Pierce took a cigar from the drawer, lit it, and took a deep drag.
The thick smoke rose slowly under the light, which improved his mood slightly.
Logically, Howard's two sons should have posed no threat to Hydra after his death.
Those two guys are good for nothing but partying, chasing girls, and racing sports cars.
Aside from spending money and getting involved in scandals, they've never done anything productive.
One is a globally renowned Playboy, constantly making headlines in the entertainment section.
The other is also a globally notorious Playboy, exactly like his brother, and even more outrageous.
In this situation, Hydra completely disregarded them and didn't bother wasting bullets on them.
But who could have imagined!
Who the hell could have imagined this!
These two Playboy were kidnapped and taken to Afghanistan, and after they returned, they suddenly had an epiphany?!
One created a high-tech mech and became Iron Man, while the other mutated and became Superman?!
Moreover, it's only been a few days since I returned from Afghanistan!
A few days!
They've caused such a huge commotion!
Pierce shook his head in frustration at the thought.
The Stark Family has never had a moment's peace.
What troubled him even more was the cause of the whole incident.
Obadiah Stan.
This old fox has been with the Stark Family for decades.
After Howard's death, Obadiah took control of most of Stark Industries ' arms business.
The advantage for them was that they could control people infiltrated into the military, ultimately allowing countless advanced weapons to flow into Hydra's arsenal.
But this old man suddenly went mad not long ago.
He actually hired a group of terrorists to kill the Stark brothers in Afghanistan!
This is absolutely stupid!!
Pierce's expression darkened as he thought about this.
If Obadiah simply continues to quietly remain second in command.
So, Luca and Tony might just remain two arrogant rich kids their whole lives.
But what about now?
Because of Obadiah's foolish actions, not only did he fail to kill them, he also granted them power.
Now, these two madmen not only know that someone is lurking in the shadows and wants to kill them, but they have also begun to take the initiative.
Even worse, they staged a suicide bombing.
Pierce's eyes narrowed slightly, the smoke from his cigar blurring his expression.
Two days ago, a secret base in Los Angeles was attacked by a suicide bomber.
The subordinate in charge of the investigation reported that this was the work of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Pierce believed it at the time.
After all, while Nick Fury may be foolish, he's not entirely brainless, and it's normal for him to occasionally pull some tricks.
But looking back now...
S.H.I.E.L.D..? Ha.
Maybe this wasn't even done by S.H.I.E.L.D..
It's the Stark brothers!
If Luca truly possesses Superman powers, then he is fully capable of planning and executing that attack.
They may have deliberately framed S.H.I.E.L.D.., with the aim of sowing discord and internal strife between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D..!
This is a divisive tactic!
Could a Playboy in his early twenties really come up with such a scheme?
Pierce had to admit that he had underestimated Howard's talent.
These two little brats have indeed inherited their father's cunning.
Pierce stubbed out his cigar and began to seriously consider his next move.
The current situation is relatively clear.
He guessed that Luca and Tony already knew that someone was trying to kill them, and most likely also knew about Hydra's existence.
At the same time, they also learned of the existence of S.H.I.E.L.D..
However, judging from their performance tonight, their understanding of Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.. is still very limited, far from in-depth.
They now resemble two frightened Beast.
Although they appeared aggressive on the surface, they were actually testing the waters, using high-profile actions to force the enemy hiding in the shadows to reveal themselves.
This is clever, but also dangerous.
Because they had no idea how powerful the enemy lurking in the shadows truly was.
"It seems necessary to take the initiative."
Pierce muttered something to himself, but then hesitated.
Yes, when faced with a threat of the Stark brothers' caliber, the best approach is, of course, to act swiftly and decisively.
For example, eliminate them forever before they grow up.
That's what they used to do, but the problem is, things are different now.
The Stark brothers can no longer be manipulated at will.
Moreover, he cannot act on his own initiative.
The current supreme leader of Hydra is Dr. Zola.
On major decisions, he must first consult with Dr. Zola.
Thinking of this, Pierce sat up straight.
He reached under the desk and pressed a hidden snap button.
"Buzz!"
A slight, soft sound arose.
The wall directly in front of the desk began to change.
An ordinary-looking decorative panel slid open silently.
Behind the decorative panel, an old display screen was visible.
The display screen has an old-fashioned design, seemingly from the 1970s or 80s, and is covered with densely packed green data.
A few seconds later, the data on the screen suddenly began to arrange itself rapidly.
The jumbled characters and numbers began to combine in a short time.
A few seconds later, the data combined to form the outline of a human face!
The face was thin, with round-framed glasses and thin lips, giving off an unsettling feeling.
This is Dr. Zola, whose real name is Anim Zola.
The true mastermind behind Hydra.
A mad scientist who has been dead for decades but continues to exist in the form of a digital life.
The face on the screen moved slightly and uttered a sentence with a heavy Germany accent.
Pierce.
"Why are you contacting me at this time? What happened?"
Pierce nodded slightly at the screen, his tone respectful but not humble.
" Dr. Zola, it's about the Stark brothers. The situation is much more complicated than we initially thought."
Pierce picked up the report on the table and gave Zola a concise summary of all the recent activities of Luca and Tony.
From escaping Afghanistan to announcing a halt to weapons production for the military, to building Jaegers, to demonstrating superpowers, to defeating S.H.I.E.L.D..'s Howling Commandos tonight, arresting Nick Fury, and forming the Justice League.
One by one, down to the smallest detail.
Finally, Pierce put down the report and said in a deep voice.
"Doctor, the threat level of these two individuals has far exceeded our initial assessment."
"Especially Luca Stark, some of his unknown superpowers have reached a dangerous level!"
"I think Hydra needs to take the initiative. We need to eliminate them completely before they fully mature."
After saying these words...
A brief silence fell over the office.
Dr. Zola did not reply immediately.
The face flickered slightly, a sign that Dr. Zola was deep in thought.
About a few seconds later.
Dr. Zola's voice rang out again.
"I just analyzed the current overall situation."
" Pierce, your caution is justified, but the plan is too impulsive."
Pierce frowned, remained silent, and waited for Dr. Zola to continue.
"Hydra is not currently in a position to launch a large-scale frontal attack."
"You should know that our most important core project right now is the God-Seeking Project, and it's far from over. The vast majority of the organization's elite personnel and resources have been invested in this project."
"I don't want any unnecessary actions to cause failure before the God-Seeking Project is completed!"
Pierce frowned.
He certainly knew the importance of the God-Seeking Project.
Hydra's accumulated resources and efforts over the years have all been dedicated to this plan.
However, if the Stark brothers are allowed to continue their antics, the consequences will be equally dire.