Sitting next to the head of the table was Alexander Pierce.
The former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and current high-ranking member of the World Security Council was frowning, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses shining with an obscure, murky light.
Sadness?
Perhaps a little, after all, Fury was the "good student" he had personally promoted.
But what dominated him was an uncontrollable ambition and fanaticism.
What is the creed of Hydra?
Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.
Now the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. was severed, the arrogant one-eyed man was dead—this was an opportunity of a lifetime for him.
If they could just survive this crisis, S.H.I.E.L.D. would completely fall into Hydra's hands, and perhaps... even the power of that Frieza, if it could be harnessed...
"Gentlemen."
Alexander tapped the table, breaking the deathly silence.
"The time for mourning is over."
"Nick Fury proved one thing to us with his life—conventional methods are useless against that blond demon."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is temporarily under my command. I need to know exactly how many chips we have left before the start of this so-called 'Frieza Games'?"
His gaze swept over everyone present.
They were all dejected, like defeated roosters.
Steve remained defiant, though the hand clutching his fist trembled slightly.
"Three days..."
Bruce hugged his head, shrinking into his chair, his voice trembling, "Forget three days—even three years, thirty years... what do we have to fight a monster who treats Earth like a cake to be sliced?"
"Hulk... even the Hulk is afraid to come out."
This statement was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the last flicker of hope in their hearts.
If even the beast that only knew how to smash things in anger was afraid, what could they, mere mortals, do?
"Stark."
Maria's eyes were red, a sign she had been crying. She stared intently at Tony, who was slumped silently in his chair.
"The report says you were the first to encounter him. You also saw, up close and multiple times, his transformation from an ordinary person."
"Tell me, even if it's just a tiny bit, a minuscule weakness. Do you know how he became like that?"
All eyes immediately focused on Tony.
Iron Man, the genius who was once so arrogant and conceited, now looked like a broken, soulless drunkard.
He slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with confusion. "Weakness?"
Tony gave a miserable laugh, twitching the corners of his lips.
"Agent Hill, do you think God has a weakness?"
"I don't know... I know nothing."
Tony painfully clutched his hair, his voice hoarse. "I just saw him fly onto the roof of my tower, wearing that damn expensive suit, like a boss inspecting a construction site."
"And then... he just changed. No spells needed, no mutation, it was like... like he was a god to begin with, just wearing a layer of human skin."
"A god?"
Thor, who had been silent until now, scoffed.
Without his hammer, his hands felt empty, and he awkwardly crossed his arms.
"Don't insult the word 'god,' Stark."
"The aura around that guy is more evil and colder than any dark creature I have ever encountered."
Thor's heart still twitched faintly as he recalled the scene where Mjolnir was shattered by a single flick of a finger.
"Though I hate to admit it... that guy's power..."
Thor gritted his teeth, seemingly using all his strength to utter the rest of the sentence. "It is, frankly, stronger than my father, Odin, the All-Father."
Thor quickly added, perhaps feeling he had given the enemy too much credit, "Of course, that was just a comparison. If we were in Asgard, if we had Gungnir, if my father was at his peak... Hmph!"
This weak explanation couldn't even convince himself.
"Tsk."
Alexander let out an impatient, cold snort.
He couldn't care less how strong the old one-eyed man was. Asgardian myths couldn't save Earth now, and certainly couldn't save Hydra's great cause.
"Enough. Instead of debating how ridiculously powerful that monster is, let's look at the legacy Fury left us."
As Alexander spoke, he pulled an old pager, looking like something from the last century, out of the evidence bag stained with Fury's blood.
The display screen was flashing a red and blue symbol.
"This was recovered from Fury." Alexander said, holding up the pager, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
As a Hydra leader who had been undercover for years, he knew S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret files intimately, perhaps better than many senior agents.
"Carol Danvers. Codename: Captain Marvel."
"A super-human who left Earth in the nineties to maintain peace in the cosmos."
"It is said she can fly at light speed without a vessel, push planets with her bare hands, and even absorb the energy of stars."
His voice echoed in the conference room, painting a picture of a savior for the desperate group.
"This is the reinforcement Fury called for before his death, and our last hope."
Hearing these descriptions, a glimmer of light appeared in everyone's eyes.
Pushing planets with her bare hands?
That sounded like someone who could perhaps go toe-to-toe with Frieza.
"Is there really someone that powerful?" Bruce adjusted his glasses, slightly incredulous.
"If she's involved, maybe we really can be saved." Steve felt a spark of hope, tightening his fist.
Just as the atmosphere eased slightly—
"Hmph, naive."
Alexander sneered, ruthlessly pouring a bucket of cold water over them.
He slammed the pager heavily onto the table. "You think relying on a woman millions of light-years away will solve the problem?"
"Three days! We only have three days!"
"Even if she can fly at light speed, by the time she gets back, Frieza will have already turned Earth into his personal garden and us into fertilizer."
He stood up, leaning on the table with both hands, looking at the group with immense provocation.
"Pining our hopes on some ethereal savior is the act of the weak. We must save ourselves. We must take the initiative."
"Take the initiative?" Natasha frowned.
"How? Our weapons are useless against him, we can't even get close."
"No, there is a chance."
Alexander narrowed his eyes, like a viper flicking its tongue.
"According to the information gathered from the scene, during the battle, Frieza extracted the Mind Stone from Loki's scepter and took the Space Stone from the Tesseract."
"He has taken both of these Infinity Stones into his possession."
"I believe you have all witnessed the power of the Infinity Stones."
Alexander lowered his voice, his tone full of temptation. "If we can steal the Infinity Stones."
"If we gain control of the Infinity Stones' power, won't we have the means to fight him, or even kill him?"
This speech plunged everyone present into deep thought.
Steal?
Stealing from a demon king who treats Earth like a balloon to be squeezed?
It sounded like pulling teeth from a tiger—a death wish.
But it also seemed to be the only viable solution right now.
Compared to a direct confrontation, infiltration and theft seemed to offer a 0.01% higher chance of success?
Alexander continued, pushing his suicidal plan, "Frieza is likely at his most relaxed and arrogant right now. He just conquered the world and issued a three-day ultimatum. He must assume we are all cowering in fear, and he will never expect us to do the opposite."
"Tonight is the best opportunity."
"While he is resting in Frieza Tower or his home, we sneak in, take the Infinity Stones, and then..." Alexander made a throat-slitting gesture.
"I'll go."
A cold, resolute voice rang out.
Maria stood up abruptly, her strong, capable face now etched with determination.
Since witnessing Fury's brutal death, her heart had been consumed by the flames of vengeance.
He was her mentor, her commanding officer, and her only belief within S.H.I.E.L.D.
"I am one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents. I have the capability to infiltrate Frieza Tower, and I know the layout there." She checked the holster on her outer thigh as she spoke, her gaze radiating a coldness that welcomed death.
"As long as I can take down that bastard, I don't care if I have to die trying."