Seeing Mercer being taken into the interrogation room through the live feed, Morgan and Emma watched silently.
"That was really unexpected. Good thing we found out Peggy had already been watching Steve. Otherwise, we would've rushed in and made a huge scene," Emma said, still in her XLR8 form.
Morgan nodded.
"Yeah. I didn't expect it either. Good thing the nano-spies picked it up in time."
She kept watching Mercer through the screen.
"...But we're still making our move today."
Emma looked at her in surprise.
"Really?" A grin spread across her face. "Now you're speaking my language. I thought you were going to tell me to sit back and watch again."
Morgan didn't answer immediately. Her eyes remained fixed on Mercer.
"...Don't you think he's acting a little too calm?"
Emma looked back at the live feed. Mercer was quietly walking between the soldiers without resisting.
"He doesn't look worried at all," Emma admitted.
Morgan narrowed her eyes.
"I don't like it."
She closed the live feed.
"Come on."
Emma blinked.
"That's it? No explanation?"
"We're running out of time."
A grin immediately appeared on Emma's face.
"Now that's more like it."
Meanwhile, in the interrogation room...
Mercer sat alone inside the small interrogation room, completely calm. There wasn't the slightest hint of panic on his face. Instead, he quietly looked at his own reflection in the one-way glass.
On the other side of the glass, Dr. Erskine, Colonel Phillips, and several officers watched him closely. The room was much busier than usual. Telephones rang one after another as soldiers hurried in and out, delivering reports and carrying out new orders after Hydra's infiltration had been discovered.
The door suddenly opened.
"Where is he? I was already in bed when they came looking for me," Howard said as he entered, immediately noticing Mercer sitting calmly behind the one-way glass.
Colonel Phillips folded his arms.
"The good news is we stopped him before he got to Rogers. The bad news..." His face darkened. "We still don't know how deep this goes."
Before anyone could speak again, the door opened once more.
Peggy Carter walked in carrying a file, her expression grim.
"Colonel... the interrogation failed."
Everyone turned toward her.
"What happened?" Colonel Phillips asked.
Peggy placed the file on the table.
"We separated Mercer's three accomplices and questioned them individually. Before we could get a single answer, all three bit down on hidden cyanide capsules concealed in their mouths."
She shook her head slightly.
"We searched them before the interrogation, but we never found the capsules. By the time we realized what they'd done... it was already too late."
The room fell silent.
"It was Hydra," Peggy continued. "It's the same method they've used before."
"Damn bastards," Colonel Phillips cursed under his breath.
He immediately turned toward one of the officers.
"I want every background check on Mercer and those three reviewed again. Find out who approved them, who recommended them, and everyone they had contact with after arriving here. I don't care how long it takes. If there are more Hydra agents hiding in this camp, I want every last one of them found."
"Yes, sir."
The officer saluted before hurrying out to carry out the order.
"Howard, can you figure out what he was planning to do to Steve with this machine?" Dr. Erskine asked as he placed Mercer's briefcase on the table.
Inside were the strange machine, several pages of research notes, and a smooth metallic sphere about the size of a tennis ball.
Erskine handed Howard a stack of papers.
"We couldn't understand most of it, but these notes mention a series of animal experiments."
Howard took the papers and began reading.
Erskine continued.
"According to his records, the machine emits a specific electromagnetic frequency while injecting a chemical compound into the subject. During the experiments, the mice showed temporary changes in behavior. Some became unusually obedient, some stopped recognizing familiar surroundings, while others reacted as though they had forgotten what they'd learned. After several hours, they gradually returned to normal."
Howard nodded thoughtfully as he continued reading.
"So these are the observed results..." he murmured.
He picked up the strange machine and carefully examined it from every angle.
"The engineering is impressive..."
His fingers traced the tiny coils and intricate circuitry inside.
"I recognize some of these components, but others..." He shook his head. "They're years ahead of anything I've ever seen."
He then picked up the smooth metallic sphere. Turning it over several times, he frowned.
"No seams... no switches... no visible power source."
He lightly tapped its surface with his fingernail.
"I can't even tell what material this is made from."
Setting it back on the table, Howard returned to the larger device.
"From the experiment results and the parts I can identify, my best guess is that this machine temporarily interferes with brain activity using electromagnetic stimulation together with whatever chemical is delivered through this injector."
He pointed to one section of the machine.
"It doesn't appear designed to physically harm the subject."
Howard looked through the one-way glass at Mercer, who sat quietly on the other side, waiting.
"As for what he intended to accomplish by using it on Steve..."
Howard slowly shook his head.
"...I honestly have no idea."
"That's exactly why we wanted you to look at it," Erskine said with a sigh. "The science we could follow, but the purpose behind it... only Mercer knows."
Howard remained silent, his eyes drifting back toward the calm man behind the glass.
"Have you questioned him yet?"
Peggy shook her head.
"He refuses to cooperate. He claims he knows who's pulling the strings, but he'll only speak if he meets with you alone."
Howard looked genuinely puzzled.
"Me?"
He frowned slightly.
"That's strange. We've barely spoken to each other. Why would he want to see me?"
No one in the room had an answer.
After a brief moment of silence, Howard nodded.
"Alright. Let's hear what he has to say."
At the same time, Morgan and Emma had already entered the camp. Emma had transformed into Upgrade and merged with Morgan's Iron Man suit. The suit's systems immediately improved, its camouflage becoming so advanced that the two slipped through the camp without alerting a single soldier.
Emma chuckled through the suit's speakers.
"If you hadn't insisted on coming with me, I would've already dealt with Mercer."
Morgan smiled helplessly.
"I know. But stick to the plan. We only get one chance."
Emma sighed dramatically.
"Fine... I'll wait."
The two quietly moved through the corridors, staying completely out of sight.
Suddenly, Friday's voice sounded inside Morgan's helmet.
[Morgan, update. Mercer requested to meet Howard Stark alone. Howard has accepted the request and is entering the interrogation room now.]
Morgan stopped in her tracks.
"...Grandpa?"
A bad feeling suddenly rose in her chest.
"Why would Mercer want to meet Grandpa alone?"
Emma looked at her.
"You think something's wrong?"
Morgan frowned.
"I don't know... but I have a really bad feeling about this."
She immediately changed direction.
"We have to hurry."
Without waiting another second, Morgan accelerated down the corridor. Emma followed close behind.
One of the nearby soldiers suddenly frowned.
"...Did something just rush past me?"
His companion looked around the empty hallway.
"I didn't see anything."
Meanwhile...
"I heard you wanted to speak with me alone," Howard said as he walked into the interrogation room before taking a seat across from Mercer. "You said you had information about Hydra."
Behind the one-way glass, Dr. Erskine, Colonel Phillips, Peggy Carter, and several officers silently watched the meeting unfold.
A/N: The Patreon version is already updated with 20 advanced chapters. If you'd like to read ahead of the public release schedule, you can join here:
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