During the peak of the warehouse battle, communications were suddenly cut off.
For Hydra, this was anything but good news.
What was the situation on the battlefield? Victory? Defeat? Should they deploy the remaining backup forces?
Without information, no decisions could be made. Without battlefield awareness, all command and strategic planning were meaningless.
"Our communications are being jammed. Go check out what's happening."
A decisive Hydra commander promptly dispatched a trusted operative stationed near the battlefield.
"Roger. Moving toward the combat zone."
After switching off his communicator, Steve Rogers revved up his old-school motorcycle, heading straight for the smoke-filled Rhodes Island Industrial warehouse district.
"Visual confirmation from a distance: the battle appears to be over. Moving in for closer reconnaissance."
With his keen military instincts, Steve remained cautious.
This battlefield was both unfamiliar and familiar to him.
Although electronic surveillance was useless due to the communication blackout, Captain America's sharp battle intuition allowed him to maneuver along the battlefield's outskirts, carefully monitoring the situation.
The outcome could only be one of two possibilities: Rhodes Island Industrial had won, meaning Hydra needed to mount another assault, or Hydra had emerged victorious, eliminating Nick Fury and securing full control over "Project Insight."
As Steve approached the warehouse, the situation became clear.
"Yo, there you are. The comms were jammed, and I was starting to think something happened to our rear guard."
He was greeted by War Machine—piloted by Tony Stark.
"So? Nothing out of the ordinary?"
Tony had adjusted his voice modulator to mimic Rhodey's, preventing Steve from realizing the switch.
"That's what I was going to ask. Is the fight over?" Steve countered. "And Fury? If he's dead, I need to confirm the body."
"Relax. It was a tough fight, but we secured victory."
War Machine gestured at the battlefield littered with fallen Iron Man suits and strike teams.
"The losses were... considerable, but the mission was accomplished. As for Fury, he has something to say."
"He's still alive?"
"Yep."
War Machine nodded. "Before he dies, he wants to see who really betrayed S.H.I.E.L.D."
"How poetic. He wants closure?" Steve chuckled. "S.H.I.E.L.D. never truly existed. It always belonged to Hydra."
"Is that so? Then I guess I've lost completely."
At that moment, Nick Fury appeared, escorted by Hawkeye.
"I just never expected it to be you. When did you betray this country, Rogers? 1945?"
"Building a secret empire doesn't happen overnight. I only recently—wait a second. Why is Barton here? What's going on?"
Steve tensed up. "Last I checked, Barton was on Rhodes Island Industrial's side."
"That's correct, Captain," a familiar voice echoed.
A drone projected a holographic image of Kagura.
"But now, Rhodes Island Industrial stands with Hydra. So what you see before you is Hydra-version Kagura! Ehehe~!"
"What?" Steve's grip tightened on his shield. He turned to War Machine. "Rhodey, you better explain."
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Don't worry, we're allies now."
Kagura waved with a bright smile. "Rhodes Island Industrial is a private entity. Looking at the current landscape, Hydra is set to lead the world. So why wouldn't we switch sides early?"
She puffed out her chest. "That's right! I've taken the entire Rhodes Island Industrial under Hydra's banner!"
She turned to Fury smugly. "Doesn't that make you mad, Director Fury?"
"You traitors!" Fury snarled. "Fair-weather turncoats! Unbelievable! I have never seen such shameless—"
"Director Fury, there's an old saying in the East: 'A wise man adapts to the times.'"
Kagura dismissed his outburst with a smirk. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is finished. Don't blame us for making the best decision for our survival."
"Do you people have no convictions?!" Fury struggled against his captors. "This is not how Bruce Wayne would handle things!"
"No, Fury. This is exactly how we operate, you foolish egghead."
Kagura countered, "Wayne is a businessman. We are a business. Naturally, we seek the optimal balance of interests."
"As for ideals... we're neither soldiers nor a military force. You can save your speeches for someone else."
Steve smiled in approval. "A wise decision, Miss Kagura. Welcome to Hydra. We are comrades now."
"Oh my, thank you for the warm welcome, Captain."
Kagura grinned. "So, Hydra Captain, should we just execute the egghead here and now?"
"You—!" Fury's expression twisted in anger.
"No, let him live a little longer. Since he's so desperate to understand, let's show him Hydra's vision for the future."
Steve turned to War Machine. "Rhodey, take him with us."
"Got it."
Tony hesitated for a moment. "Oh, one more thing..."
"What is it?" Steve tilted his head. "Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem."
Tony paused, then cleared his throat. "Ahem... Hail Hydra."
Steve smiled approvingly. "Hail Hydra."
(This plan is going perfectly! See? I'm a genius!)
As Kagura spoke through the holographic projection, she was also chatting via text through the War Machine HUD and Barton's visor interface.
(And I even got to roast Fury a little! So satisfying! Hahaha!)
(You seem to have a personal grudge against him?) Barton typed back. (For all his faults, he has done a lot to keep the world safe.)
(And caused just as many problems,) Kagura countered. (His paranoia is exactly why Hydra was able to take root so deeply.)
She continued typing: (Fury once asked me why I criticize S.H.I.E.L.D. when I essentially do the same thing with Rhodes Island Industrial.)
(The difference is obvious. S.H.I.E.L.D. spies on and manipulates the world. It's a spy agency first, and a security force second. They don't even trust themselves.)
(I, on the other hand, trust my organization. Griffin Security doesn't monitor or control the world—we observe and protect it.)
(From the start, I declared: We are the Watchdogs. Our systems don't interfere in normal affairs. We only respond to crises that could collapse society.)
(S.H.I.E.L.D. pretends to be protectors while secretly pulling the strings. But me? I am a true Watcher.)
Now, it was time for the Watchers to act.
To bring down the world's greatest puppet masters—once and for all.