Pioneer Tech was in chaos.
The founder, Aldrich Killian, was declared dead—suicide, of all things—and a mysterious explosion had leveled the company's secret laboratory.
When the news broke, Pioneer Tech's investors were left stunned.
These weren't just any investors. Many of them had bet big on Pioneer Tech's future. Its cutting-edge research in biotechnology had earned it global recognition. While it wasn't quite at the level of Gene Mason's Mason Industries, in certain fields, it had shown incredible breakthroughs.
So… why would the company's founder suddenly kill himself? What had gone so horribly wrong?
Some investors rushed to the company's headquarters, hoping to get answers.
But before they could even reach the front gate, they were blocked by a wall of black-suited agents and heavily armed soldiers.
"Hey! I own shares in this company!"
"I'm an investor! I have a right to know what's happening!"
"You can't just shut us out !"
Their protests fell on deaf ears. The only responses they got were ice-cold:
In the middle of the shouting match, a massive black SUV rolled up to the gates. The driver stepped out—a towering figure in black.
Then the rear door opened.
A one-eyed man stepped out, the wind catching his black coat as he surveyed the scene: Nick Fury had arrived.
"Director," Maria Hill reported, walking swiftly behind him. "We received Stark's report. He believes Pioneer Tech was developing a highly dangerous serum."
"He's calling it the Extremis Virus," she added quickly. "According to him, that explosion in New York last week—it was caused by this serum."
Fury's eye narrowed. "Secure the samples. Lock down every lab—"
Before he could even finish the sentence, Pioneer Tech's main building erupted in a violent explosion. The blast rocked the entire compound, and agents ducked for cover.
A wailing alarm filled the air. Sprinklers activated, drenching Fury and Hill in seconds.
"Status!" Fury barked, soaked and scowling.
"Director! Pioneer Tech's encrypted server was just hacked. All data—gone."
"Sir, the main lab has been breached! Every test sample and document—missing!"
Fury yanked his earpiece out and slammed it on the ground, then growled through clenched teeth:
Without hesitation, he stormed toward the blast zone.
The place was wrecked. Sparks danced from severed wires. Server towers had been reduced to slag. He clenched his fists.
Too clean. Too familiar.
Then he remembered what Stark had told him earlier—that the Black Devil had clashed with Killian.
This had to be Gene's doing.
He pushed deeper into the ruins, stepping over twisted metal and scorched circuits. His face was as dark as the ashes around him.
Just one word—spat out like venom.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had tried to snatch the Extremis Serum for themselves. But now, it was gone. The data was vapor. And they were left holding nothing but smoke.
Far away, in a secret Hive base, a golden beam of light shimmered—Gene Mason reappeared.
The Red Queen's hologram flickered into view.
"Sir," she said smoothly. "Pioneer Tech's lab and servers have been obliterated by our Strike Blade team. We now possess all research data on the Extremis Virus."
He couldn't let S.H.I.E.L.D. get their hands on that serum—not when it was still in an unstable, volatile state. And especially not when S.H.I.E.L.D. itself was about to crack open from the inside.
Sooner or later, every secret would come spilling into daylight—and the Extremis Virus would be one of them.
"Start the countdown," Gene said, his voice casual, yet chilling. "The little mine I planted inside S.H.I.E.L.D.—it should be ready to blow."
"This Black Devil is out of control!" Fury thundered, storming back into his office like a man on the edge.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was in shambles, and Gene Mason was playing them like a violin.
He snatched up a comm device. "Natasha. My office. Now. I want the full status on Mason Industries."
Minutes later, Black Widow stepped in. At first, she looked dazed, a little off.
But as soon as she laid eyes on Fury, she snapped to attention.
"Director. Mason Industries has been quiet. No major movements lately—everything seems normal. But…"
Fury raised an eyebrow. "But what? That's not like you, Natasha."
Black Widow placed a slim folder on his desk. Her voice softened.
"I reviewed Secretary Pierce's Insight Program. And I found something strange."
Fury's brow furrowed so hard it looked like it might catch flies.
"You remember that old base we found? With Dr. Zola's AI?" she said. "He confessed to being Hydra. But that's not all."
She placed a small USB drive on the desk.
"I went back. To a hidden chamber below the base. It was covered in Hydra symbols. And I found this."
Fury stared at the USB.
The air in the room chilled.
Something was unraveling. Something big.
And Fury could feel it—the truth was close. Close enough to choke on.
There was a rot inside S.H.I.E.L.D.
And he would burn it out, no matter who got caught in the fire.
At the Hive base, Gene chuckled while watching the feed from Black Widow's hidden camera.
"The fish has taken the bait," he said with a grin. "Tell Pierce to get ready. It's almost showtime."
Later that night, Fury was driving home.
But the feeling never left him—that gnawing sense of unease.
When he stopped at a red light, a police cruiser pulled up beside him.
Four white officers sat inside, eyes trained on him.
Fury sighed and rolled down his window.
"What, you want to see my license or somethin'?"
What came next wasn't a word.
A hailstorm of bullets.
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