Yun Chen's statement immediately caused an uproar among the agents present.
Alexander Pierce was not an ordinary name.
He had once served as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D and now held a powerful seat on the World Security Council. More importantly, he was the very man who had personally promoted Nick Fury to become the current director.
Accusing someone like him of being Hydra's leader sounded utterly absurd.
"That's impossible!"
"Pierce is a member of the World Security Council!"
"If Hydra exists inside S.H.I.E.L.D, it would be hidden somewhere deep underground, not at the very top!"
Voices rose one after another as the agents reacted with disbelief.
Strangely, Nick Fury said nothing.
He stood quietly with his arms folded, his expression dark and unreadable. His eyes moved slowly across the group as if he were reconsidering every memory he had of the past.
The silence only made the atmosphere heavier.
Carol, however, simply smiled faintly.
She had no doubt that Yun Chen was telling the truth.
It wasn't blind trust born from love.
Over time, Yun Chen had demonstrated far too many things that bordered on prophecy. Again and again he had revealed secrets that no one else should have known.
It was as if he could see the future itself.
Carol still remembered the very first time they met. At that moment they had been enemies, yet Yun Chen had calmly exposed her hidden identity without hesitation.
Even now she had no idea how he learned the truth.
The only explanation she could imagine was that he possessed an ability similar to a prophet.
"But revealing the answer so quickly is cheating," Carol joked lightly. "It's like opening a detective comic and immediately being told who the murderer is."
Beside her, Kelly tightened her grip on Carol's arm.
The girl was almost eighteen now, and her eyes were filled with curiosity as she stared at the man she had begun calling brother-in-law.
Meanwhile, Yun Chen seemed perfectly comfortable continuing his role as the all-knowing observer.
He glanced calmly at the agents gathered on the rooftop.
"In fact," he said with a faint smile, "two Hydra agents are standing among you right now."
The reaction was explosive.
"What nonsense!"
"That's ridiculous!"
"There are only five of us here!"
Several agents looked at each other in disbelief.
If Yun Chen's claim were true, nearly half of the escort team would be Hydra infiltrators. The probability seemed completely unreasonable.
Even worse, these agents were among Nick Fury's most trusted personnel. Otherwise they would never have been standing on the Triskelion's landing platform beside the director himself.
Nick Fury remained silent.
But his eyes had grown cold.
He folded his arms across his chest and watched the group carefully.
For the first time, the director was seriously considering the possibility that Yun Chen might be right.
"Director, you can't let him spread rumors like this," one agent said nervously.
"Yes, we've served you for years," another added quickly.
The usually disciplined S.H.I.E.L.D operatives were visibly uneasy now.
Yun Chen looked almost amused.
Hydra had always been skilled at hiding its members.
In many cases, even the agents themselves didn't know who their fellow infiltrators were.
But Yun Chen had no interest in playing games.
"You Hydra operatives really are good at acting," he said calmly. "Sometimes even you don't know who your partners are."
He paused for a moment before speaking again.
"But I'm not interested in building suspense."
His gaze swept across the group.
"Bob. Matthew."
"Stop pretending."
"I can see through both of you."
The reaction was immediate.
Three agents instantly stepped backward and raised their weapons, putting distance between themselves and the two men Yun Chen had named.
Bob and Matthew's faces turned pale.
They had never expected things to unfold like this.
Both men looked toward Nick Fury.
But the director remained completely silent, his expression revealing nothing. That silence alone confirmed his decision.
He was willing to trust Yun Chen's judgment.
The two Hydra agents slowly turned their attention toward Yun Chen.
Confusion flashed across their faces.
For a brief moment, both men felt a terrifying sensation.
It was as if the man standing before them could see directly into their minds.
Their deepest secrets, their hidden loyalties, every thought they had ever buried—it all seemed completely exposed.
"Wait, we—"
The words never came out.
Their movements froze mid-sentence.
Both men stood motionless.
Their eyes became dull and lifeless, like puppets whose strings had suddenly been cut.
It looked as though their souls had simply disappeared.
"Impressive," Nick Fury said quietly.
After remaining silent for so long, the director finally spoke.
"Loki once turned one of my agents into a puppet with his scepter. Your mental abilities are just as terrifying."
Yun Chen only smiled faintly.
He neither confirmed nor denied the comparison.
In truth, Fury's guess was very close to reality.
After obtaining Loki's scepter, Yun Chen had absorbed the energy of the Mind Stone contained within it. With the assistance of the Oracle system, the power of the Infinity Stone had been successfully converted into a permanent ability.
The result was a new skill.
Mind Sovereign – Level 7.
It allowed him to enter the minds of others, perceive their thoughts, and influence their consciousness directly. The ability dramatically amplified his mental strength while granting near-perfect control over psychic energy.
When the Oracle system finished absorbing the Mind Stone's power, an additional message had appeared.
The presence of the Space Stone significantly enhanced the efficiency of all Infinity Stone abilities.
Compared to weaknesses like kryptonite or magic, Superman had never truly possessed a vulnerability to mental attacks. His mind was naturally powerful enough to overwhelm most psychic manipulators.
Now that advantage had become absolute.
With the Mind Stone integrated into his abilities, Yun Chen was completely immune to external mental control. No psychic force could invade his thoughts.
Even someone like Professor Charles Xavier, using a Cerebro amplifier, would fail to influence him.
If anyone attempted to probe his mind, the result would be catastrophic for the intruder.
Protected by the Mind Stone's instinctive defenses, Yun Chen could instantly destroy the attacker's mental state.
The idea alone sent a chill down the spines of those nearby.
Facing someone capable of reading minds was deeply unsettling.
"What are you waiting for?" Nick Fury suddenly shouted.
The surrounding agents snapped out of their shock.
Within seconds, Bob and Matthew were disarmed and restrained.
"Thank you for your assistance," Fury said to Yun Chen once the situation was under control.
Even though the Kryptonian emperor likely considered S.H.I.E.L.D insignificant, Fury spoke with genuine respect.
After what everyone had just witnessed, there was no doubt that Yun Chen's earlier claims were true.
Even if the truth sounded outrageous.
The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D was a Hydra leader.
"The most dangerous place is the safest place," Fury muttered.
Hydra had hidden itself in plain sight.
Because of that simple principle, Fury had unknowingly overlooked the threat sitting right under his nose.
"Damn it, Pierce," Fury said bitterly. "You really managed to fool me."
Still, the situation was not hopeless.
With Carol and Yun Chen standing beside him, Fury finally felt a sense of control returning.
Then his expression changed suddenly.
"Not good."
He looked toward the large lake beside the Triskelion.
The water was rippling violently.
A massive shape began rising from beneath the surface.
Moments later, an enormous helicarrier broke through the water and lifted slowly into the sky.
....
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