After sending the message, Nathan clenched his fist, his voice low and cold.
"HYDRA… it's time to settle old debts."
His knuckles cracked audibly as his hand tightened. The time for hiding was over.
The ninja he had captured should be regaining consciousness soon. Nathan left the bio-lab, his expression steeled with determination.
He knew what was coming.
He wasn't going to face just any mercenary squad. This was HYDRA's elite force—battle-hardened, deadly, and well-equipped. They weren't just soldiers; they were monsters in human skin.
Claw and his daughter were still en route to New York. That gave Nathan a window of preparation—and he intended to use every second of it.
He stepped into the ninja's containment chamber. He didn't bother with theatrics. There was no time to waste.
---
Outside the villa, the world itself seemed to reflect the rising tension.
The sky was choked with clouds. No stars. No moon. Just roiling, endless darkness.
Thunder rumbled like the drums of war, echoing through the heavens.
A sudden gust of wind howled across the treetops. Leaves tore free and scattered into the air, a storm brewing in more ways than one.
Households across the city rushed to close their windows, pull in their laundry, and brace for the coming downpour.
"The clouds are restless! Thunder's rolling in—get ready for heavy rain!"
In ancient times, people would've said: "The wind fills the tower before the storm arrives. The black clouds press down on the city, jade-green like a blade."
Tonight, even the old sayings felt prophetic.
---
In New York, far away from Nathan's safe house, a meeting was underway inside a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. conference room.
Director Fury stood at the head of the table. Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Agent Hill each reviewed a thick file in their hands.
Even Natasha, used to the stress of war, unbuttoned her collar slightly.
"Too hot in here," she muttered. "Hawkeye, open a window."
"Open it yourself," Clint Barton replied with a tired glance.
She grinned but didn't argue.
Clint crossed the room and cracked open the window. The sound of distant thunder echoed ominously.
"Looks like rain," he observed.
"Feels like something heavier," Natasha murmured.
Fury cleared his throat and brought the room's focus back.
"You've all seen the file," he said. "Strucker is throwing HYDRA's full weight behind a manhunt for Ulysses Klaue."
Agent Hill nodded. "Reports say Klaue broke some kind of black-market deal with Strucker and stole sensitive materials."
Clint added, "And HYDRA's not taking it lightly. They've deployed Winter Soldiers. Multiple."
Fury remained silent a moment, eyes narrowing.
Natasha broke the tension. "You think it's deeper than Klaue?"
"Much deeper," Fury replied. "Klaue's just the bait."
He slapped the file on the table. "Their real target is Nathan."
That name brought a hush over the room.
Fury explained, "You've all read the initial reports. Former HYDRA scientist. Created a super soldier serum independently. Injected himself."
He paused, then continued.
"Strucker launched a continent-wide search for Nathan after he vanished. Klaue was the last known contact. This 'stolen item' nonsense is just cover."
Hill frowned. "So HYDRA thinks Klaue helped him disappear?"
"Exactly," Fury nodded. "And now they're closing in. If we don't move fast, HYDRA will find Nathan—and they won't show mercy."
"Do we know where he is?" Clint asked.
"No," Fury replied. "But if HYDRA makes a move, he'll resurface. We'll be watching. When he does, we back him up."
Natasha nodded grimly. "Understood. If he's caught, HYDRA's power spikes. That's a risk we can't take."
Fury turned to Hill. "Mobilize a shadow team. Watch every HYDRA unit under Strucker's command. I want eyes everywhere."
Hill nodded. "I'll issue the orders."
With that, the agents moved out.
A storm was brewing—one of espionage, steel, and blood.
---
Back in Nathan's basement, the ninja was finally waking up.
Nathan had already neutralized the poison in the man's body—but not his ability to resist.
He was strapped to a steel operating table, his jaw bound in a way that would prevent him from biting off his tongue or snapping his teeth to commit suicide.
Nathan stood over him, face calm but ice-cold.
"I'm going to ask questions," he said.
"We can go the usual route—questions, denial, torture—or…"
He tilted his head.
"...We can skip the middle."
The ninja shivered. He had seen cold killers, but this man didn't feel human.
Nathan raised his hand, revealing a surgical scalpel and a gleaming steel needle.
Without hesitation, he struck.
The twin needles plunged beneath the ninja's eyes, striking the trigeminal nerve directly.
A scream tore through the basement.
"STOP! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Nathan leaned closer. "Then talk."
"What breathing technique allows your people to mask even their heartbeat?"
The ninja gasped, barely coherent. "We… we use a secret breathing technique. Slows the heart, suppresses noise… even footsteps are silenced…"
Nathan listened intently as the ninja spilled the method.
"It's called the Concealment Breath," the ninja whispered. "Not a meditation—just a special rhythm. Controls body functions to reduce sound output."
"But it can't suppress breathing entirely. And if you exert too much strength—the effect breaks."
Nathan nodded and stepped back. He tried it himself.
In seconds, he slowed his heart rate, quieted his steps, and minimized all physical noise.
He achieved the state in less than a minute.
The ninja's eyes widened in shock.
"Who… who ARE you?"
Nathan stepped out of the Concealment Breath. "Just a normal man."
The ninja didn't respond. He was too busy trying not to cry.
Nathan continued, "Do you know of any other techniques?"
"No… only the elders… I was trained only in the basics…"
Nathan pressed on. "And what do you know of the beasts you worship? The demons that grant you power?"
"We don't know much," the ninja admitted. "We just know… when they possess someone, they become stronger… far stronger than any human."
"But at first, they're not invincible?"
"No, the bond takes months… even a year sometimes."
Nathan absorbed the knowledge carefully. He scanned the ninja's body and found no signs of enhancement remaining.
"Looks like your power boost has worn off," he muttered. "That's fine. You'll still be useful."
The ninja shivered. "What do you mean?"
Nathan didn't answer. He turned and left the room.
The ninja tried to scream, but nothing came out. His restraints were too tight.
And for the first time, he wished he had died in battle.
---
Back in the lab, Nathan dove into his greatest project yet.
The Spider Genome Project.
His fingers danced across the console, aligning DNA sequences, analyzing structures, cross-checking them against enhancement factors.
The sequencing was nearly done. The artificial construction of spider-based powers was almost within reach.
Tomorrow—if the progress continued uninterrupted—he would unlock it.
His body would gain agility, speed, wall-crawling, reflexes—everything.
Combined with his healing factor?
He would be unstoppable.
---
Meanwhile, on a lonely country road…
A black sedan sped down the asphalt.
Inside sat Claw and his daughter Elizabeth.
Despite the chaos, Elizabeth remained calm. A child born to a smuggler, her courage was quiet but strong.
Her pale face was the only sign of stress. She stared at the retreating scenery behind them.
Suddenly, Claw's phone buzzed.
He raised an eyebrow. "Who'd message me now?"
It was an anonymous email.
> [Come to New York. I will help you deal with the HYDRA chasing you.]
There was no name.
But Claw knew.
It was from Nathan.
His hands trembled as he read the words again.
A calm washed over him—the calm of knowing that someone strong had your back.
He turned the wheel sharply. "Liz, we're going to New York."
The child blinked. "Big brother?"
Claw nodded.
He could feel it. Nathan wasn't the same man anymore. If he said he could take on HYDRA—he could.
Because his name was Nathan.
And that name now carried power.
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