just be possible—it would be inevitable.
But none of that could happen without resources.
And now, he had them.
Fury let out a quiet breath, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. Getting Levis to agree had been far more difficult than negotiating with most world leaders.
Facing him felt less like a conversation and more like walking a tightrope over something that could explode at any moment.
But in the end…
He had succeeded.
....
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