[127] : Another Fire to Put Out

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In the end, Roger couldn't bring himself to tell Tony he was the one responsible for his death in another universe. Instead, he replied vaguely, "Well… you, um… passed away, along with Hawkeye."

"??" Tony was momentarily stunned, his expression one of mild shock, as though he hadn't expected such an end.

He didn't ask Roger for details, simply commenting as if he were hearing about someone else, "Well, that's… a bit of a downer."

Nick Fury glanced over at Tony, his look suggesting, You're really just going to believe that? Tony shot a look back at him, as if to say, Let's just keep listening, and refocused his attention on the twins Roger had brought back.

Fury, temporarily disregarding Roger's supposed origins, jumped straight to the point. "Mr. Superman, you still haven't explained how you came to have Loki's scepter."

"Honestly, Director Fury, you probably won't like the answer."

"Try me. I just want the truth," Fury replied, watching Roger intently.

Fury was no longer concerned with whether Roger was an alien or a being from another dimension; what he wanted to know was why this powerful weapon, which S.H.I.E.L.D. was supposed to be safeguarding, was now in Roger's hands.

Seeing that Fury wasn't backing down, Roger decided not to hold anything back. "Alright, here's the truth: I got it from Hydra."

"…What?" Fury was taken aback.

Roger continued, as though he'd opened a floodgate. "When I arrived in this world, I heard a distress call. It was from that girl over there." He gestured to Wanda, who was still sitting on the floor, and elaborated, "When I reached the location, I found people conducting experiments on human subjects using energy from Loki's scepter. And as for who they were… well, I already told you."

"That's impossible! Hydra was destroyed ages ago!"

Everyone knew Hydra had been dismantled after World War II, following the death of its leader, the Red Skull. It was a defunct organization, one that couldn't possibly exist in the modern era.

"Is that so?" Roger replied ambiguously, casting a glance at Fury. "If you truly don't believe me, why don't you ask those two over there what symbol they saw in the lab?"

Fury's expression wavered. Though he didn't want to believe Hydra was still active, the evidence was right in front of him, forcing him to accept the possibility.

"…I need to hold a meeting," Fury finally said.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Fury immediately intended to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. to address this Hydra revelation. He also needed to prepare the Avengers to root out any trace of Hydra.

He was about to leave when Roger's words stopped him in his tracks.

"A meeting? At S.H.I.E.L.D.? This scepter was supposedly under your organization's protection, yet Hydra got their hands on it. And you, as the director, knew nothing? Don't you think Hydra might have people in S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"I have people I trust," Fury responded, steadying himself.

Of course, he knew there could be moles within S.H.I.E.L.D., and he didn't plan to address Hydra's presence publicly. Fury intended to gather only those he trusted for a private discussion.

But Roger seemed to know exactly whom he trusted. "Alexander Pierce, right?"

Hearing the name, Fury felt a jolt of shock. His instincts told him Roger was about to reveal something serious.

And sure enough, Roger continued, "The former S.H.I.E.L.D. director, the man who promoted you to your position, he's the one you trust the most. But what if I told you… he's Hydra's current leader? What would you do?"

"I'm going to assume you're not joking." Fury locked eyes with Roger, his tone grave.

Roger shrugged. "Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Fury was at a loss for words. The notion that his trusted superior, the man who had once been director of S.H.I.E.L.D., could be Hydra's leader was a blow to him.

After standing in silence for a while, Fury finally said, "I'll conduct my own investigation."

With that, Fury turned and left, temporarily setting aside his curiosity about Roger's origin and purpose in this world. For now, Hydra took precedence. 

Roger's actions so far, returning the scepter, apprehending the twins, and his cooperation, indicated he was on their side. As long as Hydra was at large, it wouldn't be wise to provoke a seemingly powerful "otherworldly being." Fury trusted Tony would handle any further questions.

After Fury departed, Tony exchanged a look with Roger, then glanced at Pietro and Wanda, who were still on the floor.

Roger knew Tony had many questions for them, but that didn't concern him. He simply turned to Tony and asked, "So, can you tell me where Thor is now?"

…

Thor wasn't on Earth at the moment, and the Avengers had no way to reach him. Asgard's Rainbow Bridge allowed him to travel across the Nine Realms, and though he visited his friends on Earth occasionally, he was often away exploring other worlds.

Roger could wait for Thor to return, but he had no intention of doing so. Instead, he planned to return to Kamar-Taj and ask the Ancient One to open a portal to another planet.

In the movies, Doctor Strange had once opened a portal from Titan back to Earth, so it seemed reasonable to assume the Ancient One, his mentor, could easily open a portal to other worlds as well.

However, when Roger returned to Kamar-Taj, he found that it had seemingly vanished from its usual location.

It was likely cloaked by an illusion he couldn't penetrate, or perhaps Kamar-Taj existed in a separate dimension, appearing only when visitors were invited or when necessary.

In any case, Roger couldn't find the Ancient One, and it seemed she didn't want him disturbing her. Chances were, she had already met Stephen Strange, which meant his plan to leave Earth through her help was foiled.

"Damn… So you're really not worried I'll go stir up trouble in this world?" Roger muttered, flipping off the now-invisible Kamar-Taj entrance before returning to Stark Tower in a frustrated huff.

With no luck at Kamar-Taj, he was left with no choice but to wait for Thor's return. That meant temporarily bunking at the Avengers' headquarters atop Stark Tower.

But just two days later, trouble struck S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fury had been discreetly investigating Hydra's infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D., enlisting Captain America and Black Widow to gather evidence. But Hydra moved faster than expected. Realizing Fury was onto them, Hydra's forces within S.H.I.E.L.D. launched an attempt on his life.

Now Fury was missing, Cap and Natasha were fugitives, and Hydra's Insight Initiative was rapidly advancing.

Roger's offhand remark had accelerated the entire plot of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

At first, Roger hadn't planned on getting involved, confident Cap's plot armor would see him through. But he'd underestimated the situation…

Three massive helicarriers equipped with Insight's deadly targeting systems rose into the sky. And still, there was no sign of Cap or the others.

"You've got to be kidding… Do I have to be the one to put out the fire again?"

There was no question, Cap and the team were clearly delayed somehow.

Hydra's Insight Initiative was simple: using advanced algorithms to identify potential threats and eliminate them preemptively. Originally meant to protect the world, in Hydra's hands, it had become a tool for oppression.

If those helicarriers were allowed to reach full altitude, their lasers would systematically eliminate anyone on the ground deemed a potential threat to Hydra.

And just as the Insight carriers were taking off, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stormed Stark Tower. Armed with guns and arrest warrants, they aimed their weapons directly at Roger, who was peacefully enjoying a drink in the Avengers' lounge.

"Put your hands up!!" the agents barked as they burst into the room.

Roger nearly spilled his juice, looking at them with an amused expression. "Are you… talking to me?"

"I repeat, put your hands up!!" the agent in charge barked, tense as his men trained their sights on Roger, fingers poised on their triggers.

Roger ignored him and glanced at Tony, who was descending the stairs. "I might break a few things. You okay with that?"

Tony sighed. "I mean, I'd prefer you didn't… but these guys did interrupt my nap. So, go right ahead."

The agents were here for Roger, and Tony had no intention of intervening. Besides, he highly doubted Roger would need any help.

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