Triskelion Headquarters-
As Steve left, Nick Fury suddenly spoke, "Seal the office."
He then took out the USB drive Natasha had handed over and inserted it into the computer.
"Access Lemurian Star satellite launch files," Fury commanded.
An automated system responded, "Beep... Access denied."
"Run decryption."
"Decryption failed."
Frowning at the failure message on the screen, Fury said again, "Override authorization—Nicholas J. Fury, Director."
After a moment of processing, the system replied, "Authorization failed. All files have been locked."
Hearing this, Fury asked in confusion, "On whose orders?"
"Nicholas J. Fury."
Fury's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong—he had no memory of issuing such an order.
He made a mental note of the anomaly and headed to the elevator, instructing, "World Security Council."
The elevator doors closed and began ascending to the upper floors, where the Security Council was in session.
…
Upstairs, Alexander Pierce was already dealing with sharp criticisms from the Security Council members during their meeting.
One council member, appearing via holographic projection, said, "If Nick Fury believes his masked man and strike team can clean up the mess he created, he's gravely mistaken."
"This error is unacceptable."
Another council member added, "Given the attack occurred just one mile off our coastline, I don't think that's sufficient. I demand a hearing."
A female council member interjected, "We don't need a hearing; we need action."
"The Council's responsibility is to oversee S.H.I.E.L.D."
At this point, another member chimed in, "This incident raises too many questions."
Another council member asked, "For instance, how did a French pirate manage to hijack S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified warship in broad daylight?"
Pierce, calm and collected, responded, "Just to clarify, Council members—"
"He's Algerian."
"And if you need it, I can provide a map."
The British council member retorted sarcastically, "Thank you for your brilliance, Secretary Pierce."
"But the Council takes international piracy very seriously."
Pierce, removing his glasses, replied nonchalantly, "Do they?"
"I couldn't care less about a single ship or even a single vessel. What I care about is the entire fleet."
"If every minor issue gives the Council an excuse to lecture me, perhaps we should appoint an oversight committee for ourselves, don't you think?"
Recognizing the provocative nature of Pierce's statement, one council member quickly responded, "Mr. Secretary, we're not suggesting that—"
At that moment, Pierce's secretary approached him and whispered, "Sir, Director Nick Fury is here."
Pierce nodded, then turned to the council members and said, "Excuse me for a moment."
The British council member asked, "More trouble, Mr. Secretary?"
Pierce, walking toward the exit, replied casually, "Depends on how you define trouble."
Leaving the meeting room, Pierce saw Nick Fury waiting inside his office and remarked, "My office is only forty floors away, and you wouldn't come even when someone hijacks a ship?"
Fury countered, "No, but I'd come if it were nuclear war."
Looking toward the adjacent meeting room, Fury asked, "Busy?"
Pierce replied, "Only with things money can solve."
Fury glanced around the room and said, "I'm here to ask for your help."
"I need you to organize a vote to delay Project Insight."
Pierce immediately responded, "Nick, that's not asking for help. That requires a subcommittee hearing, and it'll take a while."
Realizing Pierce's evasive response, Fury insisted, "Maybe everything is fine, but I need to make sure of that."
Pierce asked, "And if something's wrong?"
"Then we'd be glad we didn't send the Helicarriers into the sky."
Pierce knew he couldn't dissuade Fury, but inside, his resolve to eliminate the director was growing.
"Fine," Pierce relented, "but you'll need to have Iron Man attend my niece's birthday party."
Seeing Pierce agree, Fury extended his hand and said, "Thank you, Secretary."
Pierce shook Fury's hand and added, "Don't just pass through—stick around and enjoy yourself."
With the exchange over, Pierce turned and left, while Fury nodded, satisfied that his objective had been achieved.
To Fury, convincing Tony Stark to attend a birthday party was no issue at all. It wasn't like he'd been asked to get Charles Doyle to join—it was a straightforward favor.
…
As Fury exited the office, Pierce wrapped up his discussions with the Security Council.
Once the council members had dispersed, Pierce's smiling demeanor vanished. Project Insight was crucial to Hydra's resurgence, and at this critical juncture, a delay was unthinkable.
Postponing the project would introduce unforeseen risks, especially with Fury's growing suspicions. If the director was given time to investigate further, it would undoubtedly spell disaster.
Rubbing his temples, Pierce decided that if he couldn't resolve the problem, he would deal with the person causing it.
At that moment, Pierce's murderous intent surfaced fully. Fury's death would ensure that Project Insight remained on track. Without the director, the Helicarriers would still be launched as planned.
With the Helicarriers in orbit, everything would fall into place. Even the ninja forces, tempered by Hydra's influence, will be under control.
Resolved, Pierce issued orders to key Hydra operatives. Fury had to be eliminated today—no exceptions.
To ensure the success of the assassination plan, Pierce decided to deploy his ultimate weapon: the Winter Soldier.
Enhanced with the superhuman serum, the Winter Soldier's capabilities guaranteed that Nick Fury would have no chance of escaping alive.