Chapter 14 - Forgive Me Hydra, I Need A Scapegoat !

Ray continued his superhero antics in the last few nights but found very little crime and became known in the fire department as the jolly green elf boy fire fighter. The press called him, "Wizard boy", much to his unhappiness when he wanted the name the Wizard without the boy. Ray had finally gotten rid of "the Batman" or "Batboy" moniker. As Ray continued to fight crime, well mostly fire fighting in New York he had caught the attention of Nick Fury of Shield as well as Hydra.

Nick Fury was in Shield headquarters talking to Phil Coulson.

"Phil, what do we know about this new hero called Wizard boy ?", Nick Fury asked Phil Coulson.

"Not much sir ! We only got footage of him flying around saving people from fires. The fire department even has a nickname for him the jolly green elf boy.", Phil Coulson said as he tried to stifle a laugh. Somewhere in New York, Ray sneezed.

"Jolly green elf boy ? Ha ! Ha ! Ha ! That's funny. Phil you need to make contact with him and find out more information about him. Get some people to trail him if possible.", Nick Fury said with a smile. Somewhere in New York, Ray sneezed again.

"Yes sir !", Phil Coulson said respectfully and he left Shield headquarters. It was still 2007, months away from Iron Man which was suppose to occur in 2008. The only superhero on Shield and Hydra's radar now was Ray or Wizard boy.

Meanwhile Ray was still helping to stop fires in a rather peaceful New York since he through the Hand and Wilson Fisk has controlled New York's underground. While helping save people in another building fire, a man in a dark suit appears. It was agent Phil Coulson who for days had coordinated with the fire department of New York to get information on the jolly green elf boy or Wizard boy. As Ray has saved all the victims of the fire he was about to leave when.

"Wizard boy ! Please stop for a while. Can we talk ?!", Phil Coulson shouted out as he stepped out of the shadow.

Ray stopped for a while and turned back facing Phil Coulson.

"It's the Wizard agent Coulson, not Batman, Bat boy, jolly green elf boy or Wizard boy !", Ray shouted out in anger.

"You know my name ?", Phil Coulson said in a surprised tone.

Ray's mind just stated oops, looks like I made a mistake, I am not suppose to know about Shield or agent Phil Coulson. Maybe I can pretend to be like Batman and have a vast information network. Hmm... not a good idea he might ask me things which I would be unable to answer. Wait there is still Hydra, maybe I can use them as an excuse.

"Yes, a few days ago, a similar agent like yourself appeared before me. He said not to trust any agents of Shield especially Phil Coulson. He said Shield would send a surveillance team for me and that you agent Phil Coulson would most likely lead that team.", Ray lied with a girlish voice.

"Can you tell me more about the agent that said that ?", Phil Coulson asked in surprise.

"He told me he was also an agent of Shield but when he didn't know I was observing him he said Hail Hydra, cut off one head and two shall take its place over the phone.", Ray lied again in a girlish voice.

"Hydra ! Oh God ! They still exist. But how ?", Phil Coulson said in shock.

"Here is my card. Contact me if the same agent contacts you again. And I need to see you again soon.", Phil Could added before he quickly left for Shield headquarters to see Nick Fury.

So the conflict between Shield and Hydra would speed up and heat up because little old Ray said a few white lies to cover up his knowledge of Shield and agent Phil Coulson ! As Phil Coulson left Ray said a silent prayer, "Forgive me Hydra, I needed a scapegoat.".

As Ray flew off, Phil Coulson alerted Nick Fury to an important matter that he must tell him. Phil Coulson arrived at Shield headquarters and in Nick Fury's office as they talked.

"Sir that was the information provided by Wizard boy, someone had contacted him earlier and knew of my being involved in contacting him. There is a spy or spies in Shield and they are Hydra spies. If not how can they know the top secret information of Shield ?", Phil Coulson said in a serious voice.

"You are right Phil. Looks like I am going to have to do some spring cleaning in Shield. For now this is a level 10 secret, you have been temporarily promoted to a level 10 agent. And you are to continue to communicate with Wizard boy. Looks like he trust you. Good job.", Nick Fury said as he closed his single eye and pondered for awhile.

"Thank you sir. If that is all I will take my leave. If there is any other new development I will inform you.", Phil Coulson said seriously.

"Wait. I will ȧssign agent Clint Barton aka Hawkeye to you. He is one of the few level 10 agents I can trust.", Nick Fury said with a grim face.

"Thank you sir.", Phil Coulson said as he left Director Fury's office.

As Phil Coulson left Nick Fury's office, Nick Fury called Clint Barton the Hawkeye and then Natasha Romanoff the Black Widow. Nick Fury has already decided to set up a special team whereby low level Hydra members were to be executed immediately while high level Hydra members would be interrogated. This team would be a level 11 secret and no one will know about it, not even the world security council members. Nick Fury thought he would like to see how can Hydra sprout two heads if all the low level Hydra agents are eliminated. "Ha ! Ha ! Ha !", Nick Fury laughed out loud about his plans to eliminate Hydra once and for all.

A few weeks later at Hydra headquarters Jasper Sitwell was panicking as he was talking to the current Hydra leader Alexander Pierce.

"Sir ! Nick Fury has been sending teams of Hydra agents to top secret missions but none of them have returned. We have lost almost 50% of our Hydra agents in Shield. In fact Nick Fury doesn't seem to be worried about it. He says some missions you succeed and some missions you fail. You have to take your wins and your losses. Sir we should replace Nick Fury as the director of Shield.", Jasper Sitwell said in a whiny voice.

"I wish I could do that but Nick Fury has proposed to the world council a streamlined Shield would be a good idea. And because of that he has got the support of 90% of the world security council members as well as the military. There is no way to get rid of him at the moment.", Alexander Pierce said in an angry voice.

"Then what do we do about the diminishing Hydra agents in Shield. If it continues then we won't have any Hydra agents left in Shield.", Jasper Sitwell said hysterically.

"That is impossible. I sit on the world security council and I will protect you. Don't worry.", Alexander Pierce said confidently.