Washington, D.C., S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Trident Building, Director's Office.
If Hydra really wasn't destroyed, and if S.H.I.E.L.D.'s senior management had been infiltrated, then Nick Fury's most important move now was clear: stay quiet.
He couldn't afford to alert the enemy that he already knew the truth.
Instead, he had to rely on his most trusted agents, arrange countermeasures in secret, and slowly root out the traitors.
At the same time, he needed to determine the true source of the information.
Was it revealed unintentionally? Or was it delivered on purpose?
Was the messenger a friend or an enemy?
"Director, is there any mission?"
A beautiful woman entered the office — tall, clad in a tight black tactical suit, her burgundy wavy hair falling neatly over her shoulders.
It was Natasha Romanoff, codename Black Widow.
Once a brainwashed top spy from the Red Room, Natasha had later been recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D. by Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye.
She possessed top-tier combat skills, fluency in dozens of languages (even ancient ones like Latin), and could expertly pilot vehicles of land, sea, and air.
Stealth, infiltration, psychological warfare — these were her specialties.
"You are allowed to use any means necessary," Fury said, handing her a file. "I want all the information you can get on this man — but don't let him know you're watching."
Natasha flipped through the file — a profile on Carl Hudson, the mysterious young founder of the Hudson Group — then nodded silently and disappeared.
After Black Widow left, Fury pressed another button on his desk communicator:
"Send Agent Hill and Agent Coulson to my office."
Maria Hill and Phil Coulson — two of his most trusted agents.
He needed them to assist in investigating the potential Hydra infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Only after making these arrangements did Nick Fury allow himself a long exhale.
He activated the office's virtual projection system, bringing up a live feed of today's top news.
"This is going to be a headache..."
On the screen, Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, was standing at a podium in front of flashing cameras.
"I am Iron Man," Tony announced, setting off a media firestorm.
Fury couldn't help but cover his forehead in frustration.
Of course Tony had decided to announce it to the world. Typical.
---
Meanwhile, at the Hudson Group's private laboratory in New York...
Carl Hudson stood beside Dr. Samuel Sterns, glancing at the same news report playing on a nearby monitor.
"He really loves showing off," Carl said with a small shake of his head, but didn't pay much attention to it.
Instead, he focused on the conversation at hand.
"Just tell him that you've almost perfected a treatment.
Convince him to come to New York to find you personally," Carl instructed.
Sterns hesitated. "But I'm still not fully confident about the results. The serum might only suppress the condition temporarily, not cure it completely.
And the dosage is tricky — too much could be highly toxic, maybe even lethal."
Carl clapped Sterns on the shoulder reassuringly.
"Relax. We're not injecting him right away.
We just need him here, in person.
With his expertise and yours combined, we'll solve the issue faster."
If Carl weren't worried about Bruce Banner's natural distrust of strangers, he would've simply had Sterns ask about his coordinates and sent a team to pick him up.
But that approach risked scaring Banner off.
Better to lure him in slowly — earn his trust — and once he was here, stabilize him.
Then, ideally, Banner could be persuaded to join the Hudson Group's research team.
One step at a time.
"Alright, I'll contact him now," Stern said after a brief pause, realizing Carl's suggestion made perfect sense.
Though most of his recent research breakthroughs had come from his own work, there were numerous critical insights that came from his online exchanges with Mr. Green. If Mr. Green could come in person, collecting fresh blood samples and collaborating in real time would greatly accelerate their progress.
While Stern had managed to replicate several samples of Mr. Green's blood, copies were still just that—copies. They lacked the subtle, unique qualities of the original.
Not long after, Stern returned to Carl with an update.
"He was thrilled. I didn't even need to persuade him—he agreed right away. I gave him the Greyburn College address as you instructed."
Although Stern was now officially employed by the Hudson Group, he hadn't completely severed ties with the college. Out of gratitude to the principal who once believed in him, Stern still returned once a week to lecture.
Carl nodded with a pleased smile. "Excellent. Stay in close contact. Have David update me on anything that comes up."
He paused, then added, "Oh, and this morning I donated a new teaching building to Greyburn College—in your name. Expect a thank-you call from your principal soon."
"That's… really generous of you," Stern said, genuinely surprised and touched. The gesture hit him deeply. He hadn't expected Carl to go so far just to support him.
Carl gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just keep up the good work. Even if Banner's blood doesn't yield perfect results, your value to this research is unquestionable."
With that, Carl left the lab.
The donation wasn't just about winning over Stern—it was strategic. Greyburn College had a solid foundation in biological sciences even if it was a second-tier institution. By supporting and eventually partnering with the school, the Hudson Group could secure a long-term pipeline of biotech talent for future research initiatives.
Soon after returning to his office, Carl's phone rang. It was Tony.
"Carl! Did you see the news?" Tony's voice buzzed with excitement.
Carl smiled knowingly. "I saw it. I didn't expect you to be Iron Man. I've got to say, that was a surprise."
Tony had never once mentioned the Iron Man suit or his plans during their previous meetings. Carl hadn't brought it up either—he understood why Tony kept it to himself.
"Haha! Impressed, huh? If you ever need help, just give me a call. I've got your back now."
Tony's voice brimmed with pride. He hadn't forgotten how Carl saved him during the kidnapping—taking down the terrorists singlehandedly, even breathing fire and blowing up their base. That image still burned vividly in his mind.
Now that he had his suit, Tony felt he could finally stand on the same level as Carl—maybe even surpass him.
"Perfect. I actually do need a favor," Carl replied smoothly. "If you're free, swing by the company. I've been waiting for the right moment."
Tony hesitated for a second, caught off guard by the quick ask—but then agreed. "Alright, I'll fly over now."
Carl had saved his life. A simple visit was the least he could do.
"Oh, by the way," Tony added, lowering his voice slightly. "Nick Fury came to see me last night. I told him about Hydra—but don't worry, I didn't mention that you were the one who told me."