SHIELD Headquarters, Medical Wing.
Thanks to SHIELD's cutting-edge medical tech, Brock Rumlow finally recovered and was discharged after more than two weeks of rest.
"Brother, I can finally fight by your side again."
He hadn't known Finnian Murdock for long, but he already recognized him from the bottom of his heart.
And why was that?
Rumlow had thought about it. Three reasons.
First: His brother was stronger than him. People naturally admire the strong.
Second: His brother was more handsome than him. People are always more tolerant and drawn to good-looking people—or animals. Hence the saying: your worldview is shaped by your five senses.
Third: His brother acknowledged him.
That one was the most important.
Even though Rumlow was Hydra to the bone, he also served as Captain of SHIELD's Rapid Response Special Forces. Living between two warring sides often left him questioning his entire existence.
Am I a good guy?
No, I'm a bad guy.
No, no—wait, I'm a good guy… bad guy?
The recognition from Finnian was like a beacon cutting through the fog, giving him direction, hope.
Because of that, Rumlow burned with the desire to fight side by side with him.
But then came Sitwell. Bald, four-eyed Sitwell, waiting to pick him up. The sight instantly cast a shadow over Rumlow's heart.
Sitwell, publicly a Level 6 SHIELD agent. Secretly, Hydra.
Oh, right—Rumlow was Hydra too.
Sitwell gave his oily little smile. "Let's go. You've got a welcome waiting."
Rumlow only nodded, not in the mood for this clown.
Brother, why didn't you come pick me up? Too busy?
"Uh…" Sitwell hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Rumlow asked.
"A few days ago, the Boss sent Agent Finnian Murdock to Europe with him," Sitwell explained. "He performed exceptionally well, and then…"
Rumlow's eyes lit up. "Beautiful. Worthy of being my brother. And now?"
Sitwell coughed. "Well… the Boss appointed Murdock as SHIELD's Deputy Director. And also made him Captain of the Rapid Response Special Forces."
Rumlow grinned wide. "That's amaz—" He froze.
Wait a second.
"…Captain? Then what about me?"
Sitwell gave a dry little laugh. "You… will serve as Vice-Captain. Assisting Director Murdock."
Surprisingly, there wasn't a shred of bitterness. Rumlow accepted it naturally, like it was always meant to be.
Sitwell blinked. "Rumlow, are you okay?"
Rumlow shot him a ✧─━ _ ─━✧ look and said flatly, "Let's go back to work."
Welcome ceremonies? Waste of time. Better to help his brother shake the world.
Sitwell followed, more confused than ever.
What the hell was happening here?
Pierce had ordered Rumlow to get close to Murdock in order to corrupt him—to lure that powerhouse into Hydra's ranks.
Now it looked like the opposite. Like Rumlow had been flipped by Murdock.
Throwing a meat bun at a dog… it's gone forever.
Inside SHIELD HQ, the floors were divided by department.
Agents worked mainly on the ninth floor, while the Rapid Response Force occupied the seventh.
When Rumlow arrived, he searched for his brother everywhere but came up empty.
"Where's Finnian?"
"The Deputy Director and Agent Coulson are still in Washington," someone answered.
Washington, White House.
"Remember to visit me often."
Lily Ellis clung to Finnian's chest, reluctant to let go. "Stay away from bad women. And stop staying up late writing those dumb novels."
Finnian flicked her nose. "You're my sponsor."
With money short and the system shop only spitting out stockings and lingerie lately, his finances were dire.
Lily shoved a card into his pocket. "There's a million on it. Take care of yourself. I'll get more from Dad later."
"Good."
They kissed and hugged for two and a half minutes before Finnian finally left.
After more than ten days away, he was now officially Deputy Director of SHIELD and Captain of the Rapid Response Special Forces.
Time to get back to work—and start cashing in.
Thanks to a slip of the tongue on his part during the European trip, Ellis had even renamed the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division to a much sleeker "SHIELD."
On the return flight, Finnian leaned back, remembering his time with Lily. He couldn't help but grin.
This bowl of "soft rice"? Damn, it was hard and fragrant.
Being tied to the leader's daughter—who had influence across Da Piaoliang—was going to be priceless for his future career.
And he'd walked away with another million in his pocket.
Life was good.
His unrestrained laughter made Coulson scowl. "Deputy Director, are you taking us out for dinner tonight?"
"Hahaha."
Finnian clapped his old boss on the shoulder. "Work hard and help me get rid of Braised egg. Then you and I will run SHIELD together."
"Braised egg?" Coulson smirked.
The food Finnian once bought really did look like Fury's shiny bald head.
"Finnian, when you get back, make sure to spend more time with Rumlow. It'll help when you take charge of the rapid response force."
"Don't worry." Finnian grinned. "Rumlow is my beloved brother."
He hadn't really thought about recruiting allies before.
But after seeing Ellis's entire network of teams, Finnian realized he needed his own.
No matter how strong one man was, there would always be gaps.
Rumlow, for instance—no superpowers, but deadly with combat skills.
When the time was right, Finnian planned to drop a 50/50 serum in front of him.
Brother, you'll make the smart choice. Hydra has no future.
"Oh, right," Coulson added, "Stark made some kind of… lump of iron."
"Iron lump?" Finnian asked, pretending not to know.
"Yeah. He held a press conference yesterday. Admitted he's Iron Man."
Coulson handed over a tablet.
Finnian watched as Tony Stark coolly declared: I am Iron Man.
Sure enough—even with the timeline changes, the major beats still snapped back to the original story.
Which meant Stark Industries' stock price was about to skyrocket. And the 87 million Finnian had invested earlier? Likely to double.
He sighed happily, poverty blues melting away.
"Brother System, give me that extra 0.1% discount."