Peter arrived at the new Web Base once again. It was actually quite ironic; as Spider-Man, he rarely visited this place. He hadn't even realized that the others were using the Web Base's supercomputer to play video games.
With a hint of anticipation, Peter entered the Web Base through the underground entrance—the former Hydra base beneath the Hudson River. However, the vast facility was empty, save for a single dark-skinned man with an eyepatch sitting before the supercomputer, absentmindedly fiddling with a Rubik's Cube.
As Peter walked over, he heard Nick Fury grumbling, "Couldn't you make the entrance to this base a bit more convenient? It's directly underneath Toomes' workshop, yet there's no way to enter here from there. My agents had to search several times just to find the way in."
"That entrance was designed specifically to avoid any connection with Toomes' workshop. It just so happened that a Mr. Adrian bought that place for a laboratory, which made the construction easier," Peter explained.
As Peter approached, Fury continued to toy with the Rubik's Cube while asking, "Are you wondering where your two classmates are? You didn't tell them I was here, did you, kid? Those two were scared half to death when they walked in. Luckily, the Osborne boy recognized who I was, otherwise they were about to activate the base's automated defense protocols."
"I just forgot to mention it to them. Just like they forgot to tell me they were using the Web Base's computer to play games—mostly because they didn't tell me."
Fury chuckled. Just before Peter reached him, he finished solving the Rubik's Cube, set it on the table, and looked up. "If we're talking about little secrets, I suspect you're hiding quite a few more than they are. But that's as it should be; people with different abilities should hold different levels of secrets. There's no benefit in telling everyone everything."
And that was the very purpose of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s existence—many secrets and truths were beyond what ordinary people could endure or understand. The original intent behind S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founding was to protect human normalcy while dealing with the paranormal elements.
"But does S.H.I.E.L.D. still need to keep that many secrets now?" Peter asked.
The Avengers and the chaos of recent years had significantly broadened the public's understanding of various supernatural forces in the 616 Universe. Heroes, villains, and monsters from the realms of technology, magic, and mythology had emerged in succession. Of course, there were still many things that even Peter believed should not be revealed to the masses.
However, S.H.I.E.L.D. continued to guard many secrets that should have been disclosed—or rather, secrets that could now be shared, where transparency would actually benefit the public.
"That is the logic of how power operates, Spider-Man. Once any department gains power, it doesn't think about giving it up; it chooses to gather even more. S.H.I.E.L.D. exists because of secrets and requires secrets to maintain its authority. When secrets are revealed step by step, when people become accustomed to them, and when these things can be handled by the government or even the citizenry, S.H.I.E.L.D. will lose its power."
"And that is exactly why S.H.I.E.L.D. could be infiltrated by Hydra."
Nick Fury smiled and turned his gaze back to Peter. "No, that is the reason why Hydra is pervasive. But this is also a good opportunity. Once we completely eradicate Hydra—or at least drain enough of its strength so it can't cause trouble—S.H.I.E.L.D. can take the chance to slim down and discard some unnecessary intelligence."
Peter was somewhat surprised by this, but he didn't press further. If things followed the trajectory of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, S.H.I.E.L.D. would ultimately be disbanded anyway, rendering such considerations moot. Even if it didn't, any change would be better than the current state.
Peter used a web line to snag a chair, pulled it over, and sat down. Before he could say a word, Fury handed him a file, leaving Peter looking somewhat bewildered.
"What's in here...?"
"Data my informant retrieved from Hydra Island, their main headquarters. You've scrapped about 60% of Hydra's forces in the Savage Land and other locations, but what remains is still significant. Hydra has begun shutting down unimportant bases and withdrawing various resources. Additionally, this contains the progress of Hydra's weapon expansion project—your recent moves allowed my informant to secure quite a bit of material."
I'm more curious about who this miraculous informant of yours is. Never mind, not important.
Peter tucked the file away, planning to take it back to Avengers Tower. Fury continued, "Furthermore, Hydra has begun creating a new Cosmic Cube. I want the Avengers to be aware of this. Once they are on the verge of success, my informant will reveal the coordinates of Hydra Island at any cost. We'll need the Avengers to step in and stop them."
"Theoretically, it's unlikely Hydra will succeed. From a realistic standpoint, I'm likely the only one who can tear a rift to the Beyond Realm—they can't even manage to sever the connection to this universe."
"Unless someone in the Beyond Realm actively opens a crack and tosses a zombie head through it," Fury countered.
Peter stared at Fury. How did he even know about that?
"You can't expect a talkative mercenary to keep quiet about intelligence when money is on the table. I had Deadpool coordinate with Reed Richards for a zombie virus serum and then sent him to that other universe to investigate and see exactly what they're after."
Hearing this, Peter let out a long sigh. "Alright. I was originally planning to ask Wade for a favor, but it seems there's no need now."
"Speaking of which, was there another reason you asked to see me?"
"Oh, right. I heard from Cindy that you have a batch of LMDs? A batch of Life-Model Decoys that can't be distinguished from the real thing even under dissection? How are those made? Cloning technology?"
Nick Fury raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you want those for?"
"So they actually exist?"
"They exist. Why? Do you need to ensure your family's safety?"
"If possible... though it's a bit strange. But what I'm talking about is something else, regarding the Hand. We're planning to put on a grand performance to specifically target them."
Fury nodded in understanding. While Peter wasn't sure how much intelligence Fury had on the Hand, he knew that when Fury's mind started racing that quickly, a refusal wasn't coming.
"Tell me who the target is. I'll have the LMD delivered to Avengers Tower tonight."
"Don't you need DNA or something?"
"Don't worry, Spider-Man," Fury said as he stood up with a smile. "An LMD is not a clone."
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