That factory from earlier...
Shen He pondered for a moment. It was located in the suburbs of New York, making it an ideal strategic location.
"I plan to move in tomorrow. Hydra is already watching me, and giving them an opportunity to attack would be foolish." He had already formed a rough plan in his mind. "Jarvis, pull up all available data on World War II, particularly the approximate coordinates of Captain America's last crash."
"Wait—Captain America? Are we talking about the Captain America?" Tony raised an eyebrow, still processing what he just heard.
"Of course. He was your father's friend," Shen He said as Jarvis projected the relevant data. "If we're going to take down Hydra, it only makes sense to enlist the help of their oldest enemy. Tony, can you get Director Fury on the line? We're going to need allies—ones who can actually make a difference."
"I'll contact him, but I hope you'll tell me more about the future while we wait." Tony walked over with a glass of water. "Since we're in this together, shouldn't we be sharing information?"
He wasn't the type to follow orders blindly, especially not when it came to a looming crisis.
"Alright…" Shen He turned to face him, carefully choosing his words. "As you feared, there will be an alien invasion. The battle will take place in New York, and the U.S. government will authorize a nuclear strike to wipe out both the invaders and the city. But in the future we observed, you stop it."
The Battle of New York was a turning point in the Marvel universe.
Before that, it was just a story about superheroes.
Afterward, it became a story about protecting the world itself—where failure meant complete annihilation.
"..." Tony took a deep breath. The sheer scale of it was difficult to comprehend. "Can we stop it?"
"Absolutely." Shen He's gaze hardened. "It'll be a crisis, but also an opportunity. That's why we need to prepare in advance—at the very least, we can't let Hydra interfere at a critical moment."
Tony sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine, I'll reach out to Fury. But when this is over, you owe me more details."
If war was coming, he needed an army. An army strong enough to protect the Earth.
To Shen He's surprise, Fury arrived in person just thirty minutes later.
Accompanying him were Coulson, Natasha, and Hawkeye.
"Looks like you brought all your most trusted agents," Shen He remarked as he and Tony greeted them in the living room.
"I'm sorry about what happened tonight," Fury said, his expression as grim as ever. "But if you had shared some of your information earlier, we might have been able to prevent it."
"You don't know everything, and you can't do everything alone." Shen He leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with Fury. "Tell me, how much do you really know about Hydra?"
"I know they're like cockroaches in the sewer—hiding in every dark corner, including inside S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury admitted.
Shen He narrowed his eyes. "Including S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Fury's expression darkened.
"To be precise, S.H.I.E.L.D. is Hydra," Shen He continued. "Your former director, Alexander Pierce, is one of Hydra's leaders. Fury, you've been living in a den of vipers without even realizing it."
"That's impossible," Coulson blurted out. "Director Fury was promoted by Alexander."
Which meant that if Pierce was Hydra, then… could Fury himself be compromised?
Shen He said nothing, watching Fury's reaction.
The silence stretched between them.
Finally, Fury exhaled sharply. His eyes betrayed his thoughts—he wasn't completely certain that his old mentor wasn't Hydra.
"I don't know which Hydra faction ordered the attack tonight," Shen He said at last, leaning back into the couch. "But I do know this—Alexander Pierce is involved. Chaldea isn't a charity, and more importantly, this is an opportunity for S.H.I.E.L.D. to cleanse itself."
Shen He had no intention of going after Pierce recklessly.
That wouldn't just be foolish—it would be ineffective. If Hydra's strength lay in its ability to infiltrate, then the only way to destroy it was from within.
Fury, ever the strategist, understood immediately. "You want us to act as undercover agents—pretend to serve S.H.I.E.L.D. while secretly working against Hydra."
"Exactly." Shen He smirked.
According to the original timeline, Hydra would eventually reveal itself and tear S.H.I.E.L.D. apart. But by then, it would already be too late.
Shen He wasn't going to wait for that moment.
Tonight's attack had already sealed Hydra's fate.
"I'll need to verify your claims first." Fury wasn't about to take Shen He's word at face value.
Shen He didn't mind. The moment Fury began digging, he'd find the truth for himself.
"What else do you want to tell me?" Fury asked.
"One more thing—Chaldea is forming an Earth-based division." Shen He gestured toward Tony. "He's already joined. Captain America, Bruce Banner, and Thor have connections with me, so it's only a matter of time before they're in. That means you can drop your 'superhuman boy band' project."
Fury's expression darkened.
"Oh, and by the way…" Shen He smirked. "I'd like Natasha and Hawkeye on my team. As for Coulson, you'll need him to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D."
"..."
Fury's scowl deepened.
This was the first time he truly hated dealing with a prophet.
"Tony," Fury finally said, turning to the billionaire. "Your father was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you just remembered to tell me that? Well, now that I think about it, maybe I should be the one questioning you about how you've been running my dad's legacy."
Fury sighed.
This was going to be a long night.