Maria Hill ran into Fury's office, the door slamming against the wall with a loud bang.
" Fury, something's happened."
She didn't even bother to knock, slamming the documents in her hand directly in front of Fury.
Nick Fury was reviewing a new purge list when this sudden intrusion interrupted him. He was about to explode in anger when he saw an expression on Hill's face that he had never seen before.
A kind of terror as if seeing a ghost.
You must see this.
Hill's voice trembled.
[ Winter Soldier Program ]
He started browsing.
The first page contains a series of assassination records.
In 1954, in Moscow, Soviet Union nuclear physicist Ivan Peter died in a car accident.
In 1967, in Berlin, Klaue Müller, head of the West Germany intelligence service, died of a "sudden heart attack."
On December 17, 1991, a couple died in a "traffic accident".
Fury's eyes widened.
He recognized the couple's names.
Howard Stark and Maria Stark.
Iron Man Stark 'Tony parents.
He continued scrolling down.
A photo appeared.
A man wearing goggles, with half his face covered by long hair, has a metal left arm with a red five-pointed star on it.
The photo is captioned below: [ Winter Soldier, codename Asset, Hydra's highest-level combat weapon]
Fury's finger stopped on the screen.
Metal arm.
Barbara's testimony from her hospital bed echoed in his mind.
"A man wearing a mask... he has a metal arm..."
It was him.
The ghostly assassin was the one who attacked the Amazons squad.
Fury turned to the next page of the file.
[Project Origin: In 1944, a joint operation between the Soviet Union and Hydra, designated SSR-107-B]
[Target Identity: Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, 107th Infantry Regiment, United States ]
[Modification Content: Full-body enhancement serum injection, mechanical prosthesis installed after left arm amputation, mind control program implantation, memory erasure]
[Status: Reusable, task intervals are frozen]
James Buchanan Barnes.
Bucky Barnes.
The war hero who fought alongside Steve Rogers at the S.H.I.E.L.D.. memorial.
Fury closed his eyes, the veins on his temples throbbing.
He forced himself to keep watching.
The last page of the file is a diagram of the project's management structure.
Several names were labeled on the top layer.
[Project Director: Dr. Zola (deceased)]
[European Head: Baron Wolfgang von Strucker]
[ Americas Regional Manager:...]
Fury stared intently at that name.
[ Alexander Pierce ]
The only sound in the office was the hum of the air conditioner.
Fury looked up and, through the glass wall, saw Pierce standing in the corridor talking to several agents.
That old friend who helped him stabilize the situation.
The mentor who pulled the "framing loyal agent" off the purge list.
The officer who brought him coffee when he was most exhausted.
It turned out to be the most hidden head of the Hydra.
Fury's body began to tremble.
anger.
It's the kind of extreme anger that comes from being treated like a fool for decades and only just realizing it.
"Chief..." Hill began tentatively, "We are now..."
"Don't make a fuss."
Fury's voice was terrifyingly low.
"Continue to implement the cleanup procedures."
"What?"
"You heard me right." Fury turned to look at her. "The cleaning continues, the investigation continues, everything as usual."
"But..."
"From now on, give me one copy of every report, and give Pierce one copy as well," Fury said calmly. "Remember, two different reports."
Hill understood.
"You want..."
"He wanted to watch a show, so I put on a performance for him. He thought I was helping him eliminate his rivals, so I let him continue to think that way."
"But Chief, what if he finds out..."
"He won't," Fury interrupted her. "He's enjoying the feeling of having everything under control right now. Pride can blind you to the traps beneath your feet."
Hill remained silent for a moment.
"Those who were purged..."
"Sacrifice is necessary."
Fury's voice was devoid of emotion.
"If we stop now, all the sacrifices we've made will have been in vain. I'm going to wipe out Pierce and the Hydra behind him in one fell swoop."
" Hill, assemble a reliable team. Don't draw from within S.H.I.E.L.D.., find people outside. Retired agents, mercenaries—as long as they're clean and loyal, anyone will do."
"This team only obeys you and me; even Coulson cannot know their orders."
"Clear."
"Also, find a way to locate the Winter Soldier's cryo-chamber. Since he's Hydra's ace, let's snatch him from Hydra's grasp."
Hill nodded and turned to leave.
"Etc."
Fury called out to her.
Where did you get this file from?
Hill paused for a moment.
"Evidence room, hard drive number C-1847. Provenance: arrested agent Marcus Wilson."
Fury frowned.
How did Marcus Wilson, an ordinary Level 6 agent, gain access to this level of classified information?
unless...
Unless someone deliberately allowed this file to be discovered.
But who?
A traitor within Hydra?
Or is another force fueling this?
Fury thought of Vought.
That company was so mysterious it was terrifying.
Will they know this?
perhaps.
But now is not the time to dwell on that.
"Go ahead," Fury waved his hand.
After Hill left, Fury was the only one left in the office.
He sat back down in his chair, opened the drawer, and took out an old photo frame.
In the photo, a young Peggy Carter stands among a group of soldiers, smiling broadly.
Beside her was a blond man wearing a military cap.
Steve Rogers.
Captain America.
Behind Steve, a young soldier with dark hair was also smiling.
Bucky Barnes.
Fury stared at the photograph.
What would Peggy think if she knew Bucky had become like this?
Fury put the picture frame back in the drawer.
There was a knock on the door.
"Please come in."
Alexander Pierce pushed open the door and entered, carrying two cups of coffee.
"Still working overtime?" Pierce walked over with a smile, placing one of the glasses on Fury's desk. "Good job, Fury."
Fury looked up, forcing a tired smile.
"Thank you, Alexander."
"Of course." Pierce sat down opposite him. "By the way, I looked at today's cleanup list. Good job. They caught three more."
"Hmm." Fury picked up his coffee and took a sip.
It's bitter.
"However, I think perhaps we could slow down the pace a bit," Pierce suggested. "Continuous high-intensity reviews have a significant impact on morale."
"You're right," Fury nodded. "I'll consider it."
The two chatted for a few more minutes about trivial matters.
Before leaving, Pierce patted Fury on the shoulder.
Get some rest, don't push yourself too hard.