Chapter 495: Who is the Hardcore Enforcer?
"I have a dream..."
"I hope that all my employees can work hard, voluntarily put in extra hours, without pay, without guarantees, without complaints..."
"I have a dream that my funds will always be sufficient, and no one will ever question where I use them..."
"I have a dream..."
"Stop!" Schiller interrupted Nick's recitation and said, "Get to the point. Do you want me to deploy a batch of Hydra agents, infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., become a new agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., how many people do you want?"
"Can't it be the same number as the people we sold?"
"Since you've already gone this far, why not go all the way?" Schiller immediately outdid Nick, saying:
"Except for a few essential figures, the rest should be cleared out and replaced with people I transfer from Hydra."
"I hereby appoint you as the head of Hydra's New York district, operating under the code name 'Roar.' You will communicate via telephone, and all Hydra agents operating in New York will report to you after gathering intelligence."
"While you mobilize Hydra agents in New York to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hydra, you can also mobilize S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hydra to counter Hydra in New York.""This way, if you arrange for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hydra to be at a disadvantage, you can demand funding from Congress. If you arrange for Hydra in New York to be at a disadvantage, you can report to me, and I will report to headquarters to request funding."
Nick sincerely applauded, stood up, extended his hand to Schiller, who also stood up, and their black and white palms shook hands. Nick looked into Schiller's eyes and said:
"Nick Fury is online, codename 'Roar.'"
Meanwhile, inside the Avengers' base, Peter stood in front of a whiteboard, addressing three younger mutants, "Next, we're going to assault a Hydra stronghold at Pier in the west..."
"This is different from the previous strike against the Kingpin Gang's criminal industry. You will be facing well-armed and experienced Hydra agents."
"Alright, enough talking, let's head out." Shadow impatiently said, "Last time before we took on the Gang, you talked about how strong they were, and in the end, it was just a round to defeat them."
Amplifier also crossed his arms and said, "I know you're worried about our safety, but don't we have symbiotes? We're not afraid of bullets, and we have various special abilities. What does it matter if they have strong firepower?"
Peter sighed helplessly, realizing that he somewhat understood the feelings of the former Spider-Man, Matt, and Steve. The previous Spider-Man and the current group of young mutants were almost the same, not taking ordinary enemies with guns seriously, relying on their great strength, speed, and spider sense.
At the time, Matt, Stark, and Steve had emphasized the importance of tactical strategy to him, but he wouldn't truly learn until he faced a real setback.
With this in mind, Peter decided not to say anything more. He put the pen and board aside, waved his hand, and said, "Let's go, time to depart."
In the meeting room of Stark Tower, Stark, Steve, Matt, Erik, Erica, Natasha, Barton, and other Avengers members sat around a long table, listening to Eddie explain his 90th plan.
Aside from Steve, who seemed relatively attentive, the others appeared to have already drifted into several dreams.
Stark, propping his chin with his hand, closed his eyes again, then suddenly "thump," his head hit the table. After waking up, he shook his head, extended his hand to Eddie, and said, "Stop!"
Stark took a deep breath, sat up straight, and continued, "I don't deny the importance of tactical strategy, but have you prepared for this... uh..."
"About 150 plans," Eddie responded.
"Alright, about 150 plans. Isn't that a bit excessive?" Stark rubbed his face with both hands and said, "I think we can be flexible. Let's depart now."
Eddie's face displayed a disapproving expression. He squinted at Stark, his mouth curved downward. But suddenly, he shook his head, his expression returning to normal. Seeing his distracted look, Stark knew that he was probably wrestling with that blob of rotten mud in his mind again.
Steve also stood up and said, "Emphasizing strategy is right, but sometimes opportunity is more important. I've noticed unusual activity from Hydra recently, for reasons unknown. They seem to be mobilizing manpower, undoubtedly preparing for some evil grand plan."
"Now..." Steve tapped the table, picked up his shield, and continued, "Avengers, assemble!"
"Our target is all of Hydra in New York state and its surroundings. Besides their base, destroy their contact points, communication hubs, and meeting locations. When necessary, lethal force can be used."
Steve's expression turned serious as he said, "Remember what I emphasized before? Do not underestimate the enemy, and spare no effort in eradicating evil."
Everyone at the table stood up. With a swoosh, Stark's Mech armor flew in from the window and armed itself onto him. Stark said, "The previous contest ended in a draw. This time, I'm definitely going to beat you."
"Natasha, Erik, Barton, come with me. The rest of you are with Steve." Stark continued, pointing his finger at Steve. "Let's speak with our true abilities!"
After saying this, he turned around, activated his suit, and flew out the window, disappearing into the New York skyline.
Natasha shrugged and said, "He's impatient, isn't he? But now, he's our Captain. Let's get moving. Barton, you and Erik go back to the Avengers base to get things ready. I'll go to S.H.I.E.L.D. for briefing."
Both nodded. As Natasha left the meeting room, just outside the door, she quickened her pace. Taking out her mobile phone, she said, "Director! It's bad news! They're starting another round of Hydra sanctions, another contest!"
"Cause trouble? I can't cause trouble; I'm with Stark's team. He'll find out!" ... "Alright, I'm on my way."
Hanging up the phone, Natasha hurried, and when she got in her car, she pressed on the gas pedal. She was about to speed off to S.H.I.E.L.D. When she arrived at Nick's office at S.H.I.E.L.D., a haze of cigarette smoke filled the air. Nick, smoking a cigarette, held his head, looking deeply troubled.
"What's going on? Why are they starting another contest? Hasn't the fervor over Hydra passed? Why are they still fixated on this?"
Natasha sighed and said, "Did you forget? Captain and the Winter Soldier went to tour the Andromeda Nebula. After spending some time there, they wanted to return to Earth, but the Winter Soldier refused to come back, no matter how Captain tried to persuade him."
"After Captain returned, he complained a bit in front of Stark, and Stark exploded again. They ended up having a fight, and now they're in a cold war."
"They're in a cold war, but what does that have to do with Hydra? What has Hydra done wrong?" Nick said in distress. "Last time, their contest took down at least a dozen Hydra bases. How many more will they damage this time?"
Natasha hesitated a bit and said, "Director, should I still contact the KGB?"
As soon as she said that, she felt it sounded somewhat absurd. Natasha sighed, shook her head, and continued, "Though I really don't understand how you became the head of Hydra's New York district, having the KGB work under your command, disguised as Hydra... wouldn't that be a bit..."
Natasha scratched her head vigorously. Her red hair was already a mess, resembling a bird's nest. The female agent looked utterly frustrated. "Before, when I called the KGB, telling them to arrange agents to infiltrate, they thought I was a leftover Soviet spy. They even called me 'comrade'! My goodness!"
But Nick's eyes suddenly lit up. He said, "Is that so?"
"Of course not! I've grown to hate the Soviet Union! I really regret not shooting Gorbachev back then..."
"In that case, you must be a Soviet spy. Every Soviet spy I know wants to shoot Gorbachev..."
Natasha looked somewhat exasperated, looking up with a deep sigh. Nick comforted her, saying, "Don't mind it. Who you are right now doesn't matter. What's important is who you're working for."
"I work for S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
"Who does S.H.I.E.L.D. work for?"
"For... Are you trying to make me say that S.H.I.E.L.D. works for you?"
"No, S.H.I.E.L.D. works for Hydra. S.H.I.E.L.D. is more significant because of Hydra's existence, holding a high position. Our mission is to eliminate Hydra."
"So, are you saying I'm working for Hydra?"
"Not just you." Nick chuckled and said, "All the members of the Avengers are working for Hydra."
Natasha shook her head, smirked, and said, "Tomorrow, I'll make sure to convey this spirit to Captain America."
"Yes, you must emphasize our slogan to him."
"Slogan? What slogan?"
"Hail Hydra!"
Natasha stood in place, one hand on her hip, the other covering her eyes. She said, "Why don't you send Barton to do this job? I'd like to live a little longer."
"Alright, enough joking. What did you think of my performance just now? Did I look like the head of Hydra's district?"
Nick swayed his body, showing off his unique rhythm, displaying great joy. He said, "No S.H.I.E.L.D. director has ever been able to hold this position, but I believe this is just my starting point, not the end!"
Natasha looked at him and said, "You're not thinking of getting a promotion, are you?"
"Given the current situation, Schiller definitely wants a promotion. If he gets promoted to headquarters, won't the position of head of the Americas district be vacant? Do you think I have what it takes to compete?"
Before Natasha could answer, Nick waved his hand and said, "No relationships involved. Once I become the head of the Hydra Americas district, I'll make you the head of the New York district!"
"By then, you can insert as many KGB agents here as you want. Within two years, you'll have all the medals the Soviet Union owes you."
Natasha snorted and muttered to herself, "Medals..."
There was a change in the female agent's eye contact, as if she was recalling some memories. Nick saw her in that state, breaking away from his playful demeanor, and then said, "You're still the same. Whenever they're mentioned, you wear that emotion on your face."
"What emotion?" Natasha raised her voice, seemingly not agreeing with Nick's statement.
"You hate it, yet at the same time, you're nostalgic for it."
Natasha composed her expression, reverting to her usual cold demeanor. She turned and walked out of the room, leaving only the sound of the door closing echoing in the empty office. Nick looked at the closed door and continued, "Who isn't, right?"
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