Only those who have no ideals or sense of justice in their hearts would constantly speak of them.
Fury understood this in theory, but it was easier to see clearly from the outside than from within. He never would have imagined that Pierce, the leader of Hydra, would willingly pass the position of director to him.
Even though he was still furious, Pierce’s explanation shifted his focus. He began paying more attention to the foreign agents embedded within S.H.I.E.L.D. He still didn’t realize Hydra had never left.
Once Fury was gone, Pierce’s face darkened as he muttered, "If LexCorp keeps going like this, we’ll have fewer chances to make our moves inside S.H.I.E.L.D."
It was true that LexCorp was attacking S.H.I.E.L.D., and Hydra had remained hidden so far. But while the agency was being hit, they were also taking damage.
If he was still the director, things might’ve been easier. But now that Fury had taken the role, and as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s power kept shrinking, the man’s control over the agency was steadily growing. If this went on, Hydra would truly beco nothing more than workers under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s command.
Realizing this, Pierce knew he had to act.
’No... We need to take what we can while we still have a chance.’
At this point, he was already considering abandoning S.H.I.E.L.D. In his eyes, there was no way the agency could win against LexCorp. If that was the case, then the only thing left to do was squeeze every last bit of value out of it.
With that in mind, he returned to his office, picked up the phone, and gave a direct order to all Hydra agents under his command within S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Keep a low profile. Move fast. I don’t care about Reed Richards. I don’t care about Hank Pym. But I want the Pym Particles and cosmic energy. Get them both for ."
To get both targets in one strike, the best opportunity would be when Tony and the others t with Hank.
* * *
Ti passed slowly for so, but for others, it flew by in the blink of an eye.
Tony and Reed were deep into research mode. Days went by in a blur, and they finally produced results.
They developed a new material based on Tony’s custom-designed titanium-gold alloy. By integrating concepts from quantum chanics, it theoretically allowed for a much wider and more controlled range of Pym Particle size manipulation.
"We did it!"
Both of them smiled. Though Reed looked calm. Ever since he’d discovered the true nature of his power, he knew this outco was inevitable. It was just a matter of ti.
But Tony was genuinely proud. He had never studied quantum chanics in depth, and this project had been a whole new challenge. Now, he had proven his brilliance once again.
"That stubborn old man will have to give in this ti," he said with a smirk, looking at Darren, who was smiling just as brightly.
For him, it wasn’t just about gaining Hank’s trust through the research results. More importantly, working with Tony and Reed had helped him grow in his own abilities.
Whether or not he’d one day replace Hank and take control of Pym Technologies, for now, the younger Darren was simply happy about the progress he’d made.
"I’ll tell Mr. Pym the news. Tomorrow, when you visit the company, I promise he’ll et with all of you."
He gave a firm nod, then turned to leave.
Before he could go far, Steve appeared behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Rogers...?"
"Please tell Hank this isn’t just a deal. We truly want to help him. We want to rescue Janet."
"Understood." Darren nodded again, then quickly left to deliver the ssage.
While Steve was speaking, Reed had been quietly watching him the entire ti. ’He really ans it.’
"It’s touching, isn’t it?" Doom spoke suddenly beside him.
Reed nodded. "Yeah. Among everyone here, he might be the only one who sincerely wants to help Hank Pym."
Tony just wanted to use this chance to collaborate with Hank. Doom had always been after him. Darren was trying to get into Hank’s good graces and prove himself.
Only Steve wanted to help out of pure intention.
"And what about you, Reed?" Doom asked again. "Now that you’ve placed your trust in Captain Arica, what are you planning to do?"
Reed turned to face him directly and replied, "Haven’t you wanted to join you? After this mission, I think I’ll take a little trip to Latveria."
"Then let welco our new comrade in advance."
"No need to call comrade. I’m only going there to keep an eye on you. Soone needs to make sure you don’t beco the next tyrant of Latveria."
* * *
The next day ca fast. Tony was ready to go. Reed, however, was still in the lab, working on sothing quietly.
Curious, Steve walked over and looked at the unfamiliar-looking device the man was tinkering with.
"Reed, this doesn’t look like part of our research."
Reed smiled faintly at the comnt. "Of course not. Actually, I’ve always been a fan of yours, Captain. This thing here... is a gift I’ve prepared for you. But allow to keep it a secret for now. I’ll reveal the surprise soon enough."
To be honest, his actions were suspicious. At least from Steve’s perspective as a skilled tactician, his behavior stood out.
But he couldn’t sense any hostility from the man. And after spending ti with him recently, Steve had grown to trust him.
"Alright then, I’ll look forward to it. Tony’s already waiting outside. Let’s go."
"Sure."
The group then headed for Pym Technologies, but one person was noticeably absent.
"Where’s Darren? He was the most enthusiastic about this. Why isn’t he here now?"
Steve, ever sharp, noticed the absence of soone who should’ve been present.
But no matter who they asked, whether employees at Pym Tech or the front desk who had been inford of their arrival, no one had any idea where Darren was.
Even Hank himself eventually ca down upon hearing they’d arrived, but still, there was no sign of the man.
’Could it be...’ Steve’s eyes narrowed slightly. A suspicion started to form in his mind, but as he scanned his surroundings, he kept quiet.
If his guess was right, now was not the ti to show any reaction.
’Let’s just hope... Darren’s only been locked away sowhere.’
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