Clairvoyant

The following half-month was nearly catastrophic for Hydra. S.H.I.E.L.D. launched one unprovoked attack after another, wiping out five or six sub-bases that had been hidden under their noses for over a decade in just two weeks.

Most of the strike teams carrying out these missions answered to Nick Fury. Every raid was a top-secret operation, so tightly guarded that even other S.H.I.E.L.D. higher-ups with Level Ten clearance caught no wind of them. Their movements were swift and decisive—each battle ended within ten minutes, like precise, efficient surgical strikes.

Beyond that, Hydra also lost two valuable superhuman assets in those two months. First was Carl Creel, who could absorb matter through skin contact and transform his body—he was the first captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. Next came Marcus Daniels, who could manipulate a dark cosmic radiation known as Negative Energy. Unfortunately, his abilities were neutralized by a specially equipped S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon, and he too was taken into custody.

Though the number of superhumans in the world was steadily increasing, they were still far from commonplace. Even with Hydra's resources, their roster of superhumans was limited. Losing two in half a month was a devastating blow.

But this seemed only the beginning. Nick Fury had sounded the war horn against Hydra, and the footsteps of battle were drawing ever closer.

Inside a Hydra facility, location classified.

It was a completely sealed room, so dim that even face-to-face, no one could make out each other's features. The only light came from a metal round table at the center, where faint blue holograms sat around it, holding a special meeting through this remote link.

Those present were Hydra's highest-ranking officers, each wielding immense power capable of shaking the world's balance with ease. These bigwigs commanded different divisions and rarely gathered, only occasionally interacting when major matters overlapped between factions. A meeting of this scale hadn't occurred in decades within Hydra's history.

The reason was simple: they felt an unprecedented threat to their very survival.

"Nick Fury is systematically dismantling our bases and purging our people. Thirteen of our agents embedded in S.H.I.E.L.D. have been eliminated—ten with Level Five clearance, three with Level Six."

The speaker sat at the center. From the dim hologram, one could barely make out a bald head and a round monocle over his right eye. His voice was grim and raspy.

"Fury is becoming a problem," he said.

"The problem isn't Nick Fury—it's whoever's feeding him this information." This time, the speaker sat on the left side of the table—Alexander Pierce, former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. "And the worst part is, we know nothing about this enemy."

A bespectacled, scholarly-looking officer spoke up, a hint of reproach in his tone: "Shouldn't figuring that out be your responsibility?"

"Fury won't disclose the source," Pierce said coldly. "But I suspect it's connected to that first attack."

"You mean the one where a guy in high-tech single-soldier armor single-handedly took out our base disguised as a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility?"

Pierce nodded. "Shortly after that, Fury ordered the creation of an independent high-risk file, codenamed 'Black Knight,' with access clearance exceeding Level Ten. That means no one else can access it—not even others with Level Ten clearance."

"Are you suggesting that attacker is the one providing Fury with intel?"

"I think it's possible they've made contact," Pierce said. "For a long time, our existence was unknown. The whole world believed we perished with the Third Reich's defeat in World War II. Then, out of nowhere, this mysterious figure attacks our base, and within days, Fury discovers Zola's existence, and then that Hydra is still alive. Add in everything that's happened since—it's hard not to make connections."

"My man says it's Dr. Norton," said another figure on the right side of the table, his silhouette blurry. "Randall Mallory, Level Six agent. I rather like that kid. He told me the attacker asked him to deliver a message—he seems pretty sure it's Dr. Angus Norton."

"Impossible," the bespectacled man asserted. "For over three years, we've never stopped searching for Dr. Angus Norton, but he's vanished without a trace. Our eyes cover the globe; our reach is everywhere. If he were alive, there's no way he could have evaded our sight."

"And we're talking about Angus Norton," the man on the right spoke again. "Everyone here knows he's no ordinary person. Hydra has never lacked talent, but we must all admit we've yet to find anyone who can fill the position he once held."

"Even so, he couldn't have left no trace for over three years." The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses. "You couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. No one could."

He paused briefly, then added, "Besides, even if Norton were alive, he'd have no reason to know so much."

"That's true." The man on the right propped his chin on his hand. "Norton once had high clearance, no doubt, and he did participate in several of Hydra's most classified projects. But the information he could access was still limited."

"And what he knew was only three years old," the bespectacled man emphasized. "After Norton defected, his base was immediately decommissioned, and all the sensitive locations he'd been to were relocated. The outdated intel he had wouldn't be much use."

"Regardless, the situation is grim for us now. Whether we like it or not, the covert phase is over. We must take action." The monocled man at the center sat up straight and leaned forward. "Pierce, find out where Fury's getting his information—at any cost."

The bespectacled man turned his gaze to the right side of the table. "Garrett, you should be more careful too. This game of yours, pretending to be the 'Clairvoyant,' seems to have drawn unnecessary attention from S.H.I.E.L.D. lately."

The man on the right chuckled. "No need to worry. So far, S.H.I.E.L.D. only thinks the 'Clairvoyant' is a superhuman with mind-reading abilities, which is why he's always one step ahead. They've never considered that the 'Clairvoyant' might be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with high-level clearance. They haven't connected that identity to Hydra yet."

The bespectacled man snorted. "For now."

***

Inside Michael Passo's home, in his underground private lab.

Michael sat in a chair at the lab table, surrounded by several floating 3D screens displaying the results of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s operations over the past half-month, achieved with his help.

"Nick Fury really doesn't mess around when it comes to efficiency," Michael muttered, scrolling through the list of dismantled Hydra bases and purged agents. "Honestly, I thought he'd waste time on bureaucratic formalities before taking action."

The AI Sherry's voice came through the room's speakers. "I assume that's a good thing, sir?"

"Of course. It means the plan's timeline can be moved up significantly."

"Then I presume you've already selected the next target?"

"Pretty much." Michael moved his fingers, pulling up a new transparent interface in front of him, displaying the details of S.H.I.E.L.D. Level Eight Agent John Garrett.

"I hear the 'Clairvoyant' has been giving S.H.I.E.L.D. a headache for a while," Michael said, tapping his knuckles lightly on the armrest of his chair. "Maybe they could use a little help."