Chapter 161: Counsel
May 2, 2023 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"Dr. Hank Pym..."
Inside the Hydra Tower.
Banner quickly called out to Hank Pym as he passed by.
"Who are you?"
Hank stopped, frowning as he looked at the thin man who had blocked his path, asking with some confusion.
"My name is Bruce Banner."
Extending his hand in introduction, Banner looked at Hank and said excitedly, "Doctor, I read your theories on Pym Particles when I was in the research institute; they greatly benefited me."
Hank looked down at Banner's outstretched hand, hesitated, then lightly shook it, saying with some surprise, "That was a paper I wrote a long time ago. I didn't expect anyone to bring it up."
Within Hydra, Hank was not well-liked. His stubborn temper was one reason, and furthermore, Hydra's internal policy largely discouraged close contact with him.
Banner was one of the few who proactively sought him out to talk.
Retracting his hand, Hank looked at the somewhat unfamiliar Banner and couldn't help but ask, "So, Banner, what department are you with? I don't have any impression of you."
"Actually, I only recently joined Hydra's research division."
Facing Hank's inquiry, Banner quickly explained.
He hadn't been with Hydra for long; prior to this, he had been solely focused on researching 'Captain America.' Thus, even though he had always known that the renowned biochemist Dr. Hank Pym was employed there, he had never found an opportunity to meet him.
"Is that so?"
Upon hearing Banner's explanation, Hank looked up at him again.
Indeed, Banner exuded an aura entirely different from those within Hydra.
Seeing this, Hank pondered for a moment before warning him, "The situation within Hydra is not as simple as you think, Banner. So, if I were you, I'd leave this place as soon as possible, while you're not yet too deeply entangled."
Hank's words made Banner look surprised.
The latter, however, said no more. He merely patted Banner's shoulder, mouthed the word 'leave,' and then walked away, leaving Banner bewildered.
...
Bang, bang, bang—
Governors Island, Secret Prison Area A.
Amidst the exploding Splitting Arrows, the cells holding superhuman criminals were blown open, and the 'inmates' eagerly emerged.
"Thank you, sir."
With some effort, Doreen Green pushed open the cell's iron door, swinging her large squirrel tail in thanks.
Squeak—
On her shoulder, a squirrel stopped nibbling on a piece of bread and squeaked at Clint.
Clint shifted his gaze from Doreen Green's large, squirrel-like incisors and nodded. He then looked at the other 'inmates' in the corridor. Some of them, like Doreen Green, displayed visible abnormalities, while the majority appeared indistinguishable from ordinary people.
Having escaped from the secret prison's dark, sunless cells, they were understandably agitated.
Bang bang bang bang bang—
However, their excitement was short-lived.
"Open fire, shoot!"
Following an order, a hail of bullets whistled from one end of the corridor, raining down on the unsuspecting crowd.
"It hurts!"
"I've been shot, someone help me."
"I surrender..."
"My stomach hurts so bad! Doctor, where's the doctor?"
Swish!
Rolling to dodge the barrage of bullets, Clint seized the moment the opposing guards were reloading and loosed an arrow.
The arrow, with its specialized arrowhead, threaded through the gaps in the crowd, grazing the cheek of one of the firing guards before embedding itself in the wall behind them.
Beep beep beep beep—
Looking at the arrow that had missed its mark, the guards in the corridor first sighed in relief, but soon realized the situation was far from simple.
"Damn it, it's a bomb, get out of the way!"
Boom!
In their terror, the countdown on the explosive arrowhead ended, and a massive fireball and shockwave instantly engulfed the guards.
Lowering his bow, Hawkeye turned his attention back to the corridor.
In fact, except for a few 'inmates' who were lax or reacted too slowly, the bullets caused little damage.
After all, those whom the Thunderbolts arrested and confined to the secret prison naturally possessed their own abilities.
Squeak, squeak—
Clinging upside down to the corridor ceiling, Doreen Green heard the squeaking of the squirrel in her arms. She then lowered the massive tail that had enveloped her body, looked at the motionless guards at the far end of the corridor, sighed in relief, and released her fingers that had been tightly gripping the ceiling, landing lightly on the ground.
Aside from the large squirrel-like tail and incisors, Doreen Green also possessed squirrel-like agility and sharp claws, which allowed her to move more effectively on surfaces.
While Doreen Green's nimble physique allowed her to dodge the bullet barrage, many other 'inmates' emerging from their cells also immediately took defensive measures.
Some blocked the gunfire with their bare hands, others dodged with agility matching Doreen Green's, and some simply stood their ground, their scale-like defenses shrugging off the bullets.
Seeing this, Clint didn't linger and immediately proceeded to other sections of the prison.
He needed to find a suitable place to signal.
"What should we do?"
Watching Hawkeye's retreating back, the 'inmates' in the corridor exchanged bewildered glances.
They had expected Clint to lead them in resistance after rescuing them.
But it was clear he had no intention of leading them, simply leaving them in the corridor.
"Escape from this damned prison!"
"Rescue the people from their cells..."
Although puzzled by Hawkeye's approach, someone still stepped forward to try and rally the others.
"What about these injured people?"
"Take them with us, after all, they are victims just like us."
The vast majority of those arrested and confined to the secret prison by the Thunderbolts were New York City superheroes who refused registration.
Their abilities might not be exceptional, but at the very least, they wouldn't abandon their comrades.
Following the suggestion, several visibly stronger 'inmates' helped carry the wounded.
They collected weapons from the guards and began to move towards other parts of the prison.
(end of chapter)