Yes.
Nick Fury.
After all, he was only faking his death, not truly dead.
Originally, Nick Fury had planned to fake his death to evade HYDRA's attacks and surveillance, then secretly contact Captain America and stage a 'King's Return' scenario.
Although HYDRA had grown strong during his tenure.
And Alexander Pierce, who had recommended and strongly supported him as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., had been proven to be a HYDRA leader.
But he had ultimately faked his death to escape, then seized the opportunity to unite with Captain to end HYDRA.
In a word.
This wasn't a功劳 (gōngláo - merit), but it could be considered a 苦劳 (kǔláo - hard work).
The most important point.
The best way to cover up one problem is to directly create an even bigger problem.
So—
Nick Fury had long thought it through; a King's Return wasn't safe enough. There had to be an even bigger problem, and with both, the Security Council would temporarily not trouble him because of his return.
As for this bigger problem, he already had a plan.
Nothing could give the Security Council a bigger headache than the complete exposure of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the HYDRA crisis.
But he couldn't be the one to do it.
As for who would do it, Nick Fury also had a candidate.
Natasha.
Natasha, a former Red Room Agent and now a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, was perfectly suited for this task.
The result…
Before he could even contact Captain America, bad news arrived from afar.
HYDRA was finished.
Damn it!
This left Nick Fury completely stumped.
But after he recovered, he immediately contacted Maria Hill.
Once again.
He was faking his death, not truly dead.
Hill didn't seem surprised by Nick Fury's call, but she didn't show much concern either, merely reporting the matter to the Security Council.
After several days of closed-door meetings, the first thing the Security Council did was announce her promotion to the new Director of S.H.I.E.L.D..
As for Nick Fury.
The Security Council didn't even discuss him.
But again, sometimes not discussing something is a kind of attitude.
Just as Victoria Hand was about to speak, the phone on Hill's desk rang.
Hill walked over and answered.
"This is Hill."
"Commander… no, Director, people from the Pentagon are here. They said they're here to pick someone up."
"I know. Send them up."
"Understood."
Hill then hung up the phone and looked at Victoria Hand, smiling slightly.
"See, they're here."
"Mm."
Commander Hand also reacted, nodding, "It seems the rumors are true. When Nick Fury's authority was first frozen and then unfrozen, the Military helped. It seems Nick Fury and the Military have a good relationship."
Hill's tone was calm.
"It has nothing to do with us."
"Indeed, it's good that he's gone."
Commander Hand shook her head, "I've been auditing the accounts these past few days. During Alexander Pierce's tenure, the accounts were relatively clear, but Nick Fury's tenure…"
After saying this, Commander Hand stopped speaking.
Hill chuckled, "We are the Security Council's S.H.I.E.L.D., so the Security Council has already made a decision. We just need to comply. The former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, unfortunately died at the Hands of HYDRA."
As for the Nick Fury still in the former Director's office?
Let's put it this way.
He could also be called Nick Fury, and even have one eye, but he was no longer S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury; he was merely Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Nick Fury.
This current Nick Fury had no connection to S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore.
After a while.
A Military vehicle, which had driven into the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion headquarters, started up again after stopping for less than ten minutes, then drove out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion.
Hill and Commander Hand stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the top-floor conference room, watching the Military vehicle drive away.
Hand withdrew her gaze, "I heard Nick Fury tried to implement a control plan on Hawk several times, but you vetoed them all."
Hill also withdrew her gaze and looked at Hand, knowing what Hand wanted to say. She smiled and said, "Tell Sharon that Nick Fury is no longer part of our S.H.I.E.L.D."
Hand smiled slightly and took out her phone.
"I'll call Sharon now."
"…What?"
"Nick Fury was picked up by people from the Pentagon?"
Still at home on Palm Street, wearing a cast, a sling, and shorts, Hawk, who was as casual as could be, raised an eyebrow at Sharon's words, who was visiting him, "Is Nick Fury on good terms with the Pentagon?"
Gwen, beside him, was a little curious, "Who is this Nick Fury?"
God knows.
She really didn't know who Nick Fury was. At first, she didn't care. Later, after Sharon came to her for help, she learned about Commander Hand and Commander Hill.
As for Nick Fury…
She seemed to have heard of him once.
But…
"Shouldn't this Nick Fury be dead already?"
"Faked his death."
Sharon shrugged and looked at Gwen, "He said he faked his death to escape, and then planned to act in secret to try and thwart HYDRA's conspiracy."
Gwen, hearing Sharon's tone, also raised an eyebrow.
"But you don't believe him?"
"He became Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. because Alexander Pierce recommended and vouched for him."
"Alright."
Gwen nodded subconsciously at this, looking at Sharon, "If it were me, I wouldn't believe him either."
Hawk, leaning on the sofa, listened to the two women's exchange and chuckled, "Nick Fury really isn't a HYDRA Agent."
Sharon and Gwen both turned to look at Hawk.
Hawk smiled and said, "You can say Nick Fury is foolish, or that Nick Fury is stupid, but he is indeed not a HYDRA Agent."
Although he wasn't particularly fond of Nick Fury, and even originally thought he might have to kill Nick Fury.
After all, according to Nick Fury's way of thinking, if he knew of his existence, he would definitely try to control him.
But…
Such a thing never happened from beginning to end.
Although Hawk was somewhat puzzled by this, he was just a honey badger, not a bulldog. Since Nick Fury didn't trouble him, he wouldn't trouble Nick Fury for no reason, nor would he slander Nick Fury.
But he had already understood the meaning of Sharon's visit today and her bringing up this matter.
Clearly.
His original misconception was wrong. That old man Nick Fury wasn't without ideas about him; he did have ideas, but they were jointly suppressed by Maria Hill, or rather, the Security Council.
But now Nick Fury had left S.H.I.E.L.D., so Sharon's meaning in saying this was very clear.
From now on, anything Nick Fury did had nothing to do with their S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury could no longer represent S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hawk's thoughts turned, and he chuckled, not taking the matter to heart. He said to Sharon, "So the Security Council's final decision is still to downsize S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Sharon shook her head, "Downsizing was proposed by Commander Hill."
Hawk's eyebrows raised.
The next second.
He also understood Maria Hill's intention, "A smart choice."
To cut herself to give an explanation to the Security Council.
At the same time—
A new emperor brings new courtiers.
Currently, Maria Hill was in charge. Taking advantage of the HYDRA unrest, she could reorganize S.H.I.E.L.D., lighten its load so it wouldn't be disbanded by the Security Council, and ensure that the reorganized S.H.I.E.L.D. was filled with people she trusted.
Indeed.
Maria Hill was far more astute and capable than the Black Egg, who, after taking office, only knew how to embezzle and secretly build his own secret Bases.
Hawk thought to himself.
Gwen, beside him, looked at Sharon with concern, "New York SHIELD is being disbanded, so what about you…?"
Sharon first glanced at Hawk, then smiled at Gwen and said, "Thanks to you two, I got a promotion. I'm now S.H.I.E.L.D.'s First Agent in New York."
Gwen, hearing this, her expression of concern turned into one of congratulations, "Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations, congratulations."
Sharon also smiled happily.
She had actually already prepared to look for a new job, even having her resumes ready to submit to the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The result…
The news of her promotion came unexpectedly, yet also somewhat within expectation.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was the Security Council's only bridge to Hawk.
And she herself was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s only bridge to Hawk.
So!
Sharon looked at Hawk, who was sitting on the sofa, with a pitiful expression and said, "Hawk, I can assure you S.H.I.E.L.D. has no designs on you. So, please help us out. If anything happens in the future, or if you're going out, please let me know in advance."
Hawk's peripheral vision caught his fiancée smiling silently beside him, then looked at Sharon, who was both pitiful and had her Hands clasped together towards him. He twitched his lips, then moved his arm, which was still in a cast and sling, "I'm like this now. Where do you think I can go?"
Sharon smiled sheepishly at this.
Gwen had a very good impression of Sharon, and the two also shared a camaraderie from fighting side by side. So, she took over Sharon's words and said to Hawk, "Sharon is our friend, and she finally got a promotion. We should help her."
As Gwen spoke, she looked at Sharon, "Don't worry, Sharon, I'm here too. If anything happens, contact me immediately. Besides, it takes a hundred days for a broken bone to heal. Only ten days have passed, so Hawk needs at least three more months of rest."
Hawk was stunned at this, looking at Gwen.
"Wait, three months?"
"School starts in a few days. Your injury doesn't affect your studies. Besides, don't you want to be injured?"
"Uh…"
Hawk blinked at Gwen's words, then recalled his imperial-level enjoyment of the past ten days. He turned to Sharon and nodded with a serious expression.
"Yes, I'm injured and need to recuperate for a semester."
"…"
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