บท 164: Chapter 162
In a room, the five holographic figures gathered again.
Pierce and the red-haired man were still the only ones revealing their faces.
The other two holographic figures were the ones who usually spoke, while the fifth holographic figure rarely spoke, and their words usually carried much more weight.
"We lost 10 soldiers," Pierce said, getting straight to the point.
"We were naive to think they could defeat Madripoor's soldiers," the red-haired man said, shaking his head. It was a 10 vs 1 operation, but they still lost.
"Yes, I suppose even if they were to become physically as strong, the armor is something we cannot compensate for," one of the holographic figures said.
"After all, that's not Dr. Sterns' field," the other figure said.
"Shall we proceed with the plan?" one of the holographic figures asked, seeking everyone's opinion.
"We've worked hard for this. Many of our past actions have been subtly modified to avoid looking too bad. We'll simply say they were mistakes of the previous administration," the red-haired man said with a slight smile, finding the excuse amusing.
"Yes, if we add our contribution to the defense of New York, we should be able to move forward. At least they won't be able to publicly censor us. With that, we can establish a base little by little," Pierce said, nodding.
"Still, we'll be attacked by various forces that really know how everything was in the past. We just have to prevent them from having a high moral ground," one of the holographic figures shrugged.
"Then it's decided. We'll reveal ourselves as a European organization seeking to take human civilization further. We'll do charity work and distribute technology that slightly improves people's lives. With this propaganda, we'll gather more resources and personnel," the red-haired man, who was already prepared, said.
He had a great deal of control over the European area, and many important politicians from the entire region were his agents.
"Then it's decided," another of the holographic figures repeated the words of the red-haired man while nodding. They also noticed that the fifth and silent holographic figure had nothing to comment on.
Everyone assumed their silence as a tactical agreement.
...
Dreykov looked at the 10 Black Widows who had been modified with Extremis.
As expected, they had all accepted Extremis into their bodies with relative ease, although some accepted it better than others.
Dreykov's gaze landed on a blonde woman who was around 20 years old, Yelena Belova, Natasha's sister.
Thinking of Natasha made him furrow his brow. Before, he didn't dare to seek revenge to maintain his anonymity. After all, he had discovered that SHIELD seemed to be checking if he really died.
Now that he had more power, he still didn't dare to seek revenge. He didn't want the Avengers to suddenly show up at his door for a visit.
At that moment, one of his phones rang. Upon seeing the red phone, he quickly answered before waiting for the other person to speak.
"Dreykov, how is the collection of extraterrestrial remains going?" Killian asked over the phone.
"At least I was able to collect a sample of everything, but it's a bit difficult. There are many in this line of work. Believe it or not, New York is a bloodbath every night with multiple organizations and countries trying to obtain the precious technology."
"Well... we can only work with what we have," Killian said, accepting it. He also knew there was a lot of chaos around the technology, he just didn't realize how serious it was.
"Those explosions that have been happening, are they you doing?" Dreykov asked since they seemed quite familiar to him, which Killian explained.
"Yes, some people can't adapt to Extremis," Killian said, nodding.
"Be careful not to attract attention. If you're discovered, it will be bad," Dreykov warned him lightly. After all, Extremis explosions were quite distinctive, and it wouldn't be difficult to connect them and initiate an investigation.
"Hm, don't worry. There hasn't been any explosion that affects civilians. In this sensitive moment, they won't investigate," Killian said, nodding.
"How have the Widows on your side been feeling?" Killian casually asked.
"Everything is in order. None of them have shown any instability," Dreykov said.
''Well, remember to inform me if there are signs of instability''
"How are my Widows under your command?" Dreykov asked.
"They're doing well. They're efficient and don't hesitate. I envy you for having hundreds of them," Killian said, genuinely feeling envious. If he had so much personnel with those abilities, his plans would already be complete.
"When do you plan to address the instability issue?" Dreykov asked, furrowing his brow. After all, it's a hidden danger that could explode at any moment.
"That's a bit complicated. We've reached a limit in the research. According to the creator of Extremis, only Tony Stark can fix it since he actually helped her make it many years ago."
"But as you can see, Tony Stark is not exactly an easy person to approach."
"Not to mention his own power. He only has to call the Avengers or, worse, he can call Damian. As far as I understand, Tony is the person closest to Damian besides his family."
"You're right. If this involves Damian, I recommend you steer clear of it," Dreykov quickly said.
"It seems you know him quite well," Killian commented upon hearing Dreykov's voice as he squinted his eyes.
Dreykov remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Although on the surface it may seem like the world is quite peaceful, there has actually been an underground war for years between an organization called HYDRA, Madripoor, and me.
"The organizations need cash, and we usually get it through shady deals. Madripoor really thinks of itself as the king of the underworld and doesn't let any deal pass without their supervision."
"HYDRA and my organization fight with Madripoor for resources, strategic locations, ammunition, and even people."
"That's why you have to be careful about who you're getting involved with," Dreykov said.
"And what about the Ten Rings?" Killian asked as he thought about everything Dreykov had told him.
"I'm surprised you know about them. They still exist, but they no longer operate outside of China. According to the little information I've been able to gather, the Ten Rings stopped operating when the leader got married. Years later, some people killed his wife."
"This led to a great massacre. The Ten Rings are supposed to have reactivated, but they don't operate like they used to," Dreykov said.
"Good," Killian said, nodding as several ideas formed in his mind.
"Send me the alien technology. I'll see what I can extract from it," Killian said before saying goodbye and hanging up.
"Tony Stark," Killian murmured as his mind began to work, making plans to capture him.
...
Thor began to cross the Bifrost with an amazed expression.
Jane had really managed to conjure the Bifrost. He couldn't help but smile gently, thinking that she was amazing.
The Bifrost quickly came to an end when Thor suddenly started falling into the void.
Then he realized that the coordinates were set towards the Bifrost chamber, which no longer existed.
Thor quickly swung his hammer and flew towards the broken edge of the rainbow bridge, where Heimdall stood.
Heimdall seemed just as amazed as Thor by the fact that he arrived on the Bifrost, that they should not be able to access it.
"Hello Heimdall," Thor said, standing up as if nothing had happened.
"Your Highness, welcome back," Heimdall said with a faint smile.
"Here is the Tesseract... or something like it," Thor said, handing the Cube to Heimdall.
Heimdall looked at the Tesseract in his hand with uncertainty. It felt different, but at first glance, it seemed real.
"How did you get here?" Heimdall asked, looking at Thor.
"You didn't see?" Thor asked, confused.
"You were with Damian Alucard, if I can guess. Many meters around are an impossible field for me to see through. Over time, I investigated, and through the giant screens and papers that mortals buy, I learned about him," Heimdall said. It wasn't difficult, as he was a famous person, and curiously, he had never been able to see him.
"To be honest, it doesn't surprise me," Thor sighed.
"Jane Foster, I suppose you know her. She created a device that can summon the Bifrost, deciphering the runes to assign travel coordinates."
"That's impressive," Heimdall nodded. After all, the Bifrost is one of Asgard's greatest treasures, and for it to be used easily by a mortal is concerning.
"I will return to father. I have much to discuss with him," Thor said before spinning his hammer and flying away.
Heimdall nodded to Thor before watching him fly towards the palace.
Looking at the Cube in his hands, Heimdall got to work.
Thor flew over the rainbow bridge towards the palace.
He could see his people going about their daily tasks in the streets below.
Upon arriving at the palace, the guards opened the door for him before he continued walking to the throne room, where his father was already waiting.
"Father," Thor said, kneeling on one knee before standing up.
"My son, tell me how it all went," Odin asked, even though he had already been informed by Heimdall.
"Father, it was as you said. Loki brought an army of Chitauri to Earth. Even if he hadn't gone, they would have easily resolved the invasion," Thor explained.
"Earth has very powerful individuals living there. Unfortunately, after the battle, someone stole the Scepter and the Tesseract. I was worried about the Bifrost's repair and my return home," Thor continued.
"Then, I met Damian, Jane Foster's cousin. Father... he's truly terrifying. He's definitely the kind of being you told me not to challenge," Thor said, looking very serious.
"As the Tesseract was missing, I went to him to see if he could help me locate the thief. But he said not to worry. That's when he joined his hands and created a Tesseract in a matter of minutes," Thor added, still a bit startled.
Odin's one eye couldn't help but narrow. Even at his best with all his power, he wouldn't dare claim he could do that too.
"Later, I discovered that Jane created a device that can summon the Bifrost. It works with Tesseract energy, so I suppose it's not very different from how we do it," Thor said, smiling proudly.
Odin felt the urge to strike his staff against Thor's head. Doesn't he understand what it means for others to master the Bifrost?
"Oh, and I also lost Loki," Thor blurted out awkwardly.
"Earth has truly slipped entirely out of our control," Odin frowned.
"Do you think that man... Damian, might have conquest in mind?" Odin asked, looking at Thor. If he's so powerful and furthermore has access to the Bifrost, that's really a problem.
"I don't believe so," Thor furrowed his brow in thought.
"His country isn't very large, it's just the most powerful. If he wanted to conquer, he would have taken over Midgard by now," Thor shook his head.
"I understand. Let's leave this matter be," Odin said. They couldn't do anything about it. If it's as Thor said, then that man is clearly a cosmic being, something he currently doesn't dare to challenge.
"I'm afraid you'll have to leave Asgard again as soon as the Bifrost is repaired. As we feared, the rebellion has started," Odin informed Thor.
Thor nodded solemnly before leaving the throne room to greet his mother.
...
Hope exited the San Francisco airport as she flew towards her home.
She had been in New York for a meeting related to her father's company. She began managing the company at the young age of 18, as her father had more important things to attend to.
After several minutes of flying through the city, she quickly arrived at a rather peculiar house that seemed as if a house and a medieval tower had merged.
Taking out her keys, she quickly unlocked the door, which would surely alert her father.
She swiftly went to the kitchen and prepared her father's favorite tea, placing it on the small coffee table as she sat on the couch.
"Hello, Dad," Hope said, smiling as she saw her father enter the room.
"Hope," Hank said, looking at her without saying anything.
"Sigh, daughter... did you make sure to cover your tracks?" was all Hank finally asked.
"Don't worry, aside from the Avengers, no one can trace my identity," Hope reassured her father.
"Aren't you an Avenger yourself?" Hank teased.
"We're not exactly close. We only fight together," Hope said, smiling and shaking her head.
"That's what truly bonds you with your colleagues. Your real friends are the ones who stand with you in difficulties," Hank smiled at his daughter.
Although he wanted to scold her for going into battle, he couldn't deny that he was proud of how his little bee had grown.
"Your mother would be proud of you," Hank said, his smile gradually fading as he sighed.
"No progress?" Hope asked, also feeling sad.
"No, I've spent 14 years and haven't had any results," Hank said, feeling useless.
"That's okay, as long as we don't lose hope," Hope said, hugging her father.
"The longer we take, the longer your mother will be there. Besides... we don't even know if it's possible to survive in that place," Hank sighed.
Both fell into silence, not wanting to dwell on the topic. They both knew it was a very naive thought, but they assumed she was still alive, they just had to bring her back.
Hank looked at the tea on the table and took it, not wanting to continue with the topic.
Hope did the same while turning on the television and putting on the news channel. She wanted to leave behind the uncomfortable atmosphere and maybe watch her heroic moments with her father.
To her disappointment, there was nothing like that, only regular news.
"So, a former soldier committed suicide with a bomb, leaving two more victims," the news anchor reported.
"Moving on to other news, the organization called HYDRA has just given a statement demonstrating their actions in the defense of New York. Their leader Bertrand is a Duke of Denmark, we'll show you his brief speech below."
Hank, who was sipping tea, couldn't help but spit it out upon hearing the anchor's words while looking at the screen in disbelief.
"Some may find the name of our organization familiar and may have certain prejudice. I just want to say that we will demonstrate our intentions with actions. We only want humanity to move forward in these times of uncertainty."
"This was the first invasion, but I'm sure it won't be the last. We must be better, we will be better," Bertrand stated firmly.
"What a pile of shit," Hank cursed, looking at the screen.
"Is something wrong?" Hope asked curiously.
"HYDRA is a terrorist organization that has existed for many years. It seems they've changed their methods. The world will become increasingly chaotic."
"We need to work on your suit," Hank said seriously.
"Yes," Hope agreed, nodding seriously, feeling grateful to have her father.
She can still remember the fateful day when her father returned with a look as if his soul had been taken.
With tears in his eyes, he told her about her mother's death and promised that he would tell her all the details when she was older.
So she grew up, and finally, her father told her the truth and began including her in his projects. He gave her full control of the company while he focused on bringing her mother back.
The two have been supporting each other for many years.
----
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