Chapter 200

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"It seems like it's time to have a serious talk with Stark," Nick Fury made the obvious yet pleasing decision and added, "Maybe with Banner too."

Both Stark and Dr. Banner were the top scientists Nick Fury had ever come across, undoubtedly the best candidates to create Vision. Not to mention, the journal had already foreshadowed that Stark was one of Vision's creators.

"Nick!" 

While Nick Fury was sorting through these significant matters, someone contacted him via a top-secret channel. It was none other than Talos, who had now taken on the identity of Alexander Pierce. 

Given Talos' current status, contacting Fury directly must be about something significant.

"It's time for a meal. I've booked a table at our usual spot. How about a drink?"

"Is it the window seat? You know I'm a bit picky about that."

"Of course, the view of the landscape garden is just a glance away."

"Excellent!"

Their seemingly casual conversation quickly ended, and Nick Fury wasted no time. He donned his impressive trench coat and secretly headed to a rendezvous point to meet Talos.

Bang!

Nick Fury pushed open the car door, and Talos, who was waiting nearby, climbed in and sat next to him.

"It's done," Talos began to report, foregoing any pleasantries. "Even for our Skrull standards, this algorithm is utterly insane."

"So, Zola can indeed calculate all of Hydra's enemies? Present and future?" Fury's eyebrows raised.

Exactly, Talos and Fury were discussing the Zola algorithm. After the journal's revelations about Arnim Zola's astounding AI, Fury had aggressively investigated the matter. With Talos as a major Hydra mole and Alexander Pierce secretly imprisoned, Zola was quickly found. 

Not only Zola but Hydra's ultimate secret, the "Zola Plan," was uncovered by Fury. This plan aimed to compute all enemies of Hydra!

Fury immediately realized the "Zola Plan" was part of the Insight plan. After all, to eliminate all Hydra's enemies and potential enemies at once, you first need to identify them, right?

Previously, none of the journal holders, including Fury, understood how Hydra could achieve this. Now, Fury finally had his answer.

Yet, after some thought, Fury chose not to halt the Zola Plan. He saw value in knowing Hydra's potential enemies.

Crucially, if Zola's algorithm was genuinely effective, could they use it to identify all SHIELD's enemies? Or other key figures?

Given all these factors, Fury saw considerable value in the Zola algorithm.

"Anyway, the 'undead' said so," Talos nodded. "The algorithm was completed at 10 AM. It now just needs my authorization for Zola to start the calculations. Are you sure about this?"

"Why not?" Fury shrugged, then swiftly started the car and drove off, leaving a trail of dust behind.

About an hour later, Fury's car arrived silently at an abandoned secret base.

"If I remember correctly, this should be SHIELD's first base?" Fury asked as he and Talos stepped out of the car.

Talos glanced around the desolate site and remarked, "Not just that, it's also where Captain America was born."

"Those guys do know how to pick spots," Fury conceded.

Not Steve Rogers' actual birthplace, but his military camp. Steve Rogers became Captain America at this camp by being injected with the super serum. When the Strategic Scientific Reserve transitioned into SHIELD, this spot naturally became SHIELD's first base—a place of significant importance.

Fury was genuinely surprised that Hydra had established Zola's data lab here. The two men geared up and entered the long-abandoned base.

Clang!

Pushing through dusty doors, they passed the familiar halls and numerous checkpoints until they reached an underground chamber, revealing a nostalgic-looking computer lab.

Filled with old memory sticks and last-century computer monitors, it seemed like a trip back in time.

"Standing in Zola's brain feels weird," Talos quipped before quickly typing on a keyboard to activate Zola.

Soon, various screens lit up, revealing a face that appeared before Talos and Fury. The camera-equipped screens rotated, scanning them.

"Director Nick Fury? Pierce, what is he doing here?" Zola's voice sounded surprised.

"Is it that surprising?" Talos feigned nonchalance. "Nick is tough, but nothing is impossible for the determined. I've chewed through this bone."

"This is a significant step forward, and your algorithm will lead our grand transformation!"

Skrull's mimicking skills were indeed impressive. Talos mimicked Pierce's tone and demeanor perfectly.

"Relax, Dr. Zola. I'm one of us now," Fury added.

Although surprised, Zola, brought by Pierce, didn't overthink it. Even as an AI, he wouldn't anticipate Pierce had been replaced.

"Hail Hydra!" The voice echoed from the screen.

"Hail Hydra!"

Nick Fury, without showing a hint of emotion, smoothly and fluidly shouted this slogan right in front of Zola.

"Zola, I have granted Nick Fury all the permissions. From now on, he can have the highest level of access to you. Do you understand?" 

Talos then issued an order to Zola. 

One of the key reasons they came together was to take control of this super AI, Zola, not just for his algorithms.

"Understood," Zola immediately responded, then impatiently asked, "Can my algorithm go online? I can't wait anymore."

"I came here precisely for this matter," Talos nodded in agreement. "Dr. Zola, let's see it. I am now giving you official authorization."

"OK!" Zola's avatar promptly replied.

Suddenly, various codes and data flashed across the different computer screens at a blinding speed, too rapid for the human eye to catch.

Zola was now operating at full computational power.

"The algorithm is online and starting data reading. This process will take about ten minutes."

"Following that, there will be seventy-two hours of calculations. By then, all of Hydra's enemies will have nowhere to hide!" Zola's voice reappeared, updating Talos and Nick Fury on the status.

"Seventy-two hours?" 

"We look forward to your good news!" Talos told Zola, then promptly left with Nick Fury.

Artificial intelligence was remarkably precise. It stated seventy-two hours, and indeed, it would be precisely seventy-two hours, not a minute more or less.

Three days later, Nick Fury received the complete list from Talos.

Let's see who Hydra's enemies really are.

With curiosity, Nick Fury began reviewing the list. 

Quickly, he noticed a familiar name: Stephen Strange?

This guy's last name is "Strange"?

Does such a peculiar surname actually exist in New York?

Nick Fury's mind immediately flashed to one person, Doctor Strange.

"Wait a minute!"

A gleam of realization shone in Nick Fury's one eye, as if a mental barrier had broken.

The "Strange" in "Doctor Strange" might not be just an adjective; it could be a surname!

They had been thinking too narrowly!

So, the Doctor Strange mentioned in the diary could very well be a Dr. Stephen Strange from this list!

Nick Fury thought it was quite possible.

After all, how could a regular doctor become an enemy of Hydra?

Without further delay, he used SHIELD's access to pull up Stephen Strange's file.

Instantly reinvigorated: Dr. Strange?

Just by looking at it, isn't this Doctor Strange?

So, has everyone been wrong all along?

The diary wasn't talking about "Doctor Strange" as a title, but rather Dr. Stephen Strange?

Nick Fury found this highly probable.

Given usual circumstances, why would a simple doctor be flagged as a potential enemy by Hydra?

Doctor Strange seemed like the best explanation!

"So, it's you, Doctor Strange?" 

Nick Fury murmured to himself, staring at that long face on the screen.

Of course, just because Hydra deemed Stephen Strange an enemy, that didn't confirm he was the Doctor Strange mentioned in the diary.

But it was enough for Nick Fury.

No matter what, this Strange had already entered his high-priority watch list.

"OK, let's see who else is on here." 

With that decided, Nick Fury returned to the list. 

Soon, another name caught his attention: Peter Parker.

Not for any particular reason, but because of his very young age—only eleven!

What kind of joke is this, an eleven-year-old deemed an enemy by Hydra?

He's just a kid!

Nick Fury's initial thought was disbelief.

He even wondered if Zola had made a mistake. 

But of course, considering Zola's capabilities, such an error seemed impossible.

So, for whatever reason, Zola had good cause to mark this eleven-year-old boy a threat.

This ordinary looking boy, must be more than he appeared.

Wait a minute!

Could this boy actually be Spider-Man?

The diary repeatedly mentioned Spider-Man as a high school student!

In the future!

That fits perfectly!

If he's a future high school student, isn't this the right age?

So, Peter Parker is Spider-Man?

The kid who dared to hang up on him?

Or is he one of the other young Avengers mentioned in the diary?

Regardless, this Peter Parker was definitely not just another kid.

Like Stephen Strange, Peter Parker also made it to Nick Fury's high-priority watch list.

"Hill!"

After a quick scan, Nick Fury called over Agent Hill and handed her Zola's list.

He wanted her to run a thorough analysis.

The list was massive, with tens of thousands of names, and he had only skimmed a tiny fraction.

"Oh, by the way."

"Keep an eye on Stephen Strange and Peter Parker."

"Be discreet. Report any developments to me immediately."

Unquestionably, both Stephen and Peter prompted Agent Hill to delve deeper into their backgrounds.

Once Agent Hill departed, Nick Fury attended to other matters. 

When the time seemed right, he left the SHIELD facility once more.

This time, he arrived at Stark Tower to meet Iron Man.

And his purpose?

To invite Tony to create Vision, of course.

"If the Mind Stone is simply used as a 'hypnosis stone,' isn't that too wasteful?" 

"I think we should unlock its true value, don't you?"

Meeting Tony's gaze, Nick Fury spoke to Iron Man with deep meaning.