Thump!
The moment Hawke transformed into a rainbow and sped towards Washington D.C., Ophelia, who was in her office, went limp and collapsed onto the floor.
A male HYDRA Agent, hearing the commotion from the office, nervously burst in. He then saw Ophelia, slumped on the floor, first愣, a flicker of light in his eyes, and then rushed over in a panic.
"Boss…"
As a man who joined HYDRA last year and was chosen by the beautiful and alluring Viper Madame to be her personal guard, he had an ambitious heart.
Although he was only twenty-five this year, Ophelia's age was unknown.
But…
He was a man.
Progress was king, especially with such a good platform. If he could win over his boss, he wouldn't dare say much, but he would definitely save a hundred years of struggle.
Although he didn't know what had happened to his boss in the office.
But at this moment, going for it was definitely the right move.
And indeed, it was.
Ophelia looked at the male Agent who had rushed in and was panicking to help her up. She didn't refuse; instead, she smiled and let him embrace her as if she were boneless, helping her to her feet. Then, leaning into his arms, she smiled and beckoned him with her finger.
The male Agent's heart was so excited it almost melted.
And then…
He really did melt.
Literally!
Just as the male Agent thought his dream was about to come true, and as he leaned in to meet Ophelia's emerald lips, his eyes widened instantly. Infiltrating emerald green light rapidly permeated his internal organs.
In just an instant.
The male Agent's internal organs completely dissolved.
Bang—!
Accompanied by a sound like a bursting water balloon, the male Agent, who a second ago was dreaming of marrying his superior and reaching the pinnacle of life, transformed into a puddle of green liquid on the office floor the next second.
This puddle of liquid, as if alive, wriggled to Ophelia's high heels, and then, flowing up the high heels, was entirely absorbed by Ophelia.
After absorbing the puddle of liquid, Ophelia instinctively arched her swan-like neck, her eyes slightly closed, then slowly exhaled a turbid breath. When she opened her eyes again, if Hawke had still been there, he would have been surprised to find that Ophelia seemed to have become a little younger.
Soon.
Ophelia had completely recovered from the pressure Hawke had just brought. She walked behind her desk, sat back in her office chair, and her gaze fell on the photo of herself and Anna on the desk.
This photo had always been placed here.
She and Anna were indeed good friends.
It was just…
Her motives were impure.
After all, she, Zola, Wolfgang von Strucker, and others were considered traditional leaders of HYDRA, while Anna was the capable assistant to the new generation HYDRA leader, Alexander Pierce.
It was well known.
There would always be a battle between the old and the new. Her choice to befriend Anna and ally with Alexander Pierce also stemmed from her own ulterior motives.
But fortunately, she hadn't had time to implement her schemes yet.
This was a blessing in disguise.
Ophelia's eyes flickered.
Just then.
A knock on the door.
"Come in!"
"Officer."
Her assistant walked in from outside, holding her phone, and approached Ophelia.
"Mr. Pierce's call."
"…"
Ophelia was silent for a moment, took the phone, but didn't speak to Alexander Pierce on the other end immediately. Instead, she looked at her assistant: "Choose another personal guard."
The female assistant nodded.
"Understood."
"You may leave."
"Yes."
The female assistant turned and left.
After the female assistant left the office, Ophelia glanced at the phone she was holding, which was still on a call. Then, with a finger also painted emerald green, she tapped the screen, directly hanging up on Pierce.
Didn't she hear what Hawke just said?
If she dared to lie to him, she would die a more tragic death than Alexander Pierce.
So…
Why waste words and emotions on a dying man?
After hanging up on Pierce, Ophelia also turned off her phone and tossed it onto the desk. Then, leaning back in her office chair, she closed her eyes.
She had just survived a near-death experience; she needed some peace and quiet now.
Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, within the Triskelion.
The battle between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA had already begun.
Captain America Steve Rogers's voice was now broadcast 360 degrees, without blind spots, to every corner of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
"…HYDRA grew strong within us."
"Members of the STRIKE team and the Insight Project are also members of HYDRA. We don't know who else is one of them, but they are here, possibly standing right next to you. They are about to succeed. Once the Insight Mothership is airborne, they will gain absolute control."
"They assassinated Nick Fury."
"They control all S.H.I.E.L.D. branches except for the New York SHIELD Command Center."
"…But the price of freedom is high, it always has been. I am willing to pay that price. If I am the only one, that's fine, but I believe I won't be the only one!"
"…"
As Captain America spoke, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stopped in place, listening to his speech.
HYDRA Agents, on the other hand, reacted quickly, especially those preparing to launch the Insight Mothership, who revealed their fierce nature and drew their sidearms.
Instantly!
Gunshots erupted.
The other four Security Council members, who had been tricked by Alexander Pierce into the top-floor conference room of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion under the pretext of a briefing on the Insight Project, also heard Captain America's speech. They then looked at Alexander Pierce, who was standing nearby, had put down his champagne, and pulled out his phone, with disbelief and anger.
One was Captain America, who had once sacrificed himself to save the World.
The other was Alexander Pierce.
Believing whom was not a choice.
The Paris Councilor fired first, looking at Alexander Pierce, and angrily said in a deep voice: "You scoundrel!"
Alexander Pierce shrugged with a fake smile.
The next second.
A HYDRA Agent Captain, leading his five subordinates, walked in from outside with expressionless faces.
The five subordinates quickly surrounded the four councilors, one of them even drawing a gun, crossing his arms, and looking at the four councilors with a cold expression.
The meaning was clear.
Don't move.
Move and die!
The HYDRA Agent Captain quickly walked up to Alexander Pierce, handing him a tablet while quietly saying: "New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas… Minnesota just lost contact consecutively. This is the footage sent back a second before the Bases lost contact."
Alexander Pierce took the tablet with an expressionless face.
What he saw.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Base in Texas, without any defense or warning, instantly captured an extremely brilliant crimson light.
Arkansas was the same.
These S.H.I.E.L.D. HYDRA Bases, which had been reporting loss of contact almost every five minutes, all captured the same crimson light at the moment they lost contact.
But…
Alexander Pierce remained impassive, handing the tablet to the HYDRA Agent Captain beside him, his tone calm.
"How much longer until the Insight Mothership is online?"
"Five minutes."
"Get them online first."
"Yes."
The HYDRA Agent Captain nodded in response, using his communication device to contact the HYDRA members in charge of the three Insight Motherships.
Boom!
The huge fountain in front of the Triskelion Headquarters slowly retracted to both sides, and HYDRA's evil heart was instantly exposed to the morning sun.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
As the first Insight Mothership powered up, the massive, aircraft carrier-like Insight Mothership began outputting energy, preparing for vertical takeoff.
Alexander, with an expressionless face, picked up his phone, found a number again, and dialed out.
Ring, ring, ring!
Gwen, who had barely slept all night, lying on the sofa watching TV and waiting for Hawke to return, saw Hawke's phone, which he had left at home to charge, ringing beside her. She blinked, then reached out and picked up the phone.
What she saw.
It was an unfamiliar number with no notes.
Gwen thought for a moment, sat up from the sofa, looked at the unfamiliar incoming call, and chose to answer.
"Hello…"
"Hawke…"
Alexander Pierce, at the Triskelion Headquarters, heard the voice from the other end of the phone, paused slightly, then recovered and said with a smile: "Gwen Stacy?"
Natasha, who had timely intercepted the Paris Councilor's motorcade a second before it was about to arrive at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, gaining the Paris Councilor's trust with Captain America's strong charisma, and then disguised herself as the Paris Councilor to come here with the other three councilors, heard this sentence and subconsciously glanced at Alexander Pierce from the corner of her eye.
Gwen, at her home on Palm Street, frowned.
"I am, who are you…?"
"Alexander Pierce!"
Pierce, his old face now creased with wrinkles, said with a smile: "I am Hawke's friend. Has Hawke returned?"
Gwen heard Pierce introduce himself, and then, hearing that sentence, she realized.
"Hawke said he had a friend in HYDRA, her name is Anna, but I never heard Hawke say you were his friend too."
"Anna…"
"Hawke has already gone to the island nation to find her. By the way, Mr. Pierce, is Anna really in the island nation?"
"…"
Alexander Pierce was silent for a moment, then said: "There's a misunderstanding about this matter. If Ms. Stacy can help…"
"Don't even think about it!"
Gwen flatly refused.
What a joke.
Who was she?
Gwen Stacy, the daughter of the most upright and incorruptible Captain Stacy of the New York Police Department.
Help HYDRA?
Don't dream about it.
Alexander Pierce heard Gwen's firm refusal, paused for a moment, but wasn't surprised. Instead, he chuckled, then offered an apology.
"Then I'm sorry, Ms. Stacy!"
"…"
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