C225

New York

Sewers. Ninja dojo. Makeshift prison.

"Anton, hand over the Winter Soldier to us," the Secretary of Defense, John Keller, said solemnly. 

"If what you're saying is true, then only the military can handle it. Captain America has joined S.H.I.E.L.D., and soldiers are under military command. This ensures that the military and S.H.I.E.L.D. are on the same starting line... This is very important to us."

The "same starting line" referred to the super soldiers created with super serum.

Although the Justice League was nominally affiliated with the military, it did not fully submit to its control.

 For the military, which lacked super-soldier combat capabilities, the pursuit of such power far exceeded Anton's expectations.

"We have no intention of keeping the Winter Soldier. He's as much trouble for us as he is for you," Anton explained. "Secretary Keller, the military can take him anytime. But through the Winter Soldier, you can track Hydra and verify that what I've told you is true. He's the evidence you need. So, I hope you'll consider meeting our terms."

"The Winter Soldier is evidence, yes," Keller admitted, his expression strained. "But he can't be the conclusive evidence."

Keller understood Anton's implication. The Justice League and Batman wanted the military to sanction their attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. in order to root out Hydra agents hidden within. 

And truthfully, if the evidence were strong enough, the military wouldn't mind seeing the Justice League and S.H.I.E.L.D. come to blows.

After all, who put S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in Washington?

It was like S.H.I.E.L.D. had moved onto the military's front lawn. From the beginning, the armed forces had never fully trusted them.

But the current problem was clear: the Winter Soldier, brainwashed by Hydra, only held fragmented information. 

Key details remained elusive. If the military allowed the Justice League to launch an attack on S.H.I.E.L.D. without solid proof, they would face harsh scrutiny.

Behind S.H.I.E.L.D. stood the World Security Council—a body akin to the United Nations, where the U.S. was only one of several permanent members. 

A military-sanctioned assault on S.H.I.E.L.D. without irrefutable evidence could lead to international outrage. This was Keller's dilemma: without undeniable proof, he couldn't authorize action.

"As long as the military agrees to let the Justice League act, the evidence will come naturally," Anton argued. "You've heard Nick Fury was attacked and is now lying in the hospital... but what you might not know is that before he fell into a coma, he claimed Batman was behind the attack."

"What?" Keller exclaimed, visibly shocked. "Is that true?"

"It is," Anton confirmed with a nod. "But I can tell you with certainty: the Nick Fury in that hospital bed isn't Nick Fury at all."

"Then who is he?" Keller asked, his brow furrowing. "Who has the ability to impersonate the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Think about why you came to New York," Anton countered.

Keller looked confused for a moment. He had come to New York because the prisoners from the Cobra organization, who were taken from the New York Police Department yesterday, had all mysteriously died. 

The evidence was gone, and the military was furious.

Realization dawned on Keller's face. "This has something to do with those dead prisoners?"

"Exactly," Anton confirmed. "One of those prisoners was Zartan—a master of disguise from Cobra. He's capable of perfectly mimicking someone's appearance, movements, voice, and even their mannerisms."

"So, you're saying the person lying in that hospital bed isn't Nick Fury but Zartan?"

"Correct," Anton replied.

Keller's eyes lit up as he pieced it together. "Then... does that mean the corpse in the army morgue is fake too?"

"It doesn't have to be fake," Anton said with a shrug. "Cloning technology has come a long way. Creating a clone corpse is child's play. However, I assume your military tech is capable of verifying whether the corpse is cloned or not?"

"Of course," Keller assured him.

Keller nodded. "The most irreplaceable part of a clone is the brain. The brain is the most remarkable organ in the human body. No matter how advanced cloning technology becomes, it's impossible to replicate the brain of a fully developed adult in their 30s."

After saying this, he grew restless. In truth, the military had high expectations for the Justice League. If the League could defeat S.H.I.E.L.D. under the military's banner, it would greatly enhance the military's image.

However, any action by the Justice League needed to be justified. There could be no reckless fighting. 

All official forces operated within established rules. Organizations that didn't follow these rules were labeled as terrorist groups.

Hydra's schemes weren't just about erasing their presence—they were carefully constructing a framework to pit the Avengers against the Justice League. Their ultimate goal was to frame the Avengers for an attack on the Justice League.

Anton, on the other hand, had been patient. He hadn't moved against S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately because he needed the military's approval. 

A strategic approach was necessary to maximize the Justice League's benefits in this situation.

Charging into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters in Washington, apprehending Alexander Pierce, and using Wonder Woman's lasso of truth to expose the truth might seem like a bold move. 

However, it would humiliate the military. After all, Washington was firmly under military jurisdiction. A direct intervention by the Justice League would imply that the military was incapable of handling matters on its own turf.

Batman's cooperation with the military had been smooth so far. To maintain that relationship, a little finesse was required. Anton needed Koehler and the others to place greater trust in Batman.

In reality, once the military approved Anton's request and allowed the Justice League to act against S.H.I.E.L.D., any lingering friction would resolve itself. 

Anton already knew, thanks to Eddie's warning, that Hydra agents within S.H.I.E.L.D. were conspiring against Batman.

But Anton didn't care.

He was confident he already had enough resources to handle S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Give me one night," Anton said calmly.

Keller perked up. He realized that Anton had provided the key information the military needed to re-engage in this situation.

"As long as the corpse is confirmed to be fake, your request will be approved. The military won't tolerate being toyed with any longer," Keller declared. As he spoke, he took out his phone to relay the critical information to his superiors.

The military might have been patient once, even twice, because of a lack of evidence. But if provoked further, they wouldn't wait for evidence—they'd create it themselves.

Anton, unfazed, knew his deductions were accurate. The timing was too suspicious: prisoners in military custody mysteriously died, Nick Fury was attacked and hospitalized, and just before losing consciousness, Fury accused Batman of being the assailant.

Zartan must have replaced Fury.

"In that case, stay here tonight, Secretary Keller," Anton said with a faint smile. "In all of New York, there's no place safer than this sewer dojo."

With that, Anton gave a polite nod and left. There were preparations to be made. After enduring these past two days, the tedious steps were finally complete. It was time to gather the team and launch a full assault.

A Residence in Queens

Peter Parker lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. His eyes fluttered closed, but sleep wouldn't come.

With a frustrated sigh, he turned over.

"What should I do?" he muttered to himself, anxious thoughts swirling in his mind.

Finally, Peter swung out of bed, slipped on his Spider-Man suit, and walked to the window. Looking out at the glittering city lights, he took a deep breath.

"Batman won't forget me!" he said resolutely.

"I'm Spider-Man!"

Peter opened the window, ready to head out for a late-night patrol.

Beep! Beep!

Suddenly, his phone rang.

Sensing something, Peter immediately picked up his phone. When he saw the caller ID, he perked up.

"Hello, Anton?" Peter asked excitedly. "You finally remembered me! Can I help you? I can do anything!"

"Take the day off and wait for me at the school gate tomorrow," Anton replied calmly. "Tomorrow's exercise won't be light. You'll meet a lot of interesting people—and maybe even some of your old idols."

"Interesting people? Old idols?" Peter froze for a moment, trying to piece together what Anton meant. Clearly, something big was about to happen tomorrow.

"Got it!" Peter agreed enthusiastically.

After hanging up, he quickly took off the suit he had just put on. The idea of a midnight patrol completely vanished. 

He pulled the quilt over himself, closed his eyes tightly, and willed himself to sleep, not wanting to be tired for whatever lay ahead.

Hell's Kitchen

Daredevil's Residence

Matt Murdock answered the call.

"It's been a while since we last talked," Anton began with a small chuckle.

"Are you calling for Hydra?" Matt asked, his voice steady.

"That's right," Anton confirmed.

Over the past two days, the news cycle had been relentless: Batman's resolution of the New York crisis, the Daily bugle's revelation of Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony Stark joining the Avengers, and the rebirth of Captain America, who had been presumed dead for seventy years.

These stories had sent shockwaves through the U.S. and beyond, leaving the public overwhelmed. But sharp minds could extract the crucial details hidden in the chaos.

From the beginning, it had always been a game between two forces: the Justice League, led by Batman, and Hydra, embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D., as exposed by the Daily Bugle.

As a member of the Justice League and one of Batman's allies, Matt Murdock—Daredevil—unconditionally supported Anton. His loyalty made the truth easier to see.

"It sounds like you're about to make your move," Matt said, unsurprised. "Have you thought this through? If the Justice League acts without official approval, it will be seen as a threat by all sides..."

"Tomorrow, we'll get the military's permission," Anton replied confidently. "Hydra thought they were being clever, but their arrogance has backfired. They've pushed the military too far. Now, with the military's approval, the Justice League can act under official orders. We'll enter S.H.I.E.L.D., expose Hydra, and cut off every one of its heads."

"Good," Matt said firmly. With Anton's plans in motion, he saw no reason to press further. "Contact me tomorrow."

The call ended.

Anton turned to the window, gazing at the starry sky, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, Eddie—still in Washington—relayed the latest updates to Tony Stark. However, Stark's reply was delayed, leaving Eddie to sense that the situation was becoming even more complicated.

….

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