S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters — The Triskelion
Nick Fury stared at the live broadcast of the White House press conference on the screen, his face darker than the bottom of a burned pan.
"Motherf—" Fury slammed the remote onto the desk. "He didn't even bother informing us."
"Sir."
Agent Maria Hill stood beside him, a folder clutched in her arms, her expression just as grim.
"The World Security Council sent an emergency notice. Due to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'severe intelligence delays' and 'major operational failures,' they've decided to temporarily freeze 30% of our budget."
Fury didn't blink.
"And they're demanding we cooperate unconditionally with Vought International during this crisis."
"Cooperate?" Fury snorted. "They want us babysitting that blond bastard."
He could feel the net tightening.
Vought wasn't just stealing their missions.
They were cutting into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s foundation.
"And there's more," Hill continued hesitantly.
"They're discussing a proposal called the Near-Earth Orbit Defense Outsourcing Act. If it passes, future extraterrestrial defense operations will be prioritized to… Vought."
Fury's eye twitched.
"Some council members even suggested that S.H.I.E.L.D. has become bloated and inefficient… proposing restructuring. Or outright dissolution."
"Hah." Fury laughed coldly. "They really dare to dream."
"They don't understand what that means," Hill said angrily.
"That's handing the sword directly to the devil. Those politicians are completely blinded by Homelander."
"Not just politicians."
A familiar voice cut in.
Steve Rogers strode into the office, shield in hand, still wearing his uniform.
"Captain," Fury turned.
"You think I shouldn't be here?" Steve asked, disappointment etched into his face.
"I just think… Vought may be aggressive, but at least they're doing something. What about us, Nick?"
"The Dark Elves are coming. The entire world knows it—because Homelander told them. And where's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network? Still chasing ghosts?"
"We're hunting internal threats," Hill protested.
"And have you caught them yet?" Steve slammed his shield onto the desk.
"The enemy's ships are almost at our doorstep!"
"At Vought, I watched kids training to protect the world.
Here at S.H.I.E.L.D.? All I see is suspicion, blame-shifting, and bureaucratic paralysis."
"If S.H.I.E.L.D. can't protect the world," Steve said quietly,
"then maybe it doesn't deserve to exist."
He placed a USB drive on the desk.
"Natalie found something. Once this is over, don't come looking for me again. I want to do something that actually matters."
And with that, he turned and walked out.
Fury watched his back… and didn't argue.
------
Meanwhile — Deep within the building's shadows
Alexander Pierce was on a secure call.
"This won't work," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is our life's work. If it collapses, what were fifty years of infiltration for?"
He ended the call and leaned back heavily, rubbing his temples.
"Sir, what do we do now?" Brock Rumlow asked, tense.
"We help Fury."
Rumlow froze. "What?"
"You heard me." Pierce's voice turned icy.
"We fully support S.H.I.E.L.D. through this crisis."
"If the host dies, the parasite loses meaning."
"But—"
"No buts." Pierce slammed the desk.
"Execute the order."
"Until this crisis ends, HYDRA suspends all sabotage operations."
"Full cooperation with Nick Fury."
"We will be more patriotic than anyone. Braver than anyone."
"We will prove S.H.I.E.L.D. is still useful—indispensable, even if only as Vought's shadow."
"And if necessary…"
Pierce clenched his jaw.
"…our agents will take bullets for Nick Fury."
"Under no circumstances does S.H.I.E.L.D.'s name fall in our hands."
"Hail HYDRA."
"Hail HYDRA."
-----
Meanwhile — Vought International
The Popularity System delivered another pleasant surprise.
"System Notification: A large-scale hero organization under host leadership detected."
"Hero Alliance Module Activated."
"Module Effect: When the host leads large-scale public combat involving allied or non-allied hero teams, 10% of all positive popularity earned by participating members will be converted into host popularity."
"Note: This is a bonus reward and does not reduce individual gains."
"Holy shit!"
Antony shot out of his chair.
Ten percent commission?!
That meant only one thing—
Scale up. Dominate. Go global.
Then Vought Media dropped the second nuclear bomb.
Official 'Who Is the Next Superhero?' Twitter Update:
THIS IS WAR. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
REALITY SHOW FORMAT — FULL UPGRADE
ULTIMATE TRIAL
Team Iron Man.
Team Captain America.
Team Jewel.
Thirty elite trainees will be led by three mentors and deployed directly as advance units in Earth's anti-alien defense operations.
Vought Tech will deploy the latest Hummingbird Micro-Drone Swarms, providing first-person live battlefield footage — FULL LIVESTREAM.
Top performers earn direct promotion into the Seven.
All Vought-contracted City Heroes: leave canceled. Maximum alert.
No criminal exploits during wartime.
The internet detonated.
Sending trainees to fight aliens?!
That wasn't hardcore.
That was insane.
-----
Vought Headquarters — Conference Room
The three mentors gathered.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Antony sat at the head of the table.
Jessica sat to his left, pouring whiskey into her coffee.
Across from them: a grim Steve Rogers, and a visibly irritated Tony Stark, scrolling on his phone.
"So…" Tony said without looking up,
"Did the Bifrost crush your brain? These kids trained for weeks, and you're throwing them against a professional alien army? You think this is Half-Life?"
"It's combat," Antony corrected calmly.
"Not a game."
"This is war, Antony!" Steve stood up, slamming both hands on the table.
"This isn't a show! Some of them are sixteen years old! Some have never even been in a fight! You'll get them killed!"
"How long were you trained before going to war, Captain?" Antony shot back.
"If I remember correctly, you went from selling war bonds straight into a HYDRA base."
"That's different—I was a super soldier—"
"No," Antony said coldly, rising to his feet.
"It isn't."
"The Dark Elves want to destroy the world. Literally. If the world ends, where do you think those kids can hide?"
"We're not selecting an idol group."
"We're choosing the Seven."
"If they can't survive blood and fire," Antony's gaze swept the room,
"what right do they have to stand beside me?"
"What right do they have… to become superheroes?"
The room fell silent.
The ultimate trial had begun.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals