— Queen's Command and Control Center
"First, let's summarize our current intelligence."
Kagura brought up a holographic display in front of her, listing all the gathered information.
A hostile force had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. (most likely Hydra) and had begun their operations.
They launched an attack on Director Nick Fury and staged an apparent assassination attempt on Deputy Director Alexander Pierce.
According to MCU-world knowledge, Pierce was actually one of Hydra's leaders.
This meant his "death" was likely faked, and the true mastermind was still the same cunning old man.
Hydra's operation was meticulously planned and executed with precision.
Using an unknown method—likely brainwashing—they manipulated War Machine into attacking Fury.
They also ensured a significant amount of Rhodes Island Industries' equipment appeared at the attack site, creating the narrative that Rhodes Island and its allies had orchestrated both the attack and the subsequent rescue of Fury.
Meanwhile, the long-range sniper shot in Pierce's "assassination" used Soviet-era stealth technology, making ballistic tracking impossible.
This conveniently placed the prime suspects on two individuals with former Soviet operative backgrounds: Bucky Barnes and Natasha Romanoff.
If someone were to conduct a simple investigation, all clues would lead straight to Kagura and her Griffin Security firm.
Adding to the situation, Captain America, Steve Rogers, who was familiar with Griffin, naturally suspected Kagura as the mastermind.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was developing the powerful "Insight Program," a project designed to utilize new suborbital carriers that could evade detection by Rhodes Island's Argos surveillance network.
In critical situations, these carriers could even launch attacks against Rhodes Island's orbital stations.
Although the official stance was that "Insight" would enhance global security as an additional safeguard, it was clear this system was meant to counter Rhodes Island's influence. Hydra, recognizing the potential of such a weapon, would stop at nothing to seize control of it.
With the Insight Program's carriers capable of operating outside Rhodes Island's security network, Hydra would gain the power to exert global dominance.
If they secured control, they could reshape the world into their own version of absolute order.
Likewise, because this was a direct threat to Rhodes Island's global defense system, the attacks on Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce could be easily framed as moves by Kagura to eliminate opposition and take control.
Hydra's setup was nearly flawless—except they overlooked a critical detail.
This oversight stemmed from an intelligence disparity and was something Nick Fury was bound to notice.
A simple yet crucial piece of information undermined their entire operation:
Kagura was the Flashblade. And if Flashblade truly wanted to eliminate Nick Fury, she wouldn't have done it in such a convoluted manner.
Although Steve Rogers was aware of Kagura's connection to Flashblade, he didn't fully understand her abilities.
Even if Hydra had learned that "Kagura is Flashblade," it wouldn't change the fact that they had fundamentally underestimated her strength.
If Kagura genuinely wanted to take out S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top officials and claim the Insight Program for herself, why go through all this trouble?
She had countless ways to make Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce vanish from existence without leaving a trace.
Flashblade was the most lethal assassin in the entire Avengers lineup, with full-spectrum stealth capabilities and unparalleled electronic infiltration skills. Gaining control of the Insight Program would be child's play for her.
If she were truly aiming to overthrow S.H.I.E.L.D., she wouldn't need War Machine.
She wouldn't use outdated Soviet munitions for sniping. And she certainly wouldn't leave behind so many clues pointing to herself.
Hydra's entire plan relied on the assumption that "Kagura couldn't personally eliminate Fury and Pierce without leaving evidence." But the reality was—she absolutely could.
All she had to do now was wait. Nick Fury would figure this out on his own.
If she outright told him, it would seem self-serving and risk exposing her full capabilities.
But given time, Fury would inevitably come to the right conclusion on his own. And when he did, the question of whom to trust would resolve itself.
In fact, Fury was already starting to put the pieces together.
———————————————————————
— Rhodes Island Industrial Safe House, Outskirts of New York
"So, Director Fury, based on the script we're following, what do you think happens next?"
Kagura reopened a holographic projection and continued her conversation with Nick Fury.
"If I'm not mistaken, this safe house's location will be compromised soon, and then a bunch of unexpected guests will be coming for us."
"Hah, you're almost as paranoid as I am," Fury chuckled. "You even suspect the great Captain America, the perfect patriot, Steve Rogers?"
"Captain America's integrity and character are beyond question—he represents the nation's ideals."
Kagura smiled. "But me? I don't put my faith in ideals. I trust data and logic. And logically speaking, if the enemy wants control over the Insight Program, they must eliminate you."
"So as long as you stay here, they will inevitably launch an attack. And when that happens, we'll know exactly who leaked the location."
"But your reasoning assumes that Captain Rogers has already betrayed us," Fury pointed out. "Do you really think he has a motive?"
"That, I don't know," Kagura replied casually. "But motives are easy to clarify—just ask him when the time comes."
She leaned back slightly. "However, if you had left with Captain Rogers earlier, you'd likely be under attack right now. My keen 'cute-girl instincts'—and Rhodes Island's CTOS scan results—both confirm my suspicions."
She brought up another holographic display, showing a recent scan of Steve Rogers.
[Psychological Profile: Deception, Lethal Intent, Loyalty, Conspiratorial Thinking… Overall Threat Assessment: Extremely Dangerous.]
"Master, multiple hostile signals detected."
Cortana's voice came through. "They appear to be U.S. military, but there's no matching record in official deployment logs."
"See?" Kagura grinned. "Nothing is absolute, Director Fury."
"Hah! I really hope you never become my enemy. You'd be the most terrifying opponent in the world."
Fury let out a bitter laugh. "Can you handle this?"
"Take a guess~" Kagura playfully stuck out her tongue. "Unfortunately, the sweet and powerful Miss Flashblade isn't nearby right now~"
"Damn it…" Fury sighed. "I suppose I don't have much choice but to trust you."
———————————————————————
— Outskirts of New York, Moments Earlier
Steve Rogers rode his vintage motorcycle down a countryside road.
As a Rhodes Island surveillance drone tailed him, he suddenly veered off, disappearing into the dense forest.
"Did you shake off that girl's surveillance?"
"No problem. She's cautious—it took me a bit of time."
"Good. Where's the target?"
"Southern New York, in an underground bunker within a Rhodes Island warehouse complex. Missiles won't penetrate it—we'll need a ground assault. Time is short."
"What's their defense like?"
"Some Rhodes Island security forces, but no heavy defenses."
"Any Avengers in the area?"
"None spotted."
"What about Flashblade?"
"She's only communicating via holograms, meaning she's not actually here. This is the perfect opportunity."
"Excellent. The attack begins in ten minutes. The world of absolute order shall be ours!"
"Hail Hydra!"
Steve Rogers shouted words that, in a twisted way, carried deep meaning for him.