- In Marvel: I Start by Marrying Scarlett Witch [Complete]
- MWM Chapter 59
“Given Nick Fury’s capabilities and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s efficiency, they’ll probably track me down soon enough,” Leo thought to himself after hanging up the phone with Tony.
Whether it was Tony or the soon-to-be-recruited Dr. Banner, both were part of Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative, so it was only a matter of time before Leo’s interactions with them drew attention.
But there was no need to worry. Since Nick Fury now knew about HYDRA through Tony, he would likely spend a significant amount of time and energy fighting against HYDRA. Even if he noticed something off about Leo, he wouldn’t have the resources to act on it and might even seek Leo’s help later.
As for any investigations, that was even less concerning.
Go ahead and investigate. The Li Group is a legitimate company in the U.S., with nothing more suspicious than a well-equipped security team. They haven’t done anything illegal. Check all you want.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. sent spies into the company, it wouldn’t matter. All the lab work was legitimate, with Dr. Stern and Dr. Yinsen researching human-beneficial medicines.
Given some time, once his strength increased, he could disregard both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA.
[A new side quest has been added. Please check the task bar.]
While contemplating S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, Leo heard the task notification and naturally opened the panel, checking the side quest section.
[Task: Save Tony Stark. Tony Stark is suffering from palladium poisoning due to the frequent use of the Arc Reactor. Help him overcome the poisoning.]
[Reward: Elder Wand.]
[The Elder Wand? From the Harry Potter universe? What use do I have for that?]
Leo was momentarily stunned by the task reward.
He knew of the Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows from the Harry Potter world, made from elder wood and Thestral tail hair, capable of helping wizards cast powerful and deadly spells more easily.
However, he wasn’t a wizard, nor did he have wizard blood. He couldn’t cast spells, making the Elder Wand less useful than a simple dagger—at least for now.
“Whatever, it’s a free reward.”
Leo shrugged it off, realizing that even if he didn’t actively pursue this side quest, it would eventually complete itself.
According to the original plot, after Tony got poisoned, Nick Fury would give him a recording left by Howard Stark. Tony would discover that his father had left clues in his office model for synthesizing a new element, which he would then create to replace the palladium, solving the Arc Reactor poisoning problem.
See? Leo didn’t need to do anything, and the task would still be completed.
“Perfect, I can use this opportunity to get Tony to help with my plan. Otherwise, he might not agree.”
Closing the panel, Leo continued to practice chakra extraction with his eyes closed, waiting for Tony’s arrival.
But would things really go according to the original plot? Leo underestimated the series of butterfly effects his presence had already set in motion in this world.
…
Washington, D.C., S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Triskelion, former Director and current Secretary of the World Security Council’s office.
Alexander Pierce instructed the bald agent in front of him:
“Sitwell, Nick Fury is getting suspicious.”
“How could that be? We’ve been hidden so well, and most of S.H.I.E.L.D. is under our control. The information he gets is what we allow him to see.”
Sitwell’s face showed surprise.
He was in charge of recruiting new agents within S.H.I.E.L.D., whether through external recruitment or graduates from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. Each agent’s dossier would first pass through his hands.
Based on the information, he could identify which agents had the potential to be recruited into HYDRA, converting them before they even joined S.H.I.E.L.D.
Many of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s high-ranking officials, if lacking in ideological loyalty, were enticed with various benefits to become HYDRA agents, just like John Garrett, who nearly died from a mission injury.
So, the intelligence Nick Fury received was primarily filtered by them, devoid of any traces of HYDRA. Any genuine S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who noticed discrepancies would have their reports intercepted and be eliminated on their next mission.
In such a setup, Sitwell couldn’t fathom how Fury would become suspicious.
“Don’t worry about that for now. He’s always been a sharp one. Even with most of S.H.I.E.L.D. under our control, he’s managed to establish several secret bases we know nothing about.
I’ll send someone to eliminate him. Prepare yourself to take over his position.”
Pierce waved dismissively.
Sitwell hesitated:
“He’s only suspicious. Wouldn’t it be too soon to eliminate him? The Insight Plan still has many gaps.”
“We can’t wait. I know him well. Once he’s suspicious, it becomes problematic. We need to eliminate him now. Once you’re the director, we can continue perfecting the Insight Plan.”
Pierce’s tone was firm, showing his deep respect for Fury’s capabilities.
If he didn’t recognize Fury’s talent, he wouldn’t have chosen Fury, a non-HYDRA agent, to become director upon his retirement.
In fact, he believed this decision was brilliant.
It was Fury’s exceptional skills that turned the once mediocre S.H.I.E.L.D. into the global powerhouse it was today.
Indirectly, this also accelerated HYDRA’s growth and the advancement of the Insight Plan to its current stage.
Honestly, if it had been himself or any other HYDRA member as director, S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t have thrived as it did.
However, this also made him wary of Fury. Observing Fury’s unusual behavior last night through his secret access, he decided to act preemptively, even if there was only a suspicion.
“Understood!”
Sitwell nodded and exited the office.
Once Sitwell left, Pierce activated a secret communicator and ordered:
“Activate the Winter Soldier. Mission: Kill Nick Fury!”