Chapter 214: Hail Hydra
"Are you sure about that?" Jon's tone was laced with amusement. "Today's alien invasion boils down to you guys messing around with the Tesseract, doesn't it? And you still think it's safer in your hands?"
"Yes, I should take responsibility for this incident," Nick Fury declared confidently. "But I've learned from it. We won't repeat the same mistakes."
Jon chuckled. "Yeah, even if I knew nothing, that would still sound like complete nonsense. Considering S.H.I.E.L.D. is riddled with Hydra agents, I'd say keeping the Tesseract with you is even more dangerous."
"We're actively rooting out Hydra operatives," Fury insisted. "Until we've neutralized the threat, we'll secure both the scepter and the Tesseract without conducting any research on them. We can't risk these items falling into the wrong hands."
"Trust me, Director Fury, if you really want to get rid of Hydra, you'd be better off dismantling S.H.I.E.L.D. entirely," Jon replied with a smirk.
"I'll consider your advice," Fury responded flatly. "But one thing's certain: you need to hand over the Tesseract and the scepter."
Jon paused, then replied, "Of course, no problem. I'll hand them over. Nothing to worry about."
"Good to hear," Fury said before ending the call.
Jon turned to his guardian spirit, Alessa. "The plan remains unchanged. Alessa, it's your move."
Soon, a helicopter arrived. As it landed, a bald agent wearing glasses stepped out.
"Hello, Jon," the agent greeted, extending his hand. "I'm Agent Sitwell. I'm here to retrieve Dr. Selvig, the Tesseract, and Loki's scepter."
Jon recognized him instantly. In the original timeline, Sitwell was a Hydra sleeper agent, embedded deep within S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Of course. I'll return them to you," Jon replied with a friendly smile. "After all, I'm just an ordinary guy wanting a normal life. What would I even do with these things?"
He handed over the Tesseract and the scepter. Sitwell inspected them briefly before placing them into specialized containment cases.
Before boarding the helicopter, Jon leaned in close to Sitwell and whispered, "Hail Hydra."
Sitwell froze, his eyes wide with shock. He remained silent for a moment until Dr. Selvig passed by, asking, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, just... surprising," Sitwell muttered.
Selvig nodded, oblivious to the tension. "That kid sure is full of surprises."
Aboard the helicopter, Jon felt an unusual sense of calm. He'd grown confident in his abilities. When he first acquired the Ghost Rider's powers, he was cautious, unsure of how to control them. But after countless battles and experiences, he now wielded his powers with ease.
Meanwhile, Sitwell sat nervously, reflecting on recent events. Fury had initiated a major sweep within S.H.I.E.L.D., uncovering several Hydra moles—even some Sitwell hadn't known about. The fear of Hydra's downfall weighed heavily on him.
But then Jon's whispered words echoed in his mind. If someone like him is on our side, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers Initiative won't stand a chance, Sitwell thought, a twisted sense of hope blooming within him.
Later, Fury decided to let Thor return to Asgard with Loki and the Tesseract, using its power to travel between realms. However, an unexpected issue arose: the Tesseract suddenly stopped functioning. Dr. Selvig's instruments detected no energy readings from it.
Simultaneously, Sitwell opened the case containing Loki's scepter, only to discover that the Mind Stone was missing. The scepter was now nothing more than an empty shell.
"What the hell is going on?" both Thor and Sitwell exclaimed, miles apart but in perfect sync.
As Thor fretted over his inability to return home, Jon approached him. "Hey, don't worry, big guy. We don't need the Tesseract. There's someone else who can send you back."
"Oh? There's someone on Earth with the power to manipulate space? A powerful sorcerer, perhaps?" Thor asked.
"Actually, yes," Jon replied with a sly grin. "She's a sorcerer."
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