After two battles, a fire, and a chaotic invasion of mutated creatures, the forest was practically destroyed. When the fire started, firefighters arrived at its edge, but after Noah extinguished the flames, the fire vanished. As the firefighters prepared to enter the forest to check for any remaining hot spots, they were stopped by agents in black suits.
A cordon had already been placed around the forest, and the firefighters left the area. The site was now under the control of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Ever since the Hulk appeared in the city, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been closely monitoring the situation, deploying a large number of agents to the area.
They immediately noticed the strange occurrences in the forest. First, vibrations were felt at the edge of the forest, as if some massive creature was moving. S.H.I.E.L.D. had informants throughout the city, and they immediately relayed the information to their superiors.
Soon, the noise in the forest intensified – from a distance, trees could be seen falling one after another. It became clear that something anomalous was happening in the forest. When the agents arrived at the scene, blue flames suddenly erupted in the forest, followed by the arrival of firefighters. The agents hadn't yet decided whether to stop them or let them extinguish the fire when the flames unexpectedly disappeared. This confused the agents, but they still decided to stop the firefighters who were trying to enter the forest.
After that, the agents secured the area – something they were experts at. Since they didn't know exactly what was happening in the forest, they didn't risk sending people in for reconnaissance. Instead, they launched drones to survey the area.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology was quite advanced. One of the agents took a black drone out of a case and connected it to a tablet. The drone's camera rotated slightly and then successfully transmitted the image to the screen.
The agent controlling the drone nodded to the captain and began piloting the drone into the forest. This model was somewhat similar to "Redwing" – Falcon's drone; perhaps they were even developed in the same place.
The drone moved deftly, maneuvering between the trees. It soon detected the damage caused by the mutated creatures. The agents were stunned: the trees looked as if they had been knocked down by heavy machinery. What kind of animal could possess such destructive power?
The drone continued moving, taking pictures of the destruction.
"Stop, what's that?" one of the agents noticed something on the screen.
The operator pointed the drone's camera at the indicated spot. It was near the area of the fire, which appeared to the agents as a charred space. However, something strange stood out on the screen: a sign. When the operator zoomed in, the text on it became clear.
[Caution, radiation hazard. Do not approach. You are responsible for the consequences.]
"What? Who wrote this?" the agents wondered, seeing the mysterious sign.
Noah had left the sign after returning to the site following the events. The forest was heavily contaminated with gamma radiation, as many mutated creatures had perished on the battlefield. If someone unaware of the situation approached this place, he couldn't predict the consequences. He assumed S.H.I.E.L.D. would treat it with caution.
The agents exchanged glances and decided to continue their investigation. As the drone moved deeper, they saw something that wasn't visible from a distance due to the darkness. Green sprouts were beginning to emerge on the scorched earth, among the charred trees. This unusual sight greatly surprised the agents, who realized that this incident clearly involved forces beyond the ordinary.
"Alright, send another drone, this time with a detector," the captain ordered.
After the drone collected all the necessary images, the agents prepared a new drone, equipping it with a radiation detector. They had used similar equipment at the site of the destruction caused by the Hulk.
Beep-beep-beep!
As soon as the drone approached the area, the detector began emitting sharp beeps: the radiation level was off the charts.
The agents frowned. It was a good thing they hadn't gone in for reconnaissance themselves; otherwise, they would have had to impose a serious quarantine. However, retrieving both drones was no longer possible.
After S.H.I.E.L.D. learned about what was happening, the entire forest area was completely blocked off to prevent anyone from entering the danger zone. During the lockdown, the agents discovered another battle site. There was no fire there, but traces of green liquid remained on the ground, and the radiation levels were extremely high.
They immediately reported this to Nick Fury. The situation caught his attention: two unknown forces had clashed in the forest, leaving behind two radiation-contaminated zones. Fury sent a group of highly qualified agents to Mexico to further investigate the incident.
At the forest blockade site in a suburb of Mexico, in a corner hidden from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s eyes, one of the agents discreetly transmitted all the information. At the same time, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, another agent, a bald man, checked the data on his phone. A moment later, he headed towards the office of a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. official, whose doorplate read: "Alexander Pierce."
Alexander Pierce, the former head of S.H.I.E.L.D., had ceded his position to Nick Fury and become a member of the UN Security Council. However, he was actually one of the leaders of the Hydra organization. Nick Fury couldn't have imagined that the person who once promoted him was a Hydra agent.
Knock-knock!
"Come in."
Alexander Pierce was in his office, and although it was already night, he hadn't finished working yet. Seeing the person who entered, he raised an eyebrow – it was unexpected for an agent to come at such a late hour. This meant the matter was urgent.
"Agent Sitwell, has something happened?" Pierce asked, pressing a hidden button under his desk, activating a signal jamming system in the office. Sitwell's visit at this time clearly hinted at something that shouldn't be shared with others.
"Mr. Pierce, our people have discovered something curious," Sitwell replied, handing over his phone with the information.
Pierce carefully studied the data, his face slightly frowning.
"What about the investigation into General Ross?"
"Our people have found out that Ross is indeed collaborating with a mysterious individual. I believe today's incident is related to their activities," Sitwell explained. Hydra had been observing the Hulk for a long time, but due to Nick Fury's close attention, they hadn't been able to act actively.
Nevertheless, they continued to monitor both the Hulk and General Ross. Recently, Ross's actions had become unusual, and they discovered that he was working with a mysterious ally. Today, Hydra agents detected a secret operation conducted by Ross's people, which allowed them to connect the incident to their activities.
"Find this person. He might become our ally."