Chapter 145: Pierce Kills Nick Fury
Brock Rumlow.
The commander of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s S.T.R.I.K.E. counterterrorism assault team. He was one of the top combatants, with extremely rich combat experience.
He had mastered all kinds of skills and had led the counterterrorism assault team to complete countless missions.
He also had a codename: Crossbones.
Yet someone like him was, in truth, loyal to HYDRA.
Loyal to Pierce.
"How is it?"
"Everything is normal," Rumlow answered respectfully.
But his answer did not satisfy Pierce. Instead, Pierce gave a cold laugh.
"'Everything is normal'? That is what makes it most abnormal."
"Fury is the most capable person I have ever seen. He clearly noticed that something was wrong inside the department, and even secretly carried out an internal purge. Yet afterward, he made no further moves. Is that normal?"
"Sir, you mean...?"
Only then did Rumlow suddenly understand. His brows furrowed.
Pierce raised his glass and took a sip.
Looking at the drizzle that had begun to fall again outside the window, the corner of his lips curved.
"Aside from us, there are already all kinds of problems internally. Corruption, collusion of interests, and so on. This is human nature. It cannot be stopped. During an internal purge, I don't believe he failed to notice these things."
"But he chose to suppress them and do nothing. That means he must have detected an even bigger problem. Rumlow, what do you think that bigger problem is?"
"Us." Rumlow said it without hesitation. His expression darkened, and terrifying killing intent appeared in his eyes.
Killing intent aimed at Nick Fury.
Loyal to HYDRA and loyal to Pierce, Rumlow absolutely would not allow anyone to shake HYDRA's great cause.
Not even Nick Fury.
"Correct. He should have sensed this. On the surface, he has made no moves, but with his ability, he must have done something in secret."
"Sir, should we deploy the Winter Soldier?" Rumlow offered the suggestion.
This was HYDRA's fine tradition. Once someone became a stumbling block to the development of HYDRA's cause, assassination was without question the most time-saving and labor-saving method.
Scheming and plotting? That did not exist.
This kind of hidden war was the simplest and most direct. Physically eliminate the opponent, and it was over.
HYDRA had carried this method forward thoroughly. In the decades after World War II, far too many people around the world had died by assassination.
So many that they could not even be counted.
But Rumlow also understood clearly that when it came to assassinating someone like Nick Fury, it absolutely could not be done by people from within their department.
Although they were confident they would leave no traces, what if something went wrong?
Besides, Nick Fury was crafty and extremely cautious. Ordinary assassination methods would not work on him.
Clearly, only HYDRA's trump-card warrior, the Winter Soldier, could be deployed to ensure nothing went wrong.
But what Rumlow had not expected was that Pierce actually refused.
"No. He cannot be deployed right now. He is carrying out another classified mission."
"And besides, now is not the right time to assassinate Nick Fury. He must have left backup measures behind. A crude assassination will definitely lead to mistakes."
Carrying out another classified mission?
Of course, no such thing existed. The Winter Soldier had long since escaped his control and was already free.
Pierce could no longer command him unless he reported it to Neagley.
As for the latter reason, that was also true.
"Fury appears completely unmoved on the surface, but in the dark, he must be making small moves. Have our people noticed anyone inside the department behaving abnormally?"
Pierce turned around and looked at Rumlow.
In Pierce's current memories, he was loyal to the greatest Leader.
The Leader's figure was blurred and unclear, but not only did Pierce not question that blur, he considered it reasonable.
It was like dying in a dream. When a person dreamed, no matter how unreasonable the actions, abilities, or encounters were, they would somehow be rationalized.
The situation was the same now.
So Pierce's loyalty to the Leader did not conflict with his own great cause of developing HYDRA.
As long as it did not obstruct the Leader's development, Pierce still retained his original ambition.
Since some of Nick Fury's unusual actions carried the risk of exposing HYDRA, Pierce would naturally move against Nick Fury.
Pierce's behavior was normal, and Rumlow would not suspect anything.
"Coulson and Hawkeye."
After thinking for a moment, Rumlow quickly locked onto two people.
"How so?" Pierce raised his brow.
"The incident in Texas. Coulson and Hawkeye were both dispatched to investigate it. But after that incident, although their frequency of contact seems the same as before, there are many overlaps in their movement routes." Rumlow answered with certainty.
HYDRA had been deeply rooted in S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades. The magnitude of its influence was hard to imagine. Calling it control of everything from behind the scenes was not an exaggeration.
In their eyes, Nick Fury was nothing more than an agent and a puppet.
His rise to power had once been an accident, but making him step down would be just as simple.
In the shadows, HYDRA was everywhere. It would consciously conduct secret surveillance on other personnel within S.H.I.E.L.D., especially agents above Level 6.
Coulson and Hawkeye, two top agents, were naturally among them.
Once attention was paid to them, things that had previously been ignored now, under Pierce's analysis, allowed Rumlow to almost immediately lock onto these two.
No evidence was needed. They only needed to know one thing.
Their movement routes overlapped.
That suspicion alone was already enough.
"What are they doing?"
"Coulson and Hawkeye went to the academy one after another, saying they needed a few special pieces of equipment. Then they each made contact with some people inside. None of those people are ours."
"So Nick Fury finally found two loyal dogs."
Hearing this, Pierce understood everything completely.
This would not do.
"Activate our people and conduct beyond-visual-range surveillance on them. You know their methods. When necessary, eliminate them, along with everyone they have come into contact with. Immediately formulate an assassination plan targeting Nick Fury."
"I want all of them dead."
Pierce finally made up his mind and issued a clear order.
He was going to act.
Aside from the Leader, no one was allowed to threaten HYDRA's cause.
"Yes. Hail HYDRA."
"Hail HYDRA."
Rumlow shouted excitedly, and Pierce did the same.
Watching Rumlow leave with firm steps, Pierce thought for a moment, then picked up another encrypted phone and dialed a number.
"It's me."
...
"Pierce is going to make a move?"
At the island base, Neagley, who was training in full swing, received the message passed over by the Information Department.
For a moment, she almost failed to react.
When she did, she immediately frowned. After learning the message sent from Pierce's side, Neagley truly had not expected that old bastard to be so decisive.
He had noticed the slightest abnormality and immediately decided to act.
As expected of HYDRA's leader.
...
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