Steve was rarely so shaken from his usual composure.
Natasha's face had gone pale, and Sam immediately noticed the blood seeping through her clothing.
"We need a doctor here, now," Sam demanded.
The guards responded by drawing their electric batons. Then one of those batons was jabbed into another guard's ribs, followed by a swift kick that dropped him unconscious.
The helmet came off, revealing Agent Hill's familiar face.
Sam stared at her in bewilderment while Hill looked equally surprised at the unfamiliar man. "Who is this?"
When Rumlow had moved to intercept them in the tunnel, he'd ordered his men to prepare for the execution of all three prisoners. But when they opened the transport vehicle, they found only a gaping hole where the floor used to be. The captives had vanished without a trace.
After Hill led the rescued trio to a secure safe house, she demonstrated exactly why Fury was called the king of spies.
"Finally made it," Fury said from his hospital bed, glancing up at the three arrivals.
Natasha worked to stop her bleeding while listening to Fury catalog his injuries like he was reading from a restaurant menu. To summarize: he would live, but he was in rough shape.
Having witnessed him being gutted and his pulse flatline, both Steve and Natasha felt deeply unsettled by his casual demeanor.
"Tetrodotoxin B," Fury explained matter-of-factly. "Slows the pulse to one beat per minute. Banner developed it to manage stress, though it wasn't much help for his particular condition. We found a better use for it."
What else could they say? Technology saves lives.
Fury's reasoning was simple: make his would-be assassins believe he was dead. After all, dead men can't be killed twice. It also allowed him to continue planning secretly for the crisis ahead.
His reputation with the World Security Council was completely shot. Making phone calls wouldn't accomplish anything now. His plan was to have operatives replace the targeting modules on all three helicarriers, which would completely dismantle HYDRA's scheme.
He wanted to save S.H.I.E.L.D.
But Steve had different ideas entirely.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated by HYDRA—those are your own words," Steve said firmly. "HYDRA was operating right under your nose, and nobody caught it."
Steve didn't believe they could root out every last agent. No one knew how many HYDRA operatives were still embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ranks. The only solution was to eliminate S.H.I.E.L.D. along with them.
"Your last purge wasn't exactly thorough either," Steve added pointedly.
That was the crux of Steve's argument against preserving the organization. Fury fell silent. The previous operation, following leads John had provided, had eliminated a significant number of compromised agents. But what good had it done? S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated even more deeply than before.
Even Alexander Pierce—someone Fury had considered one of his most trusted allies—had turned out to be HYDRA leadership.
There was no longer any justification for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s continued existence. HYDRA was a parasite feeding off its host. If S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't die, HYDRA would never be truly destroyed.
"S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA—burn it all down," Steve said, meeting Fury's gaze steadily.
Even Agent Hill found herself agreeing with the assessment.
Fury took a deep breath. "Looks like it's time for you to give the orders, Captain."
Eliminate S.H.I.E.L.D. along with HYDRA. Since they'd made their decision, it was time to act. Their remaining forces would assault the world's most secure building.
As the team prepared to leave, Nick Fury shed his hospital gown and changed into field gear.
The attending physician spoke up: "While you're out of immediate danger, I have to warn you that excessive activity will cause your wounds to reopen."
"That's because your medical skills need work," Fury replied bluntly.
The doctor smiled ruefully at the outrageous comment. "If House heard you say that, he'd walk out and never come back."
"That's exactly why I came to you instead of him." Fury looked at the physician seriously. "I need to make a trip to New York."
"Your legs are attached to your body," the doctor said dryly.
"There's something I have to figure out."
His expression grew distant. From Steve, he'd learned about Zola's algorithm and another troubling detail. What kind of identity warranted surveillance before someone was even born? What role did wizards play in HYDRA's plans?
All of this required answers that only Fury could find. The Magical Foreign Affairs Department had mentioned something crucial: the Snake Lady. She would be the key to everything.
Flying commercial from Washington to New York would take too long. Fortunately, he had access to something much faster.
Green flames suddenly erupted in a nearby fireplace. Darcy emerged with soot smeared across his face, cursing under his breath.
"Hurry up—I'm opening the Floo Network behind the Ministry's back!" he hissed.
"Magic really is convenient," Fury observed.
Darcy from the Foreign Affairs Department shoved a handful of Floo powder and a glowing magical crystal into Fury's hands. "If the Magical Transportation Department finds out about this, I'm dead. Remember to speak clearly."
"Say 'Plymouth Settlement,'" he instructed.
Fury was pushed toward the fireplace, clutching the Floo powder. "Plymouth Settlement," he said clearly.
The crystal in his other hand flared to life as green flames enveloped his body. He vanished into the magical fire.
Darcy slipped in after him like a guilty thief, also calling out "Plymouth Settlement" before disappearing in his own burst of emerald flame.
New York - Plymouth Settlement
A bustling wizarding commercial district had grown up around District 13. Flags bearing the Magical Kingdom's emblems fluttered proudly in the central square. A magnificent department store-sized building displaying the Silver Hand logo buzzed with activity.
Not far from the main shopping area, green flames shot out from a public fireplace, depositing a bald black man onto the hearth. Even for Fury, this was his first experience with the Floo Network.
A floating teapot drifted serenely past him as he stepped outside. The roar of a dragon echoed overhead—he looked up to see a magnificent fire dragon soaring across the sky with a wizard in green robes and dragon rider insignia on its back.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Wizards on broomsticks streaked through the air like living comets. A flying carpet loaded with colorful sweets called out to attract customers, while giant soap bubbles carried giggling young wizards up into the clouds. Owls bustled back and forth on important deliveries.
People in flowing wizard robes carried an amazing variety of purchases. There was even cotton candy that would let out tiny screams when bitten—every child seemed to have one.
The fireplace they'd emerged from was part of a lively tavern. Young waitresses balanced trays in both hands while the glasses on those trays flew through the air to land perfectly in front of customers.
The staff seemed completely accustomed to Fury's unusual appearance—this was a public Floo Network access point, after all. The bald, one-eyed look wasn't particularly rare in the magical world.
There was even a wizard with bright green hair covering his entire head, banging on a table and demanding the bartender serve him drinks. It was the result of an immature color-changing charm, but the wizard wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, he proudly told everyone around him that his child—who hadn't even started school yet—had cast the spell.
A furry werewolf in tight-fitting clothes was drinking something called "fun wine." He burped and spat out an ice bubble that floated upward. Not to be outdone, another wizard gulped down his own drink and produced an even larger bubble that rose higher.
They were competing to see whose bubble could fly the highest. The werewolf won in the end, dancing with joy while the losing wizard muttered curses under his breath.
At another table, a vampire sipping blood wine complained to his companion about the "stupid behavior of vampires in the Muggle world," grumbling that it made things difficult for all vampires whenever they ventured outside magical territory.
The scene of werewolves, vampires, and wizards coexisting in perfect harmony was something that couldn't be found even in the most imaginative fairy tales.
Even Fury found himself momentarily stunned by the sight.
"There's a festival happening right now," Darcy explained, catching up from behind and still complaining. "The damn tavern owner insists I buy something before he'll keep quiet about my unauthorized Floo Network usage."
Seeing Fury's amazed expression, Darcy patted his shoulder with a grin.
"Welcome to the magical world."