Few days ago, Liam for the first time showed how his dominant ability worked by bringing Sitwell into their circle. He was the first Hydra to turn to their side and Liam preemptively handed him over to Fury for interrogation.
Fury was skeptical of how deep the control was and he made Sitwell spit out all of the secrets, starting from how he was converted into Hydra's agents to how deep the network was. He then collaborated what he said to the data Tony had handed him over and he was telling the truth.
This made him realize how dangerous Liam's ability was. He was a wizard to be feared. Now that Sitwell had connections with Senator Stern, they would now go for him. And from there till Alexander Pierce.
The plan to take Senator Stern under their control had to be executed carefully. Unlike Sitwell, who operated in the shadows, Stern was a public figure—shielded not just by his political allies but also by layers of bureaucracy and security.
Senator Stern prided himself on being untouchable. He had power, connections, and most importantly, plausible deniability. His public persona as a hard-nosed patriot kept people from questioning the darker dealings that funded his campaigns and secured his influence.
Fury looked at Tony and Liam and said.
"This is how we will execute the plan."
In the evening, Jasper Sitwell requested a private meeting at his residence. Sitwell had always been useful—an insider who handled the dirty work. If he was coming with new information, it was worth his time.
The senator's mansion was as secure as any high-profile official's home—armed guards patrolled the perimeter, surveillance cameras monitored every angle, and a private security team screened all visitors. Stern himself sat in his study, a glass of whiskey in hand, waiting as his guards escorted Sitwell inside.
Sitwell entered, stiff as always, adjusting his glasses as he stood before the senator's desk.
"Senator, we have a problem."
"That's why I keep you around, Sitwell. To make problems disappear." Stern replied.
"This one's different. Stark went public with the Hammer Industries files. It's stirred up too many questions." Sitwell said.
"Damn fool doesn't know when to quit. How bad is it?" Stern frowned, rubbing his temple.
"Bad enough. And there's more—Fury is on the move. He's getting closer to things we don't want him to see."
"Fury's a cockroach. Annoying, but not a real threat. He doesn't have the reach. I sometimes wonder why Pierce even bothered to put him in that chair. Doesn't he know the consequences?"
"That I have no idea Sir, but Fury has some reach now." Sitwell countered. "He's gotten his hands on resources we didn't account for. If we don't act fast, he'll be knocking on your door next."
"Are you saying I'm exposed?" Stern asked, his small eyes squinted.
"I'm saying we need to take precautions. Move assets, shut down loose ends. I have a list of locations we should sweep immediately."
Stern leaned back in his chair, considering. He trusted Sitwell—at least, as much as he trusted anyone in his line of work.
"Fine," he said at last. "Send me the details. And while we're at it, start looking into how we can—"
His voice cut off. His breath hitched.
His limbs felt heavy, his fingers slack around the glass of whiskey. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, a slow, staggering thump.
Across from him, Sitwell sat motionless, his expression unreadable.
"He didn't do anything." A new voice answered from the shadows.
Stern's gaze flickered toward the corner of the room. A figure stepped forward, moving through the dim light with eerie silence. Liam. His eyes glowed faintly, wraithlike energy crackling at his fingertips. Yes, he didn't need to touch the head of the man he needed to control. It depended upon the will, even in game Liam was able to control men from far. Those low level Uruks.
Stern's breath hitched.
Liam held up a hand, fingers curling slightly—and Stern felt it. The unseen force wrapping around his mind like a steel vise, pressing down with an unnatural weight. His thoughts blurred, his resistance crumbling. Fury emerged from behind him.
"You've been running the game a long time, Stern. Thought you were untouchable. But see, we've got a new player on the board. And he doesn't play by the old rules."
Stern's mouth moved, but no sound came out. His mind was slipping, bending under the force of Liam's will.
"You're going to tell us everything," Liam murmured. "Who you report to. What you know. Where the bodies are buried."
Stern's resistance shattered like glass.
And just like that, the mighty senator—one of the most powerful men in Washington—was no longer his own. After Stern, it would be the World Council. Fury didn't want to go for Pierce yet, he might be old, but he had a will. Anyone who could be the Director of SHIELD, shouldn't be take lightly.
Thus Fury was going for men who didn't have strong will but had a vast presence. It was a slow process but they were getting somewhere. Meanwhile Tony was actively making better armors and also trying to find out the location of the Winter Soldiers.
At night Liam was back and not to his home but to his blacksmith's home. This time he wasn't alone.
"Welcome back, Liam." A walking robot came to open the door for him. It was BT. Since BT's work with Tony was done, he was returned, but in a much smaller package. The bigger package was in Tony's garage and it could be used next time when there would be a crisis. They just needed to transfer the AI to the bigger husk.
BT was getting bored in the garage anyways.
"Thanks, is the food ready?" Liam asked. "I am hungry."
"Of course. I made your fav pasta." BT said.
"Thanks mom." Liam teased.