Chapter 95 95: The Birth of Abomination
"So now you've decided my words were worth listening to?"
Qin Xiao leaned back slightly and looked at Barton.
Hawkeye gave a wry smile.
"Let's just say recent events have proven that your information is far more reliable than we expected."
"Besides, you're officially working with SHIELD now. Trust comes naturally."
"Does it?"
Qin Xiao chuckled before asking a question of his own.
"Tell me something. Has Banner actually done anything wrong?"
The room fell silent.
Natasha and Barton exchanged glances.
Neither of them had an answer.
Bruce Banner had spent years running from the government, trying to avoid transforming into the Hulk. Yet military forces continued pursuing him wherever he went.
From that perspective, Qin Xiao wasn't entirely wrong.
If disaster eventually struck, who would be responsible?
Banner?
Or the people who refused to leave him alone?
Barton understood the implication immediately.
Qin Xiao clearly had no intention of involving himself in the matter.
"Fair enough."
He nodded before turning toward Natasha.
"If Hulk shows up again, Director Fury may ask you to intervene."
The statement sounded casual, but the timing was deliberate.
Barton wanted to observe Qin Xiao's reaction.
Unfortunately, he got almost nothing.
Qin Xiao merely smiled faintly.
A test?
Let them test all they wanted.
Unless he personally chose to act, SHIELD would have to solve its own problems.
Natasha sighed.
"I hope it never comes to that."
She had reviewed every file connected to Hulk.
Those reports described a creature capable of tearing through tanks and military formations without slowing down.
Even now, the thought of facing such a monster made her uneasy.
In truth, Barton's visit had never been solely about Hulk.
Nick Fury wanted answers.
Ever since becoming an advisor, Qin Xiao had remained inside the facility far more often than expected.
No recruiting new Apostles.
No major operations.
No unusual movements.
Just quietly observing Natasha's progress with the Soul-Soul Fruit.
That calmness made Fury nervous.
Someone as dangerous as the Devil Herald shouldn't have been so inactive.
Unless he already had another objective.
And SHIELD itself was the most likely target.
The organization possessed enormous amounts of classified intelligence.
If anyone wanted access to the world's deepest secrets, SHIELD would be the perfect place to start.
At first, Fury assumed both sides were cautiously probing each other.
But Qin Xiao's patience surpassed every expectation.
Days passed without the slightest sign of urgency.
The more Fury thought about it, the more uncomfortable he became.
Especially after witnessing Natasha's new abilities.
If she could create living entities by manipulating souls, then what was stopping Qin Xiao from doing the same?
Had he already done it?
Could hidden Homies already exist somewhere inside the facility?
Inside SHIELD headquarters?
Inside government agencies?
The possibility alone was enough to give Fury a headache.
Worse still, there was no practical way to force Qin Xiao out.
Removing him by force was impossible.
If a fight broke out, the entire facility would likely cease to exist before SHIELD could stop him.
For one of the few times in his career, Nick Fury felt completely unable to control the direction of events.