Returning to his seat, Alexander closed his eyes, his right hand instinctively pressing against his temple.
After a while.
Alexander reopened his eyes, his face darkening as he grabbed the phone on the table and dialed Anna, who was far away in Japan, responsible for the secret base.
But...
As Alexander's voice with a low tone finished, the voice on the other side was no longer Anna's but a sharper male voice with a strong electronic sound.
"Did he guess something happened to Anna?"
"I don't know."
Alexander said in a deep voice, "But I know, if he doesn't see Anna next month, we're completely busted."
At this point.
Alexander took a deep breath.
"How's Anna now?"
"Things are bad, she's on life support, but it won't last long."
"Damn Strucker!"
Upon hearing this, Alexander couldn't help but curse angrily, "He's going to destroy us."
The electronic voice on the other end defended Strucker, "Actually, you can't blame Strucker. Nobody expected that two-year-old girl would have such great potential."
"Motherfucker!"
Upon hearing this, Alexander couldn't hold back, his voice deeply angry, "Zola, you and Strucker just mess around, damn Strucker playing with the Demon King's blood for artificial synthesis and allowing a test subject to naturally give birth. Zola, you're even more damnable, constantly tinkering with cloning. Go ahead, go ahead, when the Demon King finds out, I'll go down with you."
At this moment, Alexander finally understood why Hydra's first uprising failed back then.
It's not fearing god-like opponents, but fearing pig-like teammates.
He thought experiencing the first failure, these two Hydra leaders, one surviving since World War II with genetic technology, the other transforming into a cyborg, would learn a lesson.
Turns out...
He was too naive.
Humanity's lessons from history are not learning lessons.
Strucker and Zola are the same.
The reason Hydra failed last time was due to provoking too many enemies, but if they fought one by one, they wouldn't have failed.
Now it's the same.
One used Hawk's blood, utilizing DNA information, synthesized gametes externally, improbably making a test subject pregnant and giving birth to a healthy baby girl.
Zola is even crazier.
Without his knowledge, secretly transferred the cloning expert Dr. Merrick from Black Prison, secretly developing Hawk clones.
Both actions clearly prohibited by Hawk beforehand.
Only God knows the devastation he felt upon realizing his pig teammates' reckless behavior.
Hawk's blood was acquired under his supervision, and his initial plan was to ally with Hawk.
Even if he couldn't be friends, he certainly shouldn't be enemies.
Hydra couldn't endure another defeat.
His choice to make allies proved right; Anna, sent to interact with Hawk, succeeded in being considered a friend.
It was all planned.
Even if their current operation failed, with Hawk's promise to Anna, their lives would be secure despite failure.
Unexpectedly...
The backyard caught fire.
Alexander unexpectedly learned Strucker used Hawk's blood, improbably synthesized Hawk's gametes and naturally birthed a girl, his first response was to immediately eliminate Anna, head to Sokovia to defuse this ticking bomb.
Because if this bomb accidentally exploded, God knows what repercussions it would have.
But as Anna went to Sokovia, ready to extinguish this matter, an accident occurred.
Anna was severely injured, critically ill, currently lying in the base treatment center, sustained by life support.
Seeing the girl's potential, Strucker protected her, claiming she would be Hydra's future.
Alexander was infuriated, initially planning to consult with Zola, to get Zola on his side.
It turned out...
Zola did one better.
He didn't use Hawk's blood to create a baby boy; he directly collaborated with Dr. Merrick to replicate Hawk.
Good old boy!
A real good old boy.
Clearly emphasizing not to use Hawk's blood for peculiar experiments, given Hawk also said it's fine as long as the experiments aren't strange.
Turns out he understood, but Hydra's two leaders, indeed a sleeping dragon and a fledgling phoenix, heard not to do strange things as can only do strange things.
Upon learning this bombshell news, his blood pressure shot up; if medicine wasn't nearby, he would've met Mephisto.
Now...
Recalling the snow-white and pristine Wakanda outside, Alexander couldn't help but think he should have perished back then.
At least that death would be easier.
Unfortunately didn't die then.
Now...
Alexander rubbed his brow, contemplating possible remediation: "Can Dr. Merrick complete Anna's clone in half a month? We only have fifteen days."
Hawk asked already, though temporarily pacified by his and Zola's foresight.
But what after half a month?
Let Anna not show up for Hawk?
It's possible, but there's a certain chance of failure, and if Hawk senses something's not right and follows the thread, only God knows what might happen.
So now Alexander eagerly awaits an answer from Dr. Zola that he hopes for.
Dreams shattered.
"It's too late."
"Fuck!"
Alexander's brow twitched: "What, didn't I tell you to quickly create Anna's clone? Didn't we plan ahead for today's situation?"
Zola explained, "Dr. Merrick successfully synthesized a more powerful Super Soldier Serum using the blood of Hell Hulk and Hawk's blood. Version 3.0 is currently at the most critical stage."
Alexander was about to go crazy.
"We'll explode in half a month."
"Actually..."
Zola listened to Alexander's rage, paused with the electronic voice, then said, "We don't have half a month."
Alexander's expression froze.
"What?"
"Hawk already knows about the clones."
"What!"
Alexander's pupils shrank, instinctively standing up, then realized: "Impossible, if he knew, I would be dead by now."
S.H.I.E.L.D. is researching Hawk's character.
Hydra is doing the same.
And both have reached nearly identical conclusions.
Neutral and free!
As long as you don't provoke Hawk, he generally remains neutral, either attending school or picking up his fiancée after school.
But if someone provokes Hawk, his retaliation is swift, giving almost no reaction time.
So...
If Hawk knows about the clones, how could he still be alive just now?
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
"But that's the truth."
Zola's electronic voice on the phone continued, "Maria Hill has already authorized Sharon Carter to take Dr. Merrick out of Black Prison. Once Sharon goes and finds Dr. Merrick missing, we'll be exposed."
Upon hearing this, Alexander directly said in a deep voice, "Then just put Dr. Merrick back."
Zola refused decisively.
"No way!"
"What?"
Alexander laughed.
Indeed.
When someone is at a loss for words, they laugh.
Zola's electronic voice explained, "Once again, when Hawk 3.0 succeeds, along with the Holy Garment Fragments we've collected, even the real Hawk won't be able to oppose us."
Alexander showed no expression.
"Are you sure?"
"The data won't be wrong."
"..."
Listening to this, Alexander not only lost expression on his face but even the previous anger in his tone was gone.
But equally, no joy or expectation.
As if giving up.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"The time has come."
"What time has come?"
"The time to launch the second struggle."
"Heh heh."
"Why are you laughing?"
"I thought of something really amusing."
Alexander removed his glasses with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, placed them on the table in front, took a deep breath, looked up, and gazed at the ceiling: "I was wrong, I was really wrong. If I hadn't been blind back then, I wouldn't have joined Hydra. If I hadn't joined Hydra, I wouldn't have fallen to this point..."
When he said this.
Alexander's expression turned terrifying, gripping the phone, almost growling in a low voice, "I wouldn't have fallen to working with two idiots who belong in a museum. Launching now, you think we aren't dying fast enough? Do you know that Hawk is still in New York City."
Zola didn't respond to Alexander's rage: "Now is the best time, Project Insight is already preliminarily online, Tony Stark went to Korea, Thor went to New Mexico, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s high-end forces, Natasha and Hawkeye, are still in Africa."
Alexander remained expressionless: "The Captain is still in Washington, and Hawk is back in New York City."
Zola's electronic voice remained undisturbed.
"We have Vibranium weapons, the Captain is no big deal."
"As for Hawk..."
"He won't be in New York City for long, this is our chance. By the time he comes back, our Hawk 3.0 will be ready."
"..."