◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon of which 10 Chapters are free. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
"Nice work, boss," Barton said in a low voice. "That speech was powerful—one of the best I've ever heard."
"Not enough..." Fury snorted, a fierce glint in his one eye. "Pierce, that old fox, has run S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades. You think a few radio words will topple him?"
"My goal is to slip onto the helicarrier while S.H.I.E.L.D. is in chaos and swap out its chips."
"So we head straight there?"
"No. First stop: Field Ops Command." Fury patted the holster at his waist. "That place holds S.H.I.E.L.D.'s finest strike teams—and Hill. Hold that room and we hold the whole board."
Fury was confident.
Maria Hill would back him, and most of the strike-team Agents had been hand-picked by him.
With his own presence, a few HYDRA strays wouldn't matter; his reputation alone could quell dissent... Meanwhile, inside the Communications Center's main control room.
A tech supervisor in charge of information monitoring was processing intel from his subordinates.
Suddenly, a red "URGENT INTEL" window popped onto his main screen.
He clicked it: a global live feed from Vought News Network (VNN).
"What's this?" The supervisor froze, then yanked on his headphones; hearing the audio, his eyes bulged.
"Now! Push this to every channel!" the supervisor barked. "All screens—including Ops Center! Move!"
Fury and Hawkeye Clint had just reached the doorway when the giant TV wall inside Communications flickered.
The previous broadcast was forcibly cut, replaced by the VNN logo.
"Hold up."
A comms technician shouted after them.
Looking as if he'd seen a ghost, he pointed at the screen and yelled, "Director Fury! You'd better see this!"
On-screen, a blond, blue-eyed anchor was delivering in a ringing tone:
"...This is a breaking global report from VNN!"
"Moments ago, Homelander led The Seven in a lightning assault on a hidden HYDRA stronghold!"
The feed cut to the scene.
Amid the rubble, Homelander was helping a disheveled, terrified old man out of the debris—one of the Security Council's own delegates.
Behind Homelander, Jessica Jones and Pietro were escorting three more councilors.
They looked battered but alive.
"Thank God—thank Homelander!" the U.K. representative quavered, voice shaking yet firm. "We thought... thought we'd never see the Sun again."
A reporter thrust forward a mic: "Councilman Rockwell, who abducted you, and why?"
Councilman Rockwell drew a breath, eyes blazing.
"HYDRA! The HYDRA hiding inside S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Hearing this, Fury's lip curled slightly.
"Hmph, Homelander may be a bastard, but this move was decent."
The next second, Rockwell's words hit Fury like a bucket of liquid nitrogen.
"They seized us to threaten the Council... to vote down the Insight Project!"
Fury's grin froze solid.
"What?!" Barton gaped.
On-screen, Councilman Rockwell continued his fiery indictment:
"Those HYDRA thugs fear the Insight Project! Once those three helicarriers launch, their worldwide terror network will be wiped out!"
"They tried this vile trick to block World peace!"
"Here and now, we declare..."
Rockwell faced the camera and produced a dust-covered yet signed document.
"...We four permanent members have completed our authorizing signatures!"
"The Council passes the Insight Project nine-to-zero! Execution is immediate!"
"Anyone who tries to stop the carriers from launching is a HYDRA accomplice—an enemy of all humanity!"
And..." Another councilor stepped in, adding a lethal detail: "The HYDRA warden who fled boasted that even if the project passed, they'd placed an old friend who knows S.H.I.E.L.D. inside to sabotage the algorithm chips!"
The picture froze.
Every clue, every "truth," now formed a perfect closed loop.
HYDRA opposes Insight.
Nick Fury opposes Insight.
Nick Fury is inside S.H.I.E.L.D. sabotaging carriers.
Therefore... Nick Fury is HYDRA.
"Mother... f***er..."
Fury felt a white-hot coal lodged in his throat.
"Boss..." Barton stared, face ashen. "We've been played. Those councilors... they're HYDRA?"
"I know." Fury growled, yanking out his pistol and sprinting from the comms center. "Damn it—move! Command room first!"
"Hill's there. She's got brains; she'll see through it."
...The doors to Field Ops Command hissed open.
"Hill! Rally the strike teams! Don't listen to that news—"
Fury's voice died in his throat.
Inside the vast circular command hall, hundreds of techs and Agents froze mid-task.
The once-bustling floor fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
A hundred pairs of eyes locked on Nick Fury by the door.
Gone was the respect they once held.
Maria Hill stood at the central console, knuckles white against the edge, her gaze a storm of conflict.
"Sir..." Hill's voice came out hoarse. "...I think we need to talk."
"Hill, you buying that crap on TV?" Fury strode toward the dais, aura blazing. "It's a Pierce stunt! Those councilors are lying!"
"Lying?"
A tech supervisor beside her shot to his feet, jabbing a finger at the big screen.
"Then explain the broadcast! You finished speaking, the councilors were rescued, and they fingered your 'sabotage.' Timing that perfect—coincidence?"
"It's a frame-up! Pierce is HYDRA!" Fury roared.
"Evidence?" Hill asked, voice low. "Secretary Pierce just sent Council orders: arrest you immediately—for terrorist activity."
"Motherf***er!!"