Chapter 105: I Am Implacably Opposed to Evil

All channels were broadcasting the scene of the mothership's descent.

Washington, D.C. was once again the focus of everyone's attention. To be precise, it was the mothership, hurtling rapidly toward the Capitol building, that held every gaze.

This was the first time Hydra had been exposed so brazenly to the public eye. It left the government and the military wondering what kind of resolve and willpower it took for Hydra to reach such lengths. How much execution and organizational coordination did it require to steer a mothership into the Capitol? A mothership is not a mere airplane; the scale of the disaster it could cause was incomparable.

The military's sentiment was being guided by Ross, while the Security Council was being swayed by Pierce. Meanwhile, Osborn was leveraging his vast resources and the press to expose information regarding the mothership, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Nick Fury. Once it was revealed that this vessel was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s own base of operations, not only the government and the military, but even the public, were incensed.

This incident required an organization to take the fall. Since the causal ties to Hydra were too complex, the universally disliked S.H.I.E.L.D. was the perfect scapegoat.

"Quick! Get all the fighter jets in the air! The ship is full of Hydra agents; we absolutely cannot tolerate such evil! Just blow the mothership out of the sky—that way, we can take care of both those nuisances, Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D., at once!"

Ross, wearing both his military and Secretary of State hats, was the first to voice his stance.

"Gentlemen, aren't you curious about the technology on that ship? Think about it: if we possessed the mature technology to build such motherships, and they were filled with our own super-soldiers, that would be the true glory our military deserves..."

"Although, as the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I held Nick Fury in high regard, I will not be swayed by personal ties on matters of principle. This time, I stand with the collective interest. I propose a thorough investigation of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s structure. Fury must have colluded with Hydra; he has betrayed my trust, and I hereby draw a line between us..."

"I move that we issue warrants for the arrest of Fury and Rogers," a congressman proposed.

Soon, his suggestion received overwhelming support.

"Seconded!"
"Seconded!"
"..."

On the streets of New York, "journalists" and "interviewees" were everywhere. Reporter after reporter ensured that Hydra's evil was widely known, and S.H.I.E.L.D., for its collusion with Hydra, was exposed in the same breath.

"This is a report from Herald Magazine. Hydra, having vanished for decades, has resurfaced. The motive for this collision is unknown, but an agency has been exposed: we call it the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division..."

The high ground of public opinion belongs to whoever occupies it first. By utilizing public sentiment and official structures, and relying on the massive resources at hand, they exposed the sinister image of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, leaving a lasting negative impression on everyone and fundamentally negating the very purpose of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s existence. This ensured that the already unpopular agency would have no chance to sprout again.

The panic and disaster also affected the resolve of many, amplifying the bewitching influence of the Mind Stone.

The silhouette of the mothership became increasingly clear. Through the radar feed, the frantic appearance of the Hydra soldiers on board was plainly visible. Under the influence of the Mind Stone, everyone also caught sight of Rogers on the ship. The symbol of the spirit of freedom was actually piloting a mothership to strike the Capitol and colluding with the evil Hydra. Many found this impossible to accept.

Public morale began to waver, rumors filled the air, and chaos began to spread.

Everything was going exactly according to plan. Likewise, everyone's gaze was fixed upon one other person. Hill was exposed to the public eye for the first time.

"The will of the nation shall not be violated; the safety of the people must be guaranteed. I will fight against evil, execute justice to the end, and wage an unending struggle against the wicked Hydra..."

As she spoke these words, under the gaze of countless cameras, Hill slammed her fist onto the firing command button before her. For her, this was all an order from her master, Rold.

"Boom—"

Under various lenses, the moment Hill’s command was issued, three motherships rising from S.H.I.E.L.D. opened fire on the descending vessel. After a brief charge, the beams from the three ships struck the rapidly falling hull. The three rays tore away a full third of the mothership, destroying its thrusters and anti-gravity devices.

To the surprise and delight of all, the falling mothership lost its balance and began to tilt. Everyone on board lost their footing, and Hydra members began to fall from the deck like raindrops. These Hydra agents were already dead; falling from thousands of meters, they hit various buildings with sickening thuds, their bodies shattering upon impact. This scene was deeply satisfying, drawing cheers from many watching the broadcast.

"Boom—"

Hill gave the order again. The three Helicarriers fired once more, tearing another portion away from the falling ship. It would have been possible to hit the core in one shot, but Hill did not want to do that. Only a series of setbacks would make people feel that freedom was hard-won and highlight the importance of her own role.

Twice they had failed to disintegrate the rapidly falling mothership. Watching the impact draw closer, many grew anxious, staring intently at the screens and at Hill’s raised hand, their eyes tracking her every movement.

"Fire!"

Under the gaze of the masses, Hill answered their prayers and issued the order to fire again. This strike lived up to expectations; it was not only powerful but broad in scope, splitting the falling mothership right down the middle, followed by a series of massive explosions.

"Well done, Hill."

"Everything is for your will."

Standing behind Hill, Rold communicated with her through their mental link, watching the mothership slowly disintegrate in the sky. Through the link, Hill also understood Rold’s current thoughts.

"Let the mothership fall slowly; we still have many plans to execute."

"Your will be done."

Meanwhile, on the descending mothership, Rogers and the others, affected by the Mind Stone, were terrified. The frequency of the attacks from the other motherships suggested they were not being treated as allies; such bombardment left them no path to survival. This was friendly fire—an assault from their own side.

It made Rogers think of Coulson and Nick Fury. As Fury’s most trusted deputy, many of the orders Coulson received were authorized by Fury himself. Given how many safe houses Fury had hidden away, it didn’t seem strange that he might have hidden a few motherships as well. Certain details felt too coincidental, forcing Rogers to draw unsettling conclusions. It seemed that from the very beginning, he had walked into a trap designed for him, and one of the architects of that trap might well be Nick Fury.

The Mind Stone magnified his suspicion to infinity, generating an immense surge of negative emotions. Rogers began to doubt Nick Fury. He believed that all of this was Fury’s fault.

Not far from the falling mothership, the figures of Tony Stark and Vikaan appeared.

"Jarvis, scan for life signs on the mothership, then give me a song’s worth of time!" Tony Stark immediately ordered Jarvis to scan.

"Certainly, sir. Congratulations on finally making it to the party. Intelligent scanning has begun, and the data is uploaded. Congratulations, we have found a friend."

"A friend? Yes, I, Tony, have friends everywhere."

Weaving through the sea of falling debris and dodging obstacles, Tony Stark used the laser on his armor to carve a path.

"Oh, shit, this guy is not my friend. Never will be." Seeing the image of Rogers, Tony Stark was not pleased.

"Do we need to perform a rescue?"

Jarvis immediately answered, displaying the scanned route and life sign signals.

"Rescue him. I’ll settle the score with him myself."

"Vikaan, let's divide the work." Raising his hand, Tony blasted away the incoming debris with a laser and flew toward Rogers and the others.

Moving in unison, Vikaan rode the Bone Nightmare, stepping through the void and brute-forcing his way through all obstacles, charging forward in a shower of sparks. This, naturally, was also at the command of the Lich King.

Rold was curious to see what kind of mental journey Rogers would undergo after being captured, and how he would deal with Nick Fury. All of this brought him great pleasure.