Chapter 216: Exchange of Intelligence
The news of Steve Rogers escaping the detention center with James Buchanan Barnes triggered a global uproar.
Television networks, newspapers, social-media platforms, and political commentators all seized upon the developing conflict.
Within twenty-four hours, one phrase was appearing everywhere:
Avengers: Civil War.
The Avengers were no longer merely a group of heroes confronting external threats.
They were beginning to divide over whether enhanced individuals should be subjected to international oversight.
Lynn returned to the Miracle Clinic.
His attitude remained unchanged.
At the reception desk, the electronic sign that had previously read ALL APPOINTMENTS FULL now displayed:
WANTED CRIMINALS, GOVERNMENT AGENTS, SUPERHUMAN EMERGENCY CARE — PRICES APPLY
Pietro leaned against the counter.
He stared at the sign for several seconds.
His mouth opened.
Then closed.
His understanding of Lynn's business philosophy had been repeatedly challenged since the day they met.
Finally, he couldn't hold back.
"Are you treating the entire planet as your customer base?"
Lynn was arranging several colored medical reagents inside a cabinet.
He didn't turn around.
"More precisely..."
"I'm treating the world's wounded as my customer base."
Pietro's expression became blank.
"But they're becoming enemies."
"So?"
Lynn finally looked at him.
"They're going to fight."
"That's why they'll get injured."
"And injured people need doctors."
Pietro stared at him.
"So your business model depends on people beating each other up."
"Only indirectly."
Lynn returned to arranging the reagents.
"My clinic doesn't cause wars."
"I simply provide medical services afterward."
Pietro had no answer.
The logic was disturbingly consistent.
From Lynn's perspective, it formed a perfect closed loop.
Conflict created casualties.
Casualties created patients.
Patients created revenue.
Pietro suddenly looked toward the reinforced walls of the clinic.
"What if they destroy this place?"
Lynn calmly changed the arrangement of one vial.
"They can try."
He paused.
"The repair bill will be substantial."
"I'm not sure which side will be able to afford it."
...
Late that night.
The clinic had closed.
The lobby lights were dimmed, leaving only a floor lamp in the corner.
Lynn sat behind the reception desk with a cup of tea beside him.
A rhythmic knock came from the rear entrance.
Lynn didn't turn.
"The door is unlocked, Director Fury."
The door opened.
Nick Fury entered wearing his usual dark coat.
His expression was grim.
He scanned the room before walking toward the reception desk.
Fury sat down.
"The Vienna bombing wasn't Barnes."
Lynn took another cup from the cabinet.
He poured two cups of tea.
One was placed in front of Fury.
The other remained in his own hand.
"You came here in the middle of the night..."
Lynn blew gently across the surface of his tea.
"...to tell me something I already know?"
Fury ignored the question.
He stared directly at Lynn.
"I need evidence."
Lynn smiled faintly.
"What kind?"
"Evidence that can be submitted to the United Nations?"
"Or evidence that allows S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surviving intelligence network to continue investigating?"
"The two aren't worth the same."
Fury's expression darkened.
"You know who's behind it."
Lynn didn't answer immediately.
He extended one finger.
The surface of the table illuminated.
A holographic reconstruction of the Vienna bombing appeared above it.
The first layer displayed the primary explosive devices.
"The first explosives were conventional military plastic explosives."
"Nothing particularly unusual."
His finger moved.
The holographic reconstruction shifted to the second device.
"The second charge was positioned near a structural support."
"The placement and fragmentation characteristics indicate that whoever designed it intended to maximize upward blast propagation rather than simply destroy the facility."
Fury studied the data.
"Professional."
"Very."
The display changed.
A microscopic reconstruction appeared.
"The third device is more interesting."
"A concealed dispersal system hidden inside the ventilation network."
"The released material was engineered to contaminate the facility's security system with fabricated biological and surveillance signatures."
Fury's eye narrowed.
"You said it was designed to imitate Barnes."
"Correct."
Lynn expanded the molecular diagram.
"The material reproduces selected biological characteristics associated with the Winter Soldier."
"But the stabilizing polymer isn't something a conventional terrorist cell could easily acquire."
Fury leaned closer.
"That molecular structure..."
"I've seen something similar."
"Old S.H.I.E.L.D. research."
Lynn nodded.
"It traces back to early LexCorp biological-material projects."
Fury's expression changed.
"Lex Luthor."
"Potentially."
Lynn took another sip.
"Zemo appears to be the operative."
"He's not necessarily the architect."
"Zemo is the knife."
"Someone else may be sharpening it."
Fury's single eye hardened.
"You knew this."
"I know enough."
"That's not the same thing."
Lynn flicked his finger across the hologram.
"The explosive materials passed through several European shell corporations."
"Some of their supply chains overlap with companies associated with LexCorp projects."
"But overlapping supply chains aren't proof."
Fury stared at him.
"You're not giving me the whole investigation."
"Correct."
"You really intend to make me pay for every useful piece of information."
"That's how information works."
Fury gave a humorless scoff.
"Are you telling me you won't hand over the complete chain of evidence?"
Lynn placed his teacup down.
"Have you brought the appropriate bargaining chip?"
Silence.
The two men looked at one another.
Neither blinked.
Finally, Fury reached into his coat and produced a small encrypted storage device.
He placed it on the table.
"Before S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed, I made backups."
"High-value biological and technological archives."
"Not everything."
"But enough."
Lynn picked up the device.
Fury continued.
"Mutant X-gene classification data."
"Remaining extraterrestrial biological samples from the Metropolis incident."
"Records concerning the symbiote material recovered in California."
"And several historical research files concerning the anomalous serum you asked about."
Lynn turned the device between his fingers.
"A partial archive."
"Enough."
Fury's answer was immediate.
"Full access is impossible."
"I'm not stupid enough to hand you the keys to every restricted archive still under my control."
Lynn chuckled.
"You're still stingy, Director Fury."
Fury leaned back.
"You didn't intend to expose Luthor's connection to the public either."
A knowing glint appeared in his eye.
"We're even."
Lynn accepted the storage device.
The transaction was complete.
He transmitted the processed explosive-residue analysis to Fury's secure terminal.
Fury examined the report.
His expression changed slightly.
"You kept a second copy."
"Of course."
"I'm preserving my assets."
Fury shook his head.
"You're impossible."
"Information is only valuable before everyone else has it."
Fury stood.
He walked toward the rear door.
At the threshold, he stopped.
Then looked back.
"One warning."
Lynn waited.
"Don't let the Transcendent publicly take a side."
The name hung between them.
"The Sokovia Accords have already pushed the enhanced community toward open division."
"If that man openly intervenes for either side..."
Fury's expression hardened.
"...the entire situation could become uncontrollable."
Lynn rose from his chair.
He walked Fury to the door.
His expression remained almost harmless.
"Whether the situation becomes uncontrollable..."
He opened the door.
"...depends on whether anyone can afford the price."
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