Keep your heart steady. Don't let power blind you.
Ever since Artoria returned from Professor X's place, this message had been stuck in her head. She couldn't believe she might be tempted by power—was she really that kind of person? Thinking of the Sentry Serum, Artoria fell silent; perhaps she really might lose herself in the pursuit of power.
No point overthinking it.
The future was uncertain. Rather than obsessing over things that hadn't happened yet, Artoria focused on the present. Someone was targeting her—someone from the Hydra branch inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Her actions had forced Hydra to throw out a few scapegoats, weakening them and drawing the full attention of the paranoid Director Egghead. Part of Hydra inside S.H.I.E.L.D. had already been cleaned out.
Now Artoria and the Avengers were being targeted by the remaining Hydra members, who wanted to impersonate S.H.I.E.L.D. and provoke conflict between the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. Recently, Hydra had been pushed into a corner.
Dong.
Well, I knew you could court Death, but I didn't know you were so brainless. A bunch of fanatics without minds.
A mosquito-like sting on her forehead; a flattened bullet slid down Artoria's forehead. It didn't hurt, but it was annoying. With inhuman speed, Artoria vanished and reappeared a hundred meters away, dragging a suit-wearing thug from the ground. Without mercy, she punched him into the wall, leaving him embedded. She knew who he worked for and didn't bother asking questions.
Clean-up job wasn't clean. One-Eye Director Egghead.
Vanishing again, Artoria found another hiding thug and punched him to the Goddess of Death. She wiped her hands with a handkerchief, complaining about Nick Fury's inefficiency. She left the bodies where they were; someone else would handle them. None of them had clean identities, and no one dared to let them appear in public—even as corpses. That was the fate of spies.
Saturday, tell the chefs to get moving. I'm still hungry.
Yes, master.
Using magic, Artoria burned the blood-stained handkerchief to ash. She took out her phone and contacted Saturday. She was still hungry, for some reason, and the chefs were about to suffer again. Who knew how many chefs would collapse before she was satisfied.
Director, she handled it faster than we did.
Understood.
After Artoria left, a man with a receding hairline approached the two corpses, made a call, and reported to the respected Director. Nick simply replied and hung up.
Clean this up.
Looking at the disconnected phone, Phil smiled bitterly. Once again, he had to clean up. Five Special Agents quickly stuffed the bodies into special bags, buried the blood with cement, and filled the hole in the wall.
This kid isn't a Flowers in a greenhouse. I can relax.
After hanging up, Nick sat in his office and sighed. All the Avengers had been attacked, including those not yet invited—Artoria, Spider-Man, and others. But Nick wouldn't stop cleaning Hydra. These attacks were just Death throes. Behind him, two Starks were helping.
As long as Artoria was safe, his actions were perfect. He'd found many Hydra Special Agents, but now he had few usable people. He would send the remaining Hydra Special Agents on dangerous missions to die in action, easing his manpower shortage.
We need to wait. Earth needs more guardians.
Reaching into his pocket, Nick touched the familiar device. Earth needed more superheroes to protect it. Calling the Captain back too early would stunt their growth.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions drew attention from some high-level people, but they couldn't act rashly. If discovered, everything would be lost. Watching their carefully built forces disappear one by one, they felt awful.
Artoria didn't know how they felt, but she was upset—someone had taken her mealtime again, and it was an old acquaintance.
Mystique, what are you doing here instead of Magneto?
Eating a few burgers to line her stomach, Artoria looked curiously at Mystique, who had transformed into 'Gwen'. She didn't even know what to say anymore. She had just met Professor X and listened to a heap of chicken soup for the soul. Their Brotherhood had been gone for so long; why were they looking for her again?
"Forgive me, Miss Artoria. We only wish to make another trade with you."
Seeing her disguise seen through, Mystique didn't say much. Her scale-like skin began to ripple, and a woman with blue skin and a curvaceous figure appeared before Artoria. She looked at Artoria and smiled as she stated her purpose for coming.
"I remember that thing seemed to be a failure! Has Magneto still not given up on his plan to turn all of humanity into Mutants?"
Artoria curiously guessed the purpose Mystique mentioned. After all, she had provided certain materials and rare metals for it.
"No, he has no such plans this time."
Mystique shook her head with a smile, refuting Artoria's guess.
"Then what does he need? I don't have anything too weird or outlandish."
"Miss Artoria, I wonder if you have heard of the Weapon X Program. We want to find information on the mastermind, Stryker. If you can provide valid intel, we are willing to grant you one request."
Mystique stated their requirement and what they could offer. This gave Artoria a pause, followed by a slightly mischievous smile appearing on her face.
"Any request at all?"
"As long as it is within our power."
"I want you."
"..."
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