Playing the Victim

"Hydra, a secret research department founded by Red Skull, Johann Schmidt, during the Third Reich, became Hitler's most powerful enforcer, stirring up countless bloody storms during World War II.

During the invasion of Norway, Red Skull discovered the Tesseract and used it as an energy source to develop new weapons, thus realizing his ambition to rule the world.

Later, Hydra broke away from the Third Reich and became independent. Relying on the power of new weapons, they once brought nearly half the world under Hydra's control.

To turn the tide, the Allied forces had to establish the Strategic Scientific Corps, relying on the wisdom of Howard Stark and Dr. Erskine to create the Super Soldier, Captain America, to resist Hydra.

In the end, Hydra's plot to rule the world was thwarted by Captain America, along with Red Skull. The remaining personnel either served S.H.I.E.L.D. and the American government through Project Paperclip, or served hundreds of years in special prisons."

Alexander Pierce recounted the history of his faction as if introducing a heinous enemy, leaving a blank-faced Nick Fury in turmoil. If he had to describe his feelings in two words, it would be "Holy shit."

Damn, the big boss of Hydra just revealed himself!

"But Nick Fury maintained an expression consistent with his persona and asked, "Why are you bringing up this organization from the historical archives now? Has it resurfaced?"

"Resurfaced? Hah, Hydra doesn't resurface," Pierce glanced at Nick Fury, noting his reaction was within expectations, and continued, "Because Hydra never died. It merely disappeared from public view, or directly became a part of us."

Nick Fury's expression turned vacant. He desperately wanted to know which direction the sun rose from today; this was too bizarre. Had Hydra had an internal conflict, sidelining Pierce, their leader, and thus Pierce decided to go down in flames with them?

Taking a deep breath, Nick Fury made a second judgment: parallel worlds. Just as Agent Coulson from another world had said, his world had many things his own world didn't, and many events hadn't happened.

For example, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center still stood tall in his world, the American government hadn't fallen into war with the graveyard of empires, nor had trillions of dollars been wasted.

Therefore, differences in relationships between certain people and events also existed. This was why Coulson had specifically warned in the data he left behind that it was only for reference and couldn't be fully trusted. The Alexander Pierce of his world might not be the leader of Hydra.

However, if that were the case, their conversation truly warranted a Level 10 classification. If the World Security Council learned of this news, a budget cut would be the least of their worries; S.H.I.E.L.D. could be disbanded entirely.

Continuing to observe Nick Fury's expression, Alexander Pierce also showed a worried look. "Actually, even before you became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I discovered traces of spy activity within the organization, and they had grown into a significant force that had to be dealt with. To ensure the spies were rooted out with peace of mind, I promoted you, the most suitable person for the position, to lead S.H.I.E.L.D. to grow and strengthen, while I retreated behind the scenes to uncover the mole."

"But I miscalculated. The spies embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D. were deeply entrenched, forming a network. The investigation couldn't proceed. Despite my best efforts, I could only sever some minor branches. I even began to suspect if you, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. whom I personally selected, were one of them."

The best way to clear oneself was to shift the blame. Unlike the action-oriented Nick Fury, Pierce excelled at this.

"But thanks to you, Nick Fury, leading S.H.I.E.L.D. to rapid development, their power also expanded. However, in this process, many things were exposed. For example, I discovered they all belonged to one organization, Hydra. And it wasn't just within S.H.I.E.L.D.; even high-ranking officials and politicians in the American government could be their people. Within S.H.I.E.L.D. alone, there are still some Hydra spies who haven't been caught. One can imagine the extent of Hydra's infiltration into the free world."

"All the information investigated so far has been compiled into a document, which is now in your hands. How to handle it is your job as Director."

At this point, having stayed up all night preparing the documents, Alexander Pierce showed a look of exhaustion without even acting. "I am old. Mediating the relationship between the World Security Council and S.H.I.E.L.D., investigating the spies within S.H.I.E.L.D. – these have consumed a great deal of my energy. I no longer have the drive or time to fight them."

"Moreover, as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., you are more capable than I am. I lack your courage to root out Hydra spies at the risk of S.H.I.E.L.D. being severely damaged or even disbanded. You can do this, but I cannot. Bring out your prized wine; I haven't relaxed like this in a long time."

Nick Fury flipped through the documents in his hand. Besides the historical development of Hydra, the first section detailing the personnel infiltrated into S.H.I.E.L.D. was significant. It was an Level 8 agent named John Garrett, codenamed "Clairvoyant" by Hydra, who was also mentioned in the data Coulson had left behind.

As for why John Garrett was being offered up as a sacrifice by Pierce, firstly, there needed to be a high-ranking figure to hold the situation together. If it were just a group of low-level field agents, his report would lack credibility. Secondly, Garrett's performance had increasingly displeased Pierce. Whether he had developed his own ambitions or intended to replace Pierce as the leader, John Garrett had recently adopted an attitude of "obey orders but not the decree."

This wouldn't do. Where was his authority as the leader? He had to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, using John Garrett's sacrifice to deter the wavering morale.

Nick Fury picked up the documents, put them in his office safe, then walked to the liquor cabinet, took out a bottle of wine and two glasses. After pouring a glass for himself and Pierce, he watched the latter drink half of his, lean back on the sofa, and close his eyes slightly. With deep emotion, he said, "You've worked hard all these years."

"Maintaining world peace is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s duty and its original purpose," Pierce said wearily. "I have stepped down from the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. All I can do is maintain good relations between you and the World Security Council. The responsibility on your shoulders remains heavy."

Nick Fury said, "In that case, regarding the cleanup of the vampires, I'll need you to pay more attention on the World Security Council's side."

Hearing this, Pierce couldn't help but let out a wry smile.