C221(2)

Two hours later

The convoy rolled into downtown Washington, arriving at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters under the cover of early morning. Despite the hour, the building was brightly lit, humming with activity.

Rumlow took the elevator to the upper levels, stopping at the office of Alexander Pierce, the Secretary-General of S.H.I.E.L.D. He knocked briefly before entering.

"Is it done?" Pierce asked, his tone neutral, his expression unreadable.

"Yes," Rumlow replied with a nod.

"Good. Place Rex in the highest-security cell. The meeting is about to begin—we'll need him soon," Pierce instructed, rising from his chair and heading toward the conference room.

This meeting was convened by Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The reason for the meeting was the alarming news from New York: Batman, along with three Justice League superheroes, had thwarted a terrorist organization's conspiracy.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had no direct involvement in the events but had pieced together the details from their informants planted in the police department, the underground world, and the Continental Hotel.

At the meeting, Nick Fury began with a grim tone.

"The Cobra Organization!" he declared. "The culprits behind this are the terrorist group Cobra. They attempted to destroy New York with nanoworm warheads, aiming to bring the city to its knees. Naturally, their target couldn't escape Batman's attention. Fortunately, Batman resolved the situation."

He paused, his face darkening. "However, S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot afford to relax its vigilance. The fact that we didn't have any intel on such a dangerous plot is a failure on our part. MARS's planes, armed with nanoworm warheads, were flying above us, and we had no defenses in place! This is an unacceptable oversight."

"Nick, there's something I'd like to address," Pierce interjected.

Nick Fury glanced at him but remained silent.

Pierce continued, "S.H.I.E.L.D. has been aware of the Cobra Organization for some time."

"You know what I mean," Fury replied, his tone sharp. "That's not the point I'm making. While we've been monitoring Cobra, we were completely in the dark about their plans to target New York. That's the real issue, and it should never have happened."

"You're right," Pierce conceded with a nod. "I agree completely."

"So, we need to adapt," Fury stated firmly. "The current S.H.I.E.L.D. must evolve. We need new capabilities to help us respond better to these crises."

The room fell into silence.

Although Fury was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., as a multinational organization, it often had to contend with conflicting directives from the World Security Council. 

Still, the director's voice carried significant weight.

"What do you propose?" Pierce asked, finally breaking the tension, a faint smile on his face.

Fury's expression hardened. "We need to form a special combat team—much like the Justice League Batman has established. We need people with extraordinary abilities, whether they are scientists or enhanced individuals. Their skills will be crucial for eliminating threats and preparing for crises—including extraterrestrial ones like the attack on New York not long ago."

He paused dramatically before continuing. "I propose we call it... The Avengers."

The name didn't come as a surprise to the attendees. Many had seen the idea in drafts on their desks, but Fury had never officially submitted it for approval—until now.

This was the moment he formally presented the concept of assembling a superhero team, seeking recognition from his colleagues before submitting it to the World Security Council for deliberation.

Pierce picked up the folder in front of him, flipping through its pages. "Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Doctor Octopus, Captain America... Are these the candidates you have in mind?"

Fury nodded. "That's correct."

Pierce closed the folder, setting it down with a faint smile. "In addition to them, I have a recommendation."

"Who?" Fury asked, his brow furrowing.

Pierce replied, "Brock Rumlow—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rapid response special forces captain. His skills are on par with Hawkeye's, and I believe he's more than qualified to join the Avengers and become a member of the superhero team."

"I have no objection if he's willing," Nick Fury replied after a moment of thought.

Fury was well aware of Brock Rumlow and had seriously considered him during the initial planning of the Avengers. 

However, for specific reasons, he had ultimately ruled him out in favor of Black Widow and Hawkeye, whom he trusted more.

Now that Pierce had brought it up, Fury didn't mind conceding on this matter. After all, Pierce, as the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director and current secretary-general, had significant influence with the World Security Council. 

Gaining Pierce's support could provide critical momentum for forming the Avengers.

"Very well, I'll discuss it with him," Pierce said, nodding in satisfaction.

For a brief moment, their eyes met, and there was an unspoken understanding between the two seasoned leaders.

The meeting continued until its conclusion.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Fury asked, scanning the room.

Pierce raised his hand. "There's something I'd like to bring up."

"Please, go ahead," Fury said.

"Regarding Cobra, we actually had some intel prior to today," Pierce began. "Once the news from New York came in, I immediately sent Rumlow to lead a team. The mission went surprisingly well—we captured the Cobra commander, Rex."

"What?" Fury's eyebrows shot up. "You captured Rex?"

"Indeed," Pierce replied with a slight smile. "Rumlow has already brought him back to S.H.I.E.L.D., and I imagine you'd want to see him."

The room was filled with murmurs as everyone exchanged surprised glances.

Prison

Fury and Pierce were soon standing before Rex, held in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal prison. The Cobra commander sat slumped, his expression dull and lifeless.

"We interrogated him," Rumlow reported, standing at attention beside them. "But from our observations, it appears Rex has lost most of his memory. He's unable to answer our questions."

Fury frowned, his frustration mounting. This complication made the situation even more difficult.

"In that case, I'll find a way to contact Batman and figure out the full story," Fury sighed. "Pierce, Rumlow, S.H.I.E.L.D. owes you both for salvaging some of our reputation."

"You're welcome," Pierce replied.

Turning to Rumlow, Fury added, "Don't let me down."

With a sharp nod, Rumlow saluted. "I won't."

Fury's Office

Returning to his office, Fury found Agent Coulson waiting for him.

"Director, we did recently receive intel on the Cobra Organization," Coulson admitted, sounding guilty. "But we've been so focused on establishing contact with Asgard that we overlooked it. That was our mistake. We didn't anticipate it would escalate this much."

"What's done is done," Fury said, waving it off. "What about Anton?"

"Anton didn't answer the call," Coulson reported. "It seems he's refusing to communicate with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"In other words, Batman is refusing to communicate with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury muttered, his expression darkening. "It's Hydra. I'm sure of it."

From the start, Fury had suspected that Cobra wasn't acting alone. The idea that Cobra, on its own, would suddenly attempt to destroy New York with nanoworm warheads didn't make sense. Someone had to be pulling the strings.

Fury thought deeply, replaying the events of the meeting in his mind. He scrutinized everyone's reactions—particularly Pierce's.

He couldn't pinpoint the exact culprit yet, but something didn't sit right with him. 

Fury knew from experience that the person who appeared the most confident and cooperative might very well be hiding the darkest secrets.

"Pierce..." Fury muttered, his voice heavy with suspicion. A complex expression flickered in his eyes. "Could it be you?"

Pierce was not just his superior; Fury's rise to the position of S.H.I.E.L.D. director was in large part due to Pierce's support. 

The thought that Pierce might be a Hydra agent lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D. made Fury's stomach turn.

If it were true, he wouldn't just feel the pain of losing a trusted ally—he would feel an overwhelming despair for S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.

This would mean the rot had reached the very roots.

"Director, what should we do now?" Coulson asked, his tone cautious.

He could see how complicated the situation had become. Batman clearly had his reservations about S.H.I.E.L.D., and from Anton's behavior, it seemed Batman had begun refusing any communication with the agency. 

Did this mean Batman saw S.H.I.E.L.D. as irredeemable?

"For now, we do nothing," Fury said after a moment of thought. His tone was low but decisive. "Let's watch and see what Batman does next."

He leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze darkening. "If this is Hydra's doing, Batman won't let it slide. When he goes after them, Hydra will slip up. That's when we'll have the chance to identify who in S.H.I.E.L.D. is Hydra's mole."

"But what if S.H.I.E.L.D. gets caught in the crossfire?" Coulson hesitated. "Batman might think we're complicit—or worse, that we let it happen on purpose. Doing this could alienate him further."

"Don't worry," Fury said with calm determination. "Batman has never been on the same side as us. But if uncovering the Hydra agents hiding in our ranks means upsetting Batman, so be it. It's worth the risk."

Coulson fell silent, his expression conflicted.

As Fury's trusted right-hand man, he understood the reasoning. In the end, Batman was a superhero, and despite his tension with S.H.I.E.L.D., his ultimate goal was the same: to make the world a better place.

S.H.I.E.L.D., as a law enforcement agency, stood for justice—or at least, that's what they strived to represent. Fury and Coulson believed that, at their core, Batman and S.H.I.E.L.D. shared the same mission.

Their judgment of Batman's actions relied on the assumption that he thought and operated like a typical superhero.

But there was one crucial piece of information they didn't know.

This Batman wasn't Bruce Wayne.

He was Anton Jameson.

…

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