The moment those words left her mouth, General Ross’s expression darkened.
He had always believed S.H.I.E.L.D.’s interference with his super-soldier research stemmed from one of two reasons. Either they knew the project was fundamentally flawed and wanted to prevent another Hulk-level catastrophe... or they were simply throwing their weight around, flexing bureaucratic authority whenever they had the chance.
What had never crossed his mind was that S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn’t trying to stop him from failing.
They were trying to stop him from succeeding.
The idea sounded absurd at first. Yes, he’d clashed with the agency more than once, but on the grand scale they were supposedly working toward the same goal. Yet after Aurecess patiently connected one incident after another, the pattern became difficult to ignore.
Ross frowned.
That makes no sense.
If they feared another disaster like the Hulk or the Abomination, he could understand their caution. But preventing a successful enhancement program?
Why?
What, had one of Nick Fury’s relatives been among the first batch of volunteers who died during his early experiments?
The thought was ridiculous... but no more ridiculous than the evidence piling up in front of him.
Ross unconsciously tugged at his hair while trying to make sense of it all.
Aurecess spoke calmly.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters may be in the United States. The American government provides much of its funding, and Washington exercises a degree of oversight."
She paused.
"But S.H.I.E.L.D. does not belong to the United States."
"I know that," Ross replied with obvious irritation. "It answers to the World Security Council. It’s an international organization."
Modern S.H.I.E.L.D. had been born in America. The United States had supplied its funding, personnel, and infrastructure from the very beginning.
Then, like a child who’d grown up and left home, it had spread its wings and become something far larger than its parent.
That transformation still irritated many people in Washington. They felt America had paid the bill only to watch the organization become accountable to the entire world.
Ironically, S.H.I.E.L.D. was already far more favorable to the United States than most nations would ever tolerate.
Most of its directors had been Americans. The overwhelming majority of its agents were Americans as well.
Even Ross’s own disastrous experiments were proof enough. S.H.I.E.L.D. had quietly buried the scandal instead of exposing it to the world, protecting both the government’s reputation and public stability.
Had the same incident occurred elsewhere, the agency might have publicly dismantled everyone involved before breakfast.
Saloras picked up the explanation.
"As a global organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t view problems solely through an American lens. Their priorities operate on a higher strategic level."
She folded her arms.
"First, they preserve the current balance of power. In any conventional war that doesn’t involve nuclear weapons, an army equipped with enhanced soldiers gains an overwhelming advantage."
History had already demonstrated that.
Captain America had changed battlefields during World War II.
More recently, experimental enhanced units had repeatedly proven how much stronger they were than ordinary soldiers.
Used correctly, a handful of enhanced operatives could change the outcome of an entire campaign.
"And once one nation fields enhanced troops on a large scale," Saloras continued, "its rivals will inevitably respond. That arms race could drag the world back into another Cold War."
Ross wasn’t convinced.
The logic wasn’t wrong.
It simply described the world as it already existed.
Every military breakthrough inspired fear abroad.
Every new missile system prompted another.
Aircraft carriers, missile defense networks, stealth aircraft, advanced drones... none of them had prevented escalation. They were the escalation.
Super soldiers would simply become the next Chapter.
Humanity had grown disturbingly comfortable walking toward its own destruction.
Saloras’ eyes narrowed.
"But there’s another reason."
Her next sentence finally stripped away Ross’s composure.
"To preserve global stability, S.H.I.E.L.D. removes individuals and assets it considers unacceptable security risks."
She let the implication settle before adding,
"And that applies to the United States just as much as everyone else."
Ross’s eyes widened.
His first instinct was to reject the claim outright.
Then he remembered twenty enhanced corpses that had somehow vanished without a trace.
The words caught in his throat.
"They usually rely on covert agents," Saloras continued. "Operations no one ever hears about. Targets disappear quietly."
She smiled faintly.
"And when subtlety isn’t enough..."
"...they conduct what military planners call a surgical strike."
Ross knew perfectly well that S.H.I.E.L.D. carried out black operations around the globe. Officially, no evidence existed that they’d ever targeted American interests the same way.
Officially.
"So?" he asked. "What does that have to do with enhanced soldiers?"
Aurecess chuckled.
"Direct confrontation is always their last option."
"But if they’re forced into one, they need overwhelming superiority."
She looked directly at Ross.
"Do you understand now?"
Of course he did.
Imagine a S.H.I.E.L.D. strike team arriving to eliminate a dangerous target.
Only to discover the target was protected by an entire platoon of enhanced soldiers.
If they withdrew, the mission failed.
If they attacked...
They’d be slaughtered.
Ross understood the tactical dilemma immediately.
Still, he shook his head.
"It doesn’t hold up."
"I’ll admit S.H.I.E.L.D. has excellent agents. But American intelligence isn’t incompetent. The CIA employs professionals. Military special operations units are every bit as capable as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s tactical teams."
He leaned forward.
"Even now, without enhanced soldiers, eliminating a heavily protected government official isn’t easy. Your argument doesn’t justify sabotaging my research."
Saloras merely smiled.
"So..."
"You really haven’t heard."
Ross frowned.
"Heard what?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has already begun planning a dedicated superhuman response team."
She watched his reaction carefully.
"Once it’s operational, they’ll regain the overwhelming advantage they’re looking for."
Ross repeated the unfamiliar phrase under his breath.
"A superhuman response team..."
He searched his memory.
Nothing.
"I’ve never heard of it."
"Who’s supposed to be in it?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best agents?"
Aurecess glanced at her watch.
"It was yesterday now, technically."
She corrected herself after noticing it was already two in the morning.
"Tony Stark officially signed on as a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D. yesterday."
Silence settled over the room.
For the first time that night, Ross felt that the board had shifted beneath his feet.
If Tony Stark had chosen a side...
Then whatever S.H.I.E.L.D. was building had just become far more dangerous.
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