"Cut off one head, two more will grow!"
"Hail Hydra!"
"Long live Hydra!"
"Bang!"
As John Garrett uttered his final words, the scorching Phoenix Beam struck his body.
The moment John Garrett finished speaking.
His entire being vaporized instantly on the spot.
Hawk's eyes cleared, staring at the spot where John Garrett vaporized, pondering his final words.
"Ha."
"Cut off one head, two more will grow?"
"Perhaps."
"But certainly not here in New York City."
Hawk chuckled inwardly, and then turned around, silently disappearing from the office.
On the lowest level of the S.H.I.E.L.D Prison.
After Hydra's resurgence, over thirty S.H.I.E.L.D Agents, captured by Hydra rather than killed, were held here.
Commander Victoria Hand was also present here.
Except her condition was very poor.
Pale and haggard.
But fortunately, she was not unconscious.
The prisoners were guarded by three Hydra Agents.
They, too, were in poor condition.
Because they had just learned of the chaos above from their walkie-talkies, the two Hydra Agents responsible for guarding Hand, plus the one who had just escorted Skye, were nervously pointing their weapons at the only entrance.
In the next moment.
Hawk appeared.
Muzzles erupted with flames as the three Hydra Agents quickly pulled their triggers, and in an instant, bullets rained down crazily like dense raindrops towards Hawk, who suddenly appeared in front of them.
Then...
A torrent of bullets halted in front of Hawk, frozen in mid-air.
With the sound of magazines being emptied, the three Hydra Agents stared dazedly at the surreal scene before them.
But their expressions didn't remain dazed for long.
Because they soon died.
"Thud!" "Thud!" "Thud!"
Under Hawk's telekinesis, the three suspended bullets abruptly reversed direction, and with the sound of bullets piercing the air, the Hydra agents stared blankly as their minds went blank, collapsing backward onto the cold floor.
With the clatter of falling bullets, the ones suspended before Hawk dropped to the ground like rain.
The imprisoned S.H.I.E.L.D Agents were stunned by the scene.
Weak and on the verge of collapsing, Victoria Hand managed a faint smile at the sight of Hawk.
Then she completely lost consciousness.
"Officer!"
"Damn, Commander, Commander!"
The two S.H.I.E.L.D Female Agents, who had been taking care of Commander Hand after Hydra imprisoned them, shouted frantically.
Seeing this, Hawk didn't delay. With telekinesis, he shattered the cell door imprisoning the S.H.I.E.L.D Agents with a bang.
In the next moment.
The frontmost S.H.I.E.L.D Agent, looking bruised and battered, swiftly pushed open the door, ran to the corpses, seized their weapons, and changed the magazines. He dashed past Hawk, holding his gun ready at the prison's sole entrance.
They didn't talk to Hawk.
No need.
At this moment, anyone who appeared here and killed Hydra Agents was their ally, no matter who it was.
"Infirmary."
"Commander needs an immediate blood transfusion."
A S.H.I.E.L.D Agent spoke urgently after carrying Commander Hand out of the cell, anxiously glancing at Hawk, "Mr. Phoenix, the Commander's condition is dire."
Hawk took a glance.
"Just go directly; there's no Hydra left here."
"...Great, head to the infirmary quickly."
The S.H.I.E.L.D Female Agent, who seemed to recognize Hawk, froze for a moment, then smiled joyously.
Heeding Hawk's words, the three armed S.H.I.E.L.D Agents, who had already moved to the outer prison entrance, opened the door that had just been locked by the three Hydra Agents.
Upon entering.
The passage beyond the prison was barren.
A dead silence.
"Hurry, Mr. Phoenix won't speak big words."
"Infirmary."
"Commander needs immediate medical assistance."
Recognizing Hawk, the S.H.I.E.L.D Female Agent shouted again, and the S.H.I.E.L.D Agent carrying Commander Hand hurriedly moved.
Quickly.
The surviving S.H.I.E.L.D Agents reacted one after another.
Skye also began to react.
She rubbed her wrists, freed by a helpful S.H.I.E.L.D Agent, staring at Hawk with disbelief: "It's you, 'Superman ain't got nothing on me'?"
She recalled selling a laptop to Hawk.
"Superman indeed doesn't have anything on me."
Hawk recognized Skye, curious about her presence but didn't ask: "Have you joined S.H.I.E.L.D?"
Skye was stunned.
"Yeah, you too..."
"No, I'm not."
Hawk shook his head, then seemed to think of something, and said to Skye, "What if I told you, I only came because you sold me a computer? What would you think?"
Skye looked serious, "I would think this is the most loss-making deal I ever did, late as it was."
She recalled how she portrayed herself as tragically as possible on the forum to push down the price, which led her to empathize and sell a computer initially meant for $1500 USD to Hawk for a mere fraction.
Hawk laughed heartily.
In the infirmary, because of her trust in Hawk, the S.H.I.E.L.D. female agent who rushed here almost immediately after getting out of prison found the blood needed by Commander Hand in the shortest time, then transfused the blood into Commander Hand while giving an adrenaline shot.
The shot's effects were instant.
Commander Hand, who had just passed out moments ago, suddenly opened her eyes.
The next second.
Just as she instinctively tried to get up, the S.H.I.E.L.D. female agent quickly stopped her action, "Commander, all Hydra agents have been eliminated by Mr. Phoenix."
Commander Hand's mind pictured the moment she saw Hawk, her spirit scattered briefly, causing her to faint, and then relaxed once more.
"Have you contacted Sharon?"
"Not yet."
"She's also, like you, getting an IV at the hospital."
"..."
Victoria Hand instinctively turned her head to look to the side, and then saw Hawk smiling at her with his hands in his pockets.
"Hawk..."
Victoria Hand tried to sit up again.
Hawk's thought intervened and stopped her, smiling, "Don't worry, once Sharon recovers a bit, she'll likely be back."
Commander Hand breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Hawk with gratitude and spoke earnestly.
"Thank you."
"If you want to thank someone, thank Hydra."
Hawk shook his head and chuckled, "Sharon ran to my house, and Hydra dared to come to my home looking for someone. If I don't respond, today Hydra tries me out, tomorrow they'll be bold enough to piss on me."
Listening to Hawk's explanation, Commander Hand pulled the corners of her mouth.
"Then indeed, we should thank them."
"Right."
Hawk brought up serious matters and looked at Commander Hand, "John Garrett, whose person is he? Alexander Pierce's?"
Though earlier John Garrett took all the blame upon himself before dying.
But...
Is that possible?
Hawk knew there were many called leaders in Hydra, but none named John Garrett among them.
So!
This guy at most was just a high-ranking henchman, the real mastermind behind instructing Hydra agents to test him, was someone else.
He seriously suspected Alexander Pierce.
But...
Commander Hand shook her head.
"John Garrett is unlikely to be Alexander Pierce's man."
"Hmm?"
Hawk, upon hearing this, looked at Commander Hand.
After the blood transfusion, Commander Hand's previously pale complexion improved somewhat.
She introduced John Garrett to Hawk.
"John Garrett was a Level 8 agent and munitions expert in the bureau, originally supposed to be at the headquarters, but came to the New York Combat Command Center, back when Alexander Pierce was Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the transfer order was personally signed by him."
"Doesn't this prove more that he's Alexander Pierce's man?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, "Transferred him to New York City ahead of time, to capture you all at once when action starts."
Commander Hand shook her head, "If this is the case, John Garrett should be the deputy commander of the New York Command Center, not just here in New York City as an expert. At the time, I suspected John Garrett had offended Alexander Pierce and was sent here."
After all, John Garrett's rank is legitimate.
S.H.I.E.L.D Level 8 Agent.
What does that mean?
Note that Natasha Romanoff and Clinton Barton are only Level 7 Agents.
John Garrett is Level 8, with senior command authority.
However...
His position did not match his rank, his role in New York City was always as a munitions expert, without any command authority.
Hawk listened to Commander Hand's explanation and nodded thoughtfully.
If Alexander Pierce wasn't the boss behind John Garrett.
Who could it be?
How many leaders does Hydra have?
The new generation Alexander Pierce counts as one.
There seems to be a baron in Europe.
Does Zola count?
Hawk's thoughts churned.
Just then.
His phone rang.
Hawk took out his cellphone, looked at the caller, and raised an eyebrow.
"Good evening, Anna!"
"Good evening, Hawk!"
"..."