C224

"Are you sure that's what Nick Fury said?" Anton asked, his expression turning strange.

'I sent someone to kill the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.—why don't I know about this?'

"I'm very sure," Eddie replied in a deep voice. "When Tony Stark contacted me, I heard the news directly from him. I even confirmed it with him multiple times. He said he saw it with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears."

"That's... interesting."

Anton suddenly chuckled. "Hydra's reaction is stronger than I expected."

"Anton, this is serious," Eddie said, frowning. "If Nick Fury truly believes we're trying to kill him, S.H.I.E.L.D. will turn against the Justice League. Then we'll be facing not only Hydra's hidden forces within S.H.I.E.L.D. but the entire organization itself. Things are looking bad for us. We need to clear up these suspicions quickly."

"There's no clearing this up."

Anton shook his head. "Nick Fury isn't stupid. If he's calling Batman the mastermind behind this, then it's not Nick Fury talking."

"But he did say it…" Eddie trailed off, then seemed to realize something. He drew a sharp breath. "You mean to say... Nick Fury's been replaced by Hydra?"

"Exactly," Anton confirmed. "It's highly likely—no, it's almost certain."

"I'm telling Tony right now," Eddie said, ready to end the call.

"Wait."

Anton raised an eyebrow. "When did you and Tony Stark get so close?"

"Uh, during the alien invasion of New York. I saved his life once," Eddie said with a small chuckle. "After that, during the time you were busy making a movie, he invited me to a few of his parties."

"Parties?" Anton thought for a moment, piecing together the timeline. Eddie was referring to the period between the alien invasion and Iron Man 2, when Tony was indulging in his reckless lifestyle.

Anton smirked. "Alright, but remember—you're still part of the Justice League. Don't let him lure you into the Avengers."

"Of course not. They don't pay me a salary," Eddie joked before hanging up.

It was clear that he had already shared limited information with Tony Stark.

Anton leaned back in his chair, frowning slightly as he processed Eddie's update and the military's earlier intelligence.

Ding Dong!

His phone buzzed with a message from John Keller, the Secretary of Defense.

[Anton, meet me at New York Airport in half an hour.]

"So urgent?" Anton muttered, clicking his tongue.

A flight from Washington to New York typically took forty minutes, but Koehler's demand to meet in half an hour suggested they were using an emergency channel.

Keller's urgency made it clear: the military was furious.

It wasn't just frustration from being unable to act—they were being humiliated. Hydra's deep infiltration had allowed them to eliminate the captured Cobra operatives in military custody without leaving any actionable evidence.

The military, convinced Hydra was responsible, had already zeroed in on S.H.I.E.L.D. as its hideout.

The Daily bugle wasn't helping matters either. According to their reports, Hydra's influence extended into S.H.I.E.L.D. leadership itself. The paper's connection to Batman only complicated things.

Although the military trusted Batman due to past collaborations, they couldn't risk further conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D. based solely on his word. They needed proof—and fast.

Half an Hour Later.

Anton arrived at the New York airport to meet Keller, who stepped off a military plane looking grim.

The meeting between the two was notably cordial.

After all, Batman was now closely aligned with the military at nearly every level. This bond was not just due to Batman's promise to make the Justice League a nominal part of the military but also because of Anton's connections. 

The Jameson family and Wayne Enterprises had formed a solid partnership. Wayne Enterprises, deeply entrenched in the arms industry, had taken over a substantial number of military contracts from Hammer Industries.

The relationship between the military and Batman was more than just political—it was financially beneficial to both sides.

"Where's the evidence?" Keller asked as he got into the car Anton was driving. His expression was serious. 

"Anton, we're willing to trust you, but you need to provide solid proof. Without it, we have no grounds to intervene. S.H.I.E.L.D. is backed by the World Security Council, which represents not just us but other United Nations members."

The subtext was clear: any action against S.H.I.E.L.D. needed to be justified and carefully planned.

"I understand," Anton replied.

Driving down a quiet lane, he stopped the car, stepped out, and opened a manhole cover. Gesturing toward it, he said, "This way. The person you want to meet is down here."

Keller hesitated for a moment, then followed Anton into the sewer. He knew this area was part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' territory, and sure enough, the first sight greeting him was the Turtles and their mentor, Splinter.

Anton carefully avoided introducing Dr. Connors and Dr. Banner. Although the military likely suspected Bruce Banner was under Batman's protection, they chose to overlook it in light of their cooperation with the Justice League. 

Officially, Banner was still a fugitive, but as long as Batman maintained their partnership, Banner's presence was tacitly ignored. In this context, Banner had effectively become an unofficial asset of the military.

"The person you want to meet is just ahead," Anton said, leading Keller deeper into the sewer.

At a turn, Anton paused and glanced back at Koehler.

"Right through there," Anton said, motioning ahead.

Keller trusted Anton enough not to hesitate. As he turned the corner, his eyes fell on a man with metal arms sitting silently in the shadows.

The man's face came into focus, and Keller's expression changed drastically.

"You…" Keller turned sharply to Anton, his voice full of shock. "This… this is—"

"Yes," Anton interrupted, confirming before Keller could finish. "I'm 100% sure. That man is Bucky Barnes—Captain America's former comrade-in-arms."

"What the hell is going on here?" Keller demanded, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He looked between Anton and the Winter Soldier, his mind racing with questions.

"I have a theory," Anton said calmly. "It's a long story, but luckily, we've got the time for it now."

Anton began to explain, his tone measured and deliberate, as Keller listened intently.

Washington, D.C. — A Private Residence

After receiving Eddie's report, Tony Stark sat in deep thought. His brow furrowed as he considered the implications of what he'd just heard.

'Nick Fury was replaced?'

The idea seemed absurd, yet plausible.

He thought back to the man they had pulled from the ruins. Fury had been severely burned, riddled with bullet wounds, and barely clinging to life. Yet something about him felt... off.

Tony couldn't shake the sense that this situation was becoming increasingly complex—and dangerous.

"Jarvis."

Tony suddenly spoke, his tone sharp. "Pull up the surveillance feed from Nick Fury's hospital room."

"Yes, sir," Jarvis responded.

Moments later, the screen displayed Nick Fury, fresh out of surgery, lying on the hospital bed in recovery.

Tony observed the footage intently. Though he didn't know Nick Fury well enough to spot any subtle differences, he couldn't shake the nagging suspicion gnawing at him. 

After a brief pause, he made up his mind and headed to the hospital.

Upon arrival, he found Coulson, Black Widow, and Hawkeye stationed outside Fury's room. Their faces were grim, worry etched into every line.

"Tony, what are you doing here again?" Black Widow asked, surprised to see him.

"I couldn't sleep," Tony replied nonchalantly. "Thought I'd drop by and check on things."

He studied Natasha for a moment before asking, "Do you really think Batman is behind this?"

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Batman's... complicated. No one really understands him."

"Fair enough," Tony muttered. He shifted gears. "How's Fury holding up?"

"He woke up briefly after surgery," Natasha explained. "Said a few words, then fell back asleep."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "And you don't think there's anything... off about him?"

Natasha tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind." Tony waved her off, glancing at Fury through the glass. "Take care."

With that, he turned and left. Natasha and the others exchanged confused glances as they watched him go.

Once Tony was out of sight, he issued a quiet command: "Jarvis, gain control of the hospital's surveillance system."

"Understood."

Tony made his way to the operating room. Outside, he spotted a trash can containing Fury's discarded, blood-stained surgical garments. 

Retrieving a piece of the material, he left the hospital discreetly.

Hours later, in his private lab, Tony compared the DNA from Fury's bloodstained clothing with records in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal database.

"No discrepancies," Tony muttered to himself. "The DNA matches Fury's exactly."

He leaned back in his chair, his mind swirling. "If the person in that hospital is Nick Fury... then Eddie lied to me."

He closed his eyes, grappling with doubt. On one hand, the evidence pointed to Fury's authenticity. On the other, Eddie's warnings lingered in his mind.

"Batman," he murmured, "is it really you?"

Tony's thoughts drifted back to when Batman had helped him during the Iron Monger crisis. Batman had seemed more of an observer, someone who intervened only out of necessity.

 Tony wanted to believe in that version of him—but doubt had taken root.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters

In another part of the world, a message popped up on Alexander Pierce's phone.

[Unauthorized access detected: Nick Fury's DNA records were queried in the S.H.I.E.L.D. database. Likely Stark's AI.]

Pierce smirked as he read the notification, then watched it auto-delete from his device.

"Trying to outmaneuver me?" he muttered coldly. "Batman, you're still too naive."

Pierce leaned back in his chair, satisfied. His plan to replace Nick Fury with a Hydra operative was running flawlessly.

By using Cobra's master of disguise, Zartan, and swapping his DNA into the database with Dr. Zola's digital expertise, Pierce had left no trace of the deception. 

Now, even Tony Stark's high-tech probing would only lead to one conclusion: Nick Fury was genuine.

Soon, Pierce thought, Tony's doubts would spiral, and he would direct his suspicion toward Batman.

Within days, Pierce planned to have Fury—his Hydra puppet—approach the World Security Council to demand sanctions against Batman.

Once that happened, the Avengers could be unleashed against the Justice League, setting the stage for a catastrophic clash.

Pierce grinned. It didn't matter who won. Hydra would reap the benefits of the chaos.

"As for Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Pierce mused, his grin widening. "No one will suspect the director and deputy director are both spies."

…

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