Nick Fury then gestured for Steve Rogers to follow him toward the direct-access elevator in the office.
"Today, I'm going to share a very important secret with you," he said.
Once they entered the elevator, Fury stated directly, "Project Insight—Helicarrier Bay."
The nearby machine scanned Fury as he entered, verifying his identity with a prompt of access granted.
However, when Steve Rogers stepped in, an alarm immediately sounded:
"Captain Rogers does not have clearance to enter Project Insight."
Fury responded calmly, "Override authorization: Director Nicholas J. Fury."
"Authorization confirmed," the system replied, and the elevator doors closed as it began descending slowly.
Steve glanced at the elevator's smart system and commented, "The elevators used to play music."
"Yeah," Fury replied.
"My grandfather was an elevator operator for forty years. The building he worked in was nice, and the tips were good."
"He'd come home at night with a lunch sack stuffed full of crumpled one-dollar bills."
"He greeted people, and they greeted him back."
"But over time, the world got worse. Eventually, when he greeted people, they'd just say, 'Shut up.'"
"He had to keep a close eye on his lunch sack."
Steve asked, "Did he ever get robbed?"
Fury chuckled, then said, "Every week, some punk would ask him, 'What's in the bag?'"
"What did he do?"
"He'd show them."
"A bunch of crumpled-up one-dollar bills—and a loaded .22 Magnum."
Steve nodded slightly and didn't say much more.
It was clear that Fury had deliberately shared this story to set the stage for explaining Project Insight.
He continued, "My grandfather liked people—he just didn't trust them very much."
As the elevator descended, the underground facility and the colossal helicarriers hidden within came into view, leaving Steve stunned.
Seeing Steve's shocked expression, Fury said, "Yeah, it's a little bigger than a Magnum."
Three enormous helicarriers were docked below. Quinjets were being hoisted onto their decks by machinery, and the carriers' surfaces were outfitted with towering artillery systems.
The massive barrels of their cannons extended outward, a clear testament to their destructive potential.
The sheer scale and power of these helicarriers far surpassed the one Steve had been aboard previously.
As the two exited the elevator, Fury began to explain as they walked, "This is Project Insight—next-generation helicarriers connected to targeting satellites."
Steve asked, "The satellites launched by the Lemurian Star?"
Fury continued, "Once they're in orbit, they never need to land. The new engines enable continuous suborbital flight."
"Designed by Stark?" Steve inquired.
Fury nodded, "He took a look at the old turbines and gave us a few suggestions."
"These precision weapons can eliminate a thousand threats per minute."
"Terrorists won't even need to show their faces. The satellites can read their DNA, allowing us to nip threats in the bud."
Steve countered, "People should be punished for things they've done—not for things they haven't."
Fury explained, "We can't wait for them to act."
Steve asked pointedly, "Who's 'we'?"
Fury looked at Steve and replied, "After New York, I convinced the World Security Council that we needed quantum-level precision threat analysis. This time, we're ahead of the curve by miles."
Steve glanced at the bustling personnel around them and said, "Pointing guns at everyone and calling it protection—is that what you call this?"
"Do you think this thing will be effective against those Akatsuki guys?"
Fury looked at Steve and replied, "How will we know if we don't try?"
"Ninjas can't withstand nuclear bombs with their bodies alone, but the helicarriers can operate in suborbital space, lock on with precision, and deploy nuclear strikes," Fury explained.
"And yes, if necessary, the helicarriers can be equipped with nuclear warheads."
If all members of the Akatsuki could be targeted and were in unpopulated areas like the deserts of Africa, Nick Fury wouldn't hesitate to act.
After all, he already knew ninjas could be killed by air-to-ground missiles, so even more powerful nuclear bombs would surely be effective.
However, for now, Fury hadn't approved the transfer of nuclear warheads to the helicarriers, exercising caution before their initial launch.
Fury continued, "I've read the Strategic Scientific Reserve files. The 'greatest generation,' huh?"
"You people did plenty of things in the shadows."
Steve Rogers nodded and replied, "Yes, we compromised."
"Sometimes I lose sleep over it, but it was always for the freedom of the people."
He pointed toward the helicarriers and said, "But this isn't freedom—this is fear."
Fury tried to reason with him, saying, "S.H.I.E.L.D. accepts the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. Starting a crusade now is too little, too late, Cap."
"So don't get your hopes up."
The conversation ended on a sour note. Steve didn't agree with Fury's principles, especially the idea of preemptively killing individuals based on DNA analysis, before they'd even committed a crime.
It was a philosophy Steve simply couldn't accept.
Later, riding his Harley Street 750, Steve left the Triskelion and headed to the Spirit of St. Louis Museum, a place showcasing vintage aircraft and housing an exhibit about himself.
There, Steve saw displays detailing his life story, video footage of his missions, and an exhibit about his old friend, Bucky Barnes.
He also came across a section dedicated to Peggy Carter, including a biography and a video. To his surprise, the exhibit revealed that Peggy Carter had never married, spending her life waiting for his return.
As he watched the video of Peggy, still beautiful as ever, Steve felt a pang of guilt.
Since waking up, he hadn't visited her once. He realized he owed her far too much—not just a dance, but a lifetime of companionship.
Determined to make amends, Steve found out where Peggy was hospitalized and went to see her.
At the hospital, Steve sat by Peggy's bedside. The once-strong and radiant woman was now frail and elderly, her bed adorned with two photo frames: one of a young Peggy and another of Steve in his military uniform.
Steve gazed at the photos, tears welling up as he softly said, "You should be proud of yourself, Peggy."
Peggy opened her eyes and looked at the man before her, then at the photos on her bedside. Thinking she was dreaming, she murmured, "I've lived a long life, but my only regret is not having that life with you."
Noticing his silence, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Peggy assumed her time was up and that Steve had come to escort her to the other side.
She had been isolated in the hospital for so long that she hadn't heard the news of Steve's revival.
Steve lowered his head and admitted, "All my life, I've tried to do the right thing. But now, even that principle is shaken."
"I thought I could just go back to the army, follow orders, and protect the country, but it's not the same anymore."
Peggy smiled warmly and replied, "You always were dramatic. You saved the world, Steve, but we… we messed it up again."
Steve shook his head.
"No, Peggy," he said.
"I stayed partly because I heard you helped establish S.H.I.E.L.D."
Peggy grasped his hand tightly and said, "The world has changed, Steve. We can't go back."
"All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best we can do is to start over."
She began coughing, and Steve quickly poured her a glass of water.
"Peggy…"
As she took the glass, feeling its temperature and the sensation of her cough, Peggy suddenly froze.
"This isn't a dream…" she realized.
"Steve?"
"It's me," Steve replied.
Tears streaming, Peggy became overwhelmed with emotion. "You're alive… You came back… I always knew you were out there."
Steve smiled and whispered, "Yes, Peggy."
Reaching out, Peggy touched his face, marveling at how young he still looked.
"It's been so long…"
"Far too long," Steve agreed.
With a gentle laugh, he said, "How could I leave my best girl? You still owe me a dance."
Peggy shook her head, her voice tinged with sadness, "I'm old, Steve. I can't dance anymore."
"We may never make it to that dance."
Seeing how frail she'd become, a thought struck Steve. His mind raced to the concept of the Physique Enhancement Serum.
Based on what he'd learned, the serum could extend a person's lifespan to its natural limit.
If Peggy received the serum, she might regain her youth and enjoy another 40 or 50 years of life. After all, at 93 years old, she was still far from the theoretical human lifespan of 150 years.
Determined, Steve resolved to act quickly. Watching Peggy struggle even to speak, he knew he couldn't waste any time. If he delayed, he might lose the chance to save her.