SHIELD headquarters, ground floor.
As a result of the forced intrusion through the security door, alarms blared from the ceiling and various walls. SHIELD elite agents and military special forces converged at the entrance.
Among them, many were equipped with firearms, and some held high-tech devices such as high-voltage stun guns and gravity handcuffs.
However, as they reached the entrance, they all stopped in their tracks, their expressions changing to shock and confusion. They stared at the so-called intruder with cold sweat running down their foreheads.
There was only one person on the other side, but he was more terrifying than an army.
Symbol of Peace, Kyle!
How could it be him?!
Most of the people in the hall held their breath, much like subordinates seeing their superior, or cats encountering a lion. No one dared to make a sound.
The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had given orders earlier. With the imminent launch of Project Insight's Helicarriers, anyone infiltrating SHIELD Headquarters today was to be eliminated, and if they couldn't be killed, they were to be delayed until the arrival of the New York military.
But if the intruder was the man before them, who could possibly stand against him?
Countless agents cursed silently in their hearts, while some of the Hydra spies with hidden identities were struggling to hide their fear.
Kyle scanned the surroundings and his golden eyes radiated authority, and there was not a single person in the room who dared to meet his gaze.
Kyle calmly asked, "So, are you planning to stop me?"
His words were equally calm, but they hit the hall like a thunderclap.
No one dared to respond, and the alarm continued to blare anxiously in the background.
The head of SHIELD's agents, a man in his forties, stepped forward from the rear of the group. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his suit and, with a deferential smile, began, "Sir Kyle, is there perhaps a misunderstanding in all of this?"
"A misunderstanding?" Kyle smiled faintly and retorted, "Since when did I lose the right to enter SHIELD Headquarters whenever I please?"
The truth was, it wasn't merely a matter of entering. The person in front of them had even dismantled the front door.
The SHIELD personnel, of course, couldn't be open about it and forced a smile. He came up with an excuse, "It's a misunderstanding. Today, there's a secret project launching within SHIELD, so we've activated high-security measures. No one is allowed to enter or exit the headquarters building."
Kyle asked again, "Whose orders are these?"
"The orders are from the current Director of SHIELD, Alexander Pierce," The Agent replied truthfully, feeling a bit more confident.
Kyle's face turned icy, and he said, "I want to see him in person. I need to ask when SHIELD started going by the name 'Alexander.'"
They couldn't give him a straight answer, and the unapologetic, chilling hostility in his tone made everyone, including the Agent, pale in shock.
Many SHIELD agents had begun to realize that something was amiss, and those who had harbored doubts due to recent events— such as former Director Fury's actions and death, the resignation of Deputy Director Natasha, Captain America Steve being wanted as a fugitive, and the premature launch of Project Insight— were now connecting the dots.
Something was wrong inside SHIELD!
The Agent, appearing as if he were under immense pressure, wiped his forehead, his expensive suit drenched in sweat. He gritted his teeth and said, "Now, the Director has important matters to attend to. Could we perhaps reschedule..."
'Crack!'
A dark figure darted forward, and the Agent was violently propelled backward. His chest bore a depression of at least five centimeters, with even the bones and internal organs pulverized in an instant.
His eyes were filled with disbelief, mingled with regret and resentment, as his consciousness faded into oblivion.
'Boom!'
A figure was hurled slightly upward, soaring over the heads of countless agents, before crashing brutally into the pristine white wall, becoming a mass of bloody pulp shrouded in an expensive suit.
Where the Head Agent had been standing, Kyle now appeared, maintaining a disinterested demeanor. He continued his patting motion until the agents' terrified eyes turned his way. Only then did he casually withdraw his left hand.
The SHIELD Head Agent, second only to the Deputy Director, had been swatted away like a fly...
The agents in the hall were some of the world's most elite soldiers, having seen many things, but now they were paralyzed with fear.
What is bloodthirsty? What is brutal? What is a demon? The person in front of them was the definition of these words!
The decades of inactivity had made his once legends into fairytales. Everyone had thought that Kyle, the Symbol of Piece had become too rusty.
In his long slumber, people had begun to doubt the sharpness of his claws. Plus, the nickname 'Symbol of Peace' had been associated with mildness and compassion for so long that even in the New Era, people had forgotten what he had done in the War
They forgot that Kyle had once represented the country's might and power!
They also forgot that Kyle was never one to reason with. If you were strong, he would wait for an opportunity, and if you were weak, he would kill you directly.
And having a big fist was its own ironclad argument!
"Anyone who tries to stop me is a Hydra spy, as you've already seen," Kyle spoke as he walked further into the hall.
With each step he took, the agents who had encircled him retreated one step, for even if there were real Hydra spies among them, it was senseless to throw their lives away right now.
Until, the agents were cornered by the elevators, with no further retreat possible.
Upstairs, in the Director's office.
Pierce sat listlessly in his chair. He had hung up the phone with a busy signal three times in a row. His face was as pale as a ghost.
He had made three phone calls, to the U.S. Military, to Congressmen, and to the United Nations Commission.
This was a common tactic. In the face of situations SHIELD couldn't handle, they would pressure other organizations to help. This strategy had been effective for over sixty years.
Even Director Fury, Captain America, and others had suffered greatly from this tactic, facing unfounded accusations and investigations.
This was until today when he faced Kyle.
No matter how high his position, how much military power he held, or how great his influence was, when confronted by the young man who had intruded through the front door, all these strategies had proven ineffective, leaving only a profound sense of powerlessness in his heart.
"I might be standing on a high peak, but he is in the Galaxy beyond the summit." Pierce sighed deeply. The phone on his desk rang, and he instinctively picked up the receiver.
"Director, we can't stop him!"
Hearing the terrified voice of the operator downstairs, Pierce gripped the receiver so hard that his knuckles turned white. Finally, he spoke while feeling exhausted, "I know. Don't obstruct him; let him come up."
"Understood!" The operator felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he hung up the phone.
With a swift motion, Pierce threw the phone onto the table, stood up from his leather chair, and began pacing around the hall like a restless ant.
He did this for about five seconds.
"Wait a minute. I haven't lost yet!"
Pierce raised his head abruptly, his bloodshot eyes staring out the window. The Helicarriers were still ascending into the sky, now looking like just three small squares in the distance.
Project Insight, Hydra's plan to eliminate the human elite and suppress dissidents, was still underway!
"As long as the Helicarriers are up there, I haven't completely lost. Furthermore, even if I fail and fall today, there are still thousands of Hydras to come!"
Pierce realized this, and his face regained some of its calm. He adjusted his clothing and appearance and sat back in his office chair, assuming a dignified posture.
At this moment, the sound of footsteps approached from the corridor outside the door.
A hint of determination flashed in Pierce's eyes. "In this battle, as long as I force you to take action, I've made a bloody profit — Hail Hydra!"
(End of this chapter)