"Yo, are you seriously mad now? Relax. Even if it costs me my life, I'll absolutely keep her safe. Besides, what real danger could there possibly be in Antarctica, that desolate place where not even birds leave a trace? Polar bears? Penguins? Antarctic krill?"
Natasha, with her wine-red, fluffy short hair and striking heroic presence, caught Victor's attention more than once.
He glanced around, then beckoned the Black Widow with a crooked finger. She leaned in, pressing her ear closer. Victor stared at her ear, swallowed hard, and said, "Actually, it's aliens. This time, the threat level is extremely high. I sent you and Pepper to Antarctica for safety. Only you should know about this. Don't tell anyone, because S.H.I.E.L.D. has Hydra infiltrators."
The Black Widow's eyes widened in disbelief. Though shaken deep within, years of training had taught her to conceal her emotions.
Victor cut her off before she could ask more.
"No need to argue now. In a few months, you'll understand. The Hydra traitors have already reached unimaginable ranks within S.H.I.E.L.D. If you start an investigation rashly, you'll alert them, and the number of innocent deaths will spiral out of control."
She knew this man wouldn't lie. But even S.H.I.E.L.D., the world's top security organization, could have been infiltrated? And someone had climbed to such a high position, beyond what she could fathom?
Director Fury?
A Level Nine agent?
Who could it possibly be? Yet Victor was right. Acting recklessly would only raise Hydra's suspicions. If Hydra had lurked in the shadows for so many years, their roots within S.H.I.E.L.D. must be deep and well hidden.
Sensing her doubt, Victor added, "Right now, you can't trust anyone. Not even Cyclops, you need to watch your back."
He recalled Cyclops's actions during Captain America 2. Even though Cyclops's intention was to better eliminate Hydra, his bait was the entire Avengers team.
Including himself.
If not for the desperate fight by Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hill, and others, he would have perished instantly even in the Iron Man armor.
The key issue wasn't just that Fury used him as bait. He didn't even inform him, leaving him completely in the dark. In the end, Hydra turned S.H.I.E.L.D. upside down, with the mastermind being the supposedly dead scientist Zola.
Back when he watched that movie, Victor had been furious.
If Fury hadn't staged his own scheme and acted so stubbornly, so many wouldn't have died. Three Helicarriers were destroyed.
The loss was staggering.
One Helicarrier cost at least ten billion dollars, not to mention immeasurable human lives and resources.
That battle destroyed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prestige, bringing it to the brink of collapse. Black Widow was nearly arrested by the U.S. government, while the Winter Soldier and Captain America were locked in an endless cycle of love and hate.
Pepper watched the two talk, completely lost, not understanding a word of what they were saying.
When Natasha heard that Victor didn't even trust Director Fury, her heart was torn.
After leaving the Red Room and joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Director Fury had been her guiding light. Now, Victor claimed even the man she trusted most was compromised. It shook the very foundation of her faith.
Her face still etched with disbelief, she asked, "What proof do you have of all this? Or are you the one trying to manipulate me? Don't tell me you've joined Hydra."
That had to be it.
From what she saw, Victor didn't want to meet Captain America, didn't want to join S.H.I.E.L.D., didn't want to join the Avengers. Now, slandering Fury there was no other explanation.
Victor laughed in exasperation.
He never expected Widow's logic to be so twisted, actually suspecting him of being Hydra.
Had he crossed over to another universe and changed his aura?
Was he destined to play the villain?
If that were the case, why not transmigrate into Thanos's body?
At least then, he could meet Wanda Maximoff openly.
He could snap his fingers, wipe out every man in the universe, and wish himself eternal power.
Wouldn't that be bliss?
Looking utterly defeated, Victor said, "Miss Natasha, tell me, what reason would I have to join Hydra? Look at me, what does Tony Stark lack? Money? Women? Power? I'm a super-rich heir with the smartest brain in the world. Unless I went insane, why would I join Hydra? I'm not even saying I've joined them. Forget Hydra if S.H.I.E.L.D. offered me the director's seat right now, I wouldn't care."
Natasha thought carefully. That was true. Hydra craved dictatorship, seeking to overthrow governments and establish total rule.
But Victor really had no motive to join them.
People acted out of self-interest.
"All under heaven hustle for gain," as the saying went.
Who would willingly sacrifice personal happiness for the sake of all?
Such people existed, but that definitely wasn't Tony Stark.
Yet, if he wasn't Hydra, why say Hydra had already taken over S.H.I.E.L.D.?
She hadn't noticed anything at all.
And what would Hydra gain from controlling S.H.I.E.L.D.?
It was a question she couldn't answer.
It wasn't entirely her fault.
At that time, S.H.I.E.L.D. still operated in the shadows.
Only after the events of Avengers 1, when the Chitauri invaded Earth, would S.H.I.E.L.D. step into the spotlight.
When the alien invasion unfolded before the world, humanity would finally realize the value of a super-defense organization. Only then would nations set aside differences, unite, and pour resources into S.H.I.E.L.D., transforming it into an institution even above the United Nations.
And Hydra would bare its fangs.
Right now?
It was far too early.
But Victor didn't want humanity to continue fighting itself.
Earth wasn't humanity's true enemy.
The vast universe was.
Whether it was S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra, both sought the same thing: control of Earth.
Neither planned to destroy the planet or wipe out mankind.
S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to protect.
Hydra wanted to rule.
But did it really matter who was in charge?
Victor honestly didn't think so.
He even believed that if Hydra could rise, grow strong, and take responsibility for defending Earth, perhaps letting them lead humanity wouldn't be so bad.
(End of Chapter)
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