Nick Fury's office was shrouded in shadow. The city lights of Washington D.C. shone through the windows, but the man sitting at his desk was deep in thought. Before him was a detailed dossier on John Hawke. Fury had been monitoring the soldier for some time, observing his exploits and superhuman abilities. Hawke was a mystery, and as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury didn't like mysteries and knew he needed answers.
He pressed the button on the communicator on his desk.
"Hill, schedule a call with SOCOM and JSOC. Now."
"Roger that, sir. Call being connected shortly," replied Maria Hill, his ever-efficient second-in-command.
SOCOM (U.S. Special Operations Command) and JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) were secretive entities responsible for some of the most sensitive and deadly missions conducted by the American military. If anyone knew what had happened to John Hawke, it would be them.
A few minutes later, the screen in front of Fury lit up with the faces of two high-ranking generals, one representing SOCOM and the other JSOC. Both looked professional, but also visibly uncomfortable. They knew Nick Fury was not the kind of man to ask casual questions.
"Gentlemen," Fury began bluntly, "let's cut the formalities. I want to know what you did to Captain John Hawke. He's changed. Stronger, faster, and my intelligence team suggests his capabilities are beyond what any human can achieve. I want the truth, and I want it now."
The two generals exchanged glances. It was clear they were reluctant to discuss the matter, but they knew that withholding information from S.H.I.E.L.D. could create even greater problems. After a few seconds of silence, the SOCOM general spoke first.
"Director Fury, what I'm about to share is strictly confidential." This is a Top Secret operation we're talking about, something that, as far as we know, should have been kept completely confidential. John Hawke was subjected to an experiment. A unique experiment." He paused, adjusting his chair.
Fury remained impassive, but his mind was racing with the implications of this. He had suspected something like this was happening, but hearing it directly from the top brass of the government was something else.
"And this experiment was with the super-soldier serum?" Fury pressed, narrowing his eyes.
The JSOC general intervened this time.
"Yes, but it's not just any serum, Director. The project was a joint effort between the Department of Defense and a small division of scientists hired by the government. Hawke was selected as the only candidate to receive this new serum. And the reason he's the only one… is because this serum, once injected, cannot be recreated. All remaining samples were destroyed in the process."
"Destroyed? What do you mean?" Fury asked, crossing his arms.
"The genetic and biochemical components of the serum were extremely unstable during the creation process. Scientists were only able to produce one dose, and even that was considered a miracle. After the serum was injected into Hawke, any attempt to recreate it was met with failure. Basically, he is the only one who will have these capabilities."
Fury leaned forward.
"And what are these capabilities? What exactly is it capable of doing?"
The SOCOM general sighed, visibly uncomfortable with what he was about to reveal.
"The serum enhances all human capabilities to the extreme, Director. John Hawke's body is now capable of accelerated regeneration, his metabolism is optimized to withstand extreme conditions, and his strength, agility, and endurance are already beyond that of any human being. And according to the data we have... in time, he may become even stronger than Captain America."
Fury remained silent for a moment. Steve Rogers, Captain America, was considered the pinnacle of human physical perfection. If what these generals were saying was true, John Hawke could one day surpass even the hero.
"Do you realize what that means?" Fury finally asked, his tone serious. "We're talking about someone who could rival Steve Rogers. How do you intend to control that?"
The JSOC general shook his head.
"We know the risk, Director. But we also know that John Hawke is a loyal soldier, and so far he has shown total commitment to his missions and to his men. He is not a threat. Not yet."
Fury was not satisfied with that answer. Loyalty was a volatile thing, and someone with Hawke's power could be dangerous in the wrong circumstances.
"And if he becomes a threat? What will you do then?" Fury pressed.
The generals hesitated.
"We're monitoring him closely," the SOCOM general said. "If there is any sign of instability or deviation, we have contingency plans in place."
Fury snorted. Contingency plans were rarely enough against something as unpredictable as a super soldier.
"Okay," Fury said, ending the conversation. "I'll keep S.H.I.E.L.D. on the lookout for him, too. He may be a valuable ally, but I won't let that kind of power run wild. If you need us, you know where to find us."
The generals nodded, relieved that the conversation was over.
"Good luck with that, Director. Let's hope he continues to be the loyal soldier everyone expects him to be." With that, the screen went dark.
Fury fell silent, pondering what he had just heard. John Hawke was now an unstable variable on the global stage. He could become a hero, an ally of S.H.I.E.L.D., or… a much bigger problem. If Hawke was more powerful than Captain America, the implications were immense.
He stood up and called Phil Coulson into his office.
"Coulson, we have work to do," Fury said as Coulson entered the room. "Hawke is not just another enhanced soldier. He can become more powerful than Steve Rogers. We need to keep him close, make sure he's on our side. If he strays… well, we need to be ready to act."
Coulson nodded, taking in the gravity of the situation.
"I'll step up our monitoring, Director. We can also start looking for ways to get close to Hawke without arousing suspicion. Maybe it's time to officially recruit him into our operations."
Fury smiled slightly.
"That's right, Coulson. We'll give him a chance. But be prepared for the worst. If he steps out of line, we can't afford to be caught off guard. Don't forget what's happened to other super-soldiers in the past. And remember… he's not Steve Rogers."
Coulson nodded and left the room, leaving Fury to his thoughts.
Meanwhile, John Hawke, oblivious to the talk about him, continued his operations with Delta Force A Squadron. He could feel his body changing with each mission. His reflexes were quickening, his strength was increasing noticeably, and although he didn't tell his teammates, he knew something big was happening inside him.
The missions that had once stretched his team to the limit now seemed like mere drills to him. His teammates continued to admire his skills, but John knew this was more than just training. He was different. He was something more than a soldier. And as time went on, he began to wonder: what was his true purpose?
The world around him was changing, and John Hawke was about to find himself at the center of something much bigger than he could have imagined.