[I've found you!]
Pierce's expression changed drastically upon seeing this.
Just a single sentence alone wouldn't have caused such a shock.
The most critical factor was the other information on the computer screen.
That bat symbol.
"Batman!"
Pierce's face darkened.
As the leader of HYDRA in this generation, his identity was undoubtedly top secret.
Everyone who knew his identity was a high-ranking member brainwashed into unwavering loyalty to HYDRA.
Even if these people committed suicide, they wouldn't reveal a single word.
Pierce had absolute confidence in this, and he'd hidden himself very well.
Even though HYDRA was basically exposed to the likes of Nick Fury, he would never be considered a suspect.
But now, he was actually being approached by Batman!
Where exactly did Batman find out?
Could it be a trap?
"Batman, I don't know what you're talking about!"
Pierce panicked inwardly, but kept a calm expression, taking a deep breath to appear furious.
He slammed his hand on the table, immediately standing up and staring at the computer in front of him, coldly shouting, "There are indeed traitors within S.H.I.E.L.D.. If you continue to slander and defame me, I will immediately have S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel take action against you."
"Hmph!"
On the other side of the computer, Cyborg and Anton both sneered, "Quite cautious!"
However, Anton never expected to get evidence of Pierce's true identity so easily.
In other words, the struggle between him and Pierce had only just begun.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Pierce's computer returned to normal, his anger subsiding, but his expression remained grim, his eyes growing increasingly dark.
He had no way of knowing, nor could he confirm, whether Batman had truly left his computer. With a stern face, he turned and walked out of the office, taking the elevator to a location deep within S.H.I.E.L.D.'s underground base, a room isolated from all signals and offering absolute security.
Inside the room was a round table, with a chair placed in front of each seat.
Pierce sat in his designated seat and activated the emergency call button.
Shh shh shh!
Several virtual projections appeared before him, displaying the current leaders of HYDRA: Daniel Whitehall, Baron Strucker, and Dr. Zola.
"Pierce, what's the matter?"
"I heard about the failure in New York. It seems we need to activate the other plan."
"The Nanite Warheads have been moved to New York and are ready to be deployed at any time."
"We need to pinpoint Batman's location in advance, otherwise, our efforts will be in vain and we'll only alert him, completely exposing ourselves."
Daniel Whitehall and Baron Strucker exchanged words.
Dr. Zola didn't say anything.
He had just learned that one of his small program avatars had been eliminated in New York, which was clearly related to Batman.
As an enemy of HYDRA, Dr. Zola knew a great deal about Batman and the Justice League that Batman had created.
He knew that the Justice League had a superhero named Cyborg.
Cyborg possessed special abilities and could be considered an artificial intelligence, whose abilities were only slightly weaker than his own.
Facing Cyborg, Dr. Zola didn't think he could gain the upper hand.
His role was infinitely diminished in front of Cyborg.
"Enough!"
Everyone had their own thoughts. Pierce, growing impatient, saw Daniel Whitehall and Baron Strucker still arguing and slammed his hand on the table, "Shut up and listen to me!"
Swish! The scene instantly fell silent.
Daniel and Baron Strucker turned to Pierce, their gazes cold, waiting for him to speak.
Their relationship was not harmonious.
Pierce appeared to be the current leader of HYDRA, but Daniel and Baron Strucker, as HYDRA's veterans, didn't accept being bossed around by a newcomer. They had long been in a state of listening to orders but not being cooperative.
Only Dr. Zola, who had become a network life, didn't care about seniority or status.
Dr. Zola believed that he had found the way to achieve immortality; aside from HYDRA's mission, everything else was just fleeting.
"Batman has found me!"
Pierce's face was ashen, his gaze fixed on the several projections in front of him, and he enunciated each word: "He came to my door and flaunted his power in front of me."
"What?"
Daniel Whitehall and Baron Strucker's expressions changed.
Dr. Zola also looked shocked.
Undoubtedly, among them, Alexander Pierce was absolutely the least likely to be exposed.
But Pierce said he had been exposed and that Batman had come to his door?
How could this be possible?
"I wouldn't joke about something like this."
Pierce said coldly, "Accelerate all plans now. We must kill Batman and dismantle the Justice League! Have Cobra make arrangements as soon as possible and move all four Nanite Warheads to New York. If necessary, let New York fall and announce HYDRA's return... He's a superhero, isn't he? I'd like to see if the fall of New York can force him out!"
The room fell silent.
"I concur."
Dr. Zola was the first to speak in support, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Agreed."
"I agree as well."
The motion passed unanimously.
"Good!"
Pierce snorted, opened a map in front of him, and marked the area where New York was located in red, his tone icy: "Plan name, New York Falls!"
The secret room was well sealed; this meeting used HYDRA's internal communication channel and was not captured by the outside world.
Although Anton had Cyborg search the entire network, and could guess that Pierce would definitely take action, it was impossible for him to have this meeting under his eyes.
However, since he knew the enemy wouldn't let things rest, he wouldn't let his guard down.
"Nanite Warheads..."
"Since HYDRA wants to deal with Batman, they have probably transferred the Nanite Warheads to New York. This thing is indeed a bit dangerous."
Anton stroked his chin, recalling the G.I. Joe plot. It was basically Cobra trying to blow things up, and the G.I. Joe team stopping them, ultimately emerging victorious.
Now, Cobra had been absorbed by HYDRA, and the target was Batman under HYDRA's orders. The plot was completely messed up and wouldn't follow the original storyline.
He considered the information he had. The only certainty was that Cobra members were likely in New York, along with the Nanite Warheads.
New York?
Anton's expression became serious.
If Cobra directly deployed the Nanite Warheads in New York, the city would be razed in a short time.
Of course, "razed" didn't mean being blown up. Instead, all objects in New York – buildings, infrastructure, streetlights, and billboards – would be consumed and broken down by the nanites.
The consequences were unimaginable.
New York was, after all, where Batman operated, and it was also an international metropolis.
HYDRA was targeting Batman in New York!
If New York fell, it would be like slapping Batman in the face.
Fortunately, the ones in charge of carrying out this mission were members of Cobra.
Anton had a very good memory.
He didn't know every single member of Cobra, but he knew the key figures.
And as luck would have it, these key figures were easy to find.
Soon.
New York Police Department and the Continental Hotel received another email from Anton.
There were two names on it.
"Anna DeCobray, the Baroness!"
"Destro!"
At the Continental Hotel, Winston stared at the two names on the screen with a blank expression. He immediately cross-referenced them with the High Table's internal intelligence system and got the results.
"Anna DeCobray, the Baroness, wife of Daniel DeCobray…"
"Destro, from a Scottish aristocratic family, CEO of the arms company MARS, an arms dealer who enjoys war. His family has been in the arms business for generations."
Winston sent the information to Anton and gave further instructions.
"Send people to keep an eye on the DeCobray couple. Be careful not to alert them. Report any developments immediately."
"Understood."
"Daniel DeCobray, Baron, his wife is Anna DeCobray, a top French scientist…"
"Destro, from a Scottish aristocratic family, whose family has provided weapons support to those in power for generations. In the 17th-century English Civil War, the Destro family provided arms to both sides. After the matter was exposed, the Destro family was sentenced to wear an iron mask symbolizing shame for generations… Now, he is a very famous international arms dealer and a strong competitor to Stark Industries and Oscorp in the international market."
As an international arms tycoon, most of the information about Destro known to the public is easy to investigate.
But in fact, Anton didn't want to see any of that.
Fortunately, the Continental Hotel, as the strongest underground power in New York, quickly provided the information he needed after a brief introduction to the characters.
"Columbia University, Advanced Technology Exchange Conference."
"Sponsor, Destro!"
"Attendees, Mr. and Mrs. DeCobray."
"The conference ends today. The banquet starts at eight in the evening, and the sponsor and attendees will be present."
Anton muttered to himself, the corners of his lips curling up: "Come to think of it, I haven't attended a banquet in a long time. Columbia University shouldn't refuse an uninvited entrepreneur!"
He checked the time, eight-ten.
"Tsk, the banquet has already started!"
"Looks like I'm late, but… people with status always arrive late to show their status."
Anton changed his clothes, tidied himself up, and roared off in his sports car towards Columbia University.
Columbia University is located in Manhattan, New York. It's a world-class private research university and one of the fourteen founding members of the Association of American Universities. It's also an Ivy League school.
The location was easy to find. It took about fifteen minutes from Anton's residence to arrive at the university.
He parked his car at the entrance of the banquet hall. As he was about to go inside, the security guard at the door stopped him.
"Hey, don't you recognize me?"
Anton faced the security guard and casually tossed him the car keys: "Help me park the car. I'm needed at this banquet."
-----------------------
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