7. Ambush

Lying on his bed, Clive stared at the ceiling, his mind spinning with everything he'd learned over the past month. HYDRA's training had been tough, but it wasn't just about physical strength. Alongside the exercises, they'd given him and the other recruits a lot of information about the world outside—about different organizations, their leaders, and the people they considered enemies.

At first, it all seemed like basic info, but Clive soon started seeing patterns. This world wasn't the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) exactly as he remembered it, but it was close—just with some big differences. The timeline matched up with the MCU, with familiar events and people like Tony Stark and the Avengers. But here, there were also mutants like Professor Xavier and Magneto, who each led their own groups. Clive also noted that mutants like Scott Summers, Jean Grey, and Kitty Pryde were around his age, something that didn't quite match up with the limited amount of versions of Marvel he knew. Afterall he too didn't have all the knowledge regarding the Marvel world.

This strange mix made Clive realize he was in a different version of Marvel—an alternate universe with parts from both the MCU and the X-Men movies.

And on top of all that, there were Inhumans present, too. This all made it clear to Clive that he was in a unique Marvel world where things were jumbled together.

He suspected HYDRA was likely recruiting people from both mutants and Inhumans, though they hadn't shared any details about it. Clive figured they wouldn't reveal everything to low-level recruits anyway, and the only reason he even got this much info was because of his "royalty" status within HYDRA. Still, they wouldn't give him the full picture, and he knew he had to stay sharp.

It was a strange feeling, realizing that he couldn't rely on any one version of Marvel's stories. He couldn't be sure that events or people would act the same way he expected. For example, HYDRA treated the X-Men as potential threats but the Brotherhood of Mutants were considered as allies on surface or even dangerous tools for them to use when necessary.

This made him wonder whether the Brotherhood of Mutants were aware of the presence of HYDRA or they just had made contact without knowing the real face of HYDRA and were being used without even being aware of that.

Clive rubbed his forehead, trying to clear his mind. He focused on the training he had coming up tomorrow. The past month at HYDRA had been challenging. The training sessions were tough, but what surprised him more was how quiet his fellow recruits were. Instead of forming groups, everyone kept to themselves, working alone and focusing on their own goals. There were no fights over flags, no alliances, and no one seemed to be trying to team up. It was odd, and Clive felt like something was off.

He preferred to work alone anyway. Being part of a group would complicate training of his reality manipulation talent. Clive knew he had to be cautious.

Though, for the past two weeks, he noticed that the other students seemed restless, as if they were waiting for something to happen. There were quick glances exchanged among them, and conversations would stop when he walked by. It made him wonder if they were planning something or if they had formed teams without him.

'Maybe it's because I'm always the last to finish the training and submit my flag,' he thought, reflecting on his performance. During climbing exercises, he often took longer because he stopped in the cave on the mountain in order to train his abilities.

While others quickly reached the top and then the bottom of the mountain, Clive acted as if he was struggling to do so. He wondered if his slower pace made others see him as weak and decide not to include him in their plans.

Despite these worries, Clive found some comfort in being alone. It allowed him to concentrate on improving his skills without distractions.

Still, the thought of being left out nagged at him. What if the others were teaming up behind his back and then decide to attack him and take away his flag each day? The thought made him uneasy.

Taking a deep breath, Clive reminded himself that he needed to focus on his training and also be aware of the potential attacks from the student at the same time.

Clive let out a big yawn, feeling worn out from the hard training he had been doing. He decided to push all his thoughts aside for now; he was too tired to think about the challenges he faced. With a sigh, he pulled the covers over himself and fell into a deep sleep.

When morning came, Clive woke up to his alarm ringing at 6 a.m., the same time as the other recruits. After getting ready and going through his morning routine, he quickly put on his clothes and laced up his shoes for the climb ahead. He stepped out of his room and joined the other students heading to their training area. The sun was just starting to rise, casting a warm light over everything.

As they gathered at their usual spot, the agent in charge was already waiting for them, looking serious against the backdrop of the mountain they were about to climb. Clive felt the weight of the weighted vests they all wore as he adjusted the straps, getting ready for the climb.

The climb began, and Clive pushed himself, determined to keep up with everyone else. Thankfully, the climb went smoothly. As he climbed, he kept an eye on the other students, noticing that everyone was focused and taking different routes. They rarely crossed paths, each lost in their own struggle.

After a while, Clive reached the top, breathing a little heavily but feeling proud of himself. To his surprise, he found that he was the last one to arrive—only his flag was left, while the others had already taken theirs. He grabbed his flag from the pile, marking his progress in the competition. As he started his way back down the mountain, he felt a mix of satisfaction and earlier worries. Maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed.

As he carefully made his way down the rocky path, Clive stayed alert, knowing that anything could happen. Just a short distance away from the cave where he often trained, he saw something unusual. He spotted a girl from his group, B30076, sitting by a tree and crying softly while holding her leg, which seemed to be bleeding. Her sad face made it easy for anyone to feel sorry for her and want to help. But Clive hesitated.

He was aware of the kind of place he was in—this was HYDRA. People here could be tricky and deceitful. Even though she looked vulnerable, he knew better than to underestimate her just because she was his age. He felt a twinge of compassion as he watched her cry, but he quickly reminded himself to be careful.

As he tried to back away quietly, not wanting to draw attention to himself, he accidentally stepped on a twig. The snap of the twig caught the girl's attention, and she quickly tried to hide the flag she had in her lap. In a panic, she attempted to stand and run, but as she put weight on her injured leg, she stumbled and fell down.

Clive's heart raced. He couldn't tell if her leg was hurt or if she was just pretending. If she was pretending, she was a good actress. Still, the sight of her struggling made him feel conflicted. He sighed, torn between wanting to help her and protecting himself. In the end, his natural instinct to help won out.

Of course it wasn't entirely out of compassion, but Clive too had a plan.

He approached her carefully, keeping his guard up but offering his hand to help her stand.

"Don't worry, I won't take your flag," he said, trying to sound reassuring.

The girl paused, looking up at him with wide, hesitating puppy eyes. After a moment, she took his hand, letting him help her up, although it took some effort.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice shaky as she stood.

But just when Clive thought everything was okay, she suddenly tried to kick him in the groin with her injured leg.

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