"Rumlow! What are you doing this for!?"
Pierce shouted as the axe loomed larger before his eyes.
"For justice! For redemption! For conscience!"
Rumlow's axe sliced cleanly through Pierce's neck, and he roared to the heavens. The first step was complete—next, to eliminate Hydra's remnants. Pierce's death couldn't be concealed.
As they confronted Pierce, Hydra's upper echelons, watching through surveillance, issued immediate orders. Hydra agents lingering in S.H.I.E.L.D. sprang into action, shouting "Hail Hydra" to identify each other before slaughtering unsuspecting agents nearby.
"The Council and military will arrive soon. We need to hold out until reinforcements can resolve this," Agent Hill said coldly.
"But those agents are dying for nothing!" Sharon Carter snapped, storming toward the office door.
S.H.I.E.L.D. could endure losses, but letting Hydra kill unchecked while waiting for support would mean its end.
"I'm going too," Steve said, grabbing his shield and following Sharon. His sense of justice wouldn't let him stand by as innocents died. He had to act.
"Hill, contact Coulson. Have him head to the secret base in New Jersey's District 13 to check on Werewolf and Mummy," Nick Fury ordered, unfazed by the chaos at headquarters. His battle with Hydra was just beginning.
With headquarters this compromised, what was the state of the branches?
"Barbara, assist Coulson. I'll contact you directly with orders," Fury continued. Barbara left to carry out her mission.
Fury took command. Trustworthy allies were few, but those in this operation were reliable.
"Natasha, infiltrate Stark's playboy circle and await further instructions." Natasha sauntered out with her graceful stride.
Fury turned to Dugan. "Dugan, are you still willing to fight for world peace?"
Fury's gaze was stern. Dugan pulled a cigar from his case—the last one from before—and lit it slowly with a match.
"You think this world still needs old soldiers like us?" Dugan asked.
"Old soldiers don't die; they just fade away," Fury replied.
Their conversation ended. Both knew this mission required them both.
"Rumlow, you still have unfinished business," Fury said, his single eye fixed on Rumlow, his face as calm as a worn-out sole.
"I want S.H.I.E.L.D. rebuilt," Rumlow declared, his axe still dripping blood, his resolve palpable.
"I've sent S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra intel to the Council. They're deliberating," Hill said, a monkey-paw mark still visible on her face.
"Tell him the outcome," Fury instructed.
"The Council's decided: S.H.I.E.L.D. faces a purge and investigation. Fury is temporarily relieved as director, with reduced funding and authority. Details are pending," Hill reported, exhausted, longing to sit after climbing endless stairs—like an author with a bad back after a day of writing.
"Are you satisfied?" Fury asked, his expression unchanged.
Rumlow just stared, silent.
"Release all necessary data to the Council," Fury ordered, approaching a computer to input clearance codes, passing facial scans and blood tests. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database opened wide.
Dangerous item details remained sealed, but personnel files were sent out.
"Director," Melinda said, knowing what those secrets meant. The Council's access was a lock on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s shield—a shield now firmly in their grasp.
She thought this was a mistake, but no one listened. As an elite fighter, Melinda wasn't suited for management decisions. That was Fury's call.
"I want Captain America to hold the shield," Rumlow said deliberately.
"They won't let a saint wield power. Steve's a vanguard at best. You know that," Fury replied, his calm fueling Rumlow's anger.
"Then they can talk to my axe!" Rumlow roared.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Rumlow collapsed, rolling across the floor, leaving a trail of blood.
"Someone has to answer for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s losses. Pierce was one. You're the other," Fury said, nodding to Dugan, who signaled toward the gunfire.
"Screech screech!" came from the walkie-talkie—Hit-Monkey's call. More shots followed.
Rumlow, already down, had no chance to rise, tossed like a ragdoll by bullets. Hit-Monkey hadn't joined Fury's group but had gone to a weapons cache, tasked as the final failsafe to eliminate threats.
Pierce was dead. Using Captain America's sense of justice, Fury had Sharon Carter play the saint to lure Steve away. A trusted subordinate like Sharon wouldn't act naively.
With Rumlow, who'd inexplicably become justice-obsessed, eliminated, S.H.I.E.L.D. would endure. After the Hydra infiltration, Fury and the old soldiers agreed: S.H.I.E.L.D. needed a lock.
Fury had proven his worth in talks with Peggy Carter. Pierce chose him as director because he could make S.H.I.E.L.D. stronger.
Hit-Monkey's weapon wasn't a standard sniper rifle but a high-tech gun for superhuman targets. The first shot left a bowl-sized wound on Rumlow, proving he wasn't immune to technology.
Three chapters left, still writing. Please vote with monthly or recommendation tickets. Promised fifteen chapters, and I won't break that promise!
(End of Chapter)
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T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
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