S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters was under Hydra's control. The former Director, who had once promoted Nick Fury, now held a position as Special Advisor to S.H.I.E.L.D., overseeing its overall operations. But only a few people knew that he was Hydra's biggest plant inside the agency—ready to flip the whole thing when needed.
Now, the former Director had invited high-level officials to witness the launch of the Project Insight.
"As soon as the Helicarriers are launched, America will never face another threat. Any terrorist will be eliminated before they even appear," the former Director said confidently.
"I really wish Nick could've seen this."
"Yeah, Nick wasn't just my best subordinate, he was also a good friend. He once saved my daughter's life. I'm deeply saddened by his death. This Project Insight was his brainchild. That's why I've worked so hard to fulfill his last wish," the former Director said with mock sincerity.
"Then let's get on with it. The Eye Society is growing stronger. If we don't show results soon, Amanda's gonna be walking all over us." No sugarcoating there.
So they were pushing forward with the launch of the Project Insight, ignoring Nick Fury's death.
Heh. The former Director flashed a devious grin and gave the order: "Prep for—"
Before he could finish, an explosion rang out below. Alarms blared through the building. Looking outside, two black specks were fast approaching.
It was Falcon carrying Captain America—and Diana.
Diana had both arms extended like an arrow, piercing straight through the air. She slammed through the reinforced glass, and the three of them burst into the room.
Captain America didn't waste a second. "I know everything now. You're the one who assassinated Director Fury."
The former Director's face went stiff. He hadn't expected someone to crash the party at such a critical moment. He shouted, "Launch it now!"
"What's going on with Captain America?" Some officials were stunned to see Wonder Woman too.
Cap quickly explained the situation. When they heard that the former Director was actually a Hydra operative, the officials' expressions turned dark.
Seeing the truth was out, the former Director smirked. "You think you can stop me? Guards!"
Fully armed Hydra soldiers charged in. The former Director declared, "Hydra has controlled S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time. The combat units all belong to us. You think you can win? The carrier bay doors are already open. Once the Helicarriers are airborne, they'll never come down. You'll all die. Anyone who opposes Hydra must die. Hahaha!"
"Then we just knock 'em out of the sky," Diana said, watching the Helicarrier slowly lift off.
"The three carriers form a triangle with satellites for pinpoint targeting. They'll locate and eliminate Hydra's enemies in one strike—wiping out millions at a time," Cap explained. "Taking down the carriers isn't enough. We have to overwrite the satellite's targeting algorithm. We've got three chips. We have to install one on each carrier."
"Why not just take down the satellites too?" Talking to Diana, who had no patience for complex plans, was exhausting. Something that simple would kill the entire movie.
Cap didn't argue. He and Falcon flew off, while Wonder Woman dove headfirst into the enemy lines like a hunting tiger. The Hydra soldiers stood no chance. She was so brutal they couldn't even figure out who the real attacker was. The Hydra troops were practically in tears.
In the end, Diana used the Lasso of Truth to rope up the former Director and got him to spill everything.
The upper-level officials looked at each other—some smiled, others grimaced. Even within S.H.I.E.L.D.'s leadership, they weren't all on the same page.
One man, a middle-aged Asian, was clearly pleased. He belonged to Ada Wong's faction, which had long opposed Nick Fury's camp. He'd been promoting Ada all along, fighting for influence.
This infiltration by Hydra was a devastating blow to Fury's faction. No one would trust them again. It looked like S.H.I.E.L.D. was about to fall completely into Ada's camp. The agency was going to be rebuilt from the ground up.
Too bad Ada was pregnant and couldn't take the Director's chair herself.
The three Helicarriers slowly rose into the sky. Captain America and Falcon moved through heavy fire, doing everything they could to complete the mission. Falcon flew with speed and precision using his jetpack, darting through the air so quickly that enemies couldn't keep up. Captain America, on the other hand, looked like he was back in the glory days of World War II. Every cell in his body came alive. Dodging, rushing in close, striking, repositioning—every movement flowed seamlessly, sharp and clean.
Finally, the first chip was successfully installed. Two more to go. The two split up and continued the operation.
Back at headquarters, Liu A'dou led a squad of trainees in a lightning-fast assault all the way up to the top floors.
Da-da, da-da! Gunfire rang out in the corridor, then the trainees stormed in. "Class 16 S.H.I.E.L.D. trainees reporting for duty!"
"Good, good!" one of the leaders from Ada Wong's faction was overjoyed. Just look at Ada's efficiency—sharp as ever. If Ada were in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D., she'd definitely outdo Nick Fury. "Is your commanding officer here?"
"The chief instructor neutralized the Hydra agents in the academy. She's currently coordinating from there."
"Excellent!" Another nod of approval. The upper ranks were clearly impressed with Ada—her foresight, her tactics. She'd secured the academy first and brought the main force straight to HQ. "Resume all headquarters operations immediately. Begin apprehending all identified Hydra members."
"Understood!"
A helicopter descended slowly. People looked up curiously, then froze in disbelief—it was none other than the one-eyed director who was supposed to be dead.
Faked his death! That was the only thought on everyone's mind.
"Again? Nick Fury and his damn fake-death stunts," one of Ada's faction grumbled, clearly annoyed.
Some weren't happy. This move once again tilted things in favor of Nick Fury's camp.
Sure, their official ranks were higher than the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but their real power came from the positions their people held, the organizations they managed, and the resources they controlled. S.H.I.E.L.D. was a battlefield and a treasure chest all in one.
Nick Fury had returned, but Ada already had control of HQ. He couldn't just walk in and start barking orders. Instead, he came to uncover all the shady things the former Director and Hydra had done in secret. It turned out the files required two Level-10 agents to decrypt. Inside were records of some dark chapters in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s history—complete with files on its members.
Take Black Widow, for example. Born in 1984, she was originally trained in the Soviet Union's Red Room program. But when the USSR collapsed during her childhood, she later worked for Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine before being persuaded by Hawkeye to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Everything she did was for her country or her superiors—never for herself. She had no personal desires. Completely focused. Absolutely pure.
All this intel was exposed, along with many of Hydra's hidden plans. A full-scale purge of Hydra operatives began.
Outside, the three Helicarriers suddenly turned on each other—that meant Cap and Falcon had succeeded. One of the carriers was heading straight for the main S.H.I.E.L.D. building.
"Move!" Diana threw out her Lasso of Truth, catching everyone in a wide arc and flying straight toward the window.
BOOM—
The falling Helicarrier smashed into the office tower. Smoke and fire roared through the air.