Although Harry had matured far earlier than most children, even setting his sights on the lofty dream of overthrowing LexCorp, the truth was he was still only eight years old. For all his resolve, he was just a boy. Protected under Emily's care, he had never even seen much blood, let alone a dead body.
Now, lying right beside him was the corpse of an adult man, his organs nearly destroyed beyond recognition. Through the faint warmth seeping from the body, Harry could feel the reality pressing down on him. It was a kind of shock no child could endure.
Peter reacted no differently. His face turned pale like Harry's, both of them frozen in place. They stood wide-eyed and unmoving, watching as several figures advanced toward them. Each one wore combat suits, their bodies surrounded by strange, flickering green flas.
"Target confird. Harry Osborn, son of Norman Osborn, recognized as a prodigy at LexTech Elentary."
In Luthor's world, the concept of lying low or keeping one's talents hidden simply did not exist.
Harry studied at LexTech Elentary. Even if he tried to avoid drawing attention to himself, as long as he wanted access to the school's resources and an early introduction to advanced scientific knowledge, he had to compete. And competition at LexCorp institutions always ant standing out.
Whether it was the university, the high school, the middle school, or even the elentary division, anyone branded a genius would inevitably be noticed, as different groups hoped to shape such people for their own future use.
It was no surprise, then, that Hydra had taken note of Harry. His achievents and brilliance were all publicly displayed on the school's official site.
But why him? Why not one of the many other geniuses, even those already at university level and close to graduating?
The answer was simple. LexCorp.
Hydra had been exposed too soon, and not by choice. Under the sches of the company, they were forced into the open before they were ready. Their power was weak, their influence fragile. After what had happened in Los Angeles, the world had seen their cruelty and ambition firsthand.
With their reputation destroyed, Hydra had no chance of winning the loyalty of any prodigy under the global spotlight. To gain support, they needed a different factor. Sothing like a shared enemy.
They did not know if the boy was fully aware of the truth behind his father's death. But they themselves knew. To them, if he ever learned the truth, he would naturally turn against LexCorp. The enemy of their enemy could beco their friend. Harry, the eight-year-old genius, was their only realistic target.
That was why Hydra, unable to remain patient, chose to strike now, before vanishing underground once again.
What they had not considered was that Harry already knew the truth. Just like Emily never expected that even as a baby he had rembered things he should not have, Hydra failed to see that the boy had long uncovered the secret of his father's death.
That small gap in information shifted their role entirely. Instead of appearing as benefactors ready to reveal the truth, they beca nothing more than terrorists with ulterior motives.
The children, of course, did not know these deeper layers.
The Hydra operatives exchanged glances, then moved in on Harry. Their leader gave the order in his intercom.
"Attention. Our target is Harry Osborn only. Do not harm Peter Parker. That child is under the strict protection of LexCorp. Besides, his father…"
Orders were given, and none of them disobeyed. Harry could not hear their private channel, but he could sense clearly enough that he was the one they were after.
'Escape. I have to escape …' His sharp mind reacted imdiately. He ca up with the only option available, though it was hardly clever. Yet his body would not move.
The image of the dying man, monts ago alive and tasked with protecting Peter, paralyzed him. The courage he once thought he had, the determination to take revenge on LexCorp, crumbled to dust. He was just like any other child now, powerless, trembling, his eyes brimming with tears as he waited for what was to co.
"Harry! Run! They're here for you!"
Unexpectedly, though he too had been terrified by the bodyguard's corpse, his face pale and his judgnt clouded, Peter still found the courage to move.
He grabbed Harry and pulled him with all his strength, dragging him in the opposite direction of the enemies.
"Peter?"
Harry snapped back, realizing only then that Peter was pulling him along. He looked at his friend's face. What was it he saw there? What did Peter possess that he lacked?
Was it intelligence? Strength? A mature state of mind?
Harry shook his head. He had to admit, at this mont Peter showed a level of maturity way beyond what he had ever imagined. But those traits were not unfamiliar to him. He had them as well, and he was not weaker in comparison.
What he truly lacked was the courage to rise against fear, the bravery to resist. And even more, the kindness that held tightly onto him in the middle of a crisis.
But whatever Harry felt inside, the reality remained unchanged. Two children in front of Hydra operatives who wielded powers beyond comprehension was no contest.
The agents quickly closed in. One of them caught Peter by the arm and flung him backward with brute force. Since he was still gripping Harry, both boys were hurled into the air.
Harry tumbled across the ground, rolling several tis, then coming to a stop. Peter flew even farther, taking the full brunt of the throw. He slamd into the cage that held their pets, knocking it over, before losing consciousness.
"Peter!"
Harry's voice cracked. For the first ti, his cry carried sothing new, sothing he had never expressed before. Concern.
But he had no ti for it.
"Harry, don't you want to know the truth about your father's death? Co with us, and we will tell you everything."
The operative who had tossed Peter strode forward, delivering the words they had rehearsed.
Had it been under different circumstances, with soone else bringing up this matter, Harry might have thought it over. He would have weighed the man's position, his strength, and whether he truly had the ability to help.
But right now, anger burned hot in his chest. His fury drowned out the temptation hidden in those words. His father's death had been the hardest truth for him to face, yet at this instant, he ignored even that.
"Get lost! Leave alone!" He shouted in rage, trying to push past the man to reach Peter.
The agent's expression darkened. He understood that Harry could not be reasoned with in this state. But that did not change the mission. Follow current novels on ⓝovelFire
"This isn't up to you."
He seized Harry before the boy could run, pulling him close and turning to his comrades.
"Contact the headquarters. Tell them to prepare for our extraction."
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