"This badge will make everything run smoothly for you."
In the lobby on the first floor of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Alexander Pierce took a box from a security guard and handed out the badges inside to four United Nations council members.
At the same time, in the building's surveillance room, Steve Rogers used a jamming device to disrupt all communications among the staff. He then led Sam Wilson and Maria Hill to secure the unarmed monitoring personnel.
Pierce brought the four council members to the top-floor conference room. Each held a glass of champagne as Pierce began to speak.
"I know the road here has been difficult. Some of you may have seen the worst side of me. But the world will thank us for what we're about to accomplish."
When he finished, he raised his glass in a toast. The council members followed suit.
They were just about to take a celebratory sip—marking the imminent success of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Insight program—when the radio suddenly crackled to life.
"All S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, this is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me lately. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think you deserve to know the truth…"
In the surveillance room, Steve paused briefly, frowning as he organized his thoughts.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't what we thought it was. It's been infiltrated by HYDRA. Their leader is Alexander Pierce."
In the top-floor conference room, the four council members turned sharply to look at Pierce, their expressions hardening as he slowly walked toward the table. Pierce merely raised an eyebrow and offered no explanation—his silence taken as confirmation.
"The Strike Team and Project Insight have also been compromised. I don't know how deep it goes, but they're here… maybe standing right next to you. They're close to gaining absolute control. The assassination of Nick Fury was only the beginning. If the helicarriers launch today, HYDRA will be able to eliminate anyone who stands in their way… unless we stop them."
Pierce casually took out his phone and began operating it, completely ignoring Steve's broadcast.
Throughout the building, S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel stopped what they were doing and listened carefully. In the central control hub, employees glanced nervously at one another, wondering who among them might secretly belong to HYDRA.
As soon as Steve finished speaking, HYDRA agents sprang into action. They split into two teams—one heading to the underground helicarrier bay, the other rushing to the control center to initiate launch procedures before anyone could react.
"I know this won't be easy. Freedom has always come at a cost. I'm willing to pay it. Even if I'm the only one who stands, I'll keep fighting. But I believe I'm not alone."
Underground, at the entrance to the helicarrier access tunnel, a HYDRA squad arrived. The lone guard stationed there, unaware of the broadcast, sensed something wrong as the armed men advanced. He had just drawn his weapon when he was shot dead.
Back in the top-floor office, the oldest council member, Rockwell, glared at Pierce. "You bastard."
At that moment, three security guards entered the room. Councilman Singh, noticing them, gestured toward Pierce. "Arrest him."
The guards drew their weapons—but instead of aiming at Pierce, they pointed their guns at Singh.
"It seems I still have the final say," Pierce said calmly, hands in his pockets as he looked at Singh.
After subduing the four council members, Pierce stood by the window with his phone, waiting for the helicarriers to launch. Even now, he estimated his chances of success at only seventy percent.
Since yesterday, events had spiraled beyond his expectations. According to the original plan, Rumlow and Bucky should have captured Steve and executed him in secret.
But Superman's sudden appearance had thrown everything into chaos. Bucky had fallen into Superman's hands. Pierce had spent the entire day scrambling to adjust, unsure whether he could still remain hidden in the shadows.
Yet when night fell, Superman had not come for him.
So Pierce pressed forward with the original plan. Too many HYDRA agents had already revealed themselves; delaying further would only make things worse.
Now it had become a gamble—whether Superman would intervene.
If he did, this plan would surely fail, though some HYDRA members might still remain hidden.
If he didn't, the plan had a ninety percent chance of success. HYDRA would seize control of the world. Unless Superman chose to destroy the planet itself, nothing would stand in their way.
What Pierce hadn't anticipated was that Steve's exposure of his identity had already reduced the odds to seventy percent. Now he could only hope both HYDRA's enemies—and Superman—would fail.
In the central control center, Rumlow and a group of HYDRA agents successfully initiated the launch sequence for the three helicarriers.
Outside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, the surface of the lake split apart. Three massive hidden doors slowly opened, and a kilometer-long helicarrier rose gradually into the sky.
Steve and Sam sprinted out of the building. Seeing the carriers begin their ascent, they accelerated.
"Cap, how do you tell the good guys from the bad?" Sam asked as they ran, wearing his mechanical wing suit.
"Anyone shooting at you is a bad guy."
At Steve's reply, Sam activated his wings and soared into the air. Steve leapt off the end of the roadway—dropping more than a dozen meters onto the deck of a rising helicarrier below.
The battle erupted instantly. As soon as Steve landed, a squad of heavily armed HYDRA soldiers opened fire.
With his combat experience and enhanced physique, Steve dispatched them with hardly any resistance.
Meanwhile, Sam approached another helicarrier but was forced to circle and evade as anti-aircraft fire burst toward him, searching for an opening.
"Cap, I've found the bad guys you mentioned."
"You okay?" Steve asked.
Dodging explosions midair, Sam replied lightly, "Not dead yet. But when's Superman coming back?"
Steve ducked behind a weapons crate and peeked out. "I don't know. Karl's not like us. I don't think he cares much about this. We might have to do this alone."
"Great. I was hoping for a quiet day."
Gunfire drowned out the rest of their conversation. They moved to carry out the plan agreed upon the night before—swap the targeting chips on the current carrier so Hill could gain control. Once that was done, everything would become much simpler.
…
At their residence in Kamar-Taj, Diwan sat at the edge of the bed, leaning against Karl. Her eyes were half-open, unfocused, clearly not fully awake.
"It's almost time," Karl said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
"Hm?"
Her mind was still blank as she lazily lifted her eyelids, not quite understanding.
Most sorcerers at Kamar-Taj replaced sleep with meditation. But Diwan was different—she could never break her habit of sleeping. Whenever she tried to meditate on the bed, her soul would drift out of her body. In that slow, stretched flow of time, she could only study for about an hour before snapping back and falling asleep like an ordinary person.
"Steve, right?" she murmured as awareness gradually returned. She remembered yesterday's plan—and the time difference. She hadn't returned until six or seven in the morning. After meditation ended, it was already ten.
"By now, it should be close to ten over there. Right about the scheduled time."
Fully awake, Diwan felt slightly embarrassed. That morning, Gu Yi had entrusted them with protecting Kamar-Taj and all the sanctums. It didn't seem right to leave so soon after agreeing.
"I won't go," she said at last. "I'll head to the library later. Finish what you need to do and come back quickly."
As far as Steve's situation was concerned, she didn't think her presence would matter much. Her magic was powerful—exceptionally so—but Karl was stronger. She would be of little use there. It was better for her to remain at Kamar-Taj and ensure everything on this side remained secure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
read advanced chapter visit my patreon:
patreon.com/fatimasoomro123
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~