At the same time Peter was taking Daisy to New York S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters...
Washington, beneath the Triskelion Building.
Inside a dimly lit conference room, a secret meeting was quietly taking place, one that even the newly promoted S.H.I.E.L.D. Deputy Director Phil Coulson was completely unaware of.
Seated around a long conference table were a group of men in suits, each of whom was a person of significant influence within S.H.I.E.L.D.
The identity of the man leading them was even more remarkable.
His name was Alexander Pierce, serving as the Secretary-General of the World Security Council and a long-time friend of Nick Fury.
But in reality, his true identity, and that of everyone else present, was... the entire high command of HYDRA in America!
Amidst the silence, Alexander spoke first. His voice was calm, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness within:
"Gentlemen, we have a big problem."
"'The Punisher' Peter Parker—that madman actually parachuted into the position of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. by threatening the President."
He looked around the room, taking in the grim expressions of his subordinates.
"I don't need to explain what this means, do I?"
"The 'Insight Project' that we've been secretly advancing for decades could very well fail at the last moment because of this little monster's sudden interference!"
Hearing this, "Crossbones" Brock Rumlow, who was sitting below him, couldn't help but speak up in rebuttal:
"It hasn't reached that point yet, has it? We're hidden very well, aren't we? Besides, that kid even pulled that playboy Tony Stark into S.H.I.E.L.D.
This has actually helped us advance the Insight Project another major step forward smoothly."
"Once Tony Stark contributes his arc reactor technology, we can use the Insight Project's satellite weapons to resolve all these threats in the blink of an eye!"
Crossbones became more excited as he spoke, acting as if 'The Punisher' was nothing but a joke.
"Idiot!" Seeing him becoming so arrogant, Pierce immediately threw a bucket of cold water on him. He used a projector to display Peter's expression during the Battle of Brooklyn, then looked at him and asked:
"Do you think a monster that can handle Abomination and Hulk with his bare hands is something that can be dealt with using satellite weapons?"
At this, Crossbones was rendered completely speechless.
Jasper Sitwell, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses nearby, hesitated for a moment before speaking up:
"Mr. Pierce, perhaps we can try a different approach? He already threatened the President, right? This shows he's not on the same side as the American high command. Perhaps we could try to... win him over?"
"Win him over?"
Pierce was actually laughed at the suggestion, looking at Jasper as if he were mentally challenged:
"That madman dares to threaten even the President. Do you think he'll follow our orders for some petty profit?"
"Besides, have you forgotten whose hands his parents and his good friend Tony Stark's father died by?"
"What kind of benefits do you plan to give him that would make him give up the blood feud of his father's death?"
As soon as those words were spoken, the air in the conference room seemed to freeze.
In the silence, one HYDRA member asked tentatively:
"Then how about targeting the people close to him? His uncle and aunt seem to be just ordinary people."
"And then what?"
Pierce asked back.
"Provoke him? Make him go completely insane and turn all of New York, even all of America, upside down? Are you solving a problem for us, or are you handing him a weapon?"
"Our goal is the 'Insight Project,' to control the World silently from the shadows! Not to play a game of mutual destruction with a madman!"
The meeting fell into a dead silence.
They couldn't defeat him, they couldn't threaten him, and even seeking cooperation was impossible.
This problem seemed to have no solution at all.
Just as everyone was at their wits' end, the screen in front of Pierce suddenly lit up, and a large head composed of countless lines of green code emerged.
It was Arnim Zola.
This fellow had uploaded his brain data to HYDRA's entire internal database, becoming a digital ghost that had achieved a form of immortality.
"Gentlemen, I have deduced a... possibility through data algorithms."
"Based on an analysis of all of Peter Parker's public data, he is not invulnerable."
"Peter Parker places extreme importance on friendship and family. This is almost his only weakness, and our only chance to eliminate him, our greatest variable."
As Zola spoke, he split half the screen to begin analyzing Peter's social network.
"Ghost-Spider, Gwen Stacy. Satellite monitoring confirms they are in a romantic relationship, but she is powerful and strong-willed, making her impossible to exploit."
"Harry Osborn, Peter Parker's best friend. An ordinary person, lacking the ability to kill him."
"Besides these two, there is another candidate worth noting."
As he spoke, the profile of Felicia Hardy appeared on the screen:
"'nightingale' Felicia Hardy, possesses the ability to manipulate water. She has had multiple interactions with Peter Parker and shares an ambiguous relationship with him."
"This is an exploitable breakthrough!"
Hearing this, Pierce's eyes narrowed:
"You mean? Like how we control the 'asset'?"
"Exactly! Just like how we control the 'asset'."
Zola's electronic voice seemed to take on a hint of sinister intent:
"Using our latest mind-control technology, we'll implant a control chip in her brain. Have her seduce and assassinate Peter Parker."
"When Peter Parker is unclothed and at his most vulnerable, she will deliver a fatal blow that even his healing factor cannot recover from!"
"If it succeeds, the problem is solved once and for all."
"Even if it fails..." Zola's virtual avatar flickered, "Peter Parker will only believe it's retaliation from Nick Fury or the Military. He won't possibly suspect that we are pulling the strings behind everything!"
Hearing this, everyone in the conference room couldn't help but gasp.
What a poisonous scheme!
Simple, yet highly efficient and practical.
More importantly, it wouldn't expose them to that monster's sight!
Even if the plan failed, they could still secretly plot new traps in the dark!
It was simply perfect!
With that thought, Pierce didn't hesitate for a second and immediately raised his hand:
"I approve the activation of this plan."
"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
...The sounds of agreement filled the conference room.
"Then..." After scanning the faces of everyone present, Pierce looked at Crossbones and Jasper and spoke:
"Jasper, you will arrange for someone to lure Peter Parker away to ensure the capture operation proceeds without any interference."
"Brock, you go and wake up our 'asset.' He's been asleep for so long, it's time he got some exercise!"
As Pierce spoke, a cold smile unconsciously curled at the corner of his mouth:
"Take him to New York, and together, you will bring that stray nightingale back!"
"Yes, sir!"