In the Umbrella Corporation's reception room, a glass of whiskey with ice sat on the table. The amber liquid, mixed with ice cubes, was downed in one gulp by the blonde woman lounging on the sofa...
"Both HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. have taken the bait," Sean said, tapping his fingers on the table as he looked at Mystique, "You know what you need to do now, right?"
This core member of the Brotherhood of Mutants hadn't followed Magneto to Africa. Instead, she had stayed by his side as leverage... someone who would prove useful when the time came.
"How can you be so sure HYDRA would make a move against Nick Fury?" Mystique asked, puzzled.
She had witnessed the chase and attack in Washington D.C. earlier. This young man seemed to possess an almost prophetic ability, as HYDRA, lurking in the shadows, had indeed been unable to resist the temptation to strike a decisive blow against S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Fury is pushing forward with Project Insight. This is HYDRA's opportunity. If Alexander Pierce wants to seize that global surveillance power for himself, the current S.H.I.E.L.D. director is undoubtedly the biggest obstacle standing in his way." Sean spoke with ease.
He had merely given things a slight nudge, using pressure from the White House and military to force S.H.I.E.L.D. into sharing authority. Naturally, Nick Fury had accelerated his plans to escape this predicament.
Little did he know that Alexander Pierce had been waiting for this very moment. He needed an opportunity to bypass the Avengers and deliver a single fatal strike, one that would leave no room for counterattack.
In the original timeline, the black-suited director had narrowly escaped at the last moment. He managed to pass critical information to Captain America and caused HYDRA's plans to collapse.
But Sean, as an observer, would never allow that to happen. Without Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D. would become toothless. And by then, the White House and military would be more than happy to take control of the organization.
Then would come the restructuring... breaking up and reassigning the original members, purging the ranks from top to bottom, completely dismantling the internal framework...
Alexander Pierce's plan was flawless. It provided Sean with the perfect blueprint.
"With your current power, you could crush anyone. Even the Avengers pose no threat to you. Why go through all this trouble to bring them down?" Mystique's eyes flickered with confusion.
She knew better than anyone how even someone as powerful as Erik had fallen to Sean, and that he never even showed his full power.
"Because that would be too straightforward, and it wouldn't inflict any real suffering." A faint smile played at the corners of Sean's lips, "Men like Nick Fury have iron wills and unshakable convictions. Brute force alone won't break them. It would only give them a chance to play the martyr."
"...Isn't that how those cliché movies go? The hero, faced with the villain's threats and oppression, refuses to yield, standing tall and brave until the very end... That kind of ending would be a mercy. I don't want my enemies to feel that way."
"Then what do you intend to do?" Mystique shifted slightly backward, her heart trembling as she watched the young man's gentle smile.
"To truly defeat someone, you don't just erase their physical existence, you shatter their will." Sean's tone was light, almost conversational, "Let's hope Director Fury enjoys his gift."
....
~Earlier~
"Director Fury is missing." Maria Hill urgently contacted Captain America.
In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current state, Steve Rogers was the only one who could take charge. From the hints Fury had dropped over time, it was clear the organization had been compromised.
So she kept the news contained, informing only the Captain for now...
"At 2:40 PM, the Director left his briefing at the White House and got into his car. While driving on Pennsylvania Avenue, he suddenly vanished. At that exact moment, the street was closed off. Officially, it was due to underground pipeline maintenance."
"...Six minutes later, his black Cherokee was seen speeding onto 17th Avenue before disappearing completely."
Hill methodically listed every detail, giving Steve all the information she had.
"Any leads at the scene?" Steve frowned.
"The Cherokee showed signs of heavy gunfire. The bulletproof exterior was riddled with damage. Then it appears to have suffered a massive impact, flipping over and leaving skid marks. All electronic systems inside were fried, likely from an electromagnetic pulse weapon. We only managed to recover one photo from the scene."
Hill's expression was grave as she pulled up the satellite image.
All surveillance footage had been wiped clean. Whoever was behind this was thorough and professional.
The abductors moved like highly trained soldiers. They executed their mission with precision and left no trace.
Hill's mind remained coldly analytical. The reason she had risen so quickly to become a S.H.I.E.L.D. commander wasn't just due to Fury's trust, it was because of her own exceptional skills.
A true leader needed a rational mind, unshakable composure, and strategic vision...
"This man?" Steve studied the blurry photo.
It showed a tall figure in black tactical gear, his face half-covered by a mask, his right arm gleaming with metallic reflection.
Something about him felt eerily familiar...
"Correct. This is the 'Winter Soldier', a Soviet-era elite assassin responsible for numerous high-profile kills, including an attempted hit on Tony Stark. He's highly skilled with firearms and combat."
Unaware of Steve's reaction, Hill pulled up the Winter Soldier's dossier, detailing his flawless record... Every was mission successful, except for the failed Stark assassination.
"The Director is likely in his hands now."
After a moment of silence, Steve asked the critical question: "Why would he take Fury?"
As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury wasn't inherently valuable. Trying to extract secrets from him would be more trouble than it was worth. Killing him would be simpler.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. lost its leader, they could always appoint another. The organization itself wouldn't collapse. And this kind of move would only provoke the Avengers. It made no sense.
"Well..." Hill hesitated before answering, "Because of Project Insight."
"Project Insight?" Steve repeated the unfamiliar term. It's clear he hadn't been briefed on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s true core operations.
"It synchronizes three next-generation Helicarriers with targeting satellites. We launched the Lemurian Star into orbit, combining DNA scanning technology with our vast database to preemptively identify and eliminate threats before they emerge. That's the 'Project Insight' Director Fury proposed to the World Security Council." Hill explained calmly.
"And you call that protection?" Steve's frown deepened, his belief in freedom clashing with the concept, "That's pointing a gun at the entire world!"
"The rise in superhuman-related crimes and the pressure on S.H.I.E.L.D. left us no choice," Hill said helplessly, "The Director believed the only way to eliminate danger was to stay one step ahead. But Captain... this isn't the time for debate. We need to rescue him."
"Assemble the Avengers. I'll track down this assassin." Steve sighed inwardly.
Deep down, he had never agreed with Fury's methods. They were too ruthless, too ends-justify-the-means. If not for Peggy having founded this organization, he wouldn't even be here.
For a man who was, at heart, seventy years old, the world had moved on without him. His country didn't need him anymore. His loved ones were gone. Steve felt lost... He was uncertain of where his path led now.
"Winter Soldier." He looked at the photo again, that strange sense of familiarity growing stronger.