He did not know the exact internal structure of the Thunderbolt Bureau or any of the smaller details.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that the Thunderbolt Bureau's very existence would tell the world that Earth was still protected by Earthlings. It would let those people feel that they were the ones gripping the hammer's handle, and only then would they finally relax.
As for the Heavenly Guild, there was no need for it to step into the spotlight.
Bant would never allow those shady bastards to lay a single finger on the Heavenly Guild.
Of course, that did not mean he did not care about the Heavenly Guild's growth or about claiming S.H.I.E.L.D.'s various legacies.
It was simply that…
After this incident, the legitimate succession of S.H.I.E.L.D. would belong to the Thunderbolt Bureau, while the legitimate succession of Hydra would naturally fall to the Heavenly Guild.
The Heavenly Guild could operate exactly like Hydra, appearing independent from S.H.I.E.L.D. on the surface while already having taken control from within long ago.
By then, every member of the Thunderbolt Bureau would be one of Bant's own people, and everything belonging to the Thunderbolt Bureau would naturally belong to the Heavenly Guild.
The strategy was simple: question Hydra, understand Hydra, become Hydra, surpass Hydra.
"Won't that be pretty difficult?"
Norman was actually very interested in the plan, but the real question was what position and identity he would use to carry it out.
After all, right now he was nothing more than a businessman. Even if a new organization rose from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ashes, he would have no right to interfere.
"So, when it comes to dealing with Hydra, you will need to make an irreplaceable contribution."
"For example?"
"First, Osborn must publicly declare that the Spider-Man and the Hacker who earned great merits in this campaign against Hydra are actually superheroes created by the Osborn Group."
Bant said.
And that was not wrong. Without Osborn, there would be no Spider-Man.
"Next, as events unfold, once Hydra realizes it can no longer stay hidden, it will inevitably issue warrants for Captain America, Spider-Man, and the rest. At that moment, the Osborn Group must immediately step forward to declare its support for Captain America and have Harry join the war effort as its representative to aid him."
Bant glanced at Norman.
"At that stage, Osborn's position may become very passive…"
"Is there anything I have not already been through?" Norman Osborn gave a faint smile, completely unconcerned by Bant's warning.
In the end, all Hydra could do was suppress, blockade, sanction, or even launch terrorist attacks against the Osborn Group.
To Norman, who had once lost everything, including nearly his own life, this was nothing.
"You don't need to worry about attacks. My technology is not just for decoration. Once we activate the energy shield, it can form a protective net over all of New York. Unless they plan to nuke the city…"
By this point, the obstacles standing in the way of Norman reorganizing the Thunderbolt Bureau were already very small.
But there was still one final, most critical step.
"Finally, win over Captain America as the banner and bring him into the Thunderbolt Bureau."
"Once, the symbol of Captain America Steve Rogers was the shield in his hand, which was why S.H.I.E.L.D. truly stood for a shield. But now, the world will see Captain America raise a heavy hammer high and completely crush his former enemies."
"What we need to do is make ordinary citizens believe that the hammer of the Thunderbolt Bureau is Captain America's hammer, and make those politicians believe that the hand holding the hammer does not belong to any alien, but to themselves. What obstacles could remain after that?"
Since they had already raised the banner of Captain America, they had to use it well and use it right.
What did the American people believe in?
What did American soldiers believe in?
What did even those politicians believe in?
Captain America.
It was not that everyone worshipped him. It was simply that people were willing to trust him and felt reassured by this soldier.
That was enough.
"I understand." Norman Osborn nodded.
After finishing his talk with Norman Osborn, Bant left and returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
By then, Peter and Captain America had already successfully destroyed the first Hydra base and returned in triumph.
Peter was extremely excited. He told Bant that the sonic cannon's power was far too strong. This suit of armor was basically a specialized siege suit for Spider-Man and could not be used under normal circumstances at all.
"Once I finish the nano armor, I'll switch you to a new set."
Tony overheard and seemed very interested in the nano armor, but before he could discuss the technology with Bant, Nick Fury walked over together with Captain America.
"Avengers, time for a meeting."
Everyone started to follow, but the moment Stark took a step, Nick Fury turned around and said,
"What are you coming for? You're not an Avenger. Go fix your helicarrier."
Tony: ???
"You called me here to fix your helicarrier and now you're holding a secret meeting behind my back? What exactly do you take me for?"
Nick Fury rolled his eye.
"The air-conditioning repair guy?"
Tony: Motherfucker!
Seeing that Tony was about to explode, Nick Fury smoothly offered him a way out. "I'll give you one more chance. Want to be the Avengers' consultant or not?"
"Yes!" Tony gritted his teeth.
"Does it come with a salary?"
"No!"
Nick Fury was very pleased. Got you, little Stark.
Inside the office, the first-generation Avengers gathered. Thor and the Hulk were absent, but Spider-Man and the Hacker had been added.
During the meeting, Nick Fury first praised Spider-Man and Captain America for the success of their operation and analyzed the data they had obtained.
Then Tony pretended to be surprised and asked, "Hydra? What Hydra?"
Nick Fury explained the whole situation again.
After that, Tony said that while the matter had little to do with him personally, his father had helped found S.H.I.E.L.D., so he would participate as well.
Steve looked at Tony with an extremely complicated gaze.
The playboy standing before him was Howard Stark's son.
Steve felt both deep anger and guilt toward Howard.
They had once been friends, yet in the end Howard had betrayed him and cooperated with his enemies.
If not for Howard's Operation Paperclip, even the remaining Hydra remnants would have been nothing more than rats in the street.
The guilt, of course, came from the fact that his other friend had been the one to kill Howard.
But after Howard's death, Steve's anger toward him had slowly faded. In the end, Howard had paid the price for his mistake. But what about Bucky?
He could not abandon Bucky.
Because Bucky was the only person who had stood firmly by his side when he had nothing.
In the darkest and most hopeless moments of his life, Bucky had stayed with him, always by his side.
So the only emotion that kept growing inside Steve's heart was guilt.
He had not been the one to kill Howard, yet he still felt ashamed.
Because he knew he was essentially shielding the murderer.
He had already learned that Bucky was the one who killed Howard, but when Tony Stark stood right in front of him, he did not dare tell Tony the truth.
Because he was afraid.
Afraid that Tony would demand Bucky pay with his life for the murder, afraid of losing his friend, and afraid that the last remaining connection to his own era would completely disappear from the world…
A hero who had lost everything?
As long as Bucky was still here, it was not everything.
He sat in his seat like an old man whose mind kept drifting, head lowered, not hearing a single word of the meeting.
Until Nick Fury's voice called out beside his ear.
"Captain? Captain? Captain!"
Steve jerked his head up. It was as if he had woken from a dazed dream and for a moment could not even remember where he was.
After a long while, or perhaps only a few seconds, everything before his eyes gradually became clear again, and Nick Fury's sour face reappeared.
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Nick Fury repeated, sounding genuinely surprised. "Spacing out during a meeting? That's not like you."
"I'm just… a little tired."
He let out a long breath, pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers, and after a few seconds swept his gaze across the room.
Almost everyone except Tony and Bant was looking at him with concern.
Steve found it hard to tell who, besides Peter, was truly sincere.
"Sorry, where were we?"
Bant took over the topic.
"Luckily your operation with Spider-Man was very successful. All the Hydra agents in the base were captured, and most of the data and equipment were preserved. So the Hacker and I can use these machines to trace the other Hydra bases in reverse."
"Wrong!" Tony raised his goatee and said arrogantly, "I can do it alone."
"Can't you two get along?" Nick Fury said helplessly. "Your relationship could clearly be eased. Remember, he saved your life." Then Nick Fury looked at Bant and pointed at Tony. "And him? He gave your company a lot of help."
"I don't mind, as long as he stops being so cocky," Bant said.
He and Tony had originally wanted to appear more hostile in front of Nick Fury and Hydra. After all, if all the heroes stood united like an iron plate, that was exactly what Hydra feared.
But now it seemed they had gone a bit overboard.
Tony said, "As long as he admits I'm smarter than him."
"You're only a genius on Earth," Bant mocked.
Seeing the two about to argue again, Steve quickly changed the subject.
"That's great. If we can wipe out all the Hydra bases this way, nothing could be better."
Even as he spoke, there was not a trace of joy on his face.
Wipe out all the Hydra bases?
How ridiculous.
The biggest base was not right under his feet?
Steve turned his gaze toward Bant.
He thought,
The one who first told him about Operation Paperclip had been Bant. The other party must also know that no matter how many bases they cleared this way, they would never touch Hydra's true lifeline.
It would not mean much.
Exactly what did they need to do to completely eliminate all of Hydra?
Steve was deeply puzzled.
But he believed Bant definitely had the answer.
Nick Fury had not yet noticed that every plan and every beginning of these events had originated from Bant Parker.
Yet Steve's instincts told him that this young man in front of him controlled every thread of the matter.
It was right after Bant Parker had Peter call him to say they wanted to join the Avengers that the hidden Hydra remnants suddenly surfaced.
And just so coincidentally, the Hydra bases began invading S.H.I.E.L.D. and were then traced in reverse?
To Nick Fury, it looked like Hydra feared the formation of the Avengers.
But to Captain America, this was clearly Bant's doing.
Thinking back to the last conversation Bant had with him on the deck, it was not hard to see that the other party had already obtained a massive amount of Hydra intelligence long ago.
The plan to attack the Hydra base this time had surely been orchestrated by him as well.
Only Nick Fury still thought everything was developing under his control.
The small Avengers meeting ended quickly.
Nick Fury assigned the tasks.
"Tony, keep upgrading the helicarrier. Hacker, use the data to trace the source and investigate the other Hydra bases. Move fast. I'm worried Hydra has already started withdrawing."
"Don't worry. If they really plan to withdraw, it will actually be easier to find them. They say striking the grass scares the snake. Once the snake is startled, it always makes noise."
Bant smiled.
"As long as you know what you're doing."
Nick Fury stood up, in a good mood.
Not long ago he had run around everywhere trying to form the Avengers and gotten nowhere. Now luck had turned, and a mature team had been assembled just like that.
It proved his original idea had been completely right.
Once these capable people were brought together, they clearly unleashed far greater power.
A Hydra base that had stayed hidden for years was exposed and instantly wiped out!
And this was only after sending out two Avengers, with the captain not even holding the hammer yet. If the full Avengers team moved out, he did not dare imagine what enemy they could not defeat.
"Then let's adjourn for now."
He clapped his hands, ready to leave.
"Wait," Peter stood up, scratching his head. "The Hacker and Iron Man both have tasks. What about the rest of us?"
"The others are on standby and may act freely."
Nick Fury said.
"Kid, I know you want to do more, but there's no rush. You did very well this time."
He praised.
In this whole circle, the most innocent person was probably Peter.
And someone with a complicated mind like him actually held very little malice or wariness toward a genuinely innocent guy like Peter.
Good-kid privilege.
"You can go help that iron guy fix his plane."
Bant patted his backside and stood up, taking the data obtained from the Hydra base in Poland with him as he left.
Steve watched his departing back, thought for a moment, then stood up as well.
"I'll go take a look."
Seeing this, Nick Fury did not think much of it. He simply assumed Captain America was impatient to learn the location of the next base.
Captain America followed Bant's steps. Bant was not surprised by his arrival.
"Anxious, Captain?"
Captain America bit his lip and glanced around with the corner of his eye.
"Relax. There's no surveillance here."
"I want to know exactly what we need to do to completely eliminate Hydra."
Hearing this, Bant set down what he was holding and turned to look at him.
"Simple, Captain."
"Just become Hydra yourself."
/-\
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