Marvel: My Eyes Defies Fate.

Inside the tightly sealed office, a young man with heterochromatic eyes stood before a kneeling figure whose gaze was vacant. This was Pierce, now under Kurogai's control. After extracting the information he needed about Hydra, Kurogai hadn't killed him right away.

"Even though you're worthless now, you made the mistake of targeting the people close to me. For that, I'll make sure you die in agony," Kurogai said coldly, his voice carrying an icy finality. What he despised most was anyone going after those he cared about, and Pierce had done exactly that. The thought alone was infuriating — if Kurogai hadn't made arrangements, Skye might have been dead. That possibility was unacceptable, and Kurogai wasn't about to let Pierce escape a fitting end.

"Interrogation's over. Wake him up."

At Kurogai's words, Pierce slowly came to, his disoriented gaze sweeping the room. The moment his eyes landed on Kurogai, he instinctively recoiled.

"What… what did you do?" Pierce demanded, his pupils narrowing as dread settled in. He could sense something had happened but had no memory of it.

"I took what I needed from your mind. You're no longer of any use, but since you managed to anger me, you won't get the mercy of a quick death. Winter Soldier, start tearing him apart. Make it slow."

Kurogai's killing intent hung thick in the air, his expression devoid of pity. He had promised Pierce would die in agony, and he fully intended to keep that promise.

At the command, the Winter Soldier stepped forward, his face expressionless as he closed the distance to Pierce. The torturous work began immediately.

Pierce's agonized screams filled the office, echoing against the walls.

Meanwhile, outside the office, dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had gathered, though none knew what was happening within. All they could do was wait anxiously by the sealed door.

"Blast it open! All units, move in!" Nick Fury arrived, immediately taking control.

The agents tried everything — ramming, firearms, breaching tools — but no matter what they attempted, the office remained impenetrable. Nothing could get through. Fury's frustration mounted as the barrier refused to yield.

---

"It seems your people have caught on. Looks like it's time to wrap this up," Kurogai remarked, glancing toward the entrance. He could sense the force battering against the magic barrier he had placed on the office, though it wouldn't be enough. Not against him.

"Winter Soldier, that's enough."

Kurogai turned back to his prisoner. Pierce was barely recognizable now, a bloody, broken figure slumped on the floor. His limbs twisted unnaturally, his features mangled, his entire body soaked in blood. The Winter Soldier's expertise in torture had left no inch unscathed.

"I'll handle the rest," Kurogai said coldly. While he had killed many by this point, very few of those deaths had been by his own hand. Whitehall, who had endangered the orphanage, had been one. Kaecilius, who murdered the librarian, another. Now, it was time to add Pierce to that list.

Pierce whimpered pitifully, wordless and broken. Kurogai was unmoved.

A gleaming, ethereal sword of magic materialized in his hand, its surface shimmering with energy. Without hesitation, Kurogai drove the blade into Pierce's heart.

The impact stopped the man's heart instantly. The life left Pierce's eyes as his body went still. Kurogai had delivered his vengeance.

"Pierce is finished, but Hydra isn't. And I won't rest until they're gone," Kurogai muttered to himself. The mastermind behind this scheme was dead, but the organization remained. That was something Kurogai could not allow to continue.

But first, there was one last matter to settle.

With a wave of his hand, Kurogai dispelled the magic barrier on the office. The agents outside, still pressing against the door, stumbled inside as it suddenly gave way.

"What the hell…?" Nick Fury, leading the group, froze at the sight.

The office was a blood-soaked ruin. Pierce knelt lifeless in the center of the room, his mutilated corpse slumped in a pool of crimson.

Fury's gut twisted. He didn't need a doctor to tell him Pierce was dead.

Then his gaze landed on the figure standing calmly at the center of the carnage — Kurogai.

"You again," Fury gritted out, his temper flaring. "You promised me you wouldn't start trouble. And now you kill one of our own — right here, inside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Are you out of your damn mind, Kurogai?"

Fury's anger was immediate and unfiltered. Kurogai had assured him last time that he wouldn't stir up unnecessary chaos. Yet here he was, standing over a mutilated corpse in the heart of their headquarters.

"Hmph. I said I wouldn't cause trouble without reason. That doesn't mean I'll let myself be attacked without consequence," Kurogai replied icily. "Hydra came for me. They tried to kill the people close to me. I don't care where they're hiding — anyone who dares will be destroyed."

"Hydra…?" Fury's eyes narrowed. His pulse quickened. Kurogai's words made the reality sink in.

"That's right. Pierce wasn't one of yours. He was Hydra. And from the look on your face, it seems you're finally starting to understand just how deep this infection runs. Your S.H.I.E.L.D. is rotting from the inside out. You've been raising Hydra agents without even realizing it," Kurogai said coldly. His words were a dagger.

Fury felt his stomach twist. If what Kurogai claimed was true… if Pierce had been Hydra…

"I'll tell you this once, Fury," Kurogai went on. "If your people's incompetence leads another Hydra agent to come after me, I won't just kill them. I'll clean house for you myself. Keep your house in order, or I'll do it for you."

Kurogai's final words hung heavy in the blood-soaked room, a promise as much as a threat.

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Thanks for the Powerstones.