Hail Hydra

People had always believed that the terrifying Hydra had disappeared with the end of World War II.

But in reality, Hydra had been lurking in the shadows of S.H.I.E.L.D., using the organization to sow fear and chaos across the world, reap profits, and wait for the day it could emerge again.

William finally understood. Those special forces soldiers must have been Hydra agents. No wonder they had wanted to wipe out the entire Skull Gang after using them—they didn't want to leave behind any loose ends. Hydra's secrets couldn't get out.

But why had Hawkeye been watching the Skull Gang? Did S.H.I.E.L.D. already know Hydra was hiding within its ranks?

William rubbed his head, got up, paid, and walked out of the café with his laptop.

The sunlight fell on him. He couldn't help pulling out the USB drive again. He absolutely couldn't lose it, and he couldn't let anyone find out about it. If he couldn't draw the hero Sombra, he'd better find the second-level password.

Since it required someone's biometric fingerprint, that person had to be important. They must have held a position of some standing in Hydra. So who could it be?

"Achoo!"

The Triskelion was S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. On the top floor, a white man stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the beautiful view.

He was middle-aged, and the years had left their mark on his face. But dressed in a suit, with wisdom in his eyes, he looked like an elegant old gentleman—until he sneezed.

Alexander Pierce had once worked at the State Department. Now he was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, with the highest level of clearance. He was responsible for the organization's foreign affairs and for dealing with the World Security Council to secure more resources and funding.

But in truth, he was Hydra's hidden boss within S.H.I.E.L.D. He had built up his own faction inside the organization, and its members were utterly loyal to Hydra. They had been waiting for their chance, waiting for the day the new order would be established.

Pierce rubbed his nose. Why had he suddenly sneezed? Was someone cursing him just now?

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and a bald man wearing glasses walked in.

Sitwell was a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent on the surface, but in reality, he was another Hydra operative who had infiltrated the organization.

"Sir, I've found some information about Tony Stark," Sitwell said as soon as he entered.

Three months ago, Tony Stark had gone missing. While on a weapons-sale trip to Afghanistan, he had been attacked by local armed terrorists and vanished without a trace.

His disappearance had caused an uproar around the world. With government authorization, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been secretly searching for clues, while the military had sent in strike teams to comb the area. The higher-ups had also issued a final order:

Find him alive, or bring back his body!

But finding a kidnapped man in war-torn Afghanistan was no easy task. S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military had searched for more than two months without a single lead. They hadn't found his body—or even a single strand of his hair.

"You found him? Is he alive?" Pierce frowned.

"No, sir." Sitwell shook his head. "But I found out about the terrorists. They're called the Ten Rings, a notorious terrorist organization in the region with a powerful arsenal. I also discovered that they seem to be connected to someone high up at Stark Industries. This person has been secretly funding them..."

"Who?" Sitwell's news immediately caught Pierce's interest.

"Obadiah Stane."

"I knew that old fox was up to something." Pierce smiled faintly, as if he'd expected it.

Obadiah Stane and Howard Stark had cofounded Stark Industries. After Howard's death, Tony Stark had taken over as CEO. Obadiah had appeared to support him, but in reality, he was ambitious and had long wanted to seize full control.

It seemed that the old fox was definitely involved in Tony Stark's disappearance!

"Should I tell Director Fury about this?" Sitwell asked.

"He can find whatever you can find." Pierce waved a hand. "Anything else? I have a meeting with the World Security Council shortly."

When Sitwell heard that, he took off his glasses and pulled out a cloth to wipe them.

It was their signal. What they were about to discuss couldn't be overheard. They had to keep it absolutely secret, because it involved Hydra!

"Seal the office."

Huge protective panels rose over the windows and walls, completely sealing the room. No one could hear their conversation. Pierce's expression turned grave. "Speak quickly. You don't have much time."

"Sir, S.H.I.E.L.D. has completely wiped out the Skull Gang," Sitwell said gravely.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Pierce sat down and smiled. "That fellow Nick Fury has been investigating the Skull Gang, but he hasn't traced it back to us. Now that the Skull Gang has been destroyed, he's lost his lead. After all, the dead can't talk."

"But, sir, there's another problem..." Sitwell's smile was strained. "The Ghost File is missing."

"Missing? What do you mean, missing?" Pierce's expression changed at once.

He'd known Sitwell had come to see him today because something important had happened. But he hadn't expected news this disastrous!

The Skull Gang members had never realized that the power behind them was the terrifying Hydra.

Hydra had used the Skull Gang to gather intelligence and trade goods. Beneath the appearance of ordinary gang dealings, the arrangement had actually served to protect Hydra's secrets. In dangerous Brooklyn, all kinds of deals took place every day. No one would think twice about them.

The Skull Gang had worked with Hydra for more than six months. During that time, the gang had grown rapidly, gradually becoming one of the biggest gangs in Brooklyn.

But its rapid growth had caught S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention. The agency had even begun to suspect that some mysterious power was behind it.

To Hydra, the Skull Gang was just a pawn. Once it was no longer useful, it had no value. Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. had noticed them, the gang had only one fate: death.

Ghost File was the real name of the USB drive. Pierce alone knew the secrets it contained, and he understood how serious this was. If anyone else discovered the files, they would be in danger.

Hydra was still hiding in the darkness within S.H.I.E.L.D. They weren't ready yet, and they couldn't let the world know they existed.

To protect the secrets inside, the Ghost File had been equipped with a self-destruct device. Once the self-destruct countdown began, it couldn't be reversed. Whether someone tried to forcibly destroy the file or cut its data connection, it would explode instantly.

The explosion would be powerful enough to destroy several city blocks. Only the second-level password could stop the countdown. That meant whoever had stolen the Ghost File hadn't tried to open it yet; otherwise, news of the explosion would have spread already.

"We sent a task force to carry out the cleanup operation. At first, everything went smoothly..."

Sweat covered Sitwell's forehead. "But an unidentified attacker stole the target. The task force went after him, only to run into Hawkeye on the way. Only one person from the entire team made it back alive!"

Good night~