NOTE: Sorry for missing for the last few days, had to help out a relative in the hospital and couldn't find the time to update.
...
The biggest man behind Hydra, Alexander Pierce, was still on the run. Somehow, they had managed to block Professor X's telepathic tracking, but with the entire United States launching a full-scale pursuit, Pierce and his associates couldn't stay hidden for long.
On a New York viaduct, a cheap, unremarkable car raced through the early morning traffic. Inside, Pierce was being pursued, accompanied by his loyal operatives, including Rumlow from the special operations team and the Winter Soldier. The group looked grim, their silence adding weight to the oppressive atmosphere in the car.
Pierce himself wore a stained white shirt, his expression one of barely restrained fury. His sullen face and angry eyes betrayed the turmoil within him.
The morning had started like any other. Pierce had been about to enjoy his usual lavish breakfast when Rumlow and the Winter Soldier barged into his villa and forcibly whisked him away. His meticulously planned escape route was now his lifeline.
Rumlow had briefed him en route: Hydra was exposed. Every Hydra agent embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D. had been captured or killed.
In the span of a few hours, Pierce had lost everything.
His funds were frozen, industries dismantled, and even Hydra's secret bases had gone dark. Only a handful of coded messages had reached him, grimly confirming that their strongholds were compromised.
As Pierce brooded, his emotions churned: anger, confusion, despair. How had Hydra's meticulously concealed operations been laid bare? Someone had exposed everything—down to the most classified information—and leaked it online.
Pierce couldn't fathom how this had happened. Hydra had always erased its tracks. Even if there was a traitor, such a thorough exposure seemed impossible. The betrayal was sudden, absolute, and devastating.
The car's slight vibrations and flickering interior lights only deepened his paranoia. Every face of Hydra's senior leadership flashed in his mind. Was one of them the traitor?
Rumlow, sitting near the window, scanned the surroundings with a practiced eye. Seeing nothing amiss, he turned to Pierce and said in a low voice, "Sir, we need to leave New York. Nick Fury will stop at nothing to track us, and our safe houses are compromised."
Pierce shook his head grimly. "No. Fury won't leave any route out of the city unmonitored. Every road will be a trap."
"What should we do, then?" Rumlow pressed.
Pierce's voice dropped to an icy whisper. "We can't risk being seen. That bald mutant has likely already read the memories of captured agents. If anyone has seen us, their memories will lead Fury straight to us."
He leaned forward, his eyes cold and calculating. "New York is full of scum and drifters. Find them, control them, and use our mind-shielding devices on them. We'll hide behind their chaos."
"Understood," Rumlow replied, his tone measured.
The car sped smoothly along the viaduct, entering Queens. The streets were busy, pedestrians lined the sidewalks, and traffic moved sluggishly. At an intersection, the car stopped at a red light, its occupants tense.
Nearby, a police car idled at the light.
Everyone in the vehicle held their breath. The Winter Soldier and Rumlow gripped the handles of their concealed weapons.
The driver—a middle-aged man with an air of normalcy—kept his composure. He rested his hands casually on the steering wheel, humming softly. His calm demeanor seemed to reassure the others.
A police officer in the passenger seat glanced in their direction but showed no interest, turning back as the light changed.
The green light signaled the police car to drive off, and the driver of Pierce's vehicle followed the preplanned route. The tension eased slightly.
But as the car reached the center of the intersection, the Winter Soldier's expression shifted. In one swift motion, he grabbed Pierce's head and shoved him down.
A truck barreled toward them from the right.
Bang!
The collision was deafening. The commercial vehicle flipped onto its side, screeching across the asphalt.
Inside, chaos erupted. One Hydra soldier's neck snapped against the car window, killing him instantly. The Winter Soldier reacted first, using his metal arm to punch through the crumpled roof. He tore open the upper door and climbed out, hoisting himself free. With his other hand, he grabbed the modified car door, wielding it like a shield.
Rumlow and the remaining Hydra operatives scrambled out as well, dragging a dazed and bruised Pierce to safety.
"Get us out of here!" Pierce barked.
The Winter Soldier nodded, drew his pistol, and leaped over the wrecked truck. He moved to commandeer another vehicle.
Before he could act, the screech of tires surrounded them. Black Chevrolet SUVs swarmed the intersection, boxing them in. Helicopters hovered overhead, their searchlights sweeping across the chaos.
Agents poured out of the SUVs, weapons drawn and aimed. The air was thick with tension.
Alexander Pierce, Rumlow, and the Winter Soldier stood trapped, Hydra's once-mighty leadership now surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives armed to the teeth.