Four Years Later :
January 8, 2008
Despite all the diplomacy, the handshaking, and the rhetoric, building a better world sometimes meant tearing the old one down.
Those were the words Alexander Pierce had heard from God when he had nearly died during a mission in Bogotá in his early years.
Pierce had never been a religious man—but how could he deny reality when he had seen God with his own eyes?
God had saved his life back then…
And had given him a new purpose… with HYDRA.
Unlike common belief, Pierce's image of God was never that of a benevolent being. Before his mission in Bogotá, he had believed in the Epicurean paradox. If God even existed, then He must have been an indifferent and cruel being with absolute power—and indeed, Pierce's beliefs had proven true.
Though after their initial meeting Pierce had never been able to see Him again, he could always feel His presence whenever He was near.
God had guided him… given instructions from time to time… instructions that ensured his rapid rise within HYDRA.
Secretary Alexander Goodwin Pierce was one of HYDRA's leaders and its top undercover operative within the United States government.
Following the incident in Bogotá, he lost faith in diplomacy and was recruited by HYDRA.
By 1989, he had become Undersecretary of the World Security Council and had arranged for Werner Reinhardt's release from prison, as per his God's instructions.
Following his promotion to Secretary, he oversaw all S.H.I.E.L.D. operations and appointed Nick Fury as the organization's Director sometime in the mid-1990s.
Yet something had been wrong.
It had been nearly seven years since his God last contacted him.
Had he been abandoned?
Doubts plagued his mind. He still remembered the last thing God had told him to do.
Pierce had personally ensured that the terrorists boarded the planes without being caught.
But the 9/11 attacks had not gone according to God's plan.
Was that why God had not shown Himself?
Pierce himself did not know how three out of the four attacks had been stopped.
All S.H.I.E.L.D. had from the incidents was an image of a black-and-red blur near the third plane.
Using his position as Secretary of the World Security Council, Alexander pressured Fury to uncover everything about the blur—not that Fury himself wasn't already trying.
Was it an enhanced human?
Or was it extraterrestrial in origin?
HYDRA could use someone like that.
As an asset.
HYDRA had a simple policy regarding enhanced individuals.
Any enhanced individual who refused to join them was considered an immediate threat—and had to be eliminated.
Today, Secretary Pierce had been notified that a task force was being assembled against this blur, now that they finally had a clear image of who he was.
Pierce stepped out of his modified 2007 BMW Series 6, his state-issued vehicle.
Yeah… being the Secretary of the World Security Council had its perks.
He was greeted by one of the agents involved in the task force.
"Secretary Pierce."
"Agent Sitwell."
They shook hands, and Sitwell added while glancing at the car, "Nice ride."
Jasper Sitwell was a HYDRA infiltrator positioned as a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Unlike Pierce, Sitwell had been indoctrinated into HYDRA ideology from a young age at the HYDRA Preparatory Academy.
Pierce chose not to indulge in pointless conversation and instead asked,
"What's the situation?"
Sitwell caught the hint and put on a professional expression.
"Your meeting with Fury and the rest of the task force is in ten minutes. He's mobilizing forces for this… thing."
Sitwell meant well, but he lacked vision. If this enhanced individual—someone capable of flight and Superspeed—could be recruited by HYDRA, it would mark a massive step toward their ultimate goal of establishing a new world order.
Ten minutes later, Pierce entered the briefing room alongside Sitwell. Everyone inside straightened—backs rigid, eyes focused. The effect that occurred when the boss's boss entered the room.
Pierce smiled inwardly at the reaction, though something in the corner of the room caught his attention.
Is that agent playing Galaga?
No wonder HYDRA had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.
He ignored it and gave Fury a firm nod to begin the briefing.
"Some people in this room already know about Subject 2-7-1-8. For those who don't, that's the designation we've given to the black-and-red blur captured on satellite footage near the third plane during the 9/11 attack.
"Initially, we suspected that 2718 might have been responsible for stopping the other three planes. However, over the years, we've recorded multiple sightings of 2718—each followed by a disaster.
"A school building collapse in New Mexico—he was there.
An entire hospital fire in Houston—he was there.
An old bridge reduced to rubble in Pittsburgh—there again.
"In front of each of you is a file containing twenty-four similar incidents from around the world. Some involved civilian casualties; others didn't.
"But the most significant event occurred on December 26, 2004—the Indian Ocean earthquake. Subject 2718 was spotted near the coastline of Sumatra."
Fury nodded toward Agent Coulson, who turned toward the room with a grim expression.
"Our analysts confirmed the earthquake near Sumatra, Indonesia measured 9.3 on the Richter scale. The quake alone killed hundreds. However, the casualties should have been far greater due to tsunamis that never came.
"Across several coastlines, thousands of people were miraculously healed from life-threatening injuries. We can't confirm that 2718 was responsible—but he was spotted near every affected coastal city within two hours of the quake."
Coulson tapped a few keys, and the projector displayed multiple blurred images of the red-and-black figure.
Fury spoke again. "We didn't have a clear image of 2718—until today."
The screen changed.
A teenager appeared.
Agent Coulson stood. "Meet Ethan Park. Fourteen years old. Currently enrolled at Midtown High School. Adopted son of Lucy Park—an alias. We found no records on her. No DMV entries. She's a ghost.
"We discovered Ethan through security footage from a 2-11 incident at a corner store in New York. Our person of interest appears to have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The footage played.
Ethan bought canned drinks. Two masked gunmen entered, pointing weapons at the cashier and customers—including a pregnant woman.
The smaller robber tried to grab her purse. They struggled. The gun discharged.
Then—
The footage skipped.
The robbers were unconscious on the floor. The woman checked her stomach—unharmed.
The clip lasted less than a minute.
Ethan looked directly at the camera and waved with a mischievous smile.
Silence filled the room.
They had just watched a teenager disarm two armed men without breaking a sweat.
If he could do that… what else was he capable of?
Secretary Pierce faced his own dilemma.
Recruiting the boy into HYDRA had both merits and risks.
What if he refused?
Snipers.
Yes… snipers.
For now, patience was required.
Let Fury gauge the boy's psyche first.
Then Pierce would step in and show him the new world order HYDRA could build—the same way his God had shown him.
And if Ethan refused?
There was never a shortage of enhanced individuals in the world.
Fury broke the silence…
"We have his current address… he could have easily destroyed the security footage.
He wanted the authorities to know about him…
In all the blurry images we have of him, he never wears a mask… He will be expecting us. Agent Coulson will make first contact; we'll see how it goes from there.
He might look like a teenager… but we don't even know if he is human yet. If you check the timeline, then he would have been seven years old during 9/11… I find that very hard to believe. There are a lot of unknowns here… so proceed with extreme caution."
One of the agents asked—the same one who had been playing Galaga earlier—
"What are our orders if he is a threat…?"
"Well… everyone dies with a bullet in their head… and he can't run forever. He will have to rest… sleep… we will be there."
Agent Sitwell replied while smirking.
Fury gave him his infamous one-eyed stare.
"We will go guns blazing only as a last resort. Agent Coulson will spearhead this operation in the field. This is an introduction, people. We will introduce ourselves and ask for his introduction and motives. Any questions?"
Soon, the briefing ended, and Pierce was back in his 2007 BMW Series 6.
As he stared at a number in his phone saved as WS Operation, he closed it.
Not yet…
He would only call the Winter Soldier if Ethan refused HYDRA.
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