"There's absolutely nothing unusual on Justin Hammer's end, either in terms of his contacts or his financial transactions. Qin, your suspicions were correct—this has nothing to do with Hammer."
"Good. I understand. We don't need to keep an eye on Justin Hammer anymore."
"Our agents in France have been fully deployed. If they leave the country with the group, we'll be notified immediately. These enemies are highly professional and ruthless, showing no mercy in their attacks. Be careful!"
"You too. Finish the mission quickly and get back. I'll see you in New York!"
"See you in New York!"
Qin Xiao hung up with Black Widow. Given the scale of the incident, he and Tony had already suspected it wasn't Justin Hammer's doing. Still, Qin Xiao had asked Black Widow to check, and as expected, everything on Hammer's end was normal.
*Then who could it be?*
Qin Xiao frowned deeply.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Qin Xiao got up and opened it.
Tony walked in without ceremony, poured himself a large glass of water, and downed it in one gulp.
He exhaled and said, "A police officer woke up. He said there were five intruders—three white, one of them a woman, one Black, and one of African descent. They were incredibly fast and strong. He fired four shots but didn't hit a single one."
"Based on his description, the people they faced sound a lot like you!" Tony exclaimed. "Five super-soldiers, Qin. Remember what happened in Mexico last time? The one with the metal arm? I suspect they're all working together—a powerful, hidden organization with drug dealers, super-soldiers, and possibly even a team of brilliant scientists under their command!"
When Tony first mentioned the police report of five attackers, Qin Xiao had felt a sense of familiarity. But now, with the mention of Bucky, the pieces clicked into place in his mind.
Five super-soldiers... Hydra... the Siberian base...
They activated the five super-soldiers in Siberia, yet didn't deploy Bucky. Could it be that Alexander Pierce wasn't behind this?
Just like its name suggests, Hydra is a sprawling organization with countless branches.
Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was only one of its leaders.
Qin Xiao recalled Baron Strucker, who used the Mind Stone to create Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, had long operated in Europe. Could it have been him?
Qin Xiao was utterly bewildered. Even with his current combat prowess, he felt powerless against this situation.
He might have watched the movies and known the plot, but he had no idea where these Hydra bases were hidden.
Let alone how to find them.
***
Washington, World Security Council.
Alexander Pierce's office.
"That son of a bitch Francis! Who gave him the right to activate the Siberian base without authorization? That was one of our trump cards! The damn bastard! Now S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are everywhere in Europe. He'll get us killed. You'd better watch your back, Strucker!"
Alexander Pierce was uncharacteristically furious, completely abandoning his usual composed demeanor.
"Don't worry, my old friend. You're the head of the World Security Council. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents are your people. What do I have to fear?" Baron Strucker's voice remained calm and steady.
Indeed, the greatest threat to them—S.H.I.E.L.D.—was now largely under their control. And without organizations like the Avengers keeping them in check, Hydra had no natural enemies to speak of at this time.
"Do you think Nick Fury is a fool? I know him. He's not easily fooled. I don't even know what other cards he's hiding! We agreed on Project Insight last time—that's our top priority. If we're exposed now, the whole world will turn against us."
"If we reach that point, I'll have no choice but to calmly continue as Chairman and patiently wait for the right opportunity! Do you understand? We've waited for so many years, and now we finally have a chance to realize our ideals. We can't expose ourselves at this critical juncture!"
Perhaps Alexander Pierce's combination of table-pounding and reasoned arguments had finally swayed Baron Strucker.
The Baron's tone became more serious, shedding its usual nonchalance.
"I understand the gravity of the situation. The Arc Reactor... to be honest, it's incredibly tempting. I've been tempted myself. But now is truly not the time. I'll order all my subordinates to go underground, avoid provoking S.H.I.E.L.D., and focus all our efforts on finding that Francis fellow to settle this matter once and for all and secure our safety!"
The Baron's assurance calmed Pierce considerably. He took a deep breath and said,
"If he exposes us, I'll eliminate him immediately. For everyone's safety, for the glory of Hydra! Long live Hydra!"
"Long live Hydra!"
***
New York, a golf course.
Justin Hammer stood on the green, bent over and swinging his club with furious abandon.
Ivan Vanko's escape, just as he thought he had him cornered, had left him utterly dejected.
Especially since he had bribed police and prison officials in advance, spending considerable favors and money to ensure Vanko would be released the moment he was imprisoned.
In the end, it had all been for nothing.
"Take it easy, Justin," a middle-aged man said as he slowly approached. "Golf is an elegant sport. You can't just treat it like Tony Stark's head. Sometimes, trying too hard is counterproductive."
"Senator Stern," Hammer snapped, his mood too foul to be polite to the senator he often collaborated with. "I seem to recall you spitting fire last week, demanding I accelerate the power suit development. How can you be so calm and collected now?"
"After so many years in the Senate, I've learned one thing: this world is about cooperation and mutual benefit. That applies to our relationship, and it applies to the armor project as well. Anger solves nothing. Let me introduce you to a friend, Mr. Francis Aubry!"
Senator Stern stepped aside, revealing the man behind him.
He was a middle-aged man, around fifty, impeccably groomed with his hair neatly styled.
"Francis is one of the purest-blooded nobles in Europe, with influence you can hardly imagine. Stocks, political elections, major energy projects—whatever you need, he has a way to get it. Of course, that includes rescuing a genius from Siberia in Monaco!"
Senator Stern grinned, revealing a mouth full of slightly yellow teeth.
-----------------------
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