At the New York estate, Steve arrived on his motorcycle the moment he heard Hong Fei was there. The urgency was palpable as he strode in, his expression grim.
"Hong," he said without preamble, "something terrible has happened."
Hong Fei's brow furrowed in concern.
"What's wrong?"
Steve sat across from him, his worry etched into every line of his face.
"I think S.H.I.E.L.D. is riddled with HYDRA."
"HYDRA? That's impossible," Hong Fei replied, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"It's true," Steve insisted, his tone deadly serious. "I don't have absolute proof yet, but something's deeply wrong with S.H.I.E.L.D."
Hong Fei's frown deepened.
"What makes you say that?"
Steve shook his head, exhaling heavily.
"It's a long story. Most of it's based on observations and connections I've made. Nothing concrete enough to be evidence."
"We're friends," Hong Fei reassured him.
"This is just a conversation, not a trial. Evidence isn't necessary."
"You're right," Steve conceded. "Let me break it down for you."
What followed, however, was anything but simple.
It was as if Steve's Super Soldier Serum had somehow amplified his ability to talk endlessly. For nearly two hours, he spoke without pause, his words pouring out in a relentless stream. Hong Fei, ever the gracious host, kept the tea flowing, handing Steve cup after cup to keep his throat from drying out. Finally, Steve slowed down, wrapping up his monologue.
"When I first joined S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury was the Director," Steve began.
"Back then, I trusted him. Now, I realize he's not trustworthy at all. He's a spymaster—suspicious of everyone. Worse, I've uncovered evidence that he's been embezzling funds allocated by the World Security Council for his own purposes. He's clever, though. He's covered his tracks well. Without tracing backward from the results, you'd never spot the irregularities."
By the end, Steve was practically seething, his teeth clenched as if he wanted to tear Fury apart. Hong Fei rubbed his temples.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely," Steve snapped. "No one knows where that money went. I suspect he funneled it into HYDRA's operations. With that kind of cash and HYDRA's terrifying reach... I can't even imagine the damage."
"Where is Fury now?" Hong Fei asked.
"No one knows," Steve replied, frustration coloring his voice. "After he stepped down as Director, he vanished. No public appearances, no media coverage—nothing. Isn't that suspicious?"
Hong Fei nodded thoughtfully.
"It is. Even retired Presidents or CIA Directors pop up in the news occasionally. You can usually track their movements with a simple search."
"Exactly!" Steve exclaimed.
"But Fury? Gone. Completely. He stepped down due to negligence and losing the lawsuit, but he still has to live, right? He's not a spymaster anymore, and there's no news of him taking a new position. How does someone just disappear like that without something being wrong?"
Fury, it seemed, had outsmarted himself. His plan to stay hidden while working on major projects had backfired spectacularly, with Steve interpreting it as a sign of guilt.
"There's more," Steve continued, his anger simmering. "The missions he assigned before were shady, and many new recruits left S.H.I.E.L.D. under mysterious circumstances. When I investigated, I found their resumes were fake. They'd taken ordinary jobs, but when I checked, those jobs didn't exist."
Steve's face darkened as he speculated, "Where did those people go? I think Fury intercepted them and recruited them into HYDRA instead!"
Steve slammed his thigh with a sharp crack.
"Just think about it—people who were supposed to become S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and protect the world were tricked by him into joining HYDRA! Advising terrorists, threatening global security..."
His jaw tightened.
"The first time I saw him, I knew he was bad news. Should've bashed his skull in with my shield right then and there."
Hong Fei bit back a laugh, ducking his head to hide his amusement. When he looked up, his expression was carefully neutral.
"Honestly, it's not that surprising. HYDRA's been infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. since the Paperclip Project after World War II. Decades of groundwork—of course they'd plant someone in a position like Director."
The mention of the Paperclip Project only fueled Steve's anger.
"That whole operation was a disaster. Self-righteous fools chasing profits while ignoring the risks, dragging the world back into chaos."
His words hit the mark.
The Paperclip Project had recruited German scientists—many of whom had ties to HYDRA. They weren't soldiers, so they'd survived Steve's first clash with the organization. As scientists, their skills were undeniable. The project's goal was to harness those skills for research and development.
But the problem was glaring: Some people had turned a blind eye to the risks. HYDRA excelled at brainwashing. Those scientists had served HYDRA for years—some, like Dr. Arnim Zola, were fully assimilated.
The project's leaders had wanted to exploit those scientists' expertise, especially during the Cold War, to develop advanced weapons and maintain dominance. But they'd forgotten the old saying: Don't let the wolf in the door.
Once inside, the wolf wasn't going anywhere. And sure enough, HYDRA had risen again, right under their noses.
"To claim they didn't know about HYDRA is ridiculous," Steve muttered. "I became famous fighting them. But after the war, people chose to forget. Or maybe they knew the risk and drank the poison anyway, blinded by their own ambitions."
"If HYDRA had stayed in the shadows, that'd be one thing," Steve said, frustration heavy in his voice.
"But now it feels like they're everywhere in S.H.I.E.L.D." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Hong Fei shook his head, refilling Steve's teacup.
"If what you're saying is true, then HYDRA's presence in S.H.I.E.L.D. is significant. They've been feeding off the organization, using it to strengthen themselves. Fury intercepting potential agents? That's just diversification—not putting all your eggs in one basket."
He leaned forward, his tone thoughtful.
"For an organization like HYDRA, hiding inside S.H.I.E.L.D. has its limits. They'd need an external branch to handle things they couldn't do openly. What do you think?"
"That makes sense," Steve said, his eyes widening with realization.
"If that's the case, then Fury was probably responsible for leading the HYDRA hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. while funneling funds and talent to their external operations. Now that he's stepped down after my lawsuit, he's likely running that hidden branch. And that branch? It's probably even more dangerous than we realize."
Hong Fei nodded slowly, the look of an enlightened student crossing his features. No need to drag this man by the hand—point him toward a target, and he'd charge straight at it. Playing the part, Hong Fei paused thoughtfully before asking, "From our earlier analysis, HYDRA must have infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s upper ranks. Who seems more suspicious to you—Acting Director Hill, or Alexander Pierce, the former Director currently wielding executive authority?"
Steve's brow furrowed as he sank into contemplation. Hong Fei didn't press him, idly rearranging the tea set. The occasional chime of porcelain against porcelain did nothing to disrupt Steve's concentration.
When Steve finally looked up, he shook his head.
"Neither of them strikes me as HYDRA."
"Really? What makes you say that?"
"I've vetted them both thoroughly—no red flags. But I knew that wasn't enough, so I kept watching them."
Hong Fei nearly choked on his tea. The mental image was too vivid: a bustling S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, agents absorbed in their work, completely unaware of Captain America lurking in some shadowy corner. Those bright blue eyes scanning every face in the room before darting away, over and over, top to bottom. The man was turning into a professional stalker.
Steve, oblivious, pressed on.
"Hill's Acting Director title is just for show—she's been handling Avengers logistics all along. I've worked with her the longest, observed her the closest. Behavior, mannerisms, speech patterns... I'm ninety-nine percent sure she's clean. As for Pierce..."
He's currently exercising the Director's authority in an advisory capacity, but his experience as former Director speaks for itself. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s operations haven't missed a beat during this transition period. I'd stake my reputation on his integrity."
One correct assessment, one disastrous miscalculation. At least they balanced out.