Chapter 8
“Um… Director,” Fitz asked as they walked down the street “Are you sure it’s a good idea for us to be walking around in public?”
“Son, part of this job is making it so people don’t notice you.” Fury said “I’m not traveling with a twenty car entourage, now am I? Just a man walking down Lexington ave.
“Do you really want me to do the ‘Brother can’t hail a cab’ routine?” the director continued.
“No… um… no sir…” Fitz stammered.
“Drop the sir, Fitz.”
“Right, right.”
“Will you two stop?” Jemma asked, walking past them.
“See, she gets it.”
The came across a man, standing on a milk crate on the sidewalk. He was dressed in rags with a massive, dirty beard.
“Bow before the Iron King!” the man yelled “Bow before him!”
“Iron King?” Fitz asked, pretending to check his watch
“Must be some sort of cult deal on this world.” Fury said
“You… young lady, have you heard the glory of the Iron King!” The man said, pointing at Jemma.
“I… I…” Jemma said.
“Sir, please leave her alone.” A passing police officer said.
“The word of the Iron King must be spread!” the man on the box yelled “All must know his wisdom and might.”
The cop sighed before speaking into his radio “Central, it’s post 989… He’s at it again.”
Two big, black trucks drove up and a group of men jumped out.
“Mr. Nelson… Please come with us.” One of them said, a man in a black suit.
“No. You have no power over me! You who defy a god!”
“Sir, we’re only asking nicely once.”
“Glory to the Iron King! Glory to Stark!”
The man in the black suit reached back into the car and pulled out a large gun.
Fitz began to move toward them, but Fury held his hand out.
“Don’t interfere.”
The man in black pulled the trigger and the man on the box fell down to the pavement.
“Don’t worry, folks, he’s going to be OK” The man in black said as the people he was with loaded him into one of their trucks.
“Officer Lucas,” the man in black said to the cop “How many times is this?”
“I think the sixth this year. He seems to love this spot.”
“We’ll get him back to Rikers where people like him belong.”
“Poor guy…” The cop said.
“What was that, Carl?” the man asked with a tone.
“I just felt sorry for him, Agent Parker. I’m not sympathetic to his cause, just his mental state. I’m not looking for trouble.”
“Good…” “Agent Parker’ said as he turned to face the three. “Sorry about that folks. I hope that doesn’t spoil our fine city for you.”
“Come on, Rich, engine’s running” One of the men yelled out of the truck.
The man in the suit climbed in and they drove off.
“Anyone catch what was written on those trucks?”
“S.H.I.E.L.D.…” Jemma said.
“Sorry you had to see that.” The officer said, walking over “Frank’s not well. Keeps coming back here saying he’s had visions…”
“Do you believe him?” Fitz asked.
“Are you trying to get me in trouble? No I don’t believe him?”
“Well, We mean that he sees things, not that they are real” Jemma interjected.
“In that case, probably. I often wonder if he every went near the wall before the exclusion zones were set up.”
“Well, you have a nice day, officer, my associates and I have places to be.” Fury said before ushering the two away.
“This place is giving me the creeps.” Jemma said as they sat down on a bench in a square.
“Don’t look now, but it’s about to get creepier…” Fury said, pointing at a large object in the distance.
An APC with SHIELD markings rolled by down Broadway. The flanks had the text “Join SHIELD. Help provide the security to reunite the nation.” A nearby billboard had the same wording with a picture of Fury.
“Nothing subtle here…” Fitz said
Fury pulled his hat down further over his face “I think leaving would be a good idea.”
The three went down a flight of stairs into the subway.
“Hold up, ID’s please?” A man said, standing in their way.
“Why?” Jemma asked.
“It’s the rules miss. You want to go to Jersey, you get checked.”
“Cut it out Sam, she’s obviously not from around her.” Another one said.
‘How am I supposed to know that?”
“Does she sound like it?”
“OK folks, do you want to go to PATH to New Jersey or do you just want the subway?”
“Does the subway require ID?” Fitz asked
“Does it leave the state?” The first officer asked
“Um…”
“Sam… Shut up.” The second said “The answer is no. So, you don’t need ID. The BMT entrance is down that corridor.” The man said, pointing towards a tunnel leading off to one side...
The three started down the passage as they heard the one man give his co-worker a hard time for his behavior. As they walked away, Fury looked over his shoulder and saw the back of the two men’s shirts.
“SHIELD Regional Security Taskforce: Transport Division” Fury read off
“This world is a police state…" Jemma said "and SHIELD is the police.”
“I think it might even be the state…” Fitz said