"...The Tyrant-Series Bio-Combat Soldier will become your enemies’ worst nightmare. A guaranteed return on your investment. We appreciate your business."
A brief pause.
"Sieg Heil."
The recording ended.
The speaker’s voice had been perfectly flat, like someone mechanically reading an instruction manual. Stranger still, although the narration was in German, the video displayed Russian subtitles.
It was almost comically unprofessional.
If not for the horrifying product being advertised... and the final salute... Nick Fury might have mistaken it for a cheaply produced promotional film.
Unfortunately, the footage itself was impossible to dismiss.
He watched an ordinary adult man drink one of the serums.
Within two minutes, the transformation began.
His muscles swelled unnaturally.
His bones twisted.
His entire body reshaped itself before the camera.
When the mutation finally stabilized, Fury recognized the result immediately.
The creature standing on the screen was identical to the monsters encountered in Afghanistan and at the Special Storage Facility.
The remainder of the recording documented performance trials.
Strength tests.
Combat exercises.
Weapons training.
The newly created mutant handled firearms with terrifying efficiency.
Fury replayed the entire recording three times before speaking.
His voice had grown noticeably hoarse.
"Can we verify this footage is authentic?"
Sylvette answered calmly.
"I had Forensics examine it before coming here."
"They concluded the narration was added afterward."
"But the video itself..."
"...is genuine."
Fury let out a slow breath.
He almost wished it had been fake.
If the recording was real, then someone had not only mastered artificial human mutation...
They had refined it into a mature, repeatable technology.
His gaze shifted toward one of the spiral-shaped vials inside the briefcase.
"So this is the Tyrant Enhancement Serum."
At least the operation hadn’t been a total loss.
Yuri Butov was dead, making it far harder to trace the organization behind the project.
But six intact samples still represented an extraordinary opportunity.
Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. could analyze the formula.
Replicate it.
Or at the very least develop effective countermeasures against these engineered super soldiers.
Sylvette adjusted his glasses.
"It appears to be the serum..."
He paused.
"...however..."
Fury looked up sharply.
"However?"
"When Yuri activated the security mechanism before his death, every vial was automatically injected with a concentrated enzyme solution."
Silence.
Fury’s expression darkened immediately.
He understood the implication.
The enzyme solution destroyed virtually every known biological structure.
Even if the serum wasn’t itself biological, the designers clearly believed this method would leave nothing useful behind.
In other words...
The samples were probably worthless.
"Send them to the research facility anyway," Fury said at last.
"I want them examined."
"Yes, Director."
Sylvette accepted the order without hesitation.
Inside, however, he almost laughed.
Good luck analyzing them.
They’re counterfeit from the beginning.
As if we’d hand over the real thing.
"There are a few more instructions."
Fury’s tone turned cold.
"When you arrive at the research facility, don’t ask questions."
"They won’t answer them."
He rested one hand on the briefcase.
"And everyone who’s come into contact with this case, including you, is to forget about it as quickly as possible."
"If I hear even a rumor..."
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
"You know S.H.I.E.L.D.’s regulations."
"Understood, sir."
Sylvette lowered his head respectfully.
"I’ve always had a terrible memory."
"One night’s sleep and I’ll forget everything."
"So will everyone else."
"I’ll make sure of it."
"Good."
Fury nodded.
"You’re dismissed."
The moment Sylvette stepped out of the office, a trace of disappointment crossed his face.
He had hoped Fury would assign him to oversee the Umbrella investigation.
If that happened, he could muddy the waters even further and steer S.H.I.E.L.D.’s attention away from the attack on the Special Storage Facility.
After a few moments, however, he let the thought go.
He understood his position.
A Level Six agent wasn’t insignificant...
But neither was he one of Fury’s trusted inner circle.
Considering how serious this incident was, Fury had never been likely to hand it to someone outside that circle.
Perhaps staying away from it was for the best.
After all, this entire operation had originated as a favor.
Daniel Howard West had asked Minister Pierce for help.
To put it bluntly...
Hydra was cleaning up Howard West’s mess.
Now that the plan had successfully redirected Fury’s attention, there was no reason to work any harder.
Overplaying his role might attract the Director’s suspicion.
That would only create unnecessary risk.
Better to step back and let events unfold naturally.
Decision made, Sylvette carried the briefcase away without another glance.
This had been Howard West’s solution from the very beginning.
No one involved was a fool.
If Umbrella could manipulate him into drawing S.H.I.E.L.D.’s attention...
Why couldn’t he return the favor?
The attack on the Special Storage Facility had painted a giant target on Hydra’s back.
So he simply redirected that target.
Let Umbrella become S.H.I.E.L.D.’s newest obsession instead.
There was another reason as well.
Hydra and Umbrella were allies for now.
That didn’t mean they always would be.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. ever collapsed, Umbrella’s ambition to dominate the world would inevitably place it in direct competition with Hydra.
And after meeting Evenson Richter, Howard West had become increasingly convinced that Umbrella’s origins were tied to the same shadowy power Hydra had betrayed decades ago.
If that suspicion was true...
Future cooperation was only an illusion.
So why not undermine a future rival while the opportunity existed?
Sometimes history changed because of the smallest push.
A butterfly fluttered its wings.
Somewhere far away...
A storm was born.
Back inside his office, Nick Fury paced slowly from one side of the room to the other.
Every day seemed to bring another crisis.
Hydra.
Artificial mutants.
Tony Stark.
Now Umbrella.
Each problem appeared larger than the last.
After weighing everything carefully, he reached a decision.
Umbrella represented the most immediate threat.
He pressed the intercom.
"Get me Agent Hill."
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