C223(1)

The meeting began.

This was not an internal S.H.I.E.L.D. meeting but rather an inquiry conducted by a higher-level organization.

That organization was, of course, the World Security Council.

As such, only two S.H.I.E.L.D. representatives were allowed to attend: Director Nick Fury and Secretary-General Alexander Pierce.

The meeting lasted all morning, and aside from those present, no one knew what had transpired. Coulson only saw his director and Pierce emerge from the conference room afterward, with Fury looking visibly troubled.

"Are they here?"

Back in his office, Nick Fury, rubbing his temples, glanced at Coulson with a weary expression. "The situation isn't good. The World Council has serious concerns about Batman. They believe Batman has exposed S.H.I.E.L.D. and endangered public safety... and Pierce—along with others—shares that sentiment."

"They've arrived," Coulson confirmed, then hesitated before adding, "Alexander Pierce... the reports say he's tied to Hydra."

"The meeting approved the self-examination procedure I proposed," Fury replied. "Next, S.H.I.E.L.D. will initiate an unprecedented internal cleanup. It won't be quick or easy, but at least we've reached our first goal. It's a start, and for that, we should thank Batman."

Of course, rooting out Hydra from within S.H.I.E.L.D. would take much more than a self-examination. It wouldn't be resolved overnight.

Still, as Fury pointed out, it was a good beginning—a signal that S.H.I.E.L.D. was finally willing to confront its internal flaws and take action.

The hidden operatives of Hydra would be uncovered and dealt with—slowly but surely.

"Now, public opinion is boiling over," Fury said, rising from his desk. "Let's go. We need to address it immediately."

Coulson followed Fury to another conference room.

The best way to manage public outcry was to release bigger news to divert attention. And what better way to do that than by introducing the Avengers to the world?

An officially recognized superhero team, featuring not only the world-famous billionaire and playboy Tony Stark, but also Steve Rogers—the legendary Captain America. Frozen in time for seventy years and recently thawed, Rogers was the perfect embodiment of American ideals.

Other team members included Black Widow, Hawkeye, Doctor Octopus, and even Rumlow, who had confirmed his membership just the day before. 

However, in the eyes of the public, these individuals were merely supporting players compared to Stark and Rogers.

The Avengers would serve as a demonstration of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s strength and resolve, offering a counterpoint to the Justice League, which had already begun to take shape.

From the public's perspective, this would be seen as a clash between two rival superhero teams, effectively distracting from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hydra problem.

After all, Hydra was a relic of World War II, largely unknown to the general population. Most people lacked awareness of its existence, let alone its role during the war.

Instead, public attention would naturally gravitate toward something more familiar and exciting—like the Avengers, led by Iron Man and Captain America.

Fury entered the conference room, where several people were already seated around a massive table: Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Doctor Octopus, and Rumlow.

These six individuals were the first-generation members of the Avengers that S.H.I.E.L.D. planned to launch. While additional candidates might be added later, for now, Nick Fury intended to promote these six to the public.

"You should already know each other," Fury began. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is facing some unique challenges. We must address them seriously and directly. Therefore, it's time to reveal the existence of the Avengers to the public."

This announcement caught Tony Stark and the others by surprise. They had assumed today's meeting was merely to formalize the Avengers within S.H.I.E.L.D., not to go so far as to make them public knowledge.

However, given the article in The Daily Bugle , it wasn't entirely unexpected.

"Hydra..." Tony murmured thoughtfully.

Across from him, Steve Rogers, Captain America, wore a grim expression. As someone who had fought Hydra on the front lines, led the Howling Commandos, and clashed with the organization countless times, Rogers knew better than anyone how dangerous Hydra was.

After seventy years, seeing Hydra's resurgence only solidified his sense of purpose.

"Let's begin," Rogers said, rising to his feet. He looked at Fury. "I assume you've made the arrangements?"

"I have," Fury replied with a nod. "The media is ready. The press conference will start shortly. Today, S.H.I.E.L.D. will make its public debut, and for the first time, so will the Avengers. Tony, Rogers—you'll be the stars of the show."

"Got it," Tony said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll take care of it."

Before long, the group made their way to the lobby of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Numerous media outlets from across the United States had already gathered, buzzing with anticipation. 

When Fury and his team entered, all eyes turned to the figures behind him.

The reporters' expressions shifted from excitement to outright shock.

"Tony Stark..." someone murmured.

"Wait—look at that guy in the Captain America uniform. Is he the new Captain America?"

"No... he looks exactly like Steve Rogers."

"Is he a descendant of Rogers?"

"Impossible. The captain never had children!"

The murmurs of speculation gave way to a wave of excitement. Among the journalists, one stood out: Eddie Brock, editor-in-chief of The Daily Bugle , who had flown in as quickly as possible.

The article published that morning, which had ignited much of the public furor, had been written by Eddie himself. As a prominent media figure, he was both respected and reviled—especially within S.H.I.E.L.D.

Several agents eyed him with thinly veiled hostility.

"Captain America..." Eddie muttered to himself, stunned as he looked at Steve Rogers. Despite the seventy-year gap, Rogers looked just as he had in his youth.

"Has he... not aged?"

Fury stepped up to the podium, his voice calm but commanding. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Today, I'm here to address certain doubts and to introduce a team. Long before Batman formed the Justice League, we began screening candidates worldwide and internally, culminating in the formation of a superhero team."

"A superhero team?" someone called out from the crowd.

"Indeed," Fury replied. "Let me introduce you to the team's most prominent members. First, Iron Man—Tony Stark, who needs no introduction."

The room buzzed with murmurs of recognition.

"And second," Fury continued, "Captain America—Steve Rogers."

"Steve Rogers?"

"He's alive?"

"It's really him?"

The crowd erupted into chaos as disbelief turned into awe. Countless eyes locked onto Rogers, stunned by the revelation.

"Yes," Fury said firmly.

Nick Fury nodded. "The Steve Rogers you see before you is the Captain America everyone remembers. He's not dead. During the war, at a critical moment, he sacrificed himself by crashing a plane loaded with bombs into the polar ice caps. He was frozen there for seventy years, his body preserved in time. Recently, we discovered him in the glacier and successfully awakened him. He's back. Captain America is back!"

This revelation hit the media like a nuclear bomb, instantly igniting a frenzy of excitement. Even Eddie Brock was stunned.

Before Eddie had left for Washington, Anton had cryptically told him that he would meet someone extraordinary. 

Though curious, Eddie hadn't thought much of it. Who could have imagined it would be Captain America?

"This news will overshadow the Daily bugle completely," Eddie muttered, his face darkening.

It wasn't just the diminishing spotlight on his publication that bothered him. Eddie also harbored deep mistrust of S.H.I.E.L.D., believing them to be no better than Hydra.

While Anton had assured him that Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, was trustworthy, Eddie couldn't shake his skepticism. 

After all, how could someone be clean while operating in what he considered a den of thieves?

…

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