Meeting of heads -113

[Ten weeks after Stark's kidnapping]

[The Triskelion]

[With Alexander Pierce]

Many things had been happening over the last year, mishaps and unexpected accidents. Many new challenges had presented themselves for Hydra and its goal.

Alexander was feeling this the most, not just because of the heavy losses they had taken due to the Mandarin but also because of the many other things happening in the shadows.

While no longer the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Alexander was still deeply involved with the operations that went down there. After all, he had positioned himself as the link between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the World Security Council.

He was, therefore, well aware of everything happening in the shadows; he knew well the problems faced everywhere around the world. Big from small. He knew that these so-called copycat serial killers around the world weren't quite so simple.

While they hadn't been able to capture any yet, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were both aware that it was done by some kind of spontaneously appearing monsters who seemed to bind with children. The very fact that none had been captured also told a story of its own.

Thanks to Fury's hard work, he knew that some secret organizations were out there, capturing them. He didn't know why, but he didn't care. They were in the way of his goals, so they would be dealt with as soon as possible.

He would let Fury deal with this. Alexander knew the man well, there was no way he would allow someone to be outside of his control. He would do the hard work and allow Hydra to benefit from it like always.

Many had doubted his decision to allow Fury to replace him, but he had proven them all right. He was a perfect choice for an unwitting pawn.

However, the problems plaguing the world weren't limited to murderous monsters. There was the case with the mysterious island, and then the mysterious feet suddenly showed up and claimed it.

That was just some examples of what was happening. Alexander found himself not knowing what was going on out there, and he didn't like it one bit.

So, he had decided to call a meeting with the other heads of Hydra, wanting to get some answers for what they were behind and what they weren't. Wanting them so share information and ensure they don't do something stupid.

Ensuring that he wouldn't be disturbed and the single secure, he called them all.

One by one, the holographic screen in front of him lit up, showing shadowy silhouettes of men and women. Only a few were brave enough to show their face to the rest of them.

"I wish you wouldn't hold these meetings at such a bad time Pierce, it's the middle of the night here." A female voice complained.

"Viper isn't alone in being inconvenienced by this meeting Pierce, we normally only hold these meetings once a year for a good reason, and it isn't yet time for the next." A male voice sounded.

"Enough, I didn't call you to hear you complain." Alexander cut them off, not wanting to hear their pretty complaints.

While Hydra hadn't had a single true leader since the days of Red Skull, he was the second-best thing. The rest might complain, but when he called, they still came running. They all needed him, and they knew it.

Without his support and the support of S.H.I.E.L.D., many of the things they did would have been far more difficult, if not entirely impossible. So, while they weren't under his command, they would still end up listening to his orders if they didn't want to be in a world of trouble.

"You should all be well aware of why I called you all here. We have had a few rough months, and I'm not expecting things to suddenly turn in our favor unless we work for it. So I want to make sure we are all on the same page."

"So this is because of Viper's little mistake. Honestly, I'm surprised she is even still here; after all, didn't you lose pretty much everything to the wrath of the 10 Rings?" A male voice said mockingly.

"Nothing happened until Banker also wanted in on the action, it wasn't until Ricci was killed that the Mandarin went on a war path." Said the first voice to have spoken up, defending herself and shifting blame.

"And wasn't that a clusterfuck as well, losing the winter soldier like that, not something we can easily recover from." Another male voice added.

Pierce could only sigh. This was one of the reasons they didn't meet often; every time they did, they would end up bickering with one another. "Enough! We aren't here to place blame, only to make sure that no new mistakes are made until things fully calm down," he said, putting an end to the arguing.

"Surely things are already starting to calm down, no? The Mandarin seems to have returned home after his meeting with the new Ricci girl." Someone asked.

"Whatever they discussed there, it surely isn't going to be good for us in the long haul. While Ricci might be dead, I doubt the girl will be able to properly take over if she didn't make a move of avenging him." Someone else added and Pierce knew this to likely be true.

He himself was conserved about the same. They had already lost much from the brief rage of the Mandarin, and the Ricci family had plenty of power to cause a lot of damage, in particular to his side of things.

"Now, a lot of you have been making some big moves in the last few years, be it Viper and the Mandarin or Banker and Ricci. What I want to know is if any of you are planning other big things or already got some in motion. Perhaps something to do with Stark?"

From there the rest of the meeting ended up just being more complaints about him being unreasonable in wanting to know about their projects. While they would all answer him in the end, they let him know they weren't happy about it.

But Alexander was firm, and he didn't want them to do anything big. He was only a few years from project insight, and he wouldn't allow any of these fools to mess with that.

-------------------------------

[Elven weeks after Stark's kidnapping]

[SITE-009]

Alexander Ricci, The Architect, O5-1, master of Resources and Dark Operations, was finally back home from SITE-001. It was amazing how difficult that damned meeting had been. Every one of them was a powerful person; people used to get what they wanted.

Alex, too, was quickly becoming used to getting things his way. So, having to explain and reason for every decision he had made since coming to the world and taking over the Foundation wasn't exactly what he would consider fun.

So hours upon hours had been used snapping back and forth. He defended himself while they accused him of this and that.

They had argued endlessly over every decision he had made. Some of them were indeed rather questionable without context, something they lacked. He wasn't really able to share easily as it touched upon the subject of them being in the Marvel universe now and the knowledge he had about it.

Then there were the few decisions made early on, which seemed stupid now. But back then, they were important due to the weak state the Foundation was in and the risk of dangerous SCP objects being summoned.

Yet they were completely unwilling to hear his excuses. All wanting something from him. While he naturally wasn't willing to give in to their demands. No way he was accepting a smaller amount of the yield of SCP-006.

There was no way he was handing over some of the objects he had stockpiled at SITE-009. So, what could probably have been done in a few hours took almost two full weeks before they were all ready to end the daily meetings.

After all, without the rest of the O5 council around, the five of them couldn't spend too much time fighting against one another like in the old days. Alex wasn't looking forward to that. Though at least he would now have less work to do.

In particular, he was glad that O5-3, The Treasurer, could now be the person everyone would bother for funding requests. While the man was a pain in the ass, he at least was really good at his job and managed to make the Foundation work without issues.

Though it was someone he would be working together with much, given that both of them were involved with financial parts of the Foundation. Already, he had a meeting lined up with the man. He wanted to work on getting some connections back he had lost given that he hadn't existed until now.

However, it would allow Alex a chance to interact with some people from the MCU, the rich type of people. Which included plenty of different villains or soon-to-be so.

One of the names on his list was Justin Hammer, a man whose ambition and resources made him a perfect candidate for being a tool, albeit cautiously. Hammer's technology might not match that of Stark, but he had his own potential. His unpredictability was a risk factor that needed careful management.

Though the weapons marked would face some major challenges in the near future due to Tony. But it also meant that while Stark's stocks went up, others would go down, hopefully allowing the Foundation to get some good deals there.

Hammer, in particular, was an opportunity because, while Hammer was an idiot, he was also an excellent salesman. So it wasn't like he had no use at all, and the amount of money the US would have to throw around now that Stark would close down for business wasn't a small amount, even for the foundation.

"Plus… if we are going to continue to reclaim SCP-7905, we will need a whole lot of those special bullets, which could be easily produced by Hammer for cheap." He mused as he looked over his list of Marvel people of note.

Another name was Normal Osborn, someone who had, in some works, risen to become quite powerful, and if he did suffer from that disease of his, he would easily be bought with a cure. "Which means getting SCP-427 is important."

"Also need to get 1618, it might be a disgusting thing, but damn it could make a lot of money, even if its use would increase inflation slightly." There was still many objects out there that needed to be contained, while some would be hard to find, others wouldn't be so.

One like 1618 with such a high level of disruption should be found quickly, he only hoped that the still limited Foundation personnel would be enough to get to it before anyone else did.

Many of his future plans relied on successfully getting a few key items into his hands. Both of SCP universe origin and Marvel. After all, this universe was one filled with super heroes who got their powers from lucky or unlucky encounters, and the same was with villains, he wouldn't mind turning some of those into his own loyal personnel.

In fact, with Peggy having recovered from old age and now out there fighting alongside two super soldiers in UnLondon, perhaps he should give her a little boost? Something he could always take away and give to someone more loyal in the future if needed.

[SCP-10152 – White Tiger Amulet]

[object class – Safe]

[Special Containment Procedures: Objects should be stored in a secure locker on a SITE approved for safe class objects of general class. The object can be removed from containment by anyone with a clearance of level 2 or higher, though it can't leave the SITE without approval from the SITE Director. All access to the object should be logged. The object isn't to be exposed to anything dangerous to avoid the risk of damage. ]

[Description: SCP-10152 is a small amulet made of an unknown white stone, carved into the shape of a tiger's head, with two small emerald eyes. The amulet is attached to a silver chain, suggesting it was intended to be worn as a necklace. The object shows no signs of wear, and its age is undetermined. SCP-10152's origins trace back to a lineage of martial artists and heroes, notably associated with the persona known as "White Tiger" in public myths and legends.]

[Effects: When worn by an individual, SCP-10152 grants enhanced agility, strength, and reflexes, surpassing peak human capabilities. The wearer also reports heightened senses, particularly in night vision and hearing. These effects cease immediately once SCP-10152is removed. Prolonged exposure to SCP-10152's influence increases the intensity of these enhancements but may lead to increased aggression and altered decision-making processes in the subject.]

Addendum 10152-1: The object is believed to be somewhere in New York City, and belongs to a black man of an unknown name. The object is requested for delivery to SITE-014 by orders of O5-1.]

Finishing the file, Alex quickly sent it out, making sure that people got started on looking for it. After all, such items like this were rare, which is why he wanted it for himself.

A/N

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