With Steve convinced, Hong Fei could cross another worry off his list. Even if he left Earth today, he wouldn't need to fret over planetary affairs anymore. Xu Wenwu had already refused to join him in space—while the man personally longed to see the cosmos, he wouldn't abandon his family.
This expedition was purely exploratory anyway, hardly suitable for dragging along entire households. Xu had decided early to remain on Earth. Now with Steve added to the equation, the two men's combined strength and reputation could easily steer the Superpower Foundation. As long as the Foundation stood firm, so would the world.
Why the concern over global stability? Because Hong Fei had altered too much. Who knew what bizarre events might unfold in his absence? He couldn't predict how long he'd be gone, nor could he bring Dr. Helen Cho or Mei along. Sif could come—her power might be modest, but she was still a goddess. Earth remained his operational base.
Dominance wasn't his goal, but he'd be damned if he let chaos reign unchecked. Any upheaval should happen under Master Hong's terms. Anyone else stirring trouble could rot.
The next morning, Hong Fei collected Steve and headed for S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
"Show your face first," he instructed, "then find your own way into the underground base. Ideal scenario? They spot you, give chase, but fail to catch you."
Steve frowned.
"Why reveal myself at all?"
"Foundation business. Tell Pierce not to block anyone leaving S.H.I.E.L.D.—especially the Avengers. They were never truly part of it anyway."
Steve nodded. A portal swirled open, depositing them directly in D.C. Across the river, the Triskelion loomed. They strolled straight through the doors without challenge—while Hong Fei went unrecognized, every agent knew Captain America.
Noticing the awed stares, Hong Fei smirked beside him.
"Riding your coattails here."
Steve chuckled.
"If they knew who you really were, they'd be losing their minds right now."
At reception, Steve leaned on the counter.
"I need to see Alexander Pierce."
The female agent's gaze lingered on his chest before she managed, "Captain Rogers... do you have an appointment?"
Steve glanced at Hong Fei, who shook his head.
"Can I schedule one now?"
The woman hesitated, stole another look, then reached for her phone.
"I'll contact him."
"Appreciate it."
Hong Fei elbowed him with a grin. Steve rolled his eyes.
A minute later, she hung up.
"Mr. Pierce will see you. Top floor elevator on your right."
"Thanks."
"My pleasure!"
As they turned toward the elevator, Hong Fei quipped, "Even without the shield, you'd make a decent 007."
Steve groaned.
"I've seen the movies."
The doors slid shut. The ascent began—then halted abruptly midway.
When they reopened, a figure stood there: casual clothes, hands jammed in jacket pockets, baseball cap pulled low, black mask obscuring his face.
Steve tensed. Something about the silhouette felt familiar.
Hong Fei's eyebrows shot up.
Nick Fury.
The man paused—just a beat too long—then stepped inside like nothing was amiss.
The elevator continued upward with Hong Fei and Steve standing inside and Fury planted by the doors. No words exchanged. No glances. No gestures. Yet in that silence, Hong Fei understood everything.
The pieces clicked into place. HYDRA's willingness to risk exposure by pulling him into their ranks, Pierce's absence at the so-called welcome banquet despite knowing Hong Fei was aware of his HYDRA identity—it all made sense now.
Pierce was distancing himself from HYDRA, at least temporarily. Until the Insight Project succeeded, he couldn't afford to leave any evidence or pretext. That's why he sent John Garrett as his proxy instead of showing his face.
Nick Fury had supported the Insight Project from the start, but his reasoning was unconventional. S.H.I.E.L.D. approached the world with realism, not idealism. They aimed to improve threat analysis technology to suppress threats before they emerged. Ironically, Fury's ideas overlapped with HYDRA's in some areas.
Pierce seized the opportunity, granting Fury's every request. In the context of the Insight Project, S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA had cooperated seamlessly, achieving remarkable results. Yet, Hong Fei hadn't initially linked HYDRA's confidence to Fury.
His knowledge of the plot told him Fury wasn't HYDRA, even if the man sometimes acted like it. But the story had shifted dramatically. Fury had stepped down as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., stripping him of his former authority. Even if he'd diverted funds to pursue his goals behind the scenes, he no longer wielded the same power.
Fury's diminished status meant he couldn't uncover HYDRA's infiltration, which had been decades in the making. The result? Fury didn't know Pierce was HYDRA, nor did he realize HYDRA had ulterior motives for the Insight Project. He was simply focused on completing his mission.
Sure, Fury had his suspicions, but they weren't enough to expose HYDRA. Even during his years as Director, he'd failed to uncover them. If not for the satellite launch ship incident, HYDRA's flaws would've remained hidden.
Assuming the worst of the enemy, Pierce likely knew Fury's little secret. Going further, did Pierce know about Carol Danvers? If so, everything fell into place. Pierce wanted Fury to summon Carol to fight Hong Fei, the Dragon King.
Whether Hong Fei sincerely joined HYDRA or not, this battle was exactly what Pierce wanted. The power wielded by Carol and Hong Fei could cause unimaginable destruction—destruction HYDRA couldn't afford. Even if Hong Fei became HYDRA, Pierce and others like Gideon would never feel safe with him around. He was a crane among chickens.
The best solution? Let those two fight. Ideally, they'd destroy each other or end up severely injured, giving HYDRA the chance to eliminate them both. That served HYDRA's interests perfectly. Cooperation boiled down to this: act when it's profitable, stop when it's not.
The current cooperation with Hong Fei was because they needed him to stay out of the way—to keep quiet while they prepared the Insight Project. Once the project was ready, they wouldn't need him anymore. In fact, his absence would be far more beneficial. HYDRA had plenty of tricks up its sleeve.
Hong Fei's eyes gleamed with sudden intensity. His mind raced with a single imperative: Kill the dragon. Now. Before that square-jawed woman could humiliate the Dragon King's legacy. The old paranoia crept in—what if he couldn't take Carol Danvers in a fight?
Then he smirked. The Equal Match card wasn't just decoration. Steve's undercover mission in HYDRA was already in motion. If Carol stormed back, that hotheaded woman would wreck everything—The Foundation's plans, his reputation, all of it.
Two options crystallized: kill Fury before he used the pager, or let him summon Carol first and kill them both. If he took her down... A "Milky Way Galaxy Police" officer's death would certainly count as evil. And if her powers dropped a skill card? Whether he used it himself or gifted it to a subordinate, it meant creating a warrior capable of dominating the cosmos.
Tempting.
Ding. The elevator reached its destination. Fury stepped out without hesitation.
"Wait."
Hong Fei's voice cut through the silence.
Fury froze, shoulders tensing. His back remained turned, but his posture turned glacial.
"Steve," Hong Fei said without looking away, "go ahead."
Steve lingered, voice low.
"What are you planning?"
"A chat."
With a frown, Steve exited, his gaze locked on Fury. As they passed, he tried to catch a glimpse beneath the hat and mask—only to see Fury's eye twitch in recognition. Steve shot Hong Fei a questioning look. A smile and a nod sent him reluctantly around the corner.
The top floor was deserted, its emptiness almost mocking.
"Wherever you're slinking off to," Hong Fei said, "invited or not—come back."
Fury turned slowly, still avoiding eye contact.
"I wasn't slinking."
Hong Fei rolled his eyes.
"Semantics."
"It's not safe here," Fury muttered. "Cameras everywhere."
"Ah, right. Former Director privileges."
Hong Fei flicked a finger. A golden streak shattered the lens in the corner.
"Problem solved."
The sound of breaking glass made Fury's scowl deepen. He shook his head and turned away again.
"We have nothing to discuss."
"Lift that leg," Hong Fei said, smile never wavering, "and I'll decorate the floor with your head."
Fury's foot hovered mid-step, as if frozen.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters," he growled.
"And? Who'll stop me? You? Pierce?"
Hong Fei tilted his head.
"Though I suppose Pierce does have real power now. Crawling back to him, are we?"
Fury lowered his foot and turned fully this time. His single eye burned with fury as he finally met Hong Fei's gaze.
"I knew you were rotten. The Dark Invasion changed nothing."
Hong Fei didn't answer. He simply removed his hand from the elevator door and stepped back, arms spread—an invitation. A challenge.
After a few seconds, the elevator doors began to close. The smile on Hong Fei's face stretched wider, sharper. At the last possible moment, Fury lunged forward, his dark hand jamming into the narrowing gap. The doors shuddered open again.
Hong Fei's eyes crinkled with amusement.
"Good boy."