Because of the information Vane had revealed to the president, the United Nations had not experienced a single peaceful moment during the past two days. The revelation had triggered an international storm that rapidly spread through diplomatic channels, intelligence agencies, and media networks across the globe. What had once been a quiet geopolitical secret was now becoming a public controversy that no government could ignore.
The president seized the opportunity immediately. Using the information Vane had provided, he began rallying nations around the world to condemn Wakanda and its ruler, King T'Chaka. What started as quiet diplomatic pressure quickly escalated into a coordinated campaign aimed at isolating the hidden African kingdom.
Officials and spokespersons began asking aggressive questions during international meetings. "Who exactly are you?" one diplomat demanded publicly. "Are you some kind of dangerous alien civilization hiding on Earth?"
The accusation stunned many observers, but it was only the beginning. Another official continued the interrogation with barely concealed hostility. "If you are not aliens, then why have you been secretly hiding on this planet for so long? What exactly is your purpose here?"
When Wakanda refused to provide answers, the pressure intensified further. "No purpose?" a representative demanded sharply. "If you truly have no hidden agenda, then why hide your existence from the rest of the world? Don't you feel even a little guilty about what you've been doing?"
Ironically, the loudest voices condemning Wakanda were coming from other African nations. Governments across the continent were among the most aggressive critics during the debates, openly questioning Wakanda's long-standing policy of isolation. Their rhetoric quickly grew emotional and deeply personal.
At the same time, activists representing Black communities around the world began joining the discussion. Many of them argued that Wakanda had abandoned its own people throughout history while quietly prospering in secret.
The outrage was explosive.
"My God, this is unbelievable!" one activist shouted during a televised debate. "How could you ignore the bloody slave trade that happened centuries ago? How could you stand by and watch while millions of your own people suffered?"
The accusations continued relentlessly. "Do you even know how many of our brothers and sisters were mutilated, enslaved, and forced to work on plantations?" another speaker demanded angrily. "Hands cut off, families destroyed, entire generations wiped out while you sat comfortably in your hidden kingdom!"
The anger was unmistakable. "You have absolutely no right to pretend you represent us," one critic concluded coldly. "You failed the world, and now the world is calling you out."
For decades, King T'Chaka had ruled Wakanda according to a strict policy of secrecy and isolation. His philosophy had always been simple: protect Wakanda, safeguard its resources, and avoid becoming entangled in the chaos of the outside world. As long as his country remained hidden, it could remain safe.
That approach had allowed Wakanda to thrive while the rest of the world struggled through wars, economic crises, and political turmoil. From T'Chaka's perspective, it was the best way to preserve his nation's stability.
Unfortunately, the consequences of that decision were now returning to haunt him.
For generations, Wakanda had ignored the suffering of people beyond its borders. Now those same people were turning their anger toward Wakanda itself. The kingdom that had quietly watched the world burn was suddenly facing global hostility.
Vane had no idea what kind of incentives or assistance the president had quietly offered to various African nations behind the scenes. However, the results were obvious. Wakanda was rapidly becoming isolated from the international community.
Yet just as the Wakanda controversy dominated headlines around the world, another shocking story suddenly erupted.
"Thousands of people have mysteriously disappeared in New York over the past few months. Sources claim they may have been abducted for human experimentation by the Tiphon Group!"
"Victory in the Battle of New York may not be what it seems. Reports suggest the Justice League is secretly being manipulated behind the scenes!"
"More than ten thousand Americans have vanished without explanation. Evidence points to Theodore Vane as the mastermind."
When Vane first saw those headlines, his immediate reaction was surprisingly simple.
Karma had finally come back around.
The accusations were outrageous. Whoever released that information was clearly twisting facts, exaggerating details, and constructing a narrative designed to destroy his reputation. It was a smear campaign built using exactly the same tactics he had used against countless enemies before.
From Vane's perspective, the situation was almost insulting.
Even if he had actually done those things, there was absolutely no evidence connecting him to the disappearances. Making such accusations without proof was pure slander. The media was openly fabricating claims and presenting them as fact.
That kind of attack was completely unacceptable.
His response was swift and decisive. Vane immediately contacted the president, the mayor of New York, and several other powerful figures. Their instructions were simple: suppress the news coverage, delete online reports, and control public commentary before the story spiraled out of control.
At the same time, he ordered a full investigation into the origin of the leak. His intelligence network began tracing the information through every possible channel, searching for any clue that might reveal who was responsible.
Hours passed, then an entire day.
In the end, the investigation produced nothing.
There were no traces, no leads, and no identifiable source.
Under normal circumstances that would have been frustrating, but for Vane it actually narrowed the possibilities. Very few people in the world possessed the ability to evade his surveillance network so completely. Even fewer had the knowledge required to reveal details about the disappearances in the United States.
Among those individuals, only one name truly fit.
Nick Fury.
The former S.H.I.E.L.D. director had always been notoriously difficult to eliminate. Like a stubborn old snake, he had a habit of disappearing just when people thought he was gone.
Vane leaned back in his chair and sighed quietly.
"An old salted egg that refuses to die," he muttered.
After thinking about the situation for a moment, he decided the simplest approach was to confront the problem directly. Instead of continuing the investigation, he traveled to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Tri-Wing building in Washington.
His arrival caused surprisingly little resistance.
Security checkpoints opened without delay, and he soon reached Director Coulson's office without encountering any obstacles. When Coulson saw him walk through the door, a faint flicker of nervousness briefly appeared in the agent's eyes.
"Hello, Coulson," Vane said casually as he sat down across from the desk. "Beautiful weather today, isn't it?"
Coulson forced a polite expression while studying him carefully. "Mr. Vane," he replied calmly. "What brings you here today?"
"Oh, nothing serious," Vane said with a relaxed smile. "I just realized I haven't seen you in quite a while, and I started to miss you."
Coulson snorted softly. "I'm not exactly a beauty you'd miss."
"True," Vane admitted cheerfully. "Actually, you're right. I wasn't really thinking about you."
He leaned forward slightly, his smile widening.
"I was thinking about the old boiled egg."
"How has Nick Fury been lately?"
Coulson shook his head immediately. "I have no idea. I haven't had any contact with him."
Vane rubbed his chin thoughtfully before tapping the ring on his finger.
"Make a phone call," he said calmly.
A moment later, Coulson's phone began to ring.
Beep.
The call connected.
"Hello? Coulson?" Nick Fury's voice came through the speaker.
Vane answered instead.
"Coulson is dead," he said flatly. "Overworked. You made him the director, remember? He was your favorite agent."
There was a sudden silence on the line.
Then Fury's voice returned, filled with cold anger.
"Theodore Vane. What did you do to Coulson?"
"What did I do to him?" Vane repeated calmly.
Another long pause followed.
When Fury spoke again, his tone had regained its usual composure. "Don't you want to explain where all those missing people went?"
"Sure," Vane replied. "Let's talk about it face to face."
Fury snorted dismissively. "Do you really think what you've been doing is flawless?"
"I've known for a long time," Fury continued coldly. "You have some way of controlling people without them realizing it."
"Do you honestly think I'd fall for something like that?"
"And why do you say that?" Vane asked with interest.
"Because of Coulson," Fury replied.
In that instant, Vane understood the situation.
Coulson had been used as bait.
Or more precisely, he had been an experiment.
What Vane couldn't determine was whether Coulson volunteered for the role or had no idea what was happening.
"If I really had that kind of ability," Vane said lightly, "wouldn't I already be ruling the world?"
"Aren't you already trying?" Fury replied.
Vane laughed.
"I'm not even the president of the United States yet."
"You will never succeed," Fury said coldly.
"So you're determined to oppose me?"
"I will never allow the world to fall under the control of brute force."
"Even if that force protects the world?" Vane asked calmly. "Just like your old Insight Project?"
"…Project Insight was a mistake."
"Oh?" Vane's interest immediately sharpened.
Had Fury realized the problem that early?
Fury's voice remained steady. "Project Insight would eventually become your weapon."
Vane chuckled softly. "So that's how you see it."
"With those helicarriers under your control," Fury continued, "you could eliminate anyone you consider a threat."
"So anyone who refuses to obey you becomes a threat," Vane replied calmly.
He smiled faintly.
If anyone in the world understood double standards, it was the United States, Captain America, and the rest of that so-called moral high ground.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. exists to protect a free and democratic world," Fury said firmly. "Not a totalitarian one."
Vane laughed quietly.
"So when Iraq lost everything, they gained freedom instead?"
His voice turned colder.
"Nick Fury, you're far more naive than I expected."
"Do you know what matters most for a civilization?" Vane continued slowly.
"Survival."
He sighed quietly.
"The alien invasion just ended, and humanity is already facing threats from across the universe. What makes you think we can survive the next one?"
"What makes you think we'll win the next Battle of New York?"
"And yet," he added, "you're already preparing to fight me."
Fury was silent for a moment before replying.
"You sound righteous, but you seem to have forgotten something."
"You started a war far larger than mine."
"The United States now has four aircraft carriers deployed, and hundreds of warships are moving toward Wakanda."
"What right do you have to criticize me?"
Vane burst out laughing.
"Nick Fury," he said calmly, "do you actually know anything about Wakanda?"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"It's one of the most technologically advanced societies on Earth. They possess unimaginable resources, yet what have they done for the world?"
"What did they do during the slave trade?"
"What did they do during World War I?"
"What did they do during World War II?"
"When aliens invaded New York, where were they?"
His laughter echoed through the room.
"They're a nation of arrogant isolationists who watched the world suffer while pretending to be morally superior."
"In their eyes, the rest of us are violent, greedy, and hopeless."
"But they see themselves as pure and untouchable."
"Isn't that ridiculous?"
Fury's voice lowered.
"That still doesn't justify provoking a global invasion."
"You're right," Vane replied calmly. "It doesn't."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Actually, you and I have something in common."
"You used the Tesseract to develop weapons. I'm planning to seize vibranium to protect Earth."
He chuckled softly.
"It's funny how our goals look so similar, yet we criticize each other constantly."
"We are not the same," Fury said quietly.
"Maybe not," Vane replied.
"But we're definitely enemies."
"We'll just have to see which one of us does it better."
Without waiting for a response, Vane ended the call.
A moment later, he contacted Pierce.
"The evidence I asked you to prepare last time," he said calmly. "Are your people ready?"
There was a brief pause before Pierce answered.
"Yes."
"Good," Vane replied.
"We can begin now."
.....
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