Alexander Pierce's apology was very calm.
But…
It was resolute!
Gwen, on the other end of the phone, was slightly stunned, then looked at the disconnected call and blinked.
The next second.
Shit!
Gwen's face changed as she realized what was about to happen, and she uncharacteristically swore, then slid off the sofa, barefoot, and ran towards the Underground Room's safe room, clutching her phone.
Once again.
She wasn't some delicate, naive girl; she was the sheriff's daughter, influenced by George, subscribing to gun magazines every week, and enjoying professional police reports in her free time.
However, Gwen didn't intend to confront what was about to happen head-on, unlike last time.
First.
Hawk had said last time that she wasn't allowed to do that again, and she was very obedient.
Second.
Since HYDRA dared to do this, it meant Hawk intended to join the side of justice. At this critical moment when Hawk was about to become a superhero, she didn't want to make him miss this highlight because of herself.
So…
Hawk, go be a superhero and save the World.
Gwen almost ran to the Underground Room, entered the password, quickly opened the heavy safe room door, then went inside and thoroughly locked the thirty-five mechanical locks from the inside before finally letting out a sigh of relief, thinking silently to herself.
In fact, Gwen was right.
After Alexander Pierce hung up the phone, he sternly ordered the HYDRA Agent Captain beside him: "Let them act, capture Gwen Stacy. This is our only chance. Success is the only option; failure is not permitted."
He had just learned from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s monitoring center that Hawk was moving at extreme speed towards the East Country.
Ophelia had hung up on him earlier, further proving this point.
And the reports from the HYDRA Agent Captain about various Bases going offline, along with the crimson light before they lost contact, explained one problem.
Hawk was eliminating their members at a rate of one Base every five minutes, and rapidly approaching him.
That call just now was his last resort.
After all—
These three Insight Motherships were about to go online; once they were successfully online, he would be invincible beneath the gods.
He absolutely would not allow failure at this time.
Not even Hawk!
Ultimately, Alexander Pierce had never been a good person.
The most important point.
Hawk already knew Anna was a fake.
So…
It was death either way; since that was the case, why not take a gamble?
If he did nothing, he would lose completely this time, but if they captured Gwen Stacy, there was a certain chance of success.
Alexander Pierce admitted he had a gambling addiction.
Unfortunately, he forgot another saying.
It was—
Gambler, gambler, in the end, you lose everything!
Just as the HYDRA Agent beside him nodded, took out his phone, and prepared to activate two heavily armed HYDRA Agents, who had been lurking outside Palm Street and could ensure a ten-second forced entry, then.
Bang!
Black Widow Agent Natasha, disguised as a Paris councilor, moved.
With a flying armbar, she slammed the armed HYDRA Agent in front of her, who had his arms crossed, onto the ground with a thud, then quickly seized his sidearm, just as the HYDRA Agent Captain put down his phone, pulled out his pistol, and was about to fire.
Bang!
The HYDRA Agent Captain's head snapped back, shot in the head by Natasha.
The next second.
Natasha, while pinning a HYDRA Agent with her thigh and lying on the ground, repeatedly pulled the trigger of her sidearm at the remaining four HYDRA Agents who had reacted.
Accompanied by gunshots, four HYDRA Agents, in various postures and actions, fell to the ground.
The East Country councilor quickly joined the battle, seized a pistol, aimed it at Alexander Pierce, who instinctively bent down and then reacted, preparing to do something, and said in a deep voice: "Don't move!"
Alexander Pierce frowned, ignoring the East Country councilor, and looked at the Paris councilor slowly standing up from the ground.
Natasha, slowly rising from the ground, looked at Alexander Pierce: "You're truly despicable, Pierce."
As Natasha spoke, she tore off her scalp, revealing her true face, her eyes cold as she stared at Alexander Pierce.
Although she didn't know what had happened.
But…
Alexander Pierce had gone mad enough to kidnap the Demon King's shackles, which meant one thing: Hawk was no longer a bystander; he had entered the fray.
And he was on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s side.
So…
In this situation, how could Alexander Pierce be allowed to make that call?
Alexander Pierce smiled as he looked at Natasha, who had revealed her true face.
"Natasha."
"Sorry, your idea of blackmailing Hawk by kidnapping Gwen Stacy is doomed to fail."
"It doesn't matter."
"My Insight Motherships have already launched."
Alexander Pierce smiled, turning to look out the large floor-to-ceiling window.
In sight.
Accompanied by the roar of massive engines, the three Insight Motherships, equipped with the Insight algorithm, were successively passing through the exit, beginning to ascend to their predetermined positions.
Visibly, Captain America and the Winter Soldier were fighting fiercely on one of the Motherships.
It was very clear to see.
Captain America was getting thrashed.
Being thrashed.
After all, this time Captain America and Natasha had help from New York S.H.I.E.L.D., but they lacked the winged Falcon, and he already knew that the Winter Soldier was his good friend Bucky.
So…
Captain America, who was already evenly matched with everyone, was naturally suppressed by the Winter Soldier when he was intentionally holding back.
Natasha also glanced, her expression unchanged, then looked at Alexander Pierce, her words somewhat cutting: "When Hawk arrives, none of your plans will succeed, and furthermore, Hawk was pushed to our side by you."
Alexander Pierce looked at Natasha expressionlessly: "You don't understand anything!"
Did he want to offend Hawk?
No.
He didn't want to, but unfortunately, he had two useless teammates, and these two useless teammates had tied him to the same boat from the beginning.
Whether it was Wolfgang von Strucker's clone or Zola's clone, once exposed, they would surely die.
There was only one way at the time.
Rely on Anna, deceive Hawk, and then pray that Hawk would never find out.
They did succeed.
They failed again, but the arrow was already on the string, and it had reached the point where it had to be fired.
So…
If he could do it again, he would immediately kick out those two useless teammates.
Alexander Pierce thought to himself.
Natasha raised an eyebrow, hearing that Alexander Pierce's words seemed to have another meaning: "What else did you do to Hawk?"
Alexander Pierce's face was grim.
Just then.
With a loud boom, everyone in the conference room turned to look outside.
In sight.
A thick bolt of lightning flashed with a crack, and then, a god, made a dazzling appearance amidst the lightning.
"Boom!"
As Thor, clad in his lightning battle suit, appeared above the Insight Mothership, he swung his Mjolnir and landed on the Mothership's command deck, a golden light enveloping the Mothership's hull flashed, creating ripples.
But…
The Mothership was completely undamaged, not even moving.
Natasha, also looking at this scene outside, her face changed, and she looked at Alexander Pierce.
"Vibranium shield!"
"Yes."
Alexander Pierce chuckled: "That's why the Insight Project was delayed until now. In this World, besides Hawk, even Thor cannot shake the defense of the Vibranium shield."
Natasha's lips curled into a sneer: "Hawk is already on his way."
Alexander Pierce fell silent.
Yes.
Hawk was on his way.
Just then.
Commander Hand's voice came through Natasha's concealed earpiece: "Tony has also arrived."
As the words fell.
Bang!
A red light flashed across the sky, and Iron Man Tony Stark also landed on another Insight Mothership in his standard classic pose.
Immediately after.
Tony Stark's voice directly connected to the secret communication system Commander Hand had set up.
"What should I do?"
"Override the control program; that's your strength."
"Understood."
Tony Stark, in his Iron Man Suit, nodded: "Jarvis!"
Jarvis responded immediately.
Sharon's voice was full of pleasant surprise: "Commander, did you contact Thor and Tony?"
Commander Hand, in New York City, looked at the arrival of the Avengers' Big Three, her expression also relaxing a bit: "Tony was contacted by Coulson. Coulson has Pepper Potts's private number and contacted Tony, who was in Korea."
"What about Thor…?"
"When Hawk passed through New Mexico, Thor sensed him and came over after parting ways with Hawk."
"Hawk is also here?"
Sharon, who was leading S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in fierce battle against HYDRA Agents, was even more pleasantly surprised: "Hawk has entered the fray."
Commander Hand looked at the big screen, which showed S.H.I.E.L.D. Bases being relit one by one, and smiled as she listened to the voices of surviving Agents from various locations beginning to contact S.H.I.E.L.D.: "Yes, Hawk has entered the fray."
Sharon's spirits lifted: "Where is Hawk now? Has he arrived?"
Just as Commander Hand was about to speak, another voice echoed in the command center.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. West Virginia branch Level 6 Agent Jack Maass reporting to Commander."
"The phoenix just rescued us."
With the liberation of the West Virginia S.H.I.E.L.D. branch, all the states leading to the capital on the big screen were now lit up.
Commander Hand's eyes lit up.
"Hold on a little longer, the phoenix will arrive soon."
"Too…"
"Not soon."
"He's already here."
Natasha, confronting Alexander Pierce, looked at the rainbow light that was rapidly approaching, speaking out, then turned to look at Alexander Pierce.
"Hawk is here."
"You lost!"
"…"
On my Patreon, I have several advance chapters available if you're interested in more than 100: For $1, you get 20 fewer chapters than the $2.50 tier. For $2.50, you get 40 fewer chapters than the $4 tier. And for $4, you get them all.
The number of chapters is updated every 7 days and increases by 7 to 8 chapters.
My Patren: paroncom/FanTranslator