Bul-Kathos's Lacerate struck, and Dormammu, dazed from the stomp, couldn't react. As Bul-Kathos pondered his next move, his body instinctively spun, heavy steps whirling. Standing atop Dormammu's face, he unleashed his strength, weapons slicing overhead, conjuring a storm that filled the Dark Dimension.
Only dark energy should exist here, but Nephalem power stemmed from within. Monk's chi or barbarian's rage could manifest as needed. Bul-Kathos spun casually, not yet at full strength. An immortal tied to a dimension was nothing to him.
"Ha!" He roared, raising a foot and slamming it down. Dormammu, on the verge of clarity, plunged back into dizziness. "Perfect target!" Bul-Kathos's heavy blades struck the demon's face, inescapable in his own realm. A hurricane of blows erupted, thunder booming under his fury, painting the dark with vibrant chaos.
"What's a surprise?" Dugan trembled, staring at Rumlow.
"A surprise is a surprise!" Rumlow parroted, unsure how to respond.
"Fury's mobilizing the Commandos for an internal audit—our chance!" Dugan's suspicion of Fury peaked. This "audit" could be Hydra's purge of dissenters. With his ties to the Commandos, a whisper could turn it into Hydra's death knell. His loyal comrades needed no convincing. "What's not to love?"
"The mountain assault plan?" Rumlow asked, expressionless, secretly amused. Watching clever men follow his manipulated path was a thrill he kept buried.
"I'll have my pals stoke the fire—raze that blacksmith's shop," Dugan grinned slyly, puffing his cigar, exhilarated. Everything was aligning perfectly.
"You'd better plan your explanation," Rumlow warned, chills running through him. Attacking Bul-Kathos's home—who'd bear the consequences? He wanted S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra gone, not the world in chaos. Could anyone ensure Bul-Kathos's wrath would subside?
"Explanation? Hydra's the explanation!" Dugan scoffed. A rebuilt S.H.I.E.L.D., even from ruins, was better than this infiltrated sieve.
"Agent Hill, is your report accurate?" At the World Security Council, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s deputy director, Maria Hill, briefed on Harrogath Mountain. A Council plant, she monitored the agency.
"No rare resources, but the spirits there hold notable power. I stand by my assessment," Hill said. Ignore the mountain. Its creatures and gear intrigued S.H.I.E.L.D., but human equivalents existed. The potential gains didn't justify war's cost.
"Show those damn politicians something tempting, and they'll bite like rabid dogs!" Dugan, cigar in mouth, mocked the Council. The monsters' destruction, per Rumlow, seemed manageable—a bazooka could handle them. Humanity's surplus wasn't wealth but obsolete weapons.
Find something valuable on that mountain, and S.H.I.E.L.D. would mobilize. The Commandos would twist the findings into a Hydra purge. A "perfect" plan.
"If you think it's necessary," Rumlow said coolly, turning to leave. "Oh, I might head to the mountain soon. What should I find?"
He recalled the vial he'd given Fury. "Materials. Something to tempt S.H.I.E.L.D.—vibranium veins?" Dugan mused. One hint of vibranium, and the Council would demand "development," like with the Native Americans. S.H.I.E.L.D. would investigate, likely via Rumlow, who'd control the findings. An uneven battle would follow.
Unfamiliar with barbarians, Dugan saw them as primitive brutes, ignorant of technology, not the dominant force they were.
(Chapter End)