Although Daniel knew that Alexander Pierce was the top Hydra leader in New York, in essence, Pierce was still a politician—a highly skilled and calculating one. Without those political skills, he would never have risen to the role of Secretary-General of the World Security Council.
At that moment, Daniel had fully exposed the truth: the U.S. government had no legitimate reason to seize the scepter from him. If Pierce still tried to take it by force, everyone in the room—aside from his most loyal Hydra operatives—would likely turn against him.
That included not just military personnel, but also S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Most of them came from American institutions—federal and state—and even the few foreign agents would hesitate to side with Pierce under such circumstances.
Nobody in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s upper ranks was naive. The organization often clashed with governments around the world over jurisdictional disputes, especially with the U.S. government.
A good example was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s field operations in foreign territories. They always needed approval from local governments to proceed. Another was the helicarrier—its combat capabilities were impressive, especially after Stark upgraded the engines—but it still couldn't fly over U.S. soil without legal clearance.
Even the jets that had fought the Chitauri during the Battle of Manhattan were U.S. Air Force, not S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft.
Jurisdiction was a constant tension point. And in a power struggle with the Pentagon or the White House, S.H.I.E.L.D. might not come out on top.
Frankly, without Daniel's presence, Pierce could have taken the scepter with no resistance. But Daniel wasn't just anyone—he was the White House's special envoy, appointed specifically to oversee S.H.I.E.L.D. That made things complicated.
Still, Pierce was no fool. A direct confrontation would only provoke an institutional conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Oval Office. So, smiling calmly, he pulled out his phone.
"I'll call the President right now," he said with measured confidence. "Let him decide who gets the scepter. Fair?"
Daniel nodded without hesitation. "Of course. If the President gives the order, I'll comply."
Pierce was slightly suspicious of how easily Daniel agreed, but he went ahead and made the call. After briefly explaining the situation, he handed the phone to Daniel.
Daniel answered smoothly, "Hello, Mr. President… Yes, I understand. I'll hand it over to S.H.I.E.L.D."
He hung up, exhaled like a man relieved of a burden, and handed over the scepter, still encased in a subzero ice box.
"My apologies, Secretary-General. Just doing my duty."
Pierce accepted the box, grabbing it by the metal handcuffs rather than the handle. That detail didn't go unnoticed by Daniel—it was a subtle sign that Pierce had communicated with Rumlow in advance, perhaps even plotted this handoff together.
Daniel smirked slightly, though few caught it. In the room were not just Pierce and his Hydra loyalists, but also Nick Fury's most trusted agents and others aligned with various world governments. Many of them were sharp—how many recognized what they'd just witnessed remained to be seen.
Daniel turned to Stark and said, "Tony, I need to head to the White House to brief the President. Care to join me?"
"Sure, but give me a minute—I've got to make some calls." Stark pulled out his phone. With agents, military officers, and federal agents swarming in and out of Stark Tower, he needed Pepper to help oversee everything and make sure it didn't spiral into chaos.
Also, he'd been off-planet for a while. He needed to check in with her.
Just then, a military jeep pulled up in front of Stark Tower. An older officer in full Army combat uniform jumped out, followed by a wave of U.S. soldiers who quickly formed a perimeter around the building.
It was none other than General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross.
Cigar clenched between his teeth, Ross marched toward the entrance with his usual booming voice, "Where is it? Daniel! Where's the damn thing?!"
Before Daniel could respond, Pierce stepped forward, trying to mask his frustration.
"General Ross, the President has already authorized S.H.I.E.L.D. to secure the scepter. You're not needed here. And didn't you retire?"
Pierce was seething inside. Now it made sense—Daniel had handed over the scepter so easily because he was stalling for time. Once Ross showed up, recovering the scepter would be nearly impossible.
Pierce knew Ross well. S.H.I.E.L.D. operations often clashed with Ross's missions abroad—especially in South America—leading to repeated turf wars over who had authority over extraordinary events.
On U.S. soil, the White House could mediate. But overseas? It was every agency for itself. Ross frequently snatched jurisdiction from under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s nose, and their conflicts were legendary.
"What scepter? What the hell are you babbling about?" Ross barked, brushing past Pierce. "I was ordered to collect all alien tech in Manhattan. Retired or not, I've got a new job in the Pentagon."
Then he noticed the ice box. "Is that the scepter you're talking about?"
Before Pierce could reply, Ross grabbed the box from his hands, instantly intrigued by the glowing blue crystal inside.
"General, that's classified. The President—" Pierce tried to argue, realizing he'd made a critical mistake.
Ross frowned and said, "Doesn't matter. I'm taking this back for analysis. Alien weapon, alien threat—it falls under my jurisdiction now."
Pierce paled. He'd walked straight into it. Mentioning the scepter had only piqued Ross's interest. And Ross didn't care about presidential orders, especially when something potentially dangerous was involved.
"Do you want me to call the President again?" Pierce said, holding up his phone like a lifeline. "He gave clear instructions that this should go to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Ross, of course, was perfectly familiar with White House chains of command. He'd worked closely with the Situation Room for years. But he also had his own network inside the Pentagon and didn't take orders lightly—even from a sitting President.
Meanwhile, Daniel stood silently, watching the chaos unfold.
He knew what he was doing. By dragging General Ross into the mix, he'd thrown a wrench into Hydra's plans. It wasn't just about Hydra anymore—it was about building trust with the White House, increasing his value on the national stage, and laying the groundwork for bigger moves to come.
When the Hydra infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. was finally exposed—and it would be—S.H.I.E.L.D. would fall into disarray. During the inevitable civil war between superheroes and the U.S. government, people like Daniel would become crucial.
But to reach that level—to rise to a position like Nick Fury's—he needed more than raw power. He needed influence. Legitimacy. And official support.
Getting closer to the White House was part of that plan.
Still, the future was uncertain. Presidents came and went. Elections could upend everything. The current President had one year left in his term and was favored for re-election, but after that—who knew?
For now, Daniel had no intention of interfering in the spat between Pierce and Ross. The two men were peers in rank—Pierce, a third-tier diplomat; Ross, a fourth-tier official but one with deep Pentagon ties.
It was thanks to Nick Fury's respect for Pierce that Hydra had managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. so deeply. But maybe even Fury didn't realize just how long Pierce had been part of Hydra—or why.