Jakuna Singh struggled against the binds that pinned him, twisting with every ounce of effort. He wasn't the kind of man accustomed to physical feats, and his energy quickly waned. Above him, Jared watched silently, his gaze steady as he allowed Jakuna to expend his strength. Jakuna's nose was free, so at least he could breathe, but that was about the only reprieve.
When Jakuna's efforts finally slowed, Jared's voice broke the silence, cutting through the room with a tone of calm authority. "Are you finished with your struggle, Mr. Singh?"
Jakuna stilled, turning his head sharply toward the sound. He squinted, trying to discern the figure on the gallery above. The man's face was shadowed by a hoodie and cap, with a cloth covering his mouth and nose—only his eyes were visible, sharp and unwavering.
"Mmm… mmm…" Jakuna tried to speak, but the gag muffled him. Jared seemed amused, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I know you have questions. You may even want to call for your guards," Jared continued, unbothered. "But I suggest you hear me out. What I'm about to say concerns not only you but the World Security Council and SHIELD."
The mention of those names—"WSC" and "SHIELD"—made Jakuna's eyes widen, and he fell silent. This stranger knew too much to be a mere intruder. Either he was very well-informed, or dangerously connected.
Jared tilted his head. "Will you listen now?"
Jakuna gave a cautious nod, his gaze still wary.
"Good," Jared replied. "I'll be direct. No matter what happens here, I don't intend to harm you. Reject my proposal if you wish, but keep in mind—don't try to trace me or hunt me down. If you do, those closest to you will disappear before you can even alert another council member, let alone Nick Fury."
Jakuna's jaw clenched, his brow furrowing. He was used to being the one giving warnings, not receiving them. But Jared's tone held no bluster, just a cold, calm certainty that sent a chill through him.
Jared himself knew that there was no way that Jakuna was going to believe his words. Even Jared himself would find it hard to let things go if this interaction doesn't earn him any good objective.
Seeing Jakuna's hesitation, Jared continued. "Now, I'm going to remove the binding from your mouth. Don't scream. If you do, the council's future will be in grave danger—and I won't be there to save you."
The gravity of that statement lingered. Jakuna didn't understand what did all of this have to do with the Council's future but he decided to be patient and hear Jared out. There wasn't much he could do anyway. Jared reached forward and untied the gag, freeing Jakuna's mouth. Jakuna took a deep breath, glancing toward the door, calculating whether to call his guards. He thought better of it. He was unarmed, outmaneuvered, and something about Jared's tone made him pause.
Jakuna's voice was low, controlled. "I do not appreciate being held like this."
Jared shrugged, unfazed. "Would you rather meet a quick death later, or take a few uncomfortable minutes now?"
"Death? And what are you even talking about? You should be careful how you speak and who you speak such words against. What I see is a young man whose powers have gone to his head." Jakuna's voice held an edge, the undertone of a man who had heard plenty of conspiracy theories but wasn't easily swayed. And he could tell by Jared's voice that he was young—confident, but young.
"By others within the council." Jared replied, his tone impassive. "And within SHIELD, too.". He wasn't going to respond to the other things that Jakuna said as wasting time over petty things and provocations wasn't gonna do him any good.
Jakuna let out a derisive snort, his skepticism plain. "Why would anyone in SHIELD or the council turn on me? We exist to protect Earth from threats that come from all sides." Jakuna spoke with confidence and pride. He would never think of that the members of the council would ever do anything that would endanger the world order and the entire planet as a whole.
"That's what they want you to think," Jared said, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling calm. "But HYDRA has already dug its claws in, deeper than you can imagine."
Jakuna's face twisted in disbelief, a trace of anger igniting. The name that he hadn't heard for nearly a long time had suddenly come up and that too being mentioned as a danger to his life "HYDRA doesn't exist anymore. We have gotten rid of it completely. You can't scare me with a ghost like that." Jakuna chuckled.
"Believe what you want," Jared said, unmoved. "But when the dagger of betrayal is stabbed in your back and you see your fellow council members holding it, you are going to remember my words."
Jakuna who was serious until now had started to become a bit dismissive about everything Jared was saying.
Jakuna stiffened, his skepticism wavering, and a flicker of doubt crossed his face. "Pierce brought me onto the council. You're accusing him of treason? That's a dangerous claim. Do you have any proof?"
"Proof?" Jared echoed, his voice almost amused. "They're too embedded for proof. Besides, if we even tried to look, they'd know. For now, Fury keeps them cautious. But one day, that will change, and the only proof you'll have is a knife in your back."
The words hit Jakuna harder than he'd expected, sinking in deeper than he cared to admit. This man's warnings were unproven, yet there was a clarity to his tone—a sense of conviction that disturbed him. If Jared was even partially correct, the council was already on a path to its own undoing.
Jakuna let out a slow breath, eyes narrowing. "So what is it you want from me? I'm not about to act based on unsubstantiated claims."
"You don't have to make any overt move against the council or SHIELD. That would only quicken your death. What I'm proposing is this: help me build a team of heroes—people willing to go after the bad actors, just as SHIELD was supposed to. But there are conditions."
Jakuna's eyebrows rose. "Conditions?"
"This team will answer only to me. You'll have no say over them. You'll give me inside information about any plans the council or SHIELD are making, and eventually, our group will absorb the best parts of SHIELD."
Jakuna stared at Jared, shocked by the audacity. "You're demanding complete trust and cooperation without giving anything in return. And why even tell me this? You think I'll agree to your conditions without knowing who you are?"
"Knowing my face or name won't help you, Mr. Singh. Besides, you've already seen enough to know I can't be impersonated." Jared's gaze was steady, his confidence unwavering. "And no, it's not only information I need from you. I also need funding. Your greatest asset—your money. To avoid raising suspicion, I'll need to operate quietly, away from SHIELD's, and HYDRA's, watchful eyes."
Jakuna's face betrayed a mixture of disbelief and frustration. Here was a young man making demands, asking for wealth and trust without offering anything tangible in return.
"What if I refuse? How will you get this 'team' of yours off the ground? Are you just going to walk away?"
Jared's eyes flashed briefly, an edge entering his voice. "Then I'll find another way. You're not the only one with wealth and influence, but you're my first choice because you're the best candidate."
"Best candidate? What do you mean by that?" Jakuna asked to which Jared just massaged his chin as if he was thinking deeply and said "I mean you are someone who is a part of the inner circle and has no political motivations like money or power. Your ambition for being a part of the council is for your country's protection. I guess that is a good enough reason for me to help."
Jakuna felt the full weight of Jared's confidence, and a prickling sense of discomfort settled over him. 'This proposal is reckless, almost ludicrous. But if even a fraction of what he's saying is true, then SHIELD may become the very threat we fear. I can't let that happen.'
He took a breath, clearing his throat before speaking. "Fine. How much do you need to establish your base and gather this team of yours?" He was already calculating discreet ways to divert funds.
Jared's eyes gleamed, the corners lifting in a faint smile visible even beneath the mask. "Nothing extravagant—just a hundred million. In gold."
Jakuna's eyes widened, though he held back any protest. He knew better than to expect a straightforward answer from someone like Jared.
"Do you think just redirecting 100 million dollars is a child's play? Forget about SHIELD, even the Washington Post would start digging into it. " Jakuna sighed as he felt a headache coming.
"I don't need all the money in one go but yes I hope the seed money is susbstanial enough to build the Team's base."
"Do you have a place in mind? I am assuming this base will be in New York," Jakuna asked, to which Jared nodded. "Leave the location up to me. I will figure something out."
"I am still skeptical about everything you have said but if it is true then the fate of this world truly is in danger and I am not going to take chances. I will have my most trustworthy man make contact with you soon. He can get you what you want"Jakuna agreed guarded but resolved. After a beat, he added, "But one more question—what will you call this… organization?"
Jared's gaze turned distant, his voice soft as he replied: "THE THIRD EYE"
**
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