In fact, things weren't as simple as Tony imagined.
Although he wanted to root out all of Hydra by following every lead...
Once the investigation started, he found that all Hydra agents had gone into deep hiding. Even if he occasionally caught a few unlucky ones, he couldn't find any big fish.
Ultimately, Hydra was a massive organization that had hidden under the noses of nations worldwide for decades.
Even if their table-flipping attempt failed and exposed their existence...
It just changed from "hidden infiltration" to "everyone knows you're hiding and infiltrating."
Although Luca believed the exposed Hydra would be wiped out sooner or later, without the detailed data SHIELD released to the world in the original timeline...
It was hard to say how long it would take to eliminate Hydra, or if they could be completely uprooted.
It was estimated that the Avengers and SHIELD would spend a long time searching for Hydra, launching strikes, or notifying local authorities to handle it—a long, tedious job.
And now, SHIELD faced questioning from the World Security Council.
The Avengers prepared to search the states that declared independence for Hydra agents inciting rebellion in the dark.
Yes, in just two days, Texas and Florida, two unrelated states, declared independence simultaneously.
The US stock market collapsed, the public was in chaos, and various states were either watching the drama unfold or actively contacting external forces for help. In short, it was a mess.
However, Luca didn't plan to get deeply involved in these matters.
Steve was the vanguard of quelling rebellions, rushing to the front lines to calm the chaotic populace and strike at potential Hydra cells.
Although Tony participated, his support was mostly economic and material. He only joined the fight when encountering tricky Hydra bases.
As for Luca, he returned to New York with Harry and Gwen.
Uh... Harry went home. But since Luca's villa was destroyed by a missile, his whole family moved into the company building.
And because Gwen didn't want to cause trouble for Tony, she secretly confirmed that the Stacy family was unharmed in the incident, then followed Luca to stay at the Aurantius Building temporarily.
Inside the Aurantius Building, outside a temporary ward.
Luca and Sherry looked into the ward through the glass.
Inside, Baymax was personally assisting Gina with physical rehabilitation.
Although Gina looked normal, with a rosy complexion and smooth movements...
Luca frowned outside the room, with no intention of going in.
" Is Gina still the same?"
Sherry, holding a tablet, replied with a serious expression.
"Yes. All physical indicators are normal. She retains basic cognition and physiological responses. But without external stimulation and guidance, she doesn't respond."
Hearing this, Luca rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache. He didn't know how to handle this.
Actually, during the Hydra unrest a few days ago, Gina's body had initially recovered.
Back then, although she had mobility issues and couldn't leave the bed, and her reactions were slow...
At least she could speak simply and seemed mentally clear.
However, in the past two days, after Gina fully recovered and all checks were normal, Luca and the others realized her condition wasn't as simple as they thought.
Even though Baymax's monitoring showed Gina was perfectly healthy...
How to put it?
Gina could speak, but only if someone asked her a question. No amnesia; she remembered the past.
She could walk, but needed guidance or support. Not because her body couldn't move, but without guidance, she would just stand there motionless.
Current Gina was like a robot without active consciousness. She only reacted when interacting with the outside world.
Or like... a puppet without a soul.
"Damn it! What is this!"
Luca punched the glass in frustration.
Despite the noise, Gina inside just turned her head, looked with indifferent eyes, and continued her rehab exercises under Baymax's assistance.
Seeing Luca like this, Sherry wanted to comfort him but didn't know what to say.
Baymax was a super-doctor far beyond the current era, yet even its scans couldn't identify the "cause." Sherry, a half-baked doctor specializing in pharmaceuticals, was helpless. She chose to change the subject.
"Jonathan's injuries have stabilized. Although not fully recovered, his mobility isn't affected. Do you want to see him?"
Hearing Sherry, Luca knew she was changing the subject. He forced himself to rein in his emotions and nodded. Anger wouldn't solve anything right now.
In another temporary ward. This time, Luca pushed the door open and walked in.
The "Jonathan" Sherry mentioned was The Spot, whom Luca caught with the [Pal Sphere].
After being captured, The Spot became a loyal subordinate to Luca, so he offered his real name: Jonathan Ohnn, a scientist working for Kingpin in another universe.
As for why he was also in a ward...
Cough cough. To ensure capture success, Luca had indeed been a bit heavy-handed.
Inside the ward, although Luca was in a bad mood, seeing The Spot, covered in bandages, briskly get up to bow to him, he didn't give him a hard time.
"Master..."
"Stop! Just call me Young Master..."
Being called "Master" by a man who liked to streak was something Luca couldn't get used to.
"How's the recovery? Can you use your ability normally?"
"Yes. But currently, I can only teleport freely within this world. The consumption from before was too great. To travel between dimensions, I need to replenish particle energy."
As he spoke, The Spot moved his bandaged arm to prove his recovery.
But judging by his wincing... uh, he didn't have a mouth, but judging by his groaning, he wasn't fully recovered.
However, for a subordinate converted from a villain, Luca didn't need to be too polite.
Luca tossed a watch to him and said directly.
"Put it on. From now on, you're my driver."