Coulson understood Nick Fury's meaning perfectly. They should use this opportunity to turn the tables, operating from the shadows while Hydra remained in the open. By directly mobilizing Hydra's forces to clash with the Chitauri, they could weaken Hydra as much as possible while preserving their own strength.
This was a strategy they had long discussed for resolving the Hydra problem.
Naturally, they couldn't alert Hydra prematurely. Hydra was an incredibly troublesome organization, deeply entrenched within S.H.I.E.L.D. and extending its influence across government, business, and the military. They also had branches in numerous countries worldwide.
The results of their investigations over the years had been shocking. The sheer number of Hydra cells was staggering, far more complex to deal with than a single supervillain. Based on the cells uncovered so far, at least half of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s factions were either openly or secretly aligned with Hydra.
No wonder Lin Feng had joked that this wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D. at all—it was *Hydra*-Shield.
Lin Feng's teasing left them speechless, because he was speaking the truth.
Now was the perfect time to strike at the Chitauri. He could send Hydra's squads to the front lines—they were technically his subordinates, and with an alien invasion underway, it was perfectly reasonable for him to deploy Hydra's special agent teams to assist.
Everything was part of the plan!
Meanwhile, the Avengers were preparing for battle, ready to board the Quinjets and head toward Stark Tower.
At that moment, a massive rift tore open above Stark Tower. Through it, countless colossal Leviathan ships descended like terrifying whales, unleashing swarms of Chitauri soldiers in a full-scale assault.
News of the invasion spread like wildfire across the internet, igniting global panic. This was an invasion from another dimension, and it had been caught on camera in undeniable detail.
Though many had already accepted the existence of superheroes, metahumans, and even gods, few had ever conceived of alien life.
Or rather, the major powers on Earth hadn't prepared their citizens for the truth about aliens, and then the aliens just appeared out of nowhere.
A plot that had previously only existed in science fiction movies and novels was suddenly playing out in real life, and everyone's emotions exploded.
Countless people panicked and fled in chaos, but this instantly caused traffic gridlock. After all, New York is a global megacity, and with so many vehicles trying to escape at once, it was impossible to get away easily.
In just a short time, the Chitauri invasion caused massive casualties.
The images coming back from the front lines were devastating.
Human armies were utterly outmatched by the Chitauri. Tanks and armored vehicles were blown to pieces almost instantly.
While the Chitauri might not have been particularly well-defended, their offensive capabilities were astonishing.
Human forces were completely powerless against the Chitauri. Even though Tony Stark often mocked how humanity had "misaligned its technological tree," even with its skewed development, the Chitauri's combat power was at least a tier above that of the current US soldiers.
The governments of nations around the world were alarmed. To many countries, America's power seemed as formidable as that of the Zenithians, yet when they encountered the real Zenithians, they were routed like dogs.
But no nation had the luxury of mocking America at this moment. They understood clearly that if the aliens had chosen America as their first point of entry, and if America failed to hold the line, they would be next.
Emergency mobilization orders were swiftly issued across the globe, and all factions of humanity closely monitored the unfolding battle.
On the Helicarrier, Nick Fury watched the constant updates from the New York battlefield on the monitors. He knew that without the Avengers, the situation wouldn't change significantly.
Or rather, even with the Avengers present, the outcome against these Chitauri would likely remain unchanged.
They were simply too few in number. Such a small force, such limited combat power, was utterly insignificant in a civilization-level conflict.
Just then, his superior, Alexander Pierce, called. Pierce had just learned that his Hydra agent teams had been deployed to the front lines.
Shocked and furious, he immediately called Nick Fury and roared, "Nick, what the hell are you doing?"
He was understandably furious. Many of the elite special forces teams being deployed were developed from sleeper agents he had cultivated years ago, forming the core of Hydra's elite forces. They represented the essence of Hydra's influence within S.H.I.E.L.D. While other civilian officials could be recruited as needed, these elite soldiers were a different matter—they were incredibly difficult to cultivate.
Of course, Hydra's power extended far beyond this. They even controlled entire nations like Sokovia, including its military and government. But those matters were of little concern to him in distant New York.
Hydra had multiple leaders, and Alexander Pierce was merely one of them. Even the once-renowned Red Skull from World War II was just one branch of the organization.
Otherwise, Hydra wouldn't have been able to recover so quickly. The branch that was eliminated was merely the most powerful and outspoken—not the entire organization.
Hydra's multi-headed leadership structure was the key to its survival through countless storms over the decades.
For Alexander Pierce, these agent teams were his true power. He had spent years cultivating them, and a devastating loss could even jeopardize his position within S.H.I.E.L.D.
His continued influence within S.H.I.E.L.D. after his promotion to Secretary-General wasn't merely due to his past favors to Nick Fury. It stemmed from his genuine power within the organization, with most of S.H.I.E.L.D. still obeying his commands.
All of this depended on these elites. Now they were being sent into battle, so how could he not be anxious?
Cultivating such a vast network of power had required him to tread on thin ice for years. Each one had been painstakingly developed. Now they were all being thrown into a war against aliens?
*Are you crazy?*
In a conflict of this magnitude, these elite teams would be largely useless.
Just like special forces soldiers on a battlefield—they might look impressive, but they could only handle specific missions and could never replace the role of the regular army.
The aliens were unleashing a relentless barrage, killing agents and elite special forces alike without mercy.
"Pierce, New York is under attack. The aliens have invaded—you saw it yourself. S.H.I.E.L.D. was established by the five major powers to protect humanity. I don't think this counts as neglecting our duties, do you?" Nick Fury said calmly.
He felt a chill in his heart. After weeks of investigation, all the evidence pointed to Alexander Pierce, the man who had been like a mentor to him.
The very source of Hydra's power was his own mentor.
Though he didn't understand why Alexander Pierce had recommended him to become Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., one thing remained clear: Alexander Pierce was one of Hydra's leaders.
"That's the job of the regular army. Don't forget, we're not a regular agency. We're agents, Pierce. Do you understand what that means?" Alexander Pierce was practically seething with rage.
Unmoved by Pierce's fury, Nick Fury continued, "Humanity has reached a critical point. If these aliens conquer Earth, what use will our agent teams be then?"
"No, you're overstepping your bounds, and you're violating S.H.I.E.L.D. regulations!" Alexander Pierce roared, his voice trembling with rage.
"Alexander, remember this: I'm still the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. You've been promoted. How S.H.I.E.L.D. operates is my decision alone," Nick Fury replied.
He was exploiting Alexander Pierce's current inability to interfere. Having been promoted to Secretary-General of the Council, Pierce no longer had the authority to directly intervene in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s operations.
Alexander Pierce was furious but couldn't show it. Drawing Nick Fury's attention would be disastrous. He knew all too well how suspicious this black director was.
Any slip-up could lead to catastrophic consequences.
What he didn't realize was that Nick Fury wasn't just suspicious—he knew Pierce was a problem and had been plotting his downfall for a long time.
"No, I disagree! This is tyranny! Do you even know what that word means? The Council will never approve your plan to send our precious assets to the battlefield as cannon fodder!" Alexander Pierce roared, his voice hoarse with fury.
"The Council will naturally agree," Nick Fury said dismissively. "After all, I'm fighting for the entire human race."
"Nick, don't forget how cheap it is to train those soldiers. How much does it cost to train one of our agents?" Alexander Pierce interjected hastily. "What kind of trash are in those armies? XDs, criminals, illiterates, all sorts of riffraff can get in. But our agents? Every single one is handpicked. Training one costs over a hundred thousand dollars. Do you know how difficult that is?"
The current US military had devolved into a rabble. With so many illiterates, they couldn't even find enough people to promote to junior officers and had to resort to token appointments of Asian faces to fill the ranks.
After all, the black guys couldn't even read or fill out a form.
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