It was a bright afternoon.
Alexander Pierce was hosting a private gathering with several of Hydra's core members. The meeting room was quiet but tense, the kind of place where every person present understood the weight of the discussions happening inside.
Pierce sat at the head of the table, fingers lightly tapping the armrest of his chair.
"Is there anything unusual about the monitored targets lately?" he asked calmly.
One of the men beside him quickly answered.
"For the moment, everything remains under control… except for the one at Typhon Tower."
He hesitated briefly before continuing.
"As you know, with our current capabilities it's extremely difficult for us to monitor him effectively."
"We deployed multiple undercover agents, but some of them disappeared without a trace. Others reported suspicious findings but couldn't uncover anything concrete."
He spread his hands helplessly.
"Most of his movements are still beyond our reach."
Pierce fell silent for a moment before shaking his head slightly.
"Leave him alone for now."
His tone turned colder.
"What about the other important targets?"
Another subordinate immediately began listing them.
"Agent Hill, Director Coulson, Hawkeye Barton, and Black Widow Natasha are all under continuous surveillance."
He paused briefly.
"Iron Man Stark has just been discharged from the hospital."
"Although we currently have relatively effective monitoring on him, I strongly recommend placing him on the primary elimination list once Project Insight officially begins."
Pierce nodded slowly.
"Agreed."
"Put him at the top of the list."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Who else?"
Another report followed.
"Captain America—Steve Rogers—is still adjusting to modern society."
"Our analysis suggests he may actually be the superhero who poses the greatest threat to our plans."
The man glanced down at the report in his hands.
"I've already deployed the Winter Soldier to monitor him from multiple angles."
"However, I believe we should find an opportunity to eliminate him as soon as possible."
Pierce frowned slightly.
"His combat capabilities are significant. Are you confident you can succeed?"
The subordinate smiled faintly.
"Sir, just because we aren't completely confident doesn't mean others aren't."
Pierce raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
His expression relaxed slightly.
"Interesting idea."
He nodded.
"We can try that approach."
Then he asked another question.
"What about Nick Fury?"
Pierce's voice turned noticeably more serious.
"That man hasn't shown his face much since losing his position as director."
"Even I'm having difficulty contacting him."
His eyes swept across the room.
"You all need to remain cautious."
"I know Fury well. He's a cunning individual."
"And right now… he's definitely planning something."
One of the men nodded firmly.
"Yes, Chief."
"I'll increase surveillance on him."
Pierce nodded with satisfaction before pausing briefly.
"He's still on the first elimination list, correct?"
The subordinate smiled.
"His name is the very first one."
"Good."
Pierce turned his head toward another man sitting nearby.
"Sitwell."
"How is Project Insight progressing?"
Agent Sitwell immediately responded with a confident smile.
"The construction of the three helicarriers is nearly complete."
"The weapon systems are undergoing final testing."
He continued calmly.
"The satellite network used for target identification has also been finished. Once the Lemurian Star launches, the entire system will become fully operational."
Pierce nodded approvingly.
"Excellent."
"These three aerial fortresses are the key to our future."
He leaned forward slightly.
"The dream Hydra has carried for nearly a century will finally be realized through them."
Sitwell laughed.
"The long-range precision weapons on those carriers can eliminate a thousand enemies per minute."
"With the satellite system reading their DNA, we can identify threats before they even emerge."
He tapped the table lightly.
"We'll eliminate dangers before they even exist."
"That," he said proudly, "is true power."
Pierce snorted with a trace of irritation.
"Hmph. That arrogant bastard Ethan Voss has been showing me less and less respect lately."
He shook his head.
"Does he really think the Justice League makes him untouchable?"
Pierce's eyes narrowed.
"My flying warships will rule the skies."
"They're the strongest weapons in the world."
Just then—
Knock. Knock.
A knock sounded at the conference room door.
Everyone in the room froze.
Why would someone knock?
This meeting location had been chosen randomly and kept extremely secret. Anyone who needed to contact them would first send a coded notification before approaching.
Pierce's expression darkened.
He quietly gestured toward Sitwell.
Sitwell nodded and cautiously approached the door.
When he opened it, he froze.
Standing outside was a familiar figure, smiling brightly.
"My old friend," Ethan Voss said cheerfully.
"It's been a long time."
Sitwell's eyes widened.
"You—what are you doing here?"
Ethan walked inside without waiting for permission.
"Of course I'm here to visit my respected senior."
He glanced toward the man sitting at the head of the table.
"Minister Alexander Pierce."
Then he added casually.
"Or should I say… the future Speaker of the House."
Pierce remained silent, staring at Ethan with a cold, serious expression.
Ethan, however, seemed completely unconcerned.
He looked around the room with curiosity.
"So these are all your important subordinates, Minister Pierce?"
He smiled lightly.
"Is anyone else missing?"
"If so, you can notify them now."
"I don't mind waiting."
Pierce finally spoke.
"What exactly do you mean by this, Ethan Voss?"
He could sense that something was wrong.
More importantly, he couldn't understand how Ethan had discovered their meeting place.
Ethan chuckled.
"I came here to make a deal."
"A deal with you."
Pierce's eyes narrowed.
"What kind of deal?"
Ethan flicked his hand casually.
Suddenly, a scepter appeared out of thin air.
The Mind Scepter.
Ethan held it up slightly.
"I'd like to use this valuable artifact…"
"To earn the minister's loyalty."
For a moment, everyone in the room thought they had misheard him.
Pierce laughed coldly.
"A broken alien weapon?"
"You must be dreaming."
Ethan sighed and shook his head.
"You have no idea how valuable this thing truly is."
He tapped the scepter lightly.
"Some people would slaughter half your entire family just to obtain it."
Pierce's eyes remained cold.
"I have no idea what nonsense you're talking about."
In reality, he was buying time.
His guards would arrive soon.
"What exactly is your purpose for coming here today?" Pierce asked. "I certainly didn't invite you."
Ethan shrugged.
"I'm just curious about something."
He tilted his head slightly.
"What's your relationship with Baron Strucker these days?"
"Is he still working for you?"
Pierce froze briefly.
Recently, Baron Strucker had indeed been cooperating with him.
After witnessing the extraordinary abilities displayed by the Justice League's superheroes, Pierce couldn't deny feeling a hint of envy.
Working with Strucker on certain… experiments seemed like a logical step.
Whether through deception, manipulation, or human experimentation, they would eventually produce enhanced individuals of their own.
Seeing Pierce remain silent, Ethan smiled faintly.
That silence told him everything he needed to know.
The storyline hadn't deviated too far.
To be honest, Ethan was extremely reluctant to give up the Mind Scepter.
But if keeping it interfered with certain future developments, he might lose someone very important.
Wanda.
Such a cute little sister absolutely had to stay by his side.
Serving tea, bringing water, giving shoulder massages, maybe even warming the bed at night.
Wasn't that wonderful?
As for that future synthezoid Vision…
Ethan snorted inwardly.
If that guy dared to show up in front of him, Ethan would personally gouge his eyes out.
Still, he wasn't too worried.
"The Mind Stone will shatter… Stark's leg will break."
"Let's see how you manage to be reborn after that."
The reason Ethan managed to locate Pierce and his key Hydra members today was actually thanks to groundwork he had laid long ago.
The Blood God—Frost.
After a long period of infiltration and verification, Frost had successfully approached the core of Pierce's inner circle.
When he learned that Pierce would soon hold an important meeting, he immediately passed the information to Ethan.
And so Ethan arrived.
Now nearly every key member of Hydra under Pierce's command was gathered in one room.
It couldn't be more perfect.
Ethan smiled.
"Gentlemen…"
"Why don't we move somewhere else to continue this conversation?"
As he spoke, a glowing portal opened beside him.
Beyond it lay the entrance to his Divine Realm.
Pierce sneered.
"You must be joking."
"Why would I willingly walk into an obvious trap?"
"You think I'd enter a place that clearly has malicious intent?"
But then he noticed something.
Ethan had touched the ruby ring on his finger.
Pierce suddenly stood up.
"Hmph!"
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
He straightened his suit confidently.
"Anyone who refuses to enter is a coward!"
He gestured toward the portal.
"Everyone—let's see what kind of trick he's trying to pull!"
The other Hydra members stared at him in disbelief.
Boss…
Have you lost your mind?
.....
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