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Jack looked at the dejected Crosshairs and clicked his tongue.
"I really don't know what use you are. You couldn't even keep an eye on two people."
Crosshairs immediately wore an innocent expression. Although, with his mechanical face, it was impossible to actually look innocent.
"Old Boss, you really can't blame me this time. I was completely innocent. The nuclear radiation was simply too intense." He scratched his head awkwardly. "Besides, I'm not as flamboyant and powerful as you, Old Boss. Please forgive me."
Jack nodded seriously.
"That's true. If you could become as flamboyant as Father, then I'd have to wonder who the boss really is."
He waved his hand casually.
"Forget it. I won't punish you this time."
Crosshairs' optics immediately lit up.
"Old Boss is wise! Old Boss is truly the wisest!"
He hurriedly showered Jack with compliments, afraid the decision might suddenly change.
White Queen looked at the pair speechlessly.
"You two are ridiculously easy to satisfy."
Jack immediately put on a solemn expression.
"This isn't about satisfaction."
"This is the generosity and tolerance an elder brother shows his little brother."
"Do you think it's easy being the younger brother?"
"They're the ones who work the hardest."
"They run everywhere, get ordered around, and get scolded whenever something goes wrong."
"If I don't forgive them once in a while, how miserable would their lives be?"
Crosshairs was so moved that he almost burst into tears.
"Old Boss..."
"I'm truly touched."
"In my next life, I'll definitely become your little brother again."
White Queen shivered.
"That was disgustingly sentimental."
Alice smiled helplessly before looking at Jack.
"Alright."
"Now that your two future concubines have disappeared, what's your plan?"
Jack shrugged indifferently.
"If they're mine, they'll always be mine."
"And even if they aren't mine yet..."
"They'll still become mine eventually."
"There's no need to rush."
"The Earth isn't that big."
"They're not going to run off to another planet."
"For now, I'll give them some freedom."
"They can take this opportunity to reflect on life."
"When it's time for us to meet again..."
"We'll naturally meet."
His expression became unusually poetic.
Ada mercilessly shattered the mood.
"You really think they'll burst into tears and throw themselves into your arms when they see you again?"
"Stop dreaming."
White Queen laughed softly.
"Dreams are free, after all."
Then she suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right."
"What about your loyal lackey, Justin?"
"Hammer Industries' headquarters was reduced to rubble."
"Do you want to go look for him?"
Jack immediately revealed a sorrowful expression.
"Justin..."
"He actually died just like that?"
"He was such an excellent lackey."
"And now he doesn't even have a complete body left behind."
He sighed dramatically while looking toward the sky.
"Every day, people die."
"But Father can never truly accept such cruel reality."
White Queen rolled her eyes.
"Stop pretending."
"If he really died, would you actually care?"
Jack shrugged honestly.
"Not really."
"But as a leader..."
"I still have to put on a performance."
White Queen looked around.
"There's nobody else here."
"Who exactly are you acting for?"
Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"As for our next base..."
"I've already decided."
"We're going to S.H.I.E.L.D."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Alice and Ada stared at him in disbelief.
Jack smiled confidently.
"Haven't you heard the saying?"
"The most dangerous place..."
"...is often the safest place."
"Besides..."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't dangerous to me at all."
Alice looked at him suspiciously.
"You really think so?"
Jack blinked.
"Of course."
"Otherwise, why would I choose it?"
White Queen smiled knowingly.
"I actually know the real reason."
"The first reason is obvious."
"Hill and Natasha are both in S.H.I.E.L.D."
"The second reason..."
"...is Hydra."
"Hydra?"
Ada frowned.
"Isn't that the organization from World War II?"
White Queen nodded.
"That's right."
"Back during World War II, Jack served as Hydra's Vice Commander under Red Skull."
"What a pity."
"In the end, Red Skull was completely outplayed by Jack."
"Quite tragic, really."
Jack smiled wickedly.
"The funny part is..."
"Hydra never found out that I was the one who secretly got rid of Red Skull."
"So technically..."
"I'm still Hydra's Vice Commander."
White Queen continued explaining,
"After Red Skull disappeared and World War II ended, Hydra didn't truly collapse."
"They simply went underground."
"They spent decades secretly rebuilding their strength."
"Now..."
"They have agents in almost every country."
Alice nodded thoughtfully.
"So there are still Hydra members inside S.H.I.E.L.D."
"And no one has discovered them."
"Exactly."
White Queen nodded.
"They've infiltrated even the highest levels."
Ada looked toward Jack.
"But even if you had tremendous influence back then..."
"It's been decades."
"Would they still obey you?"
White Queen smiled.
"Back during World War II, Jack had countless fanatical followers inside Hydra."
"After he disappeared, instead of forgetting him..."
"They worshipped him even more."
"Whenever they held secret meetings..."
"They even hung portraits of Jack as a symbol of reverence."
Alice couldn't help smiling.
"Only a group like Hydra could worship someone that fanatically."
White Queen continued,
"And after Jack revealed his overwhelming strength to the world again..."
"Those Hydra members who had admired him since childhood became even more convinced."
"In their eyes..."
"Only Jack is qualified to lead Hydra."
"Only he can fulfill Hydra's dream of ruling the world."
Jack scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.
"They really think too highly of Father."
"I've always been such a low-key person."
"But no matter what I do..."
"My brilliance simply can't be hidden."
White Queen immediately shot him an exasperated look.
"Low-key?"
"Do you even know what those two words mean?"
Alice, however, spoke calmly.
"Maybe the lower and middle-ranking Hydra members truly want Jack to become their leader."
"But the senior leaders..."
"I'm afraid they won't think the same."
"They've enjoyed holding power for decades."
"Why would they willingly hand it over?"
Jack's expression immediately turned indifferent.
"If they refuse..."
"Then they can die."
His tone was calm, yet it carried unquestionable confidence.
White Queen nodded.
"Hydra has been searching for you in secret all this time."
"Contacting them won't be difficult."
Then she suddenly remembered something else.
"Oh, right."
"Did you bring back the Tesseract?"
Jack nodded confidently.
"Of course."
"There was no way I'd leave something that valuable behind."
White Queen shrugged.
"Then there's nothing else worth staying here for."
Jack turned toward Crosshairs.
"And what are you still standing there for?"
"Hurry up and transform."
"We're leaving."
Crosshairs smiled bitterly.
"Old Boss..."
"Didn't you just say you'd forgiven your little brother?"
Jack grinned shamelessly.
"I did."
"But you actually believed me?"
"With that IQ of yours..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Crosshairs lowered his head dramatically.
"My life is full of suffering."
As he complained, his body rapidly transformed, mechanical parts shifting and folding into place until he became a sleek black sports car once again.
Jack opened the passenger door with a flourish.
"Come on, ladies."
"Let's begin another wonderful day."
Alice, Ada, and White Queen climbed into the vehicle one after another.
The engine roared.
Crosshairs shot forward at full speed, disappearing into the darkness.
Night had completely fallen.
And by tomorrow...
The destruction of New York would undoubtedly become the focus of the entire world.