After a brutal battle—more like a one-sided massacre—Ophelia's Serpent Squad was completely wiped out.
Seated inside the vehicle, Ophelia's expression revealed a hint of sorrow. These were her personally recruited subordinates, and many of them were quite powerful.
But against Iron Man and the Hulk, the venom and physical prowess of the Serpent Squad were inherently countered.
Meanwhile, Barton examined the electromagnetic rifle in his hands with satisfaction.
This was far superior to a conventional rifle. It had a magazine capacity of one hundred rounds and significantly enhanced firepower.
If he could equip it with specialized rounds, he might not even need to rely on his bow and arrows anymore.
Natasha, Nick, and Maria shared similar thoughts.
Maria, in particular, was already considering issuing these rifles to every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent once this crisis was over.
As Nick and the others boarded their vehicle to continue their journey, Ophelia hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to remain inside.
"Dr. Faust, I've already sacrificed an entire Serpent Squad for you. Consider my debt to you repaid."
With that, she turned to the driver.
"Drive."
...........
That same night, Nick and Maria returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters with orders from the World Security Council, accompanied by a military unit.
Their first move was to strip all department heads of their positions, detaining dozens of individuals suspected of corruption.
Next, they purged compromised agents from within the agency.
Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, Pierce had already fled S.H.I.E.L.D. with his core personnel.
Thus, the internal Hydra coup was far from completely resolved.
However, Nick and Maria finally uncovered the true force behind it all—Hydra, the organization they had believed to be eradicated.
Hydra's resurgence left them deeply unsettled, yet they had no clear path to eradicating it entirely.
.........
Late at Night—A Secret Underground Base in the New York Suburbs~
Dr. Faust sat in his chair, his expression dark as he glared at the returning Pierce.
"You botched the entire operation!"
Pierce casually set down his weapons and tactical gear before taking a seat, "I warned you from the start. You were the one who insisted on going through with it."
As a former S.H.I.E.L.D. director, he knew better than anyone how cunning and difficult Nick Fury could be.
When Dr. Faust proposed assassinating Nick and Maria, Pierce had advised against it.
But Faust, overconfident in his plan, ignored his warnings.
"If you had cooperated, my Winter Soldier would have eliminated them already!"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't my personal playground. How exactly was I supposed to help you? You should be grateful I kept the intel from leaking. Now I'm on the run, and years of careful planning have gone to waste!"
Pierce slammed his fist on the table, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Faust, a man with slicked-back red hair.
"I should be asking you for compensation!"
Hearing this, Faust took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, "What about the Insight Project? Has it been compromised?"
The Insight Project wasn't solely his endeavor—it involved nearly all of Hydra's top brass.
If his actions jeopardized its success, he knew the consequences would be severe.
"Relax. Before I left, I put certain contingencies in place. While there's been some disruption, the project remains undetected."
"Good."
After a brief pause, Faust's expression turned cold.
"This failure wasn't just due to S.H.I.E.L.D.—Umbrella Corporation also intervened. We can't let them off the hook."
Pierce nodded in agreement without hesitation.
"I warned you before—Umbrella would become a problem, but you wouldn't listen. However, it's not too late. Tomorrow, we'll convene a meeting with Hydra's high command to discuss how to deal with them."
"Agreed."
*Knock, knock…*
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
A burly security officer stepped inside.
"Dr. Faust, during his mission, the Winter Soldier captured a Japanese guy."
Faust waved his hand dismissively.
"Kill him. Make sure no one traces this base."
"But sir," the guard hesitated before continuing, "this man is a mutant. He assisted the Winter Soldier in eliminating Umbrella's bio-weapons."
"Oh?"
Pierce's interest was piqued.
"Take me to him."
"Yes, sir."
..........
Three Days Later~
Under Maria and Nick's leadership, the internal purge of S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly complete.
They had initially planned a deeper investigation, but time was against them. Because that day, the Middle East Alliance issued another declaration.
On television, the familiar bald woman, Cassandra, once again addressed the world.
"The Middle East Alliance does not welcome U.S. troops. Nor do we welcome Russian forces. In fact, we reject all foreign military presence.
I am giving you three days to withdraw every soldier from the Middle East. Otherwise, we will personally help you remove this garbage—free of charge."
*Click.*
Maria switched off the television and turned to face the gathered officials, her expression grim.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the U.S. government has given us a direct order: Cassandra must be eliminated, and stability must be restored to the region.
If we fail, the U.S. military will intervene in full force, reminding the world who truly calls the shots."
Across the table, Tony Stark raised a hand.
"Withdrawing from the Middle East and allowing its people their sovereignty—what exactly is wrong with that?"
Bruce Banner nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, we're outsiders. It's natural that they don't want us there."
*Bang!*
Maria slammed her palm onto the table.
"Do you two even hear yourselves?!
The U.S. fully supports Middle Eastern freedom—but Cassandra has taken control of their leaders. How is that freedom?!"
"…Cough."
Nick Fury cleared his throat loudly, interrupting her.
"Let's not get into philosophy. Our mission is clear: eliminate or capture Cassandra and free the regional leaders from her control."
Unlike Maria, Nick had a more pragmatic approach. Even he found some of her rhetoric excessive.
A heavy silence filled the room.
S.H.I.E.L.D., after its internal purge, was left significantly weakened.
However, some of its key field agents had returned. Among them was Phil Coulson, who had been absent for quite some time.
Sensing the tension, Coulson raised a hand and spoke up.
"I think we should consider purchasing some assets from Umbrella Corporation. That Tyrant unit you deployed last time was quite effective."
_____________________
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