Nick Fury's face changed drastically.
A moment ago, his spirits had been lifted after watching Bumblebee intercept the missile with stunning precision in mid-air. It was an awe-inspiring display of power that even he hadn't expected to witness tonight. For a brief second, he had believed that perhaps Hydra's plans had just suffered a fatal blow.
But that hope was crushed the moment Sharon received a phone call from Hill. The look on Sharon's face, mixed with confusion and concern, had said it all. Fury's instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, he snatched the phone from her hands.
"Hill, what did you just say?" Fury asked urgently, voice low and tense. "How many people have returned to headquarters?"
On the other end, Hill's voice came through, fast and frantic.
"Director, there are at least a few hundred! They all showed up suddenly, rushing in like they were responding to a high-level alert. What's going on?"
Fury's eye narrowed sharply. Hill still didn't know the truth.
"They're not responding to our orders," Fury growled into the phone. "Hill… you need to hide right now. Those people, every single one of them is a member of Hydra."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Hill's voice dropped to a whisper. "Hydra? What are you talking about, Director? That's impossible, there are hundreds of them!"
Fury closed his eye and sighed heavily, the weight of the revelation crushing even his steely resolve.
"That's the truth," he said grimly. "Hydra has been embedded in S.H.I.E.L.D for years. Maybe from the very beginning. Now they've chosen to act."
Hill stood frozen at the window of the S.H.I.E.L.D building, eyes wide as she processed the information. Hundreds of agents, all Hydra? The truth hit her like a sledgehammer. If that many agents were compromised, then S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't just infiltrated by Hydra.
S.H.I.E.L.D was Hydra.
Hill's voice trembled. "Then... what are they trying to do?"
Fury's tone hardened. "They're activating Project Insight. It's been their plan from the start. They'll use the helicarriers to eliminate anyone who poses a threat to them."
Hill stumbled backward, clutching the edge of a desk for support. She had known about Project Insight, knew its full capabilities. But she never thought it could be turned into a weapon for mass assassination.
"They'll kill millions," she murmured, more to herself than to Fury.
Then she glanced out the window again, and saw something that made her eyes narrow.
"Wait, Director, I just saw Secretary Pierce. He's here. He's standing in the lobby."
Fury's breath caught in his throat. He gripped the phone tighter.
"Don't go near him," he warned, his voice sharp as a blade. "Pierce... is the head of Hydra."
That sentence landed like a bomb in Hill's ears.
"What?!" she gasped. "But he's the Secretary of the World Security Council! He... he's one of the highest-ranking government officials!"
"I know," Fury said bitterly. "And that's how Hydra works. They bury themselves from bottom to top and control everything from the shadows."
Hill glanced again. Pierce was walking among the returning agents with calm authority, receiving salutes, nodding with ease. No one questioned his presence.
Hill's blood ran cold.
We're completely surrounded, she realized. We're in their hands.
Fury's voice broke through again.
"Get out of there, Hill. Get out before it's too late."
She nodded, determination returning to her voice. "Understood. I'll find a way."
Back in the grocery store, Fury slowly lowered the phone, his hand visibly shaking. His face was pale, drawn, and devoid of its usual steel. All the worst-case scenarios he had tried to bury in his mind were becoming reality.
He didn't even need to imagine the consequences of Project Insight falling into Hydra's hands, he had helped push it, so he knew its scope. Three helicarriers armed with advanced AI and satellite-guided targeting systems, capable of wiping out threats before they were even fully formed.
With Hydra in control, even potential enemies would be eradicated before they could act.
He exhaled shakily, staring at nothing for a moment. Then, slowly, he turned to look at the only person who might have the power to stop it all.
Sitting calmly in his chair, slouched like he was waiting for pizza delivery, not the downfall of civilization. His expression was bored, almost sleepy. One leg swung lazily over the other, and he casually sipped from a can of soda.
Fury found himself staring intently at him.
Luke looked up, caught the eye contact, and grimaced.
"…Could you not look at me like that?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably. "You're creeping me out."
Fury blinked and snapped out of it.
"I apologize," he muttered. "It's just that… I'm afraid the only person who can stop Hydra now is sitting right across from me."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a you problem."
Fury's mouth twitched. "Consultant Yale... I'm asking for your help. If Project Insight is launched, it won't just be the U.S. at risk. Hydra will dominate the world. Millions will die, absolutely no one who's not on their side will be safe."
Luke leaned back, feigning a yawn. "That still sounds like a you problem."
Fury resisted the urge to groan.
But Luke continued, his voice casually curious. "So, what? They use some fancy algorithm to pick who lives and who dies?"
Fury nodded gravely. "Yes. The algorithm calculates future threats. Anyone with the potential to rise against Hydra will be eliminated instantly. Politicians, scientists, military leaders… even children with high potential."
"And me too, right?" Luke asked.
"Definitely," Fury said firmly. "You're at the top of their list."
Luke smirked. "Well, that's flattering."
Fury's patience was wearing thin. "Luke, listen. If they succeed, everyone becomes a slave to their surveillance. Resistance will be impossible. You'll be hunted. The world will change for the worse. We need you."
Luke looked at him for a long moment.
Then he slowly said, "Alright. But only if you give me something in return, I need motivation, you know?"
Fury blinked. "You want compensation?"
Luke sat upright, clapping his hands together with a big, satisfied grin.
"Finally!" he said. "Now you're speaking my language!"
Fury narrowed his eye. "You said you were doing it out of duty…"
Luke nodded solemnly. "Yes, yes, of course. As a responsible member of the human race, I must act. Stopping Hydra is noble, just, heroic... and also a bit expensive."
He grinned like a cat who had just cornered a mouse.
"Your helicarriers… I assume you don't need all three, right? I'll take one."
Fury's face turned purple.
"You want a helicarrier?!"
Luke shrugged innocently. "What? It's not like you have the personnel to fly them anymore."
Fury looked like he might faint.
Luke leaned back, arms behind his head. "Think about it, Director. I get a shiny flying base, you get to protect countless lives. Seems like a fair trade."
And somewhere in the back of his mind, he already knew…
He was probably going to say yes.