There's a rule I live by:
If you poke a snake nest, don't wait around to see which ones slither out.
Problem was, I'd already poked Hydra.
And I could feel the slither coming.
---
The warehouse raid made headlines—sort of. Local news called it a "gang explosion" with "possible chemical involvement." The NYPD had no suspects. The feds shrugged.
But someone noticed.
Two days later, I spotted a black SUV parked outside my building. No plates. Dark windows.
They weren't NYPD.
They weren't Hydra.
They were worse.
SHIELD.
---
At 3:00 a.m., my system pinged.
[Warning: Scanning Drone Detected – SHIELD Model: Mark 4 (Non-lethal Recon)]
Cloaking System Recommended (Locked)
Action: Evade or Destroy
I slipped out the fire escape two minutes later.
SHIELD didn't play around. Especially not when their tech got involved.
And my raid had exposed more than I thought—Stark tech, Hydra files, and a body torn apart by some sort of magic-infused toilet paper.
Yeah.
Not exactly stealth ops.
---
I relocated to a secure apartment in Hell's Kitchen—cheap, underground, no digital footprint. A hacker I'd hired under an alias scrubbed my online record.
The system remained quiet.
Too quiet.
I needed more power, more information, and more options.
So I dug into the one lead I hadn't touched yet.
The Stark blueprint fragment.
---
[Scan Initiated…]
Item: Stark Industries Internal Design File – Project "TITANUS"
Status: Incomplete
Estimated Year: 2005
Security Clearance: Level 8
Contents: Energy Core Design, Compatible with Arc Reactor Tech
Warning: Accessing this file may alert connected networks.
I canceled the scan immediately.
Last thing I needed was Jarvis pinging Tony about a breach.
Still, it told me something important: Stark had been experimenting with weapons-grade personal reactors years before Iron Man was born.
And someone—maybe Hydra—had stolen early fragments.
I stored the file and made a decision.
No more small targets.
It was time to shake the tree.
---
That night, I followed a lead on an arms broker tied to mid-level Hydra financiers. He operated out of a jazz club near Midtown, running clean money through dirty wine.
Classic cover.
I arrived at 10:00 p.m. in a pressed suit, no weapons showing.
The bouncer scanned me once.
Then again.
"Something wrong?" I asked, voice flat.
He looked like he wanted to say yes. Instead, he waved me through.
John Wick template perk: Charisma Through Intimidation.
---
Inside, the place smelled like cigars and power. The music was smooth. The deals were smoother.
I spotted my target in the VIP lounge. Ivan Markov. Russian-born, Hydra-backed, smug as hell. He was laughing over wine with two bodyguards.
System pinged again.
[Target Identified: Ivan Markov – Tier-2 Hydra Operative]
Status: Armed, Alert
Threat Level: Moderate
Scan: Weakness – Right eye (implanted optic), mild alcohol dependency, arrogance (high)
Bingo.
I approached the bar, ordered a water, then leaned against the railing near his booth.
Waited.
He noticed me within five minutes.
They always do.
He stood, swaggered over like he owned the building, and gave me the classic half-smile of a man who thought he was untouchable.
"You look like a man who doesn't belong here," he said.
I sipped the water. "Neither do you. Hydra doesn't play jazz."
That got his attention.
The smile dropped.
The goons behind him reached into their coats.
Too late.
I moved like a shadow, gun in my hand before they blinked.
Two clean shots. One to each leg.
They screamed.
Ivan pulled a knife—stupid move.
I caught his wrist, twisted, and drove him into the table.
The music didn't stop. Neither did the jazz.
New York was used to this kind of violence.
But SHIELD wouldn't be.
---
I pressed the barrel of my Glock into Ivan's temple.
"Names," I said calmly. "Accounts. Who's funding the prototype program?"
"Go to hell—"
Crack. I dislocated his shoulder.
He screamed again.
System pulsed.
[Interrogation Bonus Unlocked – Intimidation Tier Upgraded: Level 2]
Effect: +20% success rate against untrained targets
Five minutes later, I had everything.
Hydra had partnered with two shell companies—one in Europe, one in Long Island. The Long Island one was disguised as a pharmaceutical lab called Polaris Biotech.
Real innocuous.
Real Hydra.
---
Before leaving, I whispered into Ivan's ear, "Tell Hydra I'm not a ghost. I'm the warning before the storm."
Then I shot him in the kneecap and walked out while he screamed.
Wick-style.
---
Back at my apartment, I checked my system notifications.
[System Update: Minor Protocol Upgrade]
You may now request 1 "Specific Sign-In Reward" per month.
Note: Rarity affects likelihood of success.
Next Weekly Sign-In: 4 Days, 2 Hours
Custom Reward Timer: 29 Days Remaining
That changed everything.
If I played it smart, I could request templates, mutant abilities, even magical artifacts.
One per month.
That was all I needed.
---
I opened a map of New York and pinned Polaris Biotech.
They had no idea I was coming.
I would burn their files, steal their secrets, and use their own weapons against them.
If SHIELD didn't catch me first.
---
Which reminded me…
As I reviewed camera footage from my jazz club escape, I saw something strange.
A woman. Watching.
She wasn't part of Hydra. No panic, no fear. Just... observation.
Slim, sunglasses, coat too stylish for the venue. Watching me like I was a known entity.
I zoomed in on a still frame.
Then ran a facial match through a gray market SHIELD database I'd hacked weeks ago.
Match Found.
Maria Hill.
Deputy Director of SHIELD.
---
"...Oh, great."
They didn't just notice me.
They were tracking me.
---
But I wasn't afraid.
Let them come.
Let SHIELD chase shadows and Hydra send monsters.
I was Victor Wick.
I had a system.
And I was just getting started.
---