Eliminate Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D.

In an apartment in a neighborhood near S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, his arm in a sling, sat propped up on a sofa by the window, gazing at the distant Triskelion. Behind him, his capable deputy, Agent Hill, was tinkering with a computer.

"Still nothing?"

Agent Hill, still fiddling with the computer, sighed. "Not a trace. It's as if they've vanished from this world. Hydra hasn't found them either."

A profound look appeared in Nick Fury's lone eye, and he felt a sense of urgency deep within.

The "they" Hill referred to were none other than Steve and Natasha, who had spent half an hour in another world.

The two had originally intended to find Steve and Natasha to formulate an infiltration plan, aiming to launch a surprise attack tomorrow morning when the members of the World Security Council inspected S.H.I.E.L.D., dismantle Hydra's conspiracy, and destroy the three Helicarriers.

However, the plan had failed halfway before it even began; Steve and his capable operative Natasha had both disappeared without a trace, leaving Nick Fury with no one to use.

It wasn't that he truly had no one to use, though...

Tap-tap!

A rhythmic knocking sounded at the room's door. After the code was tapped out, the door was pushed open, and a brown-haired man with a stern face walked in, carrying a golf club bag on his back.

"My vacation is gone just like that!" The man's tone was slightly sour. After all, he had been at home during the day enjoying family time with his wife and children, and now he was in Washington, about to participate in a great war against Hydra.

Every operation carried the risk of sacrifice. He was no longer the fearless warrior he once was; now he had a wife and children, and was even planning for a third, so this life of fighting and killing no longer suited him.

Nick Fury, slumped in a single-seat sofa, nodded slightly and said with a rhythmic, African-American cadence: "You can have as much vacation as you want, provided we survive this crisis. Otherwise, this world won't be stable."

Decades of life as a spy had allowed Nick Fury to accumulate too many secrets. Even though he had been left in a sorry state by Alexander Pierce, he could still use his own methods to topple Hydra.

"This is an infiltration mission. Insert the modules into the servers of the three Helicarriers. Someone will coordinate with your actions. A car is waiting downstairs."

Barton set down the bag he was carrying, took out his bow and arrows, and stripped off his sportswear to reveal the tactical vest underneath. After finishing his gear change, he left without a word.

Agent Hill also packed up her computer and followed. She was also a participant in the operation; now that they lacked Steve's help, ordinary people like them had to contribute more.

After the two left, Nick Fury was the only one left in the room, sitting quietly in the darkness. Only the faint light reflected in his eyes as he looked out the window proved that someone was still there.

"Target A installation complete!"

"Target B installation complete!"

"Target C installation complete!"

The operation by James Squad and Natasha went exceptionally smoothly. Once the signal receivers were plugged into all three Helicarriers, control of the electronic doors fell entirely into Tony's hands.

Even when Hydra noticed the problem and sent people to guard them, they still had to overcome one obstacle after another.

Fire sprinklers would malfunction from time to time, lights would always lead them to the wrong places, and strange noises would occasionally blare from the speakers. All the Hydra soldiers were left completely disoriented, unable to find the infiltrating James Squad at all.

Having finished installing the bombs, Natasha and James Squad began to withdraw, and the plan entered its next phase.

Steve, who was guarding the server room, received Natasha's signal. His tense heart finally relaxed a little. Then, he took a deep breath and pressed the broadcast control button.

"Attention all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents... this is Steve Rogers!"

The lights in S.H.I.E.L.D., which had been in chaos due to the power outage, were all restored, and they also happened to hear a voice they were all quite familiar with over the broadcast.

Steve Rogers, Captain America, the idol of the vast majority of American civilians.

He was a spiritual symbol once pushed forward by countless capitalists, representing almost all the virtues claimed at the nation's founding: democracy, freedom...

If Steve were to run for office, he would surely be elected with an overwhelmingly high percentage of the vote.

In one of the countless parallel universes of Marvel, there was a parallel universe that told the story of Steve being elected President of America, only to be killed by a sniper during a public speech.

The current Steve had no thoughts of running for office, but he could vaguely sense his own influence, so he delivered this pre-battle speech.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is not what you think it is. It has been infiltrated by Hydra. Their leader is Alexander Pierce, and the strike teams and Project Insight have also been infiltrated..."

After briefly explaining the current situation at S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve began the emotional part: "...The price of freedom is high, and I am willing to pay it. Even if I am the only one, I will see this through to the end! But I believe I am not alone."

Listen to that!

These words perfectly aligned with the values of the free world; ask yourself, what free person wouldn't be moved by them?

Even Tony, far away in New York, couldn't help but nod, having to admit the Captain's character in his heart.

After becoming Captain America, the most impulsive decision Steve had ever made was simply to fulfill a promise to his lover.

The broadcast ended, and the seeds of suspicion had been deeply buried in everyone's hearts. No one knew if the person next to them was an enemy or a teammate, but they knew one thing: the strike teams were all Hydra members!

A tense atmosphere began to spread all around, and the gunfight broke out in an instant.

After the lights were restored, the strike team led by Rumlow knew exactly where Steve was through the broadcast. Large numbers of strike team members had already split into several squads to surround the main server room.

Boom! Boom-boom-boom!

Before the strike team could surround Steve, the explosives installed on the Helicarriers detonated. The amount of explosives wasn't large, but it was enough to destroy the important equipment inside the Helicarriers. Tony had provided significant technical support, as he had also played a part in the design of the Helicarriers.

The explosion was like a horn of war. The courageous agents within S.H.I.E.L.D. drew their weapons one after another, picking off anyone around them who showed hostile intent.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted, and the headquarters of the world's largest intelligence agency instantly turned into a battlefield!

Thousands of agents fired at each other passionately. Hydra's strike teams were met with chaotic attacks; every time they passed a floor, four or five people would open fire on them. Yet, they had no idea if those people were their own, as everyone wore similar uniforms—who could tell who was who?

Barton, who had just reached the back door of S.H.I.E.L.D., and a secret squad of Fury's, heard the intense gunfire inside the building and stood there, stunned.

They hadn't even done anything yet, so why was there already fighting inside?

Thinking too much was useless, so Barton still had to complete his mission; pushing open the iron door, Barton and his secret squad infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters together.

Their infiltrating figures were discovered by Tony, who was sitting securely at the top of Stark Tower, via surveillance not long after.

Afterward, Tony informed Natasha and the others of Barton's appearance; despite being surprised, Natasha still quickly rendezvoused with Barton.

Nick Fury finally knew where Steve and Natasha had gone, and while feeling relieved, he also stood up to board a helicopter, preparing to go to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in person to stabilize the situation.