Brilliant!
Simply brilliant!
Darian hadn't expected that Steve, this muscle-bound beefcake, would actually be a Batman-style detective-type superhero.
In such a short time, he had tracked down so many clues, even uncovering HYDRA's Insight Project and the Zola Algorithm.
It's just that his reasoning had veered off in a rather ridiculous direction.
In Steve's description, Nick Fury had become the big boss behind the scenes, secretly manipulating the HYDRA elements lurking in the shadows of S.H.I.E.L.D. to carry out various evil plans.
As a loyal veteran of S.H.I.E.L.D., Pierce had sensed Nick Fury's conspiracy and specifically assigned Steve, a trustworthy undercover, to investigate secretly. Unexpectedly, he met with an accident the next day, and his life or death remained unknown.
Thus, Steve could only painfully inherit Pierce's legacy, investigating Nick Fury's secrets alone, and finally successfully unmasking Nick Fury as the big boss behind the scenes.
How should one put this plot...
Although it was Worlds apart from the truth, after Steve's narration, it somehow became inexplicably logical.
"So that's how it is. It seems Nick Fury really is HYDRA!"
Darian tightened his facial muscles, barely holding back his laughter as he tried to maintain a serious and solemn expression.
"To think that the HYDRA of old hadn't disbanded, and had hidden so deeply that they even managed to become the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. That's truly terrifying!"
Steve deeply agreed: "I've felt something was off about Nick Fury for a long time. This guy hides too many secrets from us."
"..."
Darian nodded: "Indeed, that Bald Egg doesn't look like a good person at first glance; he's even more dangerous than Loki. I have reason to suspect that during the Battle of New York, it wasn't actually Loki controlling Nick Fury, but Nick Fury controlling Loki from behind the scenes, pinning all the blame on Loki."
"That possibility cannot be ruled out."
Natasha: "..."
If you two keep talking, Nick Fury is going to be promoted from the mastermind of S.H.I.E.L.D. to a World-class arch-villain.
Darian asked curiously: "But I have a question. Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid that I'm on Nick Fury's side?"
"Because I have full trust in you."
Steve smiled slightly.
After all, Darian was the founder of the Kick the Bald Egg Alliance.
Even if Hulk were one of Nick Fury's people, Steve wouldn't believe Darian was one of them.
"You have good eyes. I am irreconcilable with that Bald Egg!"
Darian was very satisfied with Steve's answer.
"Tell me, what do you plan to do next?"
Steve's expression turned solemn: "I plan to gather a group of trustworthy partners to form a temporary task force to eliminate the HYDRA infiltration forces led by Nick Fury and stop any dangerous plans they are pushing forward!"
Darian asked: "So how many people do we have now?"
"Currently, there are only the four of us here."
Steve explained: "Because I'm not yet sure how deep HYDRA has penetrated S.H.I.E.L.D., I'm worried about alerting them. So I can't recruit openly and can only contact those absolutely trustworthy comrades-in-arms privately."
"Besides you all, I also plan to invite Clint and Coulson to join us. I believe they are just as reliable as you are."
Darian: "..."
"..."
It had to be said, Steve's eye for people was truly something.
The four S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents he personally selected were, without exception, all moles on Nick Fury's side.
Looking around, the only ones in the entire task force who were truly kept in the dark were probably Steve himself and Sam, who had been pulled into the team temporarily and still looked completely out of the loop.
This concentration of moles was almost comparable to a certain international 'distillery' organization.
Darian cleared his throat and asked casually: "Speaking of which, why not invite the other members of the Avengers? They should also be trustworthy, right?"
Steve shook his head: "Their identities are too sensitive; it's not good for them to come into contact with a national special agency like this. Asking for their help would only make things more troublesome. Until things reach an irreversible point, it's better not to involve them."
Darian was a bit disappointed to hear this.
He was still hoping to see the scene of the Avengers beating up Nick Fury.
Darian asked: "So what exactly are we going to do next?"
Steve said in a low voice: "According to our investigation, HYDRA's Insight Project seems to have been temporarily shelved for some unknown reason and is currently stored in the lowest level of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. This is our chance."
To prevent Darian from not knowing what the Insight Project was, Steve specifically explained the ins and outs of the project to him.
Darian also cooperated by reacting, his face successively flashing with shock, disbelief, anger, and various other emotions; his performance was quite layered.
Steve continued: "When the time comes, I will sneak into the control centers of the three Helicarriers and replace the targeting blades with our own. Once the Insight Project is reactivated and the three Helicarriers take flight, we can seize control at any time and stop the disaster at the critical moment."
"Darian and Natasha will be responsible for staying in S.H.I.E.L.D. to gather intelligence. HYDRA must have an infiltration list and communication methods; you two need to investigate this and root out the HYDRA Agents hidden in S.H.I.E.L.D."
Darian and Natasha glanced at each other with a silent understanding.
The entire S.H.I.E.L.D. is full of HYDRA spies; isn't this making things difficult for us?
Steve looked at Sam: "As for Sam, you are our final insurance. If anything goes wrong with the operation, only you can reverse the situation."
Hearing that he was entrusted with such a heavy responsibility, Sam immediately straightened his back, his face filled with a sense of mission.
"Captain, I didn't expect you to trust me so much! Tell me, what is my mission?"
Steve nodded with satisfaction: "Your mission is very important. If we lose contact, you are responsible for contacting Tony Stark and telling him everything we know. He will know what to do with the rest."
Sam: "..."
"..."
So I'm just a phone operator?
Darian nodded: "Then when do we plan to act?"
"The sooner the better."
A sense of urgency condensed between Steve's brows as he said solemnly: "Nick Fury is no ordinary person. He likely already suspects someone is investigating him. We must hurry and complete our plan before he takes countermeasures, and finally wipe out the HYDRA forces led by Nick Fury in one fell swoop!"
As the words fell, the system notification sounded.
[NPC Steve Rogers has issued a new task to you]
[Task: Darkness of S.H.I.E.L.D.]
[Objective: Annihilate the HYDRA forces led by Nick Fury within S.H.I.E.L.D.]
[Rewards: Experience +1500, Steve Favorability +10, Random Item *1, Random Equipment *1]
"No problem."
Darian agreed readily.
After all, he was the true person in power over the HYDRA forces. With just one word from him, Nick Fury would immediately become a commander without an army. This task was practically a giveaway for him.
But playing it that way would be no fun.
Compared to the task rewards, Darian wanted to see the HYDRA leader Nick Fury face off against Captain America Steve Rogers.
Just thinking about it was thrilling!
Once the plan was finalized, Sam naturally joined the Kick the Bald Egg Alliance.
Originally, Steve wanted to create a new squad, but Darian felt there was already a ready-made one, and the name fit the theme of this operation perfectly. So he simply invited Sam into the happy family of the Kick the Bald Egg Alliance.
Finally, Steve didn't forget to remind them: "Remember, this is a secret operation. Do not let anyone else know."
Darian patted his chest: "Don't worry. I can't speak for others, but I'm the best at keeping secrets."
Very quickly, Nick Fury learned of Steve's brilliant reasoning from the mole, Darian.
Nick Fury: "..."
"..."
Who the hell is this person you're talking about!?
The mastermind behind the Insight Project, the killer of the loyal Pierce, the ultimate hand controlling the HYDRA network...
That's me!?
Nick Fury simply couldn't explain his grievance.
He clearly hadn't done anything, so how did he suddenly end up carrying a mountain of blame?
Worse still, Steve was now clearly convinced he was the leader of HYDRA, showing a posture of not stopping until everything was investigated to the end.
If he really let him keep digging like this, then the HYDRA matter would be completely exposed. Neither Steve nor the World Council would tolerate the existence of a S.H.I.E.L.D. hollowed out by HYDRA.
Thinking of this, Nick Fury had a massive headache.
He never expected that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current greatest hidden danger wasn't HYDRA, but Captain America.
"We can't let Steve continue investigating like this, otherwise there will be major chaos sooner or later."
Nick Fury rubbed his brow, his single eye full of exhaustion.
Darian shook his head: "It's impossible, Officer. You also know Steve has fought HYDRA for many years. He will absolutely not let HYDRA be. He will inevitably keep investigating and won't stop until the truth is unearthed."
Fury naturally knew Darian was right, and because of that, his head hurt even more.
If it were anyone else investigating him, even those old foxes in the World Council, he would have plenty of ways to maneuver.
But the opponent just had to be Steve, America's national idol. Even in S.H.I.E.L.D., many Agents were his fans. As soon as Steve gave the call, a large number of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents would definitely stand on his side to fight the HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D., possibly including the current Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hill.
"Then what do you think I should do?"
Nick Fury couldn't think of a way for a moment, so he asked Darian.
Darian pondered for two seconds: "Why don't you gather a group of HYDRA members, kidnap Steve in advance, and lock him in a dark room? Once and for all, eliminating the future trouble."
Nick Fury: ...
Doesn't that just prove I'm the mastermind!?
If he really dared to do that, he'd never be able to clear his name in this lifetime!
Nick Fury said irritably: "Is there a less extreme way?"
"There is, Officer, there is."
Darian nodded and said cheerfully: "You can find a scapegoat and pin all the blame on them. That way, you can successfully extricate yourself."
Hearing this, Nick Fury's eye lit up.
This was indeed a good way!
Darian added: "However, given Steve's sharpness, an ordinary scapegoat won't be able to fool him."
Nick Fury smiled confidently: "Don't worry, I have a very good scapegoat. I guarantee Steve won't find any flaws. But before that, I need you to help stall Steve's actions and buy me time to prepare."
[NPC Nick Fury has issued a new task to you]
[Task: Stall Steve]
[Objective: Delay Steve's actions to buy time for Nick Fury's scapegoat plan]
[Rewards: Experience +1000, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +20, Random Item *1]
The next day, the squad Steve formed added two new members: Coulson and Clint.
"Coulson and Clint already know everything. They've agreed to join us to deal with Nick Fury together."
Steve looked at the growing team, feeling even more confident in his plan: "Three Avengers members, two high-level S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. With such a lineup, we should be able to overthrow Nick Fury's HYDRA."
"So, I've decided to start the operation tomorrow!"
"Wait!"
Darian immediately said: "Steve, I think this still isn't safe enough. Nick Fury has operated in S.H.I.E.L.D. for many years; his roots are too deep. We should recruit more reliable members to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Natasha followed suit: "Darian is right. I happen to have a trustworthy acquaintance to recommend: Melinda May, codename 'The Cavalry'. She has top-tier combat skills, is a professional pilot, and is upright and completely trustworthy. If she joins, our operation will be more certain."
Steve had heard of May's reputation; her skills were not at all inferior to Natasha's. She was indeed a good candidate.
He thought for a moment: "Good, then I'll leave it to you to invite Agent May."
Natasha smiled: "Alright Captain, leave it to me. But I'll need a day."
"No problem, our operation will be postponed by one day."
The second day, the squad added another new member, 'The Cavalry' Melinda May.
Steve nodded with satisfaction: "This way, our chances of success are even greater. Well then, we'll start tomorrow..."
"..."
"Wait!"
Darian interrupted Steve: "Actually, I also have a candidate to recommend. Her name is Skye, a top-tier hacker, very reliable. If she helps, we can easily access S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal encrypted data. But I need a day to convince her."
Steve's mouth twitched.
Can't you guys finish your recommendations all at once?
He felt a bit helpless: "A top-tier hacker is indeed the personnel we need most. Then... let's postpone our operation by another day."
By the third day, the squad members had ballooned to eight.
Steve took a deep breath: "Since everyone is here, then we..."
"..."
"Cough, cough!"
Coulson stepped forward and said awkwardly: "Captain, actually, I also want to recommend two candidates: Fitz and Simmons. They are the top scientists in my squad."
Steve: "..."
"..."
Just like that, a week passed.
Steve stood in Sam's slightly crowded living room, looking at the heads bobbing in front of him, momentarily speechless.
Through mutual recommendations from the members, this secret squad that originally had only four people had snowballed to nearly twenty.
Now, Sam's house could barely fit so many people.
The team's composition was even more diverse than imagined.
It included, but was not limited to, combat personnel, hackers, scientists, engineers, logistics personnel, cleaners...
Steve looked at such a team, hesitating to speak.
Can this still be considered a secret operation?