Early the next morning at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington, Alexander Pierce stood by a floor-to-ceiling window, sipping coffee as he listened to a report from one of his operatives.
"Based on intel from our sources, the mutated werewolf retains full human cognition and reasoning under normal conditions. Its physical strength is about three to five times that of an ordinary human. As for its rampage potential... well, we don't have definitive data yet."
Pierce turned his head sharply to glare at the bald operative, causing the man to break into a nervous sweat and quickly add, "Estimated strength during a rampage could reach ten times that of a human. Judging from video analysis, its speed might allow it to run 100 meters in approximately three seconds."
"Hmm?" Pierce's frown deepened as he processed the numbers. "That's it? Not even on par with William Devonshire's combat suits. Why should we waste our resources on this?"
"Sir, there's more," the operative quickly explained. "During Luke Harris's escape, he sustained severe injuries multiple times. On three occasions, his body emitted electrical discharges, and his wounds healed within seconds. We suspect he either has an unknown device implanted or possesses a unique ability."
"An implant?" Pierce raised an eyebrow.
"We believe that's unlikely," the operative clarified. "Both during his initial capture and later autopsies of other specimens, no signs of artificial implants were found. If this self-healing ability is an inherent mutation, then a rational, physically enhanced werewolf could be one of the most promising candidates for a super-soldier program."
Pierce rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now that might be worth investigating."
While contemplating his next move, Pierce's gaze wandered to the horizon outside. He didn't need further proof to believe William Devonshire was behind the recent attacks on American officials. It was obvious to him. He regretted not establishing a direct relationship with William sooner, and even more so for not informing the Devonshire family when Nick Fury had gone to London to investigate.
Had he played his cards differently, he might now have leverage with Lena Devonshire or Abigail Chase. Perhaps Fury would even be among William's targets by now. Pierce silently cursed himself for missing such a golden opportunity.
"Is Fury still investigating the situation in Antarctica?"
"Yes, sir," the operative confirmed. "Over a month ago, he stopped pursuing the shipyard sabotage investigation without explanation and secretly sent Phil Coulson to Antarctica instead."
"Hmm. We handled things there, didn't we?"
"Yes, sir. We ensured that Coulson wouldn't discover any evidence of extraterrestrials."
"And why did Fury suddenly abandon his investigation into William and the shipyard?"
The operative shook his head fearfully. "Apologies, sir. All we know is that Fury had a private meeting with Black Widow shortly before he vanished from London. Afterward, Coulson was quietly reassigned. We wouldn't have noticed Fury's disappearance if not for Coulson's unexpected mission to Antarctica."
"Useless," Pierce snapped in frustration.
"Y-yes, sir," the operative stammered.
Pierce scowled as he stared out at the park outside his office. His plan to pit Fury against William and reap the benefits had backfired spectacularly. Instead of escalating tensions, Fury had withdrawn and, worse, uncovered secrets that Hydra needed to protect at all costs.
Pierce's interest in extraterrestrial technology had only grown since the discovery of a cloaked alien ship in Antarctica. He was desperate to establish contact with the aliens, convinced they posed no immediate threat to Earth. After all, if they had wanted to destroy humanity, they would have done so long ago.
"Sir, there's another piece of information we just received," the operative said cautiously, interrupting Pierce's thoughts.
Pierce glared at him for several tense seconds. "Speak."
"Yes, sir. Our contacts have reported that Lara Croft of Kingsman was spotted in Japan. She's hired a ship and appears to be heading for the island known as Yamatai."
"Yamatai?" Pierce's interest piqued. "Is this about those Trinity fools again?"
"Yes, sir. It seems they're still pursuing the legend of Queen Himiko. Should we send agents to monitor the situation?"
Pierce chuckled in disbelief. "After all these years, they're still chasing that myth?"
The operative hesitated but remained silent, sensing that Pierce was talking to himself.
A moment later, Pierce's expression grew serious. "William Devonshire is supposedly stranded on Mars, yet instead of assigning Lara Croft to protect his mother, he sends her on a treasure hunt? There's more to this than meets the eye."
Pierce turned back to the operative. "Do we have any assets within Trinity?"
"Yes, sir—Manfred, one of their senior researchers."
"Good. Have him keep a close watch on Croft and report any developments to me."
"Understood, sir."
"Dismissed."
As the operative left, Pierce sank into his chair, lost in thought. He couldn't afford to stay passive any longer.
In recent months, he had witnessed William survive and even thrive in situations that should have spelled his doom. Time and again, William turned crises into opportunities, always emerging stronger. The Cybertronian attack? Neutralized without fanfare. Food shortages on Mars? Solved within a day by growing potatoes. The destruction of the first support ship? Barely a blip on the Devonshire family's radar.
All signs pointed to one undeniable truth: William was always a step ahead, likely building his own secret spacecraft long before anyone realized it. Reports from the London Space Center indicated that his mission to retrieve alien specimens from Mars was already a success. He was merely waiting for his ship to pick him up.
If Pierce continued to wait, he feared he would soon be blindsided by William announcing his triumphant return at a press conference. That would render the past two months of surveillance, scheming, and resource allocation a complete waste.
Pierce clenched his jaw. "I need to act... now."
(End of Chapter)
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