Daniel Davis had often used the strategy of borrowing prestige, invoking the names of powerful beings to back his claims in the Marvel world, particularly when dealing with figures like Fury. Without the intervention of the Ancient One, there were few who could see through his bluff.
Even when Doctor Strange eventually emerged, Daniel had nothing to fear, as he had never used Kamar-Taj's magic in front of Fury and others.
"What kind of big figures?" Natasha suddenly interjected.
As everyone focused on him, Daniel glanced at the ongoing battle outside the large reinforced glass window. He then looked at Natasha and Alexander Pierce before speaking. "Do I really need to say it directly? Mephisto—don't tell me you haven't heard of him."
At the mention of Mephisto, everyone's faces changed. Those present were among the few who were aware of Mephisto's encounter on Coulson's plane.
"And then there's Lucifer, Michael, and others. These big names often come here for vacations. Your Insight Plan somehow included their avatars' names. They usually have no interest in human power struggles, but your stupid plan involved them. So, your Insight Plan never had a chance of succeeding from the start. Even without Captain and his team intervening, the moment you launched the plan would have been their moment to act."
Daniel's words drained the color from Pierce's face. Even though Hydra took its name from a mythical creature, Pierce and his cohorts were ordinary humans. He had never considered that his plan would provoke such entities.
"So, the Insight Plan was under some people's control all along," came a familiar voice from the door.
Daniel turned to see Fury, wrapped in bandages but still in his usual black leather outfit, entering the room. Upon seeing the cat in Fury's arms, Daniel's pupils shrank, and he quickly stood up from Fury's chair, moving to the side.
The cat Fury was holding appeared adorably cute, enough to make any cat lover want to pet it and mimic its sounds. However, Daniel couldn't appreciate this cuteness, as he knew what the cat really was—a Flerken.
Fury, surprised by Daniel's reaction, hesitated briefly before sitting down in his seat. Looking at Daniel, who had moved near the reinforced glass window, Fury asked, "Am I right?"
Fury hadn't spared Pierce a glance since entering. He had arrived earlier and, upon hearing Daniel's words, realized Pierce's defeat was certain.
"Indeed, the Insight Plan, while secret, was never hidden from certain people, just like S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't a secret to Hydra," Daniel responded from behind the other members of the World Security Council, avoiding standing directly in front of the Flerken.
He preferred not to be in the creature's path, even if it was unlikely to attack him. If it did, he couldn't retaliate without risking more significant problems.
While the Flerken itself wasn't the main concern, the entities behind it were. Attacking the Flerken could provoke unforeseen reactions from its associates.
Marvel's universe was full of complexities. Daniel dared to covet the Infinity Stones because, in the eyes of true powers, these stones were not irreplaceable. Even when he took them from this world, no major figure appeared to stop him, which had initially worried him. Had they intervened, he would have handed over the stones and given up on them. Fortunately, that didn't happen, allowing Daniel to relax.
Although his actions were risky, the power of the Infinity Stones was too alluring, especially for insights into rules and laws.
Fury's face darkened at Daniel's words. He had known about the infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D. but hadn't imagined it was this deep. The realization that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised to such an extent, possibly from its inception, was a bitter pill to swallow.
The discovery had already darkened Fury's mood, but realizing that many had been aware and had quietly watched S.H.I.E.L.D.'s struggles worsened it.
"Don't look at me like that. I only found out recently. I wanted to inform you immediately, but then I heard you were dead and couldn't contact anyone else. So, I came to destroy the helicarriers. It's good to see you're alive," Daniel said, raising his hands in a gesture of innocence as Fury glared at him with his one good eye.
"Fury, what exactly is going on?" Finally, one of the World Security Council members spoke up, his authoritative demeanor returning after the initial shock had worn off.
"This matter will be addressed later. We have more pressing issues now," Fury responded curtly, dismissing the council member. He had come here despite his injuries because of something more urgent.
"They seem to be in some trouble. I'll go help them," Daniel said, noticing the ongoing battle outside, and exited the office.
Throughout the fight, Daniel had been observing to ensure Captain America and his team didn't destroy all three helicarriers. Despite the overwhelming odds, Pierce's men were being pushed back by Captain, Carter, and their allies.
The helicarriers, likely designed for maximum ground-target efficiency, had most of their weaponry facing outward, leaving them vulnerable inside. Once Captain and his team infiltrated, the outcome was inevitable.
"Captain, Carter, and Sharon each took one. Poor Hawkeye," Daniel thought, watching the three battles unfold. Pierce had placed a Winter Soldier on each helicarrier, all of whom were formidable adversaries.
"The one facing Captain—could that be Bucky?" Among the three Winter Soldiers, the one battling Captain America had a mechanical arm, hinting at Bucky Barnes.
"Sharon's not faring well," Daniel noted. Captain and Carter were handling their opponents, but Sharon was struggling.
Hawkeye and Falcon were being hunted down, serving as distractions so Captain and the others could infiltrate the helicarriers.
"It's a pity this Hawkeye isn't Mihawk; otherwise, this would be much simpler," Daniel mused, comparing the current situation to a fictional scenario. If the situation were different, a single strike could resolve everything.
Realizing he needed to intervene, Daniel teleported to Sharon's location on the lower right helicarrier.
Bang.
Daniel caught the Winter Soldier's punch aimed at Sharon and kicked him several meters away, even without using much force.
"You're no match for him. Take a break," Daniel told Sharon, then teleported her to the ground.
Though Sharon looked like she wanted to say something, Daniel ignored her.
"You can't let them take off. Here's a chip to disable their internal systems," Sharon quickly recovered and handed Daniel a chip. The helicarriers needed to connect to satellites to execute the Insight Plan. Disabling this connection would render them useless.
"No need for that," Daniel declined the chip, knowing he could easily destroy the helicarriers. He teleported back to his previous position.
The Winter Soldier, still searching for Daniel and Sharon, immediately attacked upon seeing Daniel.
"Not Bucky, so no need to hold back." Daniel twisted the Winter Soldier's arm, breaking it, and then kicked him away.
"Good thing I learned illusion magic," Daniel said, casting an illusion that made the helicarrier appear engulfed in flames.
He then used Pym Particles to shrink the helicarrier into a collectible-sized item and stored it away. Pym Particles were indeed a miraculous tool.
Daniel then activated another model, identical to the helicarrier, and set it aflame using alchemy. Stealing the helicarrier was easy, but leaving behind some evidence to avoid suspicion was crucial. A vessel that size crashing should leave debris, which was still valuable even if damaged.
Daniel quickly transmuted steel into a fake helicarrier, a mere shell with no advanced technology inside.
"Room, Shambles." As the fake helicarrier descended, Daniel used his powers to direct it away from the island, making it seem like it was out of control.
He planned to sink the helicarrier in deep waters, knowing that even in the Marvel universe, deep-sea exploration hadn't advanced significantly. The pressure of the deep sea was beyond what most could withstand, including robots.
Even in a world as powerful as One Piece, few could withstand deep-sea pressure purely with their bodies. In this regard, technology was inferior to the bubbles of Sabaody Archipelago.
"Looks like I can only take one," Daniel thought as he watched the remaining two helicarriers engage in a firefight.
Boom, boom, boom.
As the two remaining helicarriers exchanged fire, flames engulfed them, and Hydra agents aboard fell in pools of blood. All those aboard were die-hard Hydra loyalists, whose deaths no one mourned, including Captain America.
Captain's mercy had limits. In war, he had killed countless enemies, far more than Daniel ever had. On the battlefield, there was no room for mercy; it was kill or be killed. Heroic rescues of soldiers deep behind enemy lines were the stuff of movies, not reality.
"Should I use the helicarrier to attack the Celestial Dragons on the Red Line?" Despite only obtaining one helicarrier, Daniel was thrilled. With the technology and resources at his disposal, eliminating the Celestial Dragons in the One Piece world would be simple. Modern technological warfare, when prepared, was terrifying.
Even without nuclear weapons, Daniel could wipe out the Celestial Dragons. A carpet bombing with Jericho missiles would likely leave the Five Elders with no escape.
Having such power in private hands was terrifying, even to Daniel. That's why he rarely used advanced technology in combat.
"Has the intel been released?" Daniel checked his phone and saw that S.H.I.E.L.D. had publicly released crucial information, a strategic move by Fury.
Fury didn't know how many Hydra agents were in S.H.I.E.L.D., but he knew they wouldn't escape once the information was
out. Modern state power, especially in a technologically advanced society, was overwhelming once mobilized. Despite the U.S. military's recent setbacks and resignations, its lower ranks remained formidable.
With the release of this intel, nations quickly reacted. Everyone understood the threat posed by Hydra, especially recalling the near-catastrophe of the Red Skull's plans.
The five major powers acted first, followed by other countries. The technology within S.H.I.E.L.D. might not mean much to the major powers, but even a little was significant for smaller nations.
"Have you lost your mind?" Pierce looked at Fury, incredulous.
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Pierce initially didn't believe that Fury would actually release all the hidden information SHIELD had. He thought Fury was bluffing, since doing so would essentially dissolve SHIELD.
Pierce always believed that Fury would go to any lengths to protect SHIELD. As long as Fury thought that way, Hydra had a chance to rise again, even if it meant going underground for a few more decades.
He never imagined that Fury would be so decisive, just as he never thought Fury's other eye could still be functional. Fury had indeed reached the peak of cunning.
"Take him away." Without even looking at Pierce, Fury had him escorted away. Interrogating Pierce was no longer his responsibility; it would be handed over to the five major countries.
After Pierce was taken away
, the other members of the Security Council also left immediately. As individuals who usually handled affairs from the comfort of their offices, being on the front lines of such a battle made them feel very insecure.
Had it not been for Pierce, a fellow Security Council member, inviting them, they would never have come. Now, returning to a safe place was their top priority. Any subsequent matters could be handled through the internet.
"So many people here."
Daniel Davis walked into a small, secluded villa and, upon seeing the people inside, immediately smiled and waved at Captain and Carter.
The two, along with Hill, Natasha, and Hawkeye, filled the room; all were Fury's trusted confidants. People like Shirley were still not qualified to be part of this.
After Fury released all of SHIELD's data, everyone, including Fury himself, became targets for official capture. Until the situation was thoroughly investigated, all SHIELD personnel were suspects.
Given the extent of Hydra's infiltration and SHIELD being such a large organization founded by the five major countries, they couldn't afford to lose face.
SHIELD's Triskelion headquarters was quickly surrounded by the USA's military after the intel leak, and everyone inside was taken captive.
At the same time, the CIA and FBI started their investigations, finally seizing the opportunity after being suppressed by SHIELD for so long.
"Why did you call me over?" Daniel asked as he scanned the room and finally looked at Fury.
"There are some things I want to discuss with you. Please, have a seat." Fury indicated the sofa opposite him, suggesting Daniel sit down. That spot was directly facing Fury, who was holding a cat.
"I'd rather sit here." Daniel chose a seat further from Fury and his cat.
As Daniel sat down, everyone's attention turned to the cat in Fury's lap. As elite agents, they all noticed Daniel's reaction to the cat.
Hill and the others began to speculate that perhaps Fury, under recent stress, had taken to behaving unusually, possibly due to the intense pressure he'd been under.
"Never thought I'd see it here. Quite a surprise," Daniel said, looking at the cat.
"You know it?" Fury asked.
"Of course, it's a Flerken. But I never expected to see one here." Daniel knew that Flerkens were alien creatures capable of devouring everything, with what seemed like a parallel universe inside them, theoretically able to consume planets.
In strict terms, a Flerken wasn't a significant threat to Daniel. With his dimensional magic, even if a Flerken swallowed him, escaping wouldn't be difficult.
However, Daniel had heard that Flerkens usually had owners. He wasn't sure if it was true, so he tried to avoid interacting with the creature.
"Flerken?" Everyone turned their gaze to the seemingly ordinary cat in Fury's lap.
"What's a Flerken?" Fury asked, placing the cat on the glass table in front of him.
"It's a creature that can devour everything."
"Everything?"
"Yes, everything, including planets. But from its appearance, it seems to be still a juvenile and can't devour planets yet."
"Devour planets?" The words drew everyone's attention to Fury. Holding such a dangerous creature as if it were a pet was indeed alarming.
Fury frowned, understanding the name Flerken and its abilities to devour people and even cosmic magic, but the notion of devouring planets was new to him. He learned about Flerkens from the Kree.
The Flerken had been living on Earth with Captain Marvel for many years without showing any unusual traits until a battle with the Kree exposed its true nature.
"No need to worry. I already said, it can't devour planets yet. Flerkens grow slowly, and by the time it can devour planets, we'll likely be long gone."
Daniel was being modest. While the others might not be around, he probably would be.
"This time, I called you here to ask about those people on Earth," Fury shifted the topic, trying to move the focus away from the Flerken.
Daniel immediately understood Fury's purpose was to inquire about the likes of Michael, Lucifer, and Mephisto, whom he had mentioned before.
"Typical double standard. If you're worried, isn't the Flerken in your hands just as concerning?" Daniel mentally grumbled but then continued to weave his story.
"Vacationing and picking up girls."
Everyone was incredulous upon hearing Daniel's explanation for Lucifer and the others.
"I've already told you their purpose before. Believe it or not, it's up to you. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
With the current tense situation outside, while Fury and his group could afford to hide here, Daniel had other matters to attend to and couldn't waste time.
"Can I meet them?" Fury asked as Daniel was about to leave.
"Sorry, I don't have that authority. I can't even meet them myself. If you want to see them, find them yourself or wait for them to come to you."
Daniel left as he spoke. With SHIELD disbanded, even though Fury still had considerable influence, it was a far cry from the power he wielded before.
Perhaps that was why Fury would later venture into space to find Captain Marvel.
"That was fast. This is a direct slap in the face."
After leaving the secret villa, Daniel quickly received the latest intel: Alexander Pierce, who had been taken away by the USA military, was ambushed mid-transport by unidentified armed forces. The fifty fully-armed soldiers were annihilated, and Pierce was rescued.
Hail Hydra had sent the message. It was their operatives hidden within the USA government and military who had carried out the rescue.
Hydra's extensive network didn't only infiltrate SHIELD; they had people among government officials, military generals, and even within the CIA and FBI.
Modern society's transparency meant that while Hydra had high-ranking individuals, they couldn't act with complete impunity.
Even if the President were a Hydra member, Hydra still couldn't do as they pleased.
In today's world, every policy requires more than just one person's command. Like a general in the army, if they ordered troops to act against their government, the soldiers might eliminate the general themselves.
"Malik disappeared? He really fled quickly, not trusting even his own people. No wonder he was one of the last active Hydra members." With Hydra's massive data leak, its leaders immediately started fleeing.
The world launched a massive operation to capture Hydra members, though some efforts were mere formalities. In the West, while many publicly condemned Hydra, there were also those who sympathized with them.
"Stepping into the light with such a slogan, but it lasted only a moment."
Due to Pierce's orders, all Hydra agents within SHIELD revealed themselves, leading to intense battles with loyal SHIELD members.
The SHIELD Academy was the first to fall. Its students were all top-notch talents, unlike Hydra's academy, which was more underground.
SHIELD Academy operated openly, while Hydra's academy was clandestine.
"Hand really is impressive. Even in such a situation, she managed to repel Hydra's attack." Hand, an eighth-level agent, was in charge of SHIELD's central hub, the true core of SHIELD. The Triskelion was merely a façade.
Hydra placed great importance on SHIELD's central hub, sending a large force there. But Hand's strategies led to Hydra's failure.
Initially captured by Hydra, Hand claimed to be one of them, deceiving the real Hydra members and seizing an opportunity to counterattack.
SHIELD's decentralized management allowed Hydra to infiltrate. Ironically, Pierce's faction used the same system, with high-ranking agents in Hydra holding significant power, like Garrett.
Without Garrett and Ward, Hand survived and was soon taken into custody by the USA Air Force, awaiting further investigation.
"The legal team should get involved." One of the greatest advantages in the USA is the power of lawyers. They can access almost any place, even classified departments. If exposed, lawyers can use their rights to intervene.
In the original work, Fitz used this tactic to escape a secret military base.
With Daniel's wealth, the Fei Fei Group naturally had its legal team, no longer sharing one with Stark Industries.
In the USA, beyond owning mansions, luxury cars, yachts, and private jets, having a strong legal team truly showcases one's wealth.
Especially for a corporation, this is essential.
"The military's efficiency is impressive. Now it's either Sandbox or Icebox." SHIELD had many bases worldwide, including training, medical, and containment facilities for various criminals and dangerous items, known as Slingshot, Sandbox, and Icebox.
"Ian Quinn is in Icebox. Looks like that's the place to go."
Sandbox stored mainly hazardous items, primarily biological weapons, while Icebox held various criminals, especially Inhumans, and dangerous technological items.
"What perfect timing." Arriving at Icebox, Daniel saw Hydra agents killing the guards and breaking in.
At this moment, SHIELD's major bases were under Hydra's attack. These places housed dangerous items, and the military was rushing to respond.
The Hydra operatives were sacrificial pawns, meant to divert the military's attention while Hydra's leaders escaped. Hydra never lacked combatants, whether hired or brainwashed.
High-level members were irreplaceable, unlike the easily replenished foot soldiers.
"Quick action." After Hydra freed the prisoners and took many dangerous items, Daniel didn't stop them. Instead, he went to the lowest level of Icebox, opened the ground, and pulled Ian Quinn out.
Icebox was a hundred-story building, but it actually had a hidden 101st floor, similar to Impel Down's sixth level, holding extremely dangerous criminals.
This secret was known only to SHIELD's or Hydra's top brass. The
attacking Hydra agents were unaware of it.
Ian Quinn wasn't particularly dangerous, but he and another had discovered the Gravity Worm, a highly dangerous entity.
The old professor who discovered it initially was willing to do anything to destroy it, yet Ian still wanted to profit from it.
The Gravity Worm wasn't just valuable on Earth; it was priceless in the universe, a coveted resource among the Ravagers.
Whitehall had a peculiar idea early on, aiming to create artificial superhumans and even built a machine for this purpose, capable of absorbing the Gravity Worm's abilities.
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