"Heh... hahaha! Interesting, truly interesting!"
Disengaging the manual controls of the holographic display, the silver-haired girl let out a melodious laugh.
"To think they could pull off something like this right under my nose... This setup is practically flawless! I'm growing more and more intrigued by my opponent. Just how did they manage it?"
"Master, I must express my concern about your current mental state," Cortana interjected.
"Given how unfavorable the situation is for you, your excitement seems... illogical."
"No, I'm quite calm, Cortana."
Kagura's laughter faded as she regained her composure. "I simply believe that a worthy opponent deserves respect. If Hydra is truly behind this, then I must admit—they're more capable than I expected."
"In other words, the greater the challenge, the more satisfying it will be to break through it. Since our opponent has effectively issued us a challenge, responding with hesitation or panic would be disgraceful."
———————————————————————
Kagura's physical body was currently situated inside a spherical chamber.
Clad in her "White Moon" combat suit, she lay on a specialized pilot seat, floating at the very center of the chamber.
The chamber was completely sealed, its walls lined with intelligence feeds and information windows sourced from across the globe.
These data streams were drawn from the "Argos" project, Stark Industries' "Oracle" cloud network, and the increasingly widespread CTOS system, capable of accessing any electronic device within its reach.
The world's information converged here, forming a layered, holographic display that floated before Kagura.
Even for an automaton like her, real-time processing of such vast amounts of data required linking her "Electronic Hacking" ability with her core skill, "Deep Dive." And on top of that, she had just been chatting with Nick Fury via a holographic projection.
If the omnidirectional display in the "Eggshell" was merely a playful reference, then this chamber was the real deal—a fully realized "plug-in" command center for high-speed data integration.
The chamber, known as "Queen," was more than just an intelligence hub; it was designed to serve as the command center for a yet-to-be-completed "super project." While the full-scale project remained under construction, the Queen was already fully operational.
Within this chamber, Kagura had access to an independent life-support system and power supply, capable of running for over 72 hours without external energy.
The network pathways were isolated and could switch to a covert relay system utilizing drones and microwave energy transmission.
Even if the "Argos" project suffered a catastrophic failure, the Queen would not be left in the dark.
Additionally, the chamber provided a stable external power source, directly linking to Kagura's "White Moon" combat suit via specialized cables, ensuring an almost limitless energy supply.
Her core and auxiliary energy sources could recharge at any time, maintaining optimal performance.
With these advantages, Kagura planned to use absolute intelligence superiority to dismantle Hydra's elusive operations.
The first round of global intelligence analysis was complete, and one thing was now certain: the organization that had attempted to assassinate Nick Fury, allegedly killed Alexander Pierce, and successfully framed Kagura was almost certainly Hydra.
Regardless of whether Pierce was truly dead or faking it, the behavioral patterns of this operation were a near-perfect match for residual Hydra data from previous intelligence logs.
The most damning evidence?
No other organization on Earth had the level of infiltration necessary to pull this off—covertly assassinating a high-ranking official within S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, one of the most secure facilities in the world.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had many enemies.
If their upper echelons could be so easily compromised, the agency would have collapsed long ago.
The only plausible explanation was that Hydra had deeply embedded itself within S.H.I.E.L.D., waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Master, what's our next move?" Cortana asked. "If we lose Nick Fury and Steve Rogers' trust now, it could lead to a major credibility crisis, affecting all future operations."
"Lose Fury's trust? No, no, no."
Kagura smirked. "We never had his trust to begin with. And that is precisely our breakthrough point. Fury never trusts anyone—not me, not even Captain America."
"Master, I don't fully understand. That doesn't seem consistent with Fury's logic or the current situation."
At a glance, things looked grim for Kagura.
All evidence pointed to her as the prime suspect, and both Fury and Rogers were wary of her. The atmosphere in the safe house was tense, bordering on hostile.
"Mmm, I suppose human intuition is still too abstract for you, Cortana. But don't worry."
Kagura's voice carried a playful edge. "The way things are unfolding, it seems like Hydra's plan is going smoothly on the surface. However, they've already made a fatal oversight—one that our intelligence advantage will soon expose."
"Master, I still don't understand."
"That's fine. You don't need to. All we need to do now is play along with our enemies' performance. Given enough time, they'll slip up."
Taking back control of the holographic projection in the safe house, the silver-haired girl chuckled.
"This is shaping up to be a fascinating game of baiting the enemy. I'm curious to see what other tricks Hydra has up their sleeve."
———————————————————————
Rhodes Island Industrial Safe House, Northern New York
"Director Fury, Captain Rogers, let's get one thing straight—I have no intention of keeping you here against your will."
Kagura spread her hands in a gesture of innocence. "Surely you don't believe that a cute, kind, and gentle girl like me would want to harm you?"
"That's debatable," Steve Rogers replied flatly. "If you can't explain why all the evidence points to you, I have no choice but to remain on guard."
"I understand, Captain. That's why you're free to leave whenever you want. I won't stop you. In fact, I'll even ensure your safe passage to prove my sincerity."
Kagura's confident smile remained unwavering. "The choice is yours. Stay or go, I have no intention of detaining you."
"That's good to hear. The last thing I want is an outright conflict between us," Rogers said. "Director Fury, let's go."
"No, I'm staying," Fury said.
"What?" Rogers looked surprised. "If Kagura really is behind all this, staying here only puts you in more danger."
"And if she isn't, then leaving might be even more dangerous, wouldn't you say?"
Fury's tone was deliberate. "I'd rather stay."
Kagura chuckled internally. As expected of Nick Fury—his instincts were sharp. If he had left with Captain America, he'd likely have walked straight into Hydra's trap.
"Alright then, I'll go," Rogers sighed. "Someone has to investigate what's really going on. Sitting here won't solve anything. We'll stay in contact."
"Go ahead, Captain. I'm counting on you," Fury said, waving him off.
After a moment's hesitation, Rogers nodded. "I hope you're right."
Once Rogers departed, Kagura activated a nearby drone feed, confirming his exit.
"Surveillance sweep complete. No anomalies detected. We're secure," she said, turning to Fury. "Now, Director Fury, what's your take on the situation?"
"Fifty-fifty. Either you're innocent, or Rogers is right. But based on my instincts, I'd rather stay."
"Because I'm cute and you enjoy my company?" Kagura teased, sticking out her tongue.
"No. Because if 'Flashblade' really wanted me dead, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
Kagura smiled. "Looks like you've noticed something. Don't worry—the truth will reveal itself soon."
———————————————————————
Back in the Queen's control room, Kagura issued new orders.
"Cortana, deploy CTOS drones to scan Steve Rogers' movements. Also, contact Stark—I might need backup."
"Command confirmed, Master. But are you suspecting Rogers?"
"Who knows?" Kagura mused. "But one thing's certain—if I were the mastermind, Nick Fury wouldn't still be alive."
Because if someone intended to seize control of Project Insight, eliminating the man with the highest clearance would be the first step.