Trident Building, Nick Fury's office.
Steve and Coulson pushed open the door. Fury stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling window, staring out at the Washington night skyline.
"You're back sooner than I expected." Fury turned, his single eye narrowing as he read their faces. "Looks like you brought back more than a little intel."
Coulson immediately pulled out his notebook. "Director, the situation is worse than we imagined."
"Sit. Tell me everything." Fury gestured to the sofa before taking a seat himself. "First question—who exactly is this Voss?"
Steve sat down and cut straight to the point. "Nick, Hydra wasn't wiped out."
Fury froze. "What did you just say?"
"They've infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.," Coulson added, his voice tight.
"According to Voss, Hydra has been running a long-term infiltration plan since World War II. Now they've embedded themselves in multiple government departments."
Fury slowly lowered himself into his chair. "Details."
Steve looked to Coulson, then began. "First—Arnim Zola isn't dead."
"Zola? That Hydra scientist?" Fury frowned. "Records say he died of cancer in 1972."
"On paper, yes," Coulson said, flipping through his notes. "But according to Voss, Zola uploaded his mind into a computer before he died. He even created an algorithm to identify potential threats to Hydra."
Fury's eye hardened. "And then?"
"Then Hydra eliminates those threats." Steve's voice darkened. "Howard Stark was one of them."
The room went silent. Fury's expression turned grave. "Howard didn't die in a car crash?"
"No. It was staged. An assassination." Steve's voice wavered. "The killer was known as the Winter Soldier."
Coulson added, "And that Winter Soldier is Bucky Barnes."
Fury shot up from his chair. "Barnes died in '45!"
"He didn't," Steve said quietly. "Hydra recovered him, gave him a metal arm, erased his memory, and turned him into a weapon."
Fury paced the office, struggling to process it.
"There's more," Coulson said, flipping to another page. "Voss also named Hydra operatives inside S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Who?" Fury demanded.
Coulson drew a steady breath. "Secretary Alexander Pierce."
Fury's face went cold. "Impossible. Pierce is the one who recommended me for Director. He's the man I trust most."
"And Brock Rumlow," Coulson pressed on.
"Rumlow? The STRIKE team captain?" Fury's voice shook. "Are you certain Voss isn't feeding you lies?"
Steve stood. "Nick, he knew the exact coordinates of my crash site. He's been right before. He has no reason to deceive us."
Fury was silent, then finally crossed to his desk and unlocked an encrypted file.
"If what you're telling me is true…" Fury's tone dropped low. "Then Project Insight—"
"You already know about it?" Coulson asked, startled.
"Of course I do. I'm the one running it." Fury pulled up several schematics.
"Three next-generation Helicarriers, outfitted with cutting-edge weapons systems. Each one capable of locking onto millions of targets simultaneously."
Steve stared at the images. "This is the Insight Voss warned about?"
"Exactly," Fury nodded. "It was built to prevent future threats. But if Hydra gets control…"
"They could wipe out anyone they consider a threat in minutes," Steve finished grimly.
The office fell silent again.
"Anything else?" Fury finally asked.
Coulson flipped to the last page. "Voss also listed people he trusts: Deputy Director Maria Hill, Agent Clint Barton, and…"
"And who?" Fury pressed.
"A Russian agent. Natasha Romanoff. He said she'll join S.H.I.E.L.D. next year."
Fury froze. "Natasha Romanoff? The Black Widow?"
Steve and Coulson exchanged glances. "You know her?"
"Of course. She's one of our enemies' best operatives." Fury tapped his chin. "I was considering eliminating her. But if she's supposed to be on our side… I'll have to find a way to recruit her instead."
Coulson swallowed. "That means Voss can really predict the future."
Just then, the office door opened. Deputy Director Maria Hill stepped inside.
"Director, we've picked up something unusual." She hesitated when she noticed Steve and Coulson, then continued. "Secretary Pierce just accessed a large number of classified files."
Fury, Steve, and Coulson locked eyes.
"What kind of files?" Fury asked.
"Project Insight's technical data. And several personnel files." Hill swiped her tablet. "Including Captain Rogers' file."
Steve's face hardened. "Why would he look into me?"
"I don't know," Hill admitted. "But the access was logged an hour ago—right after you came back." She turned to Coulson. "Phil, who did you meet today?"
Coulson hesitated, then with Fury's nod answered, "A writer named Voss Nibbler."
"A writer?" Hill frowned. "Why meet with a writer?"
"Maria," Fury said sharply, "kill every listening device in this office."
Though confused, Hill did as ordered. Minutes later, she confirmed: "Everything's offline."
"Good. Then listen carefully." Fury's voice was grave. "This is about Hydra."
Hill froze. "Hydra? I thought they were wiped out in the war."
For the next hour, Steve and Coulson relayed everything Voss had told them. Hill's expression shifted from doubt, to shock, to cold fury.
"You're saying Pierce could be Hydra?" she asked.
"Not just Pierce." Fury faced the window again. "If they control Insight, all of us are targets."
Steve rose. "Then we stop them."
"But we don't know how many Hydra agents are still hidden," Hill cautioned. "If we move too soon, we'll tip our hand."
Fury turned back. "Then we gather proof. Voss mentioned an abandoned base in New Jersey?"
Coulson nodded. "He said Zola's computer is there."
"Then that's our next move." Fury's decision was immediate. "Steve, you're with me. Phil, stay here and watch Pierce."
"That's too dangerous," Steve argued.
"You don't need to worry about me," Fury said, pulling out a secure communicator. "If Pierce thinks he can take me down, he's the one making a mistake."