King's Coming in Marvel

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"Where are Clarice and Sarah?" Michael asked casually.

"They're with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Chen Haoran explained, summarizing the events of the past few days. Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., had no objections to Clarice's proposal to buy the island on the west coast.

In fact, he even offered to give the island to Michael for free. However, he had one small request: he wanted to study the spaceship. Being clever, he didn't directly involve S.H.I.E.L.D. but instead suggested that Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, conduct the research.

S.H.I.E.L.D. probably didn't have better technology in this area than Tony Stark, and Tony's affiliation with the Avengers — who had close ties to S.H.I.E.L.D. — allowed Nick Fury to gather information on the spaceship without sparking any major misunderstandings.

"It's just a sneaky way to cover his own interests," Michael scoffed upon hearing this.

"Tell Clarice that if Nick Fury doesn't agree, we can buy it ourselves without going through him. He won't get a chance to study my spaceship!"

"Yes, boss!"

Chen Haoran nodded and contacted Clarice immediately.

At that moment, Clarice was arguing with Nick Fury. Hearing Chen Haoran's message, she straightened up and said, "Our boss says we'll handle this on our own and won't involve S.H.I.E.L.D.," and with that, Clarice opened a portal and prepared to leave.

Her sudden action took Nick Fury by surprise. Realizing there was little room left for negotiation, he stopped her. Though he disliked Michael's possessiveness, he didn't want to risk damaging their relationship over something trivial.

"Wait!"

Nick Fury called out, stopping Clarice. "Alright, I'll arrange the island transfer as quickly as possible. Let Michael know he owes me a favor. If S.H.I.E.L.D. needs his help in the future, he mustn't refuse."

"I'll pass along the message," Clarice replied, then stepped through the portal.

Returning to Michael, she relayed Nick Fury's words. Michael scoffed again. Nick Fury was truly a fox — seeing that his request to study the spaceship had been refused, he had changed tactics, securing a future favor instead. Favors, after all, were often more valuable than money.

But it didn't bother Michael; Fury's involvement would save him some hassle, and it wouldn't hurt to maintain a good impression with S.H.I.E.L.D. anyway.

"Take me to that island!" Michael instructed, and the dark elf piloted the spaceship toward the west coast.

The island turned out to be quite sizable, and, though undeveloped, it was perfect for a base. Its remote location, initially a disadvantage, had actually become an asset. Plus, with their spaceship, location hardly mattered. At first, Michael had considered moving the island closer to the city, but now he felt it was perfect where it was.

"The spaceship should stay here. There's around $800 million in cash and gold here, which should be enough to develop this island. Handle this project for now. Chen Haoran, come with me." Michael pulled out the cash and gold bars, piling them into a shining mountain. In the sunlight, the gold glittered, leaving everyone present in awe.

Curiosity crossed their minds about where Michael had kept these things and how he could seemingly produce them from nowhere, but no one dared to ask.

"Michael, where are you going? Need me to take you there?" asked Clarice.

Michael shook his head, raising his hand slowly. The Aether ring on his finger emitted a powerful energy, enveloping Chen Haoran, and together they ascended into the sky, becoming a sphere of dark green light that vanished in an instant.

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Michael and Chen Haoran landed gracefully on the ground, though Chen Haoran nearly collapsed from the impact. Shaking his head with a smirk, Michael looked ahead toward a secluded laboratory dedicated to studying the mutant centipede virus, part of the Extremis project.

"Where is this?" Chen Haoran asked as he steadied himself.

"This is where you'll become stronger," Michael replied. The Aether particles in his ring surged forth, covering him in until a sleek, black battle suit with a flowing cloak that bore a large "M" on the back. The outfit was as eye-catching as it was intimidating.

"So cool!" Chen Haoran marveled at the transformation.

"I'll make a few sets in this style as uniforms for our team." Michael was pleased with the suit's versatility — forged from the Aether particles, it provided excellent defense and offense. Plus, with the Lantern ring's power, he didn't need to worry about it draining his energy. He could summon or dismiss it in just a couple of seconds.

"Let's go." Michael walked confidently toward the lab, with Chen Haoran following, equal parts curious and nervous.

As they reached the entrance, a group of armed guards stormed out. Although Chen Haoran felt a flicker of nervousness, he relaxed seeing Michael's calm composure. With Michael here, he knew there was nothing to fear.

Then, the sound of high heels clicked against the floor, and a woman in a vibrant dress stepped out gracefully. She studied Michael with curiosity, applauding his unexpected visit.

"Well, this is a surprise," she said, smirking as she took in the sight of Michael and Chen Haoran. Although her confidence didn't waver, a hint of tension lay beneath her calm demeanor. She knew just how powerful Michael was — the man who had recently garnered so much fame.

She had long wanted to capture him for research, especially his unique ability to fuse with the Extremis virus. But given his strength, she'd never dared make a move.

Still, she hadn't expected him to show up at her lab, and it seemed he knew exactly where to find her.

"Did you just stumble upon me, or were you really after Chen Haoran?" Michael asked her with a raised brow. "If I hadn't intervened, you would have lured Chen Haoran here by now for your little 'experiments,' isn't that right, Lena?"

Lena gave a sly smile, attempting to deflect, "I'm more intrigued by your outfit. It's... unique."

"Thanks," Michael replied with a smirk.

"We could work together, you know. I realize you're a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., but you're independent. And now that you're building your own organization, wouldn't a collaboration benefit us both?" Lena offered with a hopeful smile.

Michael shook his head. "No need to cooperate — I have a better offer."

"And that is?"

"Join us."

In an instant, Michael launched a telekinetic attack, rendering the guards immobile as their weapons flew from their hands, landing neatly in a pile nearby.

"Where's the Extremis virus?" Michael asked calmly, watching Lena's face pale.

After a moment of hesitation, Lena found herself lifted into the air, her breath constricted. Michael gave her a measured look. "I know you're smart, Lena. I have high hopes for you. Even without superpowers, you've accomplished what many others couldn't. So I'd rather not kill you."

Helpless, Lena managed to blink in agreement. Feeling her feet hit the floor again, she rubbed her neck, catching her breath, and led Michael into the lab.

Inside, scientists bustled around high-tech equipment, filling the room with an intense, focused energy. As Michael looked around, he realized that the world of science was something he was not quite proficient in himself.