Smearing Each Other

Alexander Pierce stood on the top floor of the Triskelion, preparing to make one final case for Project Insight to several representatives of the World Security Council.

The Helicarriers only needed one final test before they could take off, but the World Security Council had begun to have doubts about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Project Insight.

Alexander Pierce's explanation was that Project Insight's imminent completion had put pressure on agents with hidden agendas. Since the project would detect and identify their secrets and intentions, some agents had gone rogue.

Those rogue agents had also attacked Director Nick Fury. What troubled Alexander Pierce most was that he couldn't smear Nick Fury.

After all, he had personally pushed to have Nick Fury appointed Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and publicly, Nick Fury had also been the one to propose Project Insight.

If he painted Nick Fury as a villain, everything he said afterward would stop making sense.

What kind of person would propose developing a superprogram just to put himself and his subordinates on a wanted list?

All he could do now was hope that the men he'd sent out would kill Nick Fury before he could do anything against him.

Looking at the five members of the World Security Council present, Alexander Pierce said sincerely, "Nick Fury is one of the most farsighted leaders in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s history. Project Insight will completely change the course of the world."

Then Alexander Pierce turned to one of the white council members and said, "Suppose you knew that terrorists would attack London tomorrow, and that your wife and children would die in a bombing. What would you do?

All you'd need to do now is press a button, and none of that would happen.

What is there left to hesitate about?"

Just as the council members were visibly swayed