~ SHIELD Helicarrier ~
In front of a long table, Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD, stood tall. Before him, five lit-up screens displayed five faces: representatives of the world's most powerful nations—members of the World Security Council. SHIELD's direct overseers. Judges. And if things went wrong… executioners.
"We're not going to beat around the bush, Fury"
said Gideon Malick, the United States' representative.
"SHIELD is to be dissolved. All operations will cease immediately."
Fury didn't even have time to argue before the ultimatum hit. His response was instant.
"SHIELD's operations can't be stopped. The world needs them."
Malick clicked his tongue with disdain, as if he'd been expecting that argument.
"Needs? The world doesn't need an intelligence agency full of enemy agents."
Fury glanced toward the other council members. Malick had always been against SHIELD—or, more precisely, the power it wielded.
"Council members"
He said, keeping his tone in check
"we can find all the infiltrators—if we're given time."
Yao Lin, an Asian woman in her fifties and China's representative, was the next to speak. Her voice was firm, her expression unshaken.
"Fury, you know as well as we do how hard that would be. SHIELD is viewed as a global Trojan horse. It's everywhere. Even if we gave you time, you wouldn't be able to hold it together much longer."
"One year"
Fury said immediately, firm, without blinking.
"Give us just that. In one year, we won't just root out the infiltrators—we'll destroy HYDRA."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"HYDRA isn't some minor organization. To destroy something like that, you need a force just as large. And if you tear SHIELD down now, building something new from scratch will take years. Years HYDRA will use to grow stronger. If you let us finish the job… we'll get it done."
The five stared at him in silence. Serious. Evaluating.
Malick was the first to break the silence with a bitter laugh.
"You really think we're going to give you more time?"
But before he could go on, Grigori Mishenkov—Russia's representative, gray-haired and stone-faced—spoke up.
"How certain are you?"
He asked bluntly.
"One hundred percent"
Fury replied without hesitation.
"Why?"
This time, it was Anika Radek, Germany's representative, who stepped in. A woman in her forties with short hair and a sharp gaze. She knew Grigori well: he wouldn't offer a second chance out of compassion.
Grigori said only one name.
"Alexander Pierce."
The silence thickened. The name dropped like a shadow over the room.
Pierce had been one of them. An infiltrator. A HYDRA agent. And not just that—he'd been Fury's superior. One of their own. A member of the same council.
"Even Pierce was compromised"
Grigori continued.
"There's no telling who else might be. The sooner we dismantle Hydra, the better. However..."
He paused, then fixed his gaze on Fury.
"It won't be free."
Everyone looked at him.
"Creating a new organization will be difficult. But if you fail... we want all the information SHIELD has gathered. All of it."
Fury tensed. He knew what that meant. SHIELD contained levels of intelligence even the Council wasn't aware of. Secrets that could change anyone's worldview. Handing over that database would be a catastrophe… but also his only chance.
"Then I have to refuse"
He said calmly.
"That information is too dangerous. I'd rather see SHIELD destroyed than expose it."
But inside… he was smiling.
Because they wanted something. Something they couldn't take by force. And that changed everything. For the first time since entering that room, Nick Fury wasn't a pawn. He was a player.
Grigori understood it instantly.
"Very well, Fury"
He said, and gave a slight smile.
"I know what you're after. And I'll give it to you. It's a gamble... with high stakes."
He turned to the others. One by one, the representatives nodded. Then, solemnly, Grigori raised his hand.
"I, Grigori Mishenkov, hereby swear that if HYDRA is dismantled in under a year, I will use all my power as a member of the World Security Council and representative of the Russian Federation to ensure that SHIELD becomes a fully independent organization, free from any government."
"I, Yao Lin, hereby swear..."
"I, Gideon Malick, hereby swear..."
"I, Anika Radek, hereby swear..."
"I, Maurice Chevalier, hereby swear..."
One by one, each of them made the same vow.
Finally, Fury sealed the pact:
"I, Nicholas J. Fury, hereby swear that if SHIELD fails, I will surrender all information gathered by the organization, without exception."
The meeting ended.
It had begun as a death sentence. And ended as a one-of-a-kind opportunity. One Fury had no intention of wasting.
---
~ Nick Fury's Office ~
The lights were dim. Only the glow of a screen cast light across Nick Fury's stern face. Across from him, Maria Hill read from a tablet, her tone professional—but with tension clear beneath the surface.
"Since HYDRA was exposed, they've lost most of their high-ranking leaders"
She reported.
"But they're not idle. They're moving fast. Very fast."
Fury said nothing. He just listened.
"We've had several recent incidents, three shipments of tactical gear disappeared in Eastern Europe. Our suppliers are being pressured by shell companies—we traced them back to old HYDRA ties. They're not reporting it… just cutting contact."
"We've also detected interference in at least two satellites. And there were civilian incidents in South Africa, Syria, and Ukraine: spontaneous protests, riots—all coordinated. The units on the ground were isolated."
Hill paused before finishing:
"They posted documents in closed forums. Leaks. Edited to make us look like the villains. It's already hurt our relationship with Canadian and Japanese intelligence."
Fury frowned. They weren't making any big moves. Nothing flashy. Just numbers. Small, constant incidents. A war of attrition.
"I see"
He said gravely.
"You're dismissed… and call Natasha."
"Yes, sir."
Maria left without another word.
Minutes later, the door opened again. Natasha Romanoff walked in calmly. If they were calling her, she knew things were bad.
"What's the situation?"
She asked bluntly.
"We have one year to destroy HYDRA"
Fury said.
"If we fail… SHIELD shuts down. And we give up everything we have."
The agent didn't react right away. Her mind was working faster than her lips could move.
She knew what that meant. There was information no one could force them to give up. If Fury agreed to that deal… it was because he had a plan. And if he wasn't saying it out loud, it was because he had no intention of letting anyone else know.
Natasha understood. She didn't ask for details.
Instead, she asked the right question:
"I take it you already have a solution… and a mission for me?"
Fury nodded.
"Yes. We can keep finding infiltrators… but destroying HYDRA completely, with them watching our every move, is unworkable. We need help."
"We bringing in Steve?"
Fury shook his head without hesitation.
"No. He's not who we need. We don't need a fighter. We need someone who can give us information."
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"Information? You know we can't find him."
Fury turned slowly, clasping his hands behind his back. He looked out the window, where the ocean stretched into the horizon.
"You're not going to investigate him"
He said without looking at her.
"You're not going to build a psychological profile. You're not going to push him for anything he doesn't want to give."
He turned back to her. Steady. Direct.
"Your orders are simple: find Leonardo Valentino… and ask for his help."