Just as Coulson turned around, intending to thank Fury for his promotion—
Fury continued, "By the way, I remember you're a huge Captain America fan. While you were recovering, we found him frozen in the Arctic and successfully revived him three days ago."
"At this moment, he's probably in the cafeteria on the third floor or in the training room on the fourth, getting a crash course on modern life."
"If you hurry, you might still catch him before your mission."
C-Captain America?!
At first, Coulson thought he had misheard.
But as Fury went on, he realized his ears weren't deceiving him.
Taking a deep breath, Coulson gathered his courage and asked, "Director, you mean the Captain America? Not some actor playing him?"
"Of course."
The moment he got confirmation—
Coulson flung the door open and sprinted toward the third floor.
He ran like his life depended on it, afraid that if he slowed down even a second, he might miss the chance to meet his childhood idol.
As for thanking Fury for the promotion?
That thought was already long gone.
Fury shook his head in exasperation as he watched Coulson dash away.
"…This guy."
Sitting back down, Fury reopened the file he had been reviewing earlier.
On the first page, written in bold red letters—
"Project Insight"
With the rise of supernatural events and enhanced individuals worldwide, the World Security Council had finally approved S.H.I.E.L.D.'s long-standing proposal—Project Insight.
According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plans—
If everything proceeded smoothly, once the three Helicarriers were launched into the sky—
S.H.I.E.L.D. would be able to collect vast amounts of behavioral data through predictive analytics, identifying potential criminals before they could act.
At the same time, satellites orbiting the Earth would allow S.H.I.E.L.D. to track any powerful and dangerous superhuman entities in real time.
The Helicarriers, equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and an advanced targeting system, could instantly lock onto threats and eliminate them within seconds.
With the firepower those Helicarriers carried—
They could easily obliterate any enhanced individual that had appeared so far.
This meant—
Not only could S.H.I.E.L.D. suppress the rising number of supernatural incidents worldwide, but it would also alleviate the agency's growing manpower shortage.
Originally—
Fury, with his strong desire for control, had been a staunch supporter of Project Insight.
However, after discovering Hydra's terrifying level of infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D.—
He had started to hesitate.
Especially after he began using Eren's intel to bait out more hidden Hydra operatives within the agency—
That was when the World Security Council suddenly decided to greenlight the long-delayed Project Insight.
The timing was… too convenient.
Convenient enough to make Fury instinctively suspicious.
Sure, the Council had approved it due to increasing supernatural threats and pressure from world governments—
But still…
The timing was just too perfect.
And when something was too perfect—
It usually meant trouble.
"No."
"Until Hydra is completely eradicated, Project Insight must be delayed."
"If even one Helicarrier has Hydra infiltrators aboard… If those lunatics tamper with it at a crucial moment… It could trigger a global catastrophe beyond imagination."
Having made up his mind—
Fury shut the file and left his office.
Before those three Helicarriers were completed, he needed to find a way to slow down the construction process.
But first—
He had to have a long conversation with an old friend.
...
Elsewhere—
In Hell's Kitchen, on the top floor of the biggest nightclub once controlled by Kingpin—
Joker Eren, casually browsing the web and checking the latest news, received an update from his main body.
"Captain America is awake? S.H.I.E.L.D. sure works fast."
"Tsk tsk… The guy just woke up, and Fury's already squeezing him dry, sending him after Hydra. Poor guy."
"Then again… With Hydra as his old nemesis, maybe it'll help him adjust to modern times quicker."
"Hm… Since Fury's already moving against Hydra, should I… add a little fuel to the fire?"
With that thought, Joker Eren pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Bucky, get over here. We need to talk."
Ten Minutes Later
Bucky arrived at Eren's private lounge.
"Boss, you called?"
"Take a seat."
Eren gestured toward a nearby leather couch and poured two glasses of vodka over ice.
Handing one to Bucky—
He leaned back in his custom-made, ridiculously expensive chair and took a sip.
"Ahhh…"
After a long night of web surfing, the chilled vodka was refreshing.
Finally feeling awake again, Eren glanced at Bucky, who was silently holding his drink.
"Just got word—your best buddy is awake."
Best buddy?
Awake?
Bucky froze for a moment before his pupils shrank sharply—he instantly realized who his boss was referring to.
Steve… he's really awake?
His grip on the glass tightened involuntarily, the pressure causing faint creaking sounds.
"Hey, take it easy. Squeeze any harder, and you'll shatter my glass."
Joker Eren casually reminded him before continuing, "Your old pal is already clashing with Hydra under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s command. So… want to pay him a visit? Maybe give him a little heads-up?"
Steve is already fighting Hydra?
Recalling how deeply embedded Hydra was, Bucky couldn't help but feel worried for his newly awakened friend.
But after a brief silence—
Bucky shook his head. "Now's not the time for me to see him. Once I ascend as a Witch, I'll go find Steve. For now, my priority is consolidating the remnants of Kingpin's empire and turning them into a real force under our control."
More than reuniting with his friend, Bucky wanted to face Steve as a new person.
Besides, given Hydra's power, he knew he had to strengthen their grip over the criminal underworld first.
He furrowed his brows. "Ever since Kingpin's death was made public, all his old supply lines have been disrupted. Even the arms shipment we ordered in New Mexico got completely seized by the locals."
"Without those weapons, our plans to consolidate New York's underground factions will be a lot harder. I need to head to New Mexico and deal with it myself."
"New Mexico?" Joker Eren swirled the vodka in his glass before taking a sip. Then, with a faint smile, he said, "Leave that mess to me. I need to go to New Mexico for something else anyway."
"You hold down the fort in New York."
"As for Kingpin's remaining suppliers—if they're not cooperating, just get rid of them."
Placing his empty glass on the table, he added, "We're not a real gang. Kingpin's old supply chains mean nothing to us. Instead of wasting time on them, we should focus on helping Banner get his lab up and running."
Understanding the plan, Bucky nodded. "Got it. I'll handle things here."
After Bucky left—
Joker Eren also departed from his luxurious penthouse.
His laptop screen still displayed an image of a crater.
And if one looked closely, at the center of that crater—
A metal hammer shimmered faintly under the sunlight.
"Cap is awake, and the Meow Meow Hammer has landed on Earth."
"Storm's coming… Looks like the Battle of New York isn't far off."
At Midtown High, Eren glanced around at the school's cheerful atmosphere, filled with laughter as students prepared for an upcoming dance.
With a silent sigh—
He was soon dragged away by Gwen to help set up decorations.
Hours Later—New Mexico
Wearing a pair of sunglasses, Eren stepped out of the airport.
Without wasting time, he hailed a taxi and instructed the driver, "Take me to Puente Antiguo as fast as you can."
"Understood, sir."
The driver's previously dull eyes flickered with an eerie gleam.
Moments later—
A hideous yellow taxi sped down the open highway, racing toward Puente Antiguo.
By the time Joker Eren reached the crater he had seen online—
A crowd had already gathered around it.
New Mexico, with its sparse population and dull routine, rarely saw excitement.
So, when word spread that an immovable hammer had fallen from the sky—
Curious locals flocked to the scene.
Some even drove hundreds of miles just to witness the spectacle.
When it came to chasing excitement—
These people were no different from the gossip-hungry folks from his past life.
In fact, they took it even further.
For example—
Aside from the large crowd gathered around the crater—
Several people had already set up tents, cracked open beers, and started barbecue parties right next to the impact site.
It was basically a festival.
Among the chaos—
Joker Eren's sharp eyes noticed a nearby pickup truck attached to a thick metal chain.
Its roaring engine kicked up dust as it struggled to pull something.
A deafening snap echoed—
The welded joints of the truck's bed gave out, sending the detached truck bed rolling across the dirt.
Loud gasps and laughter erupted from the spectators.
"Wow… These guys are having way too much fun."
Stepping out of the taxi, Joker Eren strode toward the crater.
By the time he arrived—
The metal chain had been reattached to a newer, bigger, more powerful pickup truck.
As the engine roared again, dust and gravel shot into the air, further obscuring the already dirt-covered site.
But instead of discouraging the onlookers—
The louder the engine roared, the more excited the crowd became.
Dodging a wave of dust, Joker Eren found a less crowded path and climbed onto the crater's edge.
His distinct presence quickly drew attention.
Among the crowd, a few tan-skinned, heavily made-up women had their eyes light up upon seeing him.
One particularly curvy brunette—
Egged on by her friends, sauntered up to Joker Eren and asked playfully,
"Hey, handsome. You here to check out the big thing in the hole, too?"
Following her gaze—
Joker Eren looked down at the hammer glistening under the sunlight and smirked.
"Of course."
(End of Chapter)
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