Not long after Agent Sitwell received a message from Dr. Zola, almost simultaneously with Sitwell locating Garrett, Tony—assisted by J.A.R.V.I.S.—had already cracked Dr. Zola's USB drive, bypassing the security programs set up on the computer.
Once the security was bypassed, the contents of the USB were fully revealed. There wasn't much on it—it was just a program, the same one Natasha had copied from the Lemurian Star.
Seeing the program, Tony clicked on its code.
It looked like an algorithm.
Staring at line after line, Tony frowned.
"What kind of algorithm is this?" he asked uncertainly.
"I'm not entirely sure. But if you want to know, just open it and see," Natasha replied.
Tony launched the program stored on the USB, but they weren't greeted by a smoothly running interface. Instead, a pop-up appeared: Access Denied.
"This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. permission setting, but it shouldn't be happening. I currently have level 9 access," Tony muttered. "Alright, let me see what level is required to open this file."
Natasha gave him a sidelong glance. She herself only had level 8 access, despite her years of service and countless contributions to S.H.I.E.L.D. Promotions had become increasingly difficult.
As for Tony—he'd apparently never formally joined S.H.I.E.L.D., so why did he have level 9 access?
From Natasha's expression, Tony guessed what she was thinking, and he chuckled.
"There are plenty of retired senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Even if their accounts were deactivated, once restored, they still work."
Natasha didn't comment further. She already knew who Tony was, and "borrowing" S.H.I.E.L.D. accounts seemed entirely in line with his methods.
Since Tony had level 9 access, he should theoretically be able to run the software.
But except for Clark, everyone present was shocked when the screen suddenly displayed Insufficient Permissions – Access Denied.
"No… if level 9 access can't open it, then only Fury himself could view this file. But if that's the case, why did he specifically give the USB to Steve?"
Natasha began analyzing the situation.
"Perhaps this algorithm is too important for Fury to entrust to anyone else. Tony, can you crack it?"
Steve, having seen Tony decode S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence before, looked him directly in the eye.
"After what you just said, I'm curious too," Tony admitted. "But this isn't like last time. Back then, I just injected a virus into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s backend. This time, it could take at least 20 hours to crack it. The system upgraded immediately after my last intrusion."
Though Tony wanted to open the software directly, he realized the process might take over 20 hours if luck wasn't on their side. That alone indicated the importance of the USB.
"You need to know where it's coming from. This is the New Avengers Base—all top-tier hardware. With J.A.R.V.I.S. assisting, the crack could easily take over 20 hours."
"Can we speed it up?" Steve frowned at the long wait.
"I'd like to, but this is what we're dealing with. However, I've pinpointed the signal source from the USB. Do you want to check it out first?" Tony asked, pointing to an address on the screen.
Seeing Steve's reaction to the address, Tony smiled.
"Natasha says…"
"Captain, you know this place," Steve interrupted.
"I knew it beforehand," Steve confirmed.
"Alright, then you won't get lost. Here, take this." Tony retrieved a miniature USB from the side of the computer and handed it to Steve.
"What's this?" Steve asked, puzzled.
"It's a copy from the original USB. I figured you might need it," Tony explained, pointing to the USB being cracked.
"Then let's go," Steve said, nodding to Natasha.
"I'll come with you," Natasha added. Just as Steve and Natasha were about to leave, Clark followed. Although unfamiliar with Captain America: The Winter Soldier plot details, Clark's next move was deliberate and wise.
Steve and Natasha had apparently located an old HYDRA base and were planning a missile strike on it. Clark wasn't sure if they could survive the attack, so he decided the safest course was to go with them—ensuring he could intervene if the missiles posed a threat.
But just as Clark, Steve, and Natasha prepared to leave Skull Island, massive explosions rocked the exterior. It sounded as if bombs had struck the island's protective barrier.
Looking up, Clark saw fighter jets launching missiles toward Skull Island. Many exploded shortly after launch due to the surrounding storm, but a few pierced the fog and hit some of the outer, scattered islands.
Seeing the jets, Tony and Steve realized the attacks were coordinated with satellite support.
"These are Quinjet fighters," Tony noted.