https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-367-Don-t-Mess-with-Witch-s-Family-6000-/13460867/
Chapter 366: Target: S.H.I.E.L.D. (6000+)
Chapter 366: Target: S.H.I.E.L.D. (6000+)
In a hospital affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. in Washington,
Nick Fury was in the operating room, undergoing emergency surgery.
Outside the glass window, Captain America, Black Widow, Hill, and Sitwell, all agents of level seven or higher, were anxiously waiting.
Suddenly, a ring of fire appeared out of nowhere, and Jerry, Coulson, and the bound Garrett emerged from it.
"Everyone's here. How's Director Fury?"
Jerry looked at the group of high-ranking agents and asked Captain America.
Rogers pointed to the operating room through the glass, his brow furrowed:
"He's still in surgery, but his injuries are severe!"
While many of Nick Fury's methods were not to Rogers' liking, he had to admit that Fury was important. If he died, S.H.I.E.L.D. would be in serious trouble.
Moreover, Fury had approached him in the early hours of the morning to discuss a mole within S.H.I.E.L.D., but the details were still unclear.
"John Garrett, what's going on with him?"
Hill and the others noticed the level eight agent, John Garrett, being restrained by Coulson. They all looked surprised, especially Sitwell, whose expression changed the most.
At this moment, Jerry silently cast Mind Reading and looked at Hill and Sitwell.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was infiltrated by Hydra spies, and while Captain America and Black Widow, as Avengers, were definitely loyal, the same could not be said for Hill and Sitwell.
"Uh, there really is one!"
He had been cautious, but he hadn't expected one of the two to actually be a Hydra spy.
"He's the leader of the Catacombs, a traitor. We just captured him at a base in Aslan County!"
Coulson replied with a "calm" expression.
The others were clearly shocked by Coulson's answer.
A level eight agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. being the leader of the Catacombs, an organization that had been opposing S.H.I.E.L.D., was hard to believe.
"Beep"
At that moment, the heart monitor in the operating room flatlined, indicating that the surgery had failed and Nick Fury had died.
The sudden turn of events in the operating room immediately shifted everyone's attention from Garrett. Compared to the death of the S.H.I.E.L.D. director, the betrayal of a level eight agent seemed less significant.
"Jerry, can your Magic help?"
Rogers and the other agents all turned to Jerry, hoping his miraculous healing Magic could bring Nick Fury back from the brink of death.
Jerry shook his head, feigning helplessness:
"I could do something if he was just injured, but he's dead, and I can't do anything about that."
In reality, with Jerry's current abilities, as long as the soul hadn't been sucked into hell, he could save Fury with his Magic and various potions.
He answered this way because Nick Fury wasn't actually dead; his soul hadn't left his body. From reading Hill's mind, he also knew that Fury was just pretending to be dead.
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed signs of sadness.
Some were genuinely sad, like Captain America, Coulson, and Black Widow, while others were just acting, thanks to their well-trained skills, like Hill, who already knew the truth, and the Hydra spy, Sitwell.
Ten minutes later, in the hospital morgue.
Everyone stared at the director's "corpse", which showed no signs of breathing, and fell into silence.
"I'll call Director Pierce to inform him of the director's death!"
Sitwell carefully examined Nick Fury's body to confirm that he was indeed dead before leaving the morgue.
No one said much in response.
Alexander Pierce, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director and current chairman of the Security Council, was the only one with the authority to take over S.H.I.E.L.D. now that Fury was confirmed dead.
So, Sitwell's report to him was a standard procedure.
"Mirror Spatial!"
As soon as Sitwell left the morgue, Jerry activated Mirror Spatial, pulling everyone, including Nick Fury, into it.
While he couldn't yet transport an entire city like the Ancient One, pulling a few people into the Mirror Spatial was no problem.
"Alright, you can wake up now!"
Once inside the Mirror Spatial, Jerry walked over to Nick Fury and cast a Quick Heal Spell and a Reviving Charm.
A moment later, Nick Fury's eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
"Hill, what's going on?"
Fury was bewildered to find himself not in the secret base they had planned, but in the morgue. Around him were Hill, Captain America, Black Widow, Coulson, the bound Garrett, and Witch Jerry.
Nick Fury was stunned, and so were the others.
They had just confirmed Nick Fury's death and were in deep sorrow when he suddenly came back to life, opening his eyes and speaking. The fact that no one screamed in shock was a testament to their strong mental fortitude.
Hill, after a long moment of stunned silence, stammered a response:
"Director, there... there's been a bit of an unexpected turn of events!"
The original plan was to wait until everyone had left, then she would secretly take the Director to a prepared base to revive him with the potion. However, Captain America had brought Witch Jerry, who used Magic to revive the Director prematurely.
"Director Fury, I think you should explain why you faked your death first. Don't worry, I've brought everyone into the Mirror Spatial, which is isolated from the real world. The surveillance and monitoring devices in the morgue won't work here."
Jerry spoke up directly.
Nick Fury's expression changed, and he finally sighed, saying:
"Alright, let me start from when Jerry's home was attacked."
Nick Fury then recounted everything that had happened since then.
It turned out that after Jerry's home was attacked by Hydra, Nick Fury had secretly begun an investigation within S.H.I.E.L.D. to root out any Hydra spies. Given the uncertainty of how many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were Hydra spies, he had only trusted the most reliable Level 9 agent, Hill, to handle the investigation.
The investigation revealed a shocking truth: S.H.I.E.L.D. might be harboring many Hydra spies, including several high-ranking agents.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Nick Fury immediately sought out Director Alexander Pierce to call off the "Insight Project", which was originally planned to be implemented.
However, within a day, he was ambushed and nearly killed. He managed to escape and immediately went to Captain America's home.
As a former nemesis of Hydra, Captain America could not be a Hydra spy. Moreover, with Captain America's strength, he could temporarily protect Nick Fury's safety.
But even then, Hydra's elite operatives caught up to him, nearly finishing him off with a single shot.
Nick Fury knew that as long as he was alive, they would never stop pursuing him. So, he decided to go underground. He had Hill inject him with the Pufferfish Toxin B, which Dr. Banner had developed, to fake his death and then investigate the situation.
"What's this Insight Project?"
Captain America, with his keen insight, realized that Nick Fury's assassination attempt was linked to the termination of the Insight Project. The Hydra spies within S.H.I.E.L.D. must have been trying to prevent the project from being halted.
Nick Fury sighed:
"There are too many criminals and too much darkness in this world, and alien forces are always watching. Our resources at S.H.I.E.L.D. are limited. To better protect Earth, we pooled all our technological resources and spent a fortune to build three new-generation Helicarriers.
Once airborne, they can orbit the Earth in sub-orbital trajectories, equipped with the most advanced long-range precision weapons, working in conjunction with satellites to strike. They can eliminate a thousand enemies in a minute. The satellites can read the Dna of terrorists and criminals without them even showing their faces, allowing us to neutralize threats before they emerge. This is the 'Insight Project.'"
Upon hearing the details of the Insight Project, Captain America's brow furrowed. This plan went against everything he believed in:
"You're holding a gun to everyone's head and calling it protection? Only the bad guys need to be watched. You're turning the entire Earth into a prison. How is that any different from Hydra?"
Nick Fury nodded, somewhat self-deprecatingly:
"You're right. I was being too arrogant, thinking I could control everything. But the truth is, I'm now dealing with spinal injuries, a broken sternum, shattered clavicle, and a punctured liver. Oh, and my lungs are also collapsed."
The infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hydra and the near-assassination had finally made him realize that his previous methods were not entirely correct.
"No, I've already used Magic to heal most of your injuries. Just drink this potion, and you should be back on your feet."
Jerry stepped forward, taking out a high-grade potion he had previously prepared and handing it to Nick Fury.
Nick Fury took the potion and drank it without hesitation:
"Thank you. I'm starting to regret not keeping that Magic Mirror on me at all times."
If he hadn't been wary of Jerry and kept the Magic Mirror in a separate room at headquarters, he could have used it to summon Jerry for help during the assassination attempt.
"Don't thank me, the healing magic and this potion come at a cost; remember to settle the bill with the Thousand Mile Eyes organization member once this is over."
Jerry pointed to Garrett, who was still being held down by Coulson.
Actually, Jerry wasn't as upset about the Insight Project as Captain America. After all, even if the three Helicarriers were launched, they wouldn't pose a threat to him.
Because he could fly up and take down the three Helicarriers directly.
However, to be honest, from Nick Fury's perspective, it wasn't entirely wrong.
After all, as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., when he learned that there were countless Aliens in outer space far more powerful than Earth, and that Earth was riddled with chaos, it was only natural to want to make S.H.I.E.L.D. as strong as possible.
If the controllers of the three Helicarriers were always righteous, it would indeed be a boon for humanity, greatly reducing Earth's crimes and providing a stronger defense against Alien invasions.
Unfortunately, as a global organization and not a single individual, how could it be guaranteed that the controllers would always uphold their principles and avoid problems?
If a future controller turned evil, it would be a disaster for humanity.
From a personal standpoint, no one likes the feeling of a sword hanging over their head, ready to strike at any moment.
When Witch mentioned the fee, Nick Fury wasn't bothered. He was used to it. However, when he saw Garrett, his eyes widened in surprise:
"I didn't expect you to be the one behind the Catacombs, Garrett!"
"He's not just the Catacombs; he also has connections with Hydra's Baron Wolfgang von Stark. I suspect he's a Hydra agent himself."
Coulson briefly recounted the events that transpired in Alaska.
"Whether or not he's a Hydra agent, and what Hydra is up to, I think we're about to find out. Another high-ranking Hydra spy has just called back!"
At that moment, Jerry saw Sitwell finish a phone call and re-enter the morgue. He immediately pulled Sitwell into the Mirror Spatial and produced two vials of Truth Serum.
After reporting Nick Fury's supposed death and Garrett's capture by Witch to Pierce, Sitwell returned to the morgue, only to find everyone had vanished.
Before he could react and call in the tactical team outside, he was dragged into the Mirror Spatial.
"What's going on? Director, you're not dead!"
Sitwell's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Nick Fury, alive and standing there, wrapped in a white sheet.
Before he could respond, Jerry had already forced a vial of Truth Serum down his throat.
"Agent Sitwell, do you have any connections to Hydra?"
"I am a Hydra agent, the dean of the Hydra Academy, responsible for recruiting S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into Hydra."
After Sitwell, it was Garrett, who had been under self-hypnosis. Under the questioning of the top S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, they revealed all the Hydra information they knew.
The truth left everyone speechless, even the usually calm Nick Fury was stunned into silence.
They had always thought Hydra, which they believed had been destroyed, had re-emerged and gradually infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. with spies, rising to high positions and stealing S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence.
However, the reality was that two-thirds of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were actually Hydra agents.
All agents who graduated from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, except for a few die-hard loyalists who couldn't be converted, were recruited into the Hydra Academy for retraining before being reassigned.
Since its founding, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been primarily serving Hydra, and many wars were secretly orchestrated by Hydra. Those who suspected this were immediately assassinated.
For instance, Howard Stark, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders and the father of Iron Man, and the supposedly deceased Nick Fury.
The current leader of Hydra is Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the current chairman of the Security Council!
The so-called "Insight Project" was not as simple as it seemed.
During World War II, Dr. Zola of Hydra was captured by Captain America. Later, he joined S.H.I.E.L.D. at its founding and secretly contacted the remaining Hydra members to gradually infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. from within.
Furthermore, he spent his entire life creating a remarkable "Zola Algorithm", which could predict whether an individual, based on all available information and big data, would pose a future threat to Hydra.
From Jerry's perspective, it was a scientific form of prophecy.
If someone posed a threat, they would be targeted and eliminated by the Helicarriers, preemptively removing any danger to Hydra.
"We must prevent the Helicarriers from launching. Otherwise, according to the Zola Algorithm, countless innocent people on Earth will be targeted and precisely eliminated by satellite.
I need you to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. and replace the targeting systems of the three Helicarriers, so..."
After a moment of silence to digest the information from the two Hydra spies, Nick Fury began issuing orders.
However, he was interrupted by Rogers:
"It's not just the Helicarriers; we have to take down the entire S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
"Overthrow S.H.I.E.L.D.? S.H.I.E.L.D. has nothing to do with this; it's Hydra."
Just as Nick Fury was about to argue, Rogers interrupted him again:
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is Hydra. It has been thoroughly infiltrated, and countless innocent lives have been lost because of it. You can't control it. In this operation, neither S.H.I.E.L.D. nor Hydra can be left standing!"
After his resurrection, he had been carrying out missions for S.H.I.E.L.D., only to realize he had been serving Hydra, his archenemy. How could this not make him angry?
"I agree with Captain. I also think S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer necessary!"
Jerry was the first to voice his support after Rogers spoke.
Without S.H.I.E.L.D., an organization that always meddles in others' affairs, he would have more freedom to act as he pleased. This was a good thing.
Moreover, he had initially thought this mission was just about taking down a terrorist organization and earning a few thousand red stars to supplement his income. Now, he realized he could wipe out the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. organization.
This would certainly be a very lucrative deal.
After all, according to what the two Hydra spies had said, Hydra had been waging wars, manipulating history, and implementing the Insight Project, killing hundreds of thousands of people who posed a threat to Hydra. They had been doing nothing but evil.
Once this was over, combined with the Dark Elves' mission, he wouldn't have to worry about red stars for a long time.
The best part was that it wouldn't take much effort. He had wasted a whole night yesterday, and today he felt it would take no more than a couple of hours. In total, less than a day—definitely a great deal.
"I agree!"
"I agree!"
"I also agree!"
Following Jerry, Black Widow, Coulson, and even Hill, Nick Fury's most trusted agent, all expressed their agreement.
They had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and risked their lives to complete missions because they believed in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s noble ideals—protecting Earth and safeguarding ordinary people from harm. They weren't in it for power, money, or status.
So when they realized that many of the missions they had undertaken might have been serving Hydra, it felt like their beliefs had been shattered.
Naturally, they lost faith in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Seeing this, Nick Fury could only sigh in resignation:
"Alright, you have a point. But I still want to say that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ideals have always been good; it was the methods that were wrong, and I was wrong. If we can resolve Hydra this time, I won't continue as Director. I'll choose a suitable person to carry on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ideals and continue to address the problems that ordinary people can't solve."
Rogers didn't oppose this time.
Jerry clapped his hands:
"Good. Now that that's settled, let's get to work!"
With that, he stretched out his hand and drew a portal.
"Where does this lead?"
Coulson noticed the scene on the other side of the portal looked familiar.
Jerry smiled:
"Director Fury's office. We're going straight to headquarters to solve the problem."
"But we haven't even planned the operation!"
Nick Fury's face darkened.
As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he knew all too well the number of agents and the defensive capabilities of the Triskelion. Rushing in like this was far too reckless.
"I've already thought of a plan. It's simple: we go in, capture Pierce, and take out any Hydra agents who resist. The rest will be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
See, this way, we'll regain control of the Triskelion!"
Jerry replied matter-of-factly.
They were all ordinary people, not wielding world-destroying weapons. In Jerry's view, there was no need to waste time, especially since he had to get back to class.
Everyone's lips twitched at his straightforward and brutal plan.
However, not everyone thought Jerry's plan was unrealistic. Coulson, who had just witnessed Jerry's true magical prowess, had a lot of faith in the plan's success.
Still, something felt off.
Perhaps it was the fact that Hydra, which had secretly controlled S.H.I.E.L.D. for so many years, seemed so easily defeated in Jerry's words, which made him feel strange.
"There's still an hour until nine. If you're still hesitating, I'll go ahead. Just so you know, I can't tell Hydra agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. If I end up blowing the entire Triskelion to smithereens, don't blame me."
Seeing the others still in thought, Jerry stepped through the portal and appeared in the Director's office at the Triskelion.
As Jerry passed through the portal, Coulson quickly followed:
"What's so important at nine? Is Pierce planning to launch the three Helicarriers at nine?"
"Oh, nothing. I just have a biology class at nine and can't be late. I'm a model student at Columbia University."
Jerry's response left Nick Fury, Hill, Captain America, and Black Widow speechless.
(End of Chapter)
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