"Sizzle... sizzle..."
The encrypted terminal on the table emitted a series of static noises, and the progress bar on the screen finally stopped at 100%.
An audio clip was forcibly and violently restored.
It wasn't very clear, filled with background noise and static, and even a few indistinct German curses.
"... Damn it... South America branch... lunatics... cut off the funding chain..."
"... Schmidt has initiated ' Knight Project '... The minister will kill us..."
"Destroy them! Quickly! Destroy them all--"
The sound stopped abruptly, followed by a muffled gunshot.
Fury leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.
"Some things, once they start to rot, will still emit a stench even if buried thousands of meters underground."
Fury muttered to himself.
This hard drive is terrible.
It's so bad it's almost unreadable; it's so bad it only contains this little bit of fragmented information.
Most sectors are physically damaged, with a data loss rate as high as 98%. If someone were to hand this to him on his desk, he would immediately pull out a gun and shoot them.
But this was something Clint Barton —his most trusted Hawkeye —who, pinching his nose, personally dug out of a pile of sludge mixed with rat carcasses and excrement in the Budapest sewers.
That's right.
This is the taste of the truth.
Those criminals who strive for perfection always think that cleaning the crime scene spotless is clever, but little do they know that in the eyes of intelligence experts, a "vacuum" itself is the biggest suspect.
"The underlying code on the hard drive is a perfect match for an encryption algorithm that S.H.I.E.L.D.. abandoned back in the 1970s."
Hill's voice was low. "The technical department has confirmed that the communication protocol used by Shocker is a variant of the Red Skull lineage from Hydra during World War II."
"As expected." Fury showed no surprise. "That Doctor Shinigami who claimed to have inherited Red Skull's legacy wasn't lying. Shocker is one of Hydra's out-of-control severed arms."
"But this hand of his now wants to strangle its original owner."
What's going on with Pierce?
"That's exactly what I wanted to report." Hill swiped his tablet, pulling up several surveillance videos. " Alexander Pierce's recent behavior... is very strange."
On the screen, the usually debonair former director, who always wore a warm smile, was hiding in his safe house.
He held the phone in his hand, his facial muscles twitching slightly.
In another scene, Pierce paces back and forth in his office late at night, even smashing an exquisite Crystal ashtray against the wall in a fit of rage.
"According to inside intelligence, Pierce has recently been frequently and covertly mobilizing the World Security Council's secret funds," Hill pointed to the corner of the screen, "But he hasn't attacked any hostile forces."
"He's scared. Fury, I've never seen Pierce so out of control. He looks like an old man who's discovered his backyard dog has suddenly turned into a wolf and is about to bite his throat."
"Hahaha..."
Fury suddenly laughed out loud, his laughter dry and strained.
"Of course he'll be scared. You've raised a bunch of evil spirits to do your dirty work, and now these evil spirits have evolved. They're no longer content with eating leftovers; they want to sit at the table and even turn you into the dish."
Pierce thought he could control Hydra, that he could use these legacies to achieve so-called 'order'. But Shocker's appearance slapped him hard in the face. That Doctor Shinigami not only wanted to rule the world, he also wanted to devour the current Hydra in terms of legitimacy.
In Fury's script, everything is logically closed.
Why Pierce so anxious?
Because of "internal strife".
Why Shocker so high-profile?
Because of "seizing power".
Why are there corpses in Budapest?
Because of "cleaning".
This was simply a perfect Hydra shootout.
"So, our current situation..." Hill asked with some concern, "... within S.H.I.E.L.D.."
S.H.I.E.L.D..?
Fury sneered, walked back to his desk, and pressed his finger on a biometric scanner.
"Buzz--"
A holographic projection wall rises in the center of the office.
It was a personnel structure chart of S.H.I.E.L.D.., showing the names of everyone from the lowest-ranking field agents to the highest-ranking Level 7 and Level 8 agents.
"The data model for Project Insight was originally used by Pierce to screen so-called potential threats."
Fury looked at the list. "But I slightly modified the parameters. I reverse-tracked everyone who had financial dealings with Pierce's private accounts, and everyone with unexplained gaps in their whereabouts over the past decade."
Hill looked at the picture, his pupils contracting slightly.
The red dots represent 60% of the total number of people.
Commando units, logistics department, intelligence section, and even the medical team...
Hydra had already emptied S.H.I.E.L.D.. of its organs, leaving only a skin with the "SHIELD" logo.
" Rumlow's rapid reaction special forces..."
Hill read out the despairing result.
" Agent Sitwell... Agent Garrett... He previously said he had shed blood for S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"This is the S.H.I.E.L.D.. we're so proud of."
Fury's voice held no sadness, only a suppressed murderous intent, "A rotten shell used as an incubator."
Hill.
Fury's voice suddenly became deep and powerful.
"Activate the ' Icarus Protocol'."
" Pierce is busy dealing with Shocker right now, his energy is diverted, and this is when he's at his weakest. Does he think I'll help him fight the enemy? No."
Fury pulled an old photograph from his pocket.
That's a photo of him and Pierce; Pierce looks like a kind older brother in the picture.
"Sizzle--"
The photo was torn in half.
Fury crumpled up the half with Pierce's print and threw it in the trash.
"Since the house is completely dilapidated, there's no need to repair it."
He looked up at Hill and gave the final instructions.
"Lock down all exits of the Triskelion. Cut off all physical connections to the outside. Activate the floor isolation gas system. Tonight, we're having a party here."
Fury took a custom-made Glock pistol from the drawer, skillfully pulled back the slide, producing a crisp metallic clang.
"A bloody party called 'Clean House'."
"Understood." Hill nodded. "Then... what about Minister Pierce?"
Fury holstered his pistol under his arm, straightened his black leather trench coat, and turned to walk towards the door.
"I'm going to have coffee with him."
Fury's face broke into a chilling smile that sent shivers down Hill.
"After all, we're old friends, so I should personally pour this farewell drink."