MARVEL: THOSE YEARS I WAS UNDERCOVER IN S.H.I.E.LD

Aegis Headquarters, Trident Building

Inside Alexander Pierce's office…

"Sir, don't worry. They won't find out."

Facing Alexander Pierce, Steven Mond offered an apologetic smile.

"Whether it's Phil Coulson or Grimclaw, all eyes are on Tony Stark at the moment."

"So, I took this opportunity to leave immediately and bury this matter before it gains traction."

"Once the outbreak occurs, it's bound to result in hundreds of thousands of casualties. When they start tracing the source, the only names that will come up are Grimclaw and Phil Coulson."

"After all, I handed the file to Coulson, but he simply overlooked it."

As Steven Mond's voice trailed off, the bald Jasper Sitwell adjusted his glasses.

Then, he stepped forward, carefully pouring a cup of coffee for Alexander Pierce.

"Sir, this is actually good news."

"Grimclaw has just taken over the S.H.I.E.L.D. New York branch—he won't notice this anytime soon."

"Once the helium-glass crystal becomes a weapon of mass destruction, not even Nick Fury will be able to protect him."

"The best part? Even Phil Coulson, the so-called 'good guy' of S.H.I.E.L.D., will be dragged into this mess."

"And when the dust settles, Nick Fury himself will face repercussions. That will be a huge win for HYDRA."

Sitwell took a step back and smirked.

"Sir, this mass casualty event could be the thing that finally takes Nick Fury down for good."

"When that happens, Aegis will fall back into our hands."

"And as for the body count… it's high, sure. But for HYDRA's vision and ultimate goal, I believe it's a price worth paying."

Listening to his subordinates' report, Alexander Pierce—silent until now—picked up his coffee and took a slow sip.

After a moment, he nodded and spoke.

"Steven, are you certain Grimclaw won't catch on?"

"You know his reputation—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most successful operative. Born and raised in Eagle's Nest, personally mentored by Nick Fury for a full year."

"If he weren't truly skilled, Fury wouldn't have taken him under his wing—let alone considered him as a successor."

"If anything goes wrong…"

Pierce trailed off. But Steven Mond and Sitwell understood exactly what he meant.

"Rest assured, sir—even if Grimclaw figures this out, it'll be too late for him to act."

"The helium-glass crystal has already hit the black market. No one knows where it is now."

"He doesn't have the time to chase this down. Besides, his attention is still on Tony Stark, that self-absorbed playboy."

Steven Mond spoke with unwavering confidence.

"Good."

Hearing such certainty, Alexander Pierce nodded in satisfaction.

"In that case, let's use this opportunity to wipe them out completely."

"One Nick Fury in Aegis is more than enough—I refuse to let the next director be anything like him, let alone someone even stronger."

"That is not an outcome HYDRA can allow."

Seeing that Alexander Pierce no longer seemed angry at his initiative, Steven Mond quietly exhaled in relief.

After all, as the true leader of HYDRA, Pierce was known for his ruthless methods—methods that Steven had witnessed far too often.

New York, S.H.I.E.L.D. Branch — Detention Room

"When things escalate this far, conventional interrogation methods are useless."

Inside the interrogation room, Grimclaw stood in front of a middle-aged man, who remained silent—his expression one of absolute defiance.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. interrogators had been at this for hours, yet the thief acted as if he were impervious to pressure.

Grimclaw stepped into the room.

"Sir!"

At once, the two interrogators stood at attention and greeted him.

He gave a small nod, then fixed his gaze on the thief.

"You have ten seconds to decide whether you want to talk."

The thief—a hardened criminal far older than Grimclaw—scoffed at the threat.

So what if this kid was in charge?

What could he possibly do?

"What if I don't?" The thief sneered.

"Time's up."

Grimclaw's usual sunny demeanor vanished.

Without hesitation, he grabbed a weapon from one of the interrogators.

The thief smirked.

"Oh, you're going to threaten me? Kid, I've been through worse than—"

BANG!

Before he could finish, a bullet pierced through his thigh.

"AAAHH!"

A scream ripped through the room as the bullet left a gaping hole in his leg. Blood spilled onto the floor.

Off to the side, Selena—one of the operatives watching—instinctively stuck out her tongue in shock.

She had heard that the new boss was a handsome, easygoing guy, one of the only "good men" in S.H.I.E.L.D. alongside Phil Coulson.

But now…

This was the Trident Headquarters. This was the so-called sunny and cheerful guy?

…You call this sunny and cheerful?

Damn.

Did someone seriously misunderstand what those words mean?

But…

Damn, he's really handsome.

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