Using two streams of water to form literal dog leashes around the necks of Crossbones and the Winter Soldier, Felicia dragged them back into her house like two dead dogs. She began a rather clumsy interrogation:
"Alright, talk. Who sent you?"
Crossbones was coughing and spluttering, his eyes rolling back from the near-drowning; he couldn't get a single word out.
Bucky, on the other hand, kept his mouth tightly shut, his eyes vacant. Clearly, a "Silence Protocol" had been triggered.
It was a bit awkward. Just as Felicia was feeling at a loss—even considering pulling out her phone to search "how to interrogate a professional assassin" online—Tide reached its limit of patience.
"Hey, as my host, you really know too little about me!" Tide complained. Two "data cables" of blue slime suddenly shot out, piercing the foreheads of both the Winter Soldier and Crossbones.
"Can you blame me?" Felicia held her hands out in a shrug. "I've only known you for less than half an hour!"
Tide's "mouth" twitched. A moment later, it retracted the tentacles and shifted the subject with a touch of unease. "You'll never guess what I pulled from their brains."
"Really? You have memory-reading capabilities?" Felicia was genuinely impressed.
"We symbiotes have plenty of tricks!" Tide boasted, then began a non-stop narration of the memories it had scavenged.
"So... you're saying they're Nazi remnants nesting inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Felicia summarized. "And this long-haired guy was actually Captain America's best friend, but now he's been brainwashed into a secret weapon to use against the Captain?"
Listening to the tale, Felicia's expression turned quite peculiar, her mind likely filling in the blanks with dramatic scenarios that fan-fiction writers would adore. After a long silence, she couldn't help but sigh.
"Wow. What a tragic pair of star-crossed lovers."
"Forget them. I think you'll find their actual plan for YOU much more interesting," Tide said, its voice tinged with a strange, dark amusement.
"Their plan? Right, I haven't offended Hydra. Why kidnap me? Is it to get to Peter?"
Tide silently replayed the memory of the Hydra secret meeting in Felicia's mind. After "watching" the meeting, even Felicia was stunned.
"Are these people idiots? They actually think I could kill Peter? How have these morons remained hidden in the government for so long?"
She thought of the various politicians who had risen from obscurity to high-ranking positions based solely on "identity politics" and "correctness."
Seeing these "geniuses" trying to play Peter Parker for a fool made Felicia feel that the country was truly beyond saving.
"They lack information. They don't know how truly monstrous Peter is, so a misjudgment is normal," Tide said, offering a rare bit of "defense" for Hydra, before pivoting sharply.
"However, that's not the point. The point is... Felicia, don't you see the opportunity here? These idiots are practically coming here specifically to help you!"
Felicia, who shared a study group with Peter and Gwen, was no "dumb blonde" socialite. She thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up.
"You mean... we play along? Use their plan to force the issue between me and Peter?"
"Exactly!" Tide nodded enthusiastically. Influenced by its proximity to Peter's blood and Felicia's desires, the symbiote had developed an obsession with playing matchmaker.
"This way, your identity shifts from 'Gwen's competitor' to 'innocent victim.' Given Gwen's personality, she would never blame you for what happens under 'duress'!"
"This idea is brilliant!" Felicia clapped her hands.
If Gwen heard this plan, her principles would force her to reject it. But Felicia was different. As the daughter of the Master Thief, her upbringing taught her that her own interests were the highest priority.
She had been suppressing her "wild side" for the sake of her friendship, but now, with a devil whispering in her ear and a perfect "win-win" scenario on the table, she felt this might be her only chance.
"But what do we do now? If we're playing along, we need an inside man at Hydra. I don't actually want to go through their creepy brainwashing tests!"
"Simple!" Tide said confidently. "We win over this Bucky guy, and I'll just puppet the ugly one. If things go sideways, I'll just bond to you fully and bust us out of their base in a heartbeat."
"It's a good plan, but are you sure you can wake him up?" Felicia asked tentatively.
"Just watch me!" Tide extended a tendril and tapped Bucky's forehead. This time, it didn't read memories; it used its healing properties to delve into Bucky's brain, bypassing the Hydra triggers and physically dissolving the control chip.
The vacancy in Bucky's eyes faded, replaced by clarity and deep confusion. He looked at the woman, then at the water chains binding him. Decades of suppressed memories began to rush back.
"Where... where am I? Why am I here?"
Felicia gave him a sly, mischievous smile and began to explain his situation and the current predicament. Finally, she summarized:
"Bucky Barnes, this is your only chance to leave the darkness. Become a double agent with me. Help me dismantle Hydra from the inside. Only then can you find redemption and return to Captain America's side!"
Poor Bucky, the "Old Popsicle" who had been cycled through brainwashing and freezing for seventy years, felt his brain stall. The mission parameters were too complex for his fried synapses.
Seeing his bewildered look, Felicia tapped her forehead in frustration and simplified the "Quest Log":
"God, you're slow! Simple version:"
You pretend to capture me.
I pretend to be brainwashed.
We wait for Peter to rescue me.
I accidentally end up with Peter, and we destroy Hydra together.
You get a full pardon and go back to Steve. Got it?"
This time, Bucky understood. He thought of Steve, looked at his missing arm, and gave a solemn nod. For a chance to stand beside the Captain again, he would do anything!
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