What frustrated Fury the most was that even if he discovered suspicious individuals, it was very difficult to take action.
Because S.H.I.E.L.D.'s chain of command might have already been infiltrated, and once he launched a public investigation, the news would quickly reach the ears of HYDRA.
He could only observe in secret, collect evidence, and wait for the right opportunity.
This kind of work was exhausting.
During this period, Fury rooted out eleven confirmed HYDRA moles, all of whom were mid-to-low-level personnel.
Through carefully designed accidents or reassignments, he removed them from key positions without alerting the rest of the organization.
He knew these people were just branches and leaves; the real roots were still deep underground.
Although they were still far from truly uprooting HYDRA, compared to the Skrulls, from whom he had gained nothing, the progress on the HYDRA front gave Fury some small measure of comfort.
Regarding this group of green-skinned aliens, Fury even suspected they had already left Earth, abandoned their kin who had been captured after their identity was exposed, and returned to the depths of the Universe.
Otherwise, why couldn't he find even the slightest trace?
This stalemate and oppressive state lasted until one day, when it was completely broken by a sudden 'meteor'.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global monitoring network captured an abnormal energy signal.
The signal source was approaching Earth rapidly from outer space, friction Burning in the atmosphere, forming a dazzling meteor trail.
The duty analyst immediately issued an alert: 'Unidentified object entering the atmosphere, trajectory predicted... Los Angeles! Speed is extremely high, energy signature is abnormal, not known space debris or meteorite.'
Fury was awakened by an emergency call, and when he arrived at the command center, the big screen was playing footage captured by a satellite: a blazing trail of light streaked across the night sky, falling toward a certain town.
'Impact point coordinates locked,' the analyst reported.
Fury immediately ordered: 'Dispatch a rapid response team. I want to arrive at the scene as soon as possible. Seal off a fifty-mile radius. Also, notify NASA and the Air Force; this is S.H.I.E.L.D. jurisdiction, tell them not to interfere.'
Two hours later, Fury personally led a twelve-person task force and arrived at the impact site.
The scene was a video rental store, and the roof had been smashed open by something, creating a large crater.
The object in the crater had clearly already left, and nothing remained at the scene except for a trail of destruction.
The team began collecting useful information on-site, while Fury, relying on his keen intuition, began searching outwards.
Soon, he discovered the target.
In front of a telephone booth, Fury saw a woman.
Blonde hair, wearing a strange outfit similar to a motorcycle suit, she looked somewhat out of place with her surroundings.
'Hello, ma'am. I am Nick Fury, an Agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division,' Fury said, keeping his voice steady.
The woman looked at him and then said, 'Carol, member of the Kree Empire Starforce.'
'Kree Empire... Starforce?' Fury chewed over the term.
'Alright then, ma'am, what brings you to Earth?'
'I am tracking Skrulls, and they are also hunting me. They are dangerous; you'd better stay away from me,' Carol said truthfully.
Skrulls!
The word pierced Fury's nerves like an electric current.
Four years, and he had finally heard the word again, from the mouth of a woman claiming to be an alien warrior.
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