Chapter 08: Ancient

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Old man of the mountain, Marethyu, Beans

The Guild of Gamers: The Blessed

Chapter 08: Ancient

– Natasha Romanov (Black Widow) –

Sitting in her room, she examined the spot where she'd had a high-powered round blow through her body earlier. She poked the bare flesh of her right shoulder, impressed by how normal it felt. 

Honestly, she'd thought she was going to die. She'd acted on instinct, realising that she had likely led Hydra right to Arthur, but being willing to risk her life to save him and wanting to die were two very different things. If Arthur hadn't had his bizarre method of healing, she would have died. She'd let her guard down and was too focused on Arthur, a rookie mistake caused by how much Arthur had gotten under her skin by making her as an agent and then his little taunt.

Of course, she knew how he'd identified her as a threat now, and it was nice to know that she'd fallen victim to one of his seemingly endless powers rather than it having been anything she'd done wrong. It was still frustrating, of course, but at least she had the answer she wanted.

Looking over her former wound in the mirror, she turned to look at where the exit wound should have been. Not even a mark. There was no hint that she'd had a large hole blown through her body hours ago.

Well, no evidence beyond the video of her drunken antics. Alcohol-based healing was certainly an interesting one. If Stark got his hands on that amulet, he'd probably live forever. Thor was highly amused to know that the 'Midgard Seidhr' had made such an entertaining amulet, wondering if he could get one for Asgard. She was going to kill Clint for sharing that damned video with the rest of the Avengers.

Still, as her hand moved from her shoulder to her stomach, she felt herself smile. Arthur's powers truly were baffling. She'd searched for a fix for the mutilation she'd suffered at the hands of the Red Room for years, and it turned out all she needed to restore her removed womb was some damn good whiskey.

Well, some whiskey and a magic amulet.

She owed Arthur, or maybe they were even, given that she saved his life? No, Viper had found Arthur by following her, and that was unacceptable. She only saved him from the mess she'd gotten him into in the first place, and for what he'd unknowingly given her, she owed him a lot more than she could repay by taking one measly bullet.

Of course, Fury was both pleased that she'd made a start in recruiting Copycat into the Avengers and pissed that she'd gone behind his back to meet with Arthur. He was even less pleased to know that one of Hydra's top assassins had been captured, being held by a teenage boy instead of Shield.

Ophelia Sarkissian was rather infamous and well-known to Shield, especially after they'd gotten their hands on the records that the Von Strucker twins had had. Viper had killed plenty of Shield agents who had gotten a little too close to the truth, the Hydra equivalent of a Black Widow. She was bound to know a lot of secrets, and Fury wanted them.

Andrea had been remarkably quiet during her time with Shield, still sure that her father would come and rescue her. She was also furious at the fact that Copycat had stolen her brother's face and had worked out that Andreas was almost certainly dead, swearing revenge on Copycat. 

Obviously, they hadn't confirmed her suspicions about her brother, but she was not as stupid as she looked. 

Still, Arthur had gone back to Xavier's and was once again out of their reach, for now. Telepaths made spy work so unnecessarily complicated. It was almost unfair. They couldn't risk sending agents anywhere near Xavier because they'd have to assume that everything that agent knew was compromised. Even if Xavier did nothing, they had to work on the assumption that he'd plundered the minds of everyone who got close. Still, he was better than Frost.

Despite having been shot, she smiled to herself. Today had been rather successful, all things considered.

– Arthur King – 

It occurs to me that maybe I can't be trusted with time travel.

Punching Scott in the face again, I reset before anyone has a chance to ask why I hit him. It makes the day more tolerable if I repeatedly beat Scott Summers or the not-so-amazing icicle whenever I get bored.

Beating Cyclops is a good form of stress relief. If you really want to piss him off, bang Jean. He always gets so sad.

Jumping slightly, I steady myself with a sigh. Hello again.

Don't look so grim; I'm here with good tidings for once!

Long story short, Sett (your stupidly lucky co-worker) rolled stupidly well again. I made a bet with him that if he gave you what he rolled, he would get three more rolls. Naturally, the bastard immediately rolled another Legendary, but that's not the point.

[Domino: Super Luck] - Legendary Power

You have the greatest luck imaginable; things just tend to go your way. Also grants a plus two to all rolls. However, it will not improve a one or turn a ninety-eight into a one hundred.

My luck is so bad that I get pity powers now?

Honestly? I was scared of what would happen if I let Sett keep a super luck power when he's already getting fellated by Lady Luck on a daily basis. I just used you as an excuse to take the power away since he's honestly a little too nice.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining. Seriously, how lucky is that bastard if even you are worried about him getting luckier? Well, I suppose I can't call him a bastard after a gift like this, can I? 

Meh, it's entertaining for me either way. Whether you two become best buddies or rivals, I get my show all the same. Now if you'll excuse me, one of your other coworkers is doing weird shit again, and I wanna watch.

As my sponsor vanishes, I frown slightly. Sett, huh? There's a limit to how lucky one guy should be. Glancing at the hot goth girl sitting next to me, I have to admit… Gacha aside, I've been pretty lucky as well.

"So, have you decided if you're sticking around?" Kitty asks, distracting me from my thoughts as I shrug.

"Honestly, I don't do well staying in one place. I do like it here, certain assholes aside, but there's a wide world out there, and I want to see it all. Can't do that if I stick around some posh school in New York," I say with a shrug. 

That's part of what is drawing me toward the Black Widow's offer. Being an agent of Shield would be bound to include a lot of travelling, plus plenty of opportunities to get more feats.

Plus, if Hydra is after me, then I might as well team up with the group that is waging war against them, right? Sure, Shield was part of Hydra until recently, but saving Carter exposed that, and now Shield has a very good reason to want Hydra gone for good. 

"Not if you join the X-Men. We haven't had many missions yet, but we get to see the world. Plus, we have field trips! Professor Munroe mentioned taking the advanced class to Africa," Kitty points out, making me nod in agreement.

I don't miss the way Rogue is biting her lip, seeming panicked at the idea of me leaving and not coming back.

"True," I admit before chuckling. "You know I'm not going to ghost you, even if I don't join the school, right?"

Rogue stiffens at that, making me smile and place a light kiss on her lips.

"Don't worry so much. I like you, Rogue, and I'm not that much of a dickhead to go as far as we've gone and then bail on you," I joke, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Rogue turns increasingly red at my words, even as she beams at me. Kitty whistles, making Rogue roll her eyes and give her grinning friend a dirty look.

"Sorry, Sugah, I didn't mean to-" Rogue starts, but I silence her with another brief kiss.

"Like I said, don't worry so much. I get it," I say, giving her a small smile. "I can teleport halfway across the country in one go. 'Long-distance relationship' doesn't exactly mean much with my powers," I snort.

"Ooh, so are you two dating then?" Kitty asks, making me hesitate.

"I'll be honest, Rogue isn't the only girl I'm with, and I'm really not good at commitment," I admit, making Kitty frown, but before she can speak, Rogue cuts in.

"I don't mind," Rogue says, making us both blink as Rogue turns increasingly red. Her southern accent grows more intense when she's embarrassed, but she just gives me a smile. "I-if you want to date other girls as well, I mean."

Rogue wants us to be official because, despite my words, she's still worried I'll just vanish and never come back. Kitty looks at her friend with a mixture of understanding and worry, but Rogue just leans forward and places a small kiss on my lips.

"Guess we are dating then," I finally agree, making Rogue beam at me. We're still in one of the public areas, and Bobby is close enough to hear our conversation. He doesn't interrupt; he's been told to keep his distance from them after the whole skewering thing, but I can see the way his fists clench as Rogue becomes my girlfriend.

Feat Achieved: Get Rogue as a girlfriend. One roll granted.

Huh, nice.

Kitty doesn't look entirely convinced, but seeing the way Rogue is beaming as we hold hands, she doesn't say anything. She's a good friend; Rogue is lucky to have her.

Rolling. Result: Legendary Power

[Parasitical Touch] - Legendary Power

By touching someone, you can implant them with a parasite which will consume their mind and soul. Once consumed, their powers and skills will be claimed by the hivemind, and their bodies will become mindless husks controlled by the hivemind, which you can either command or control.

Seriously, what is it with me rolling extremely questionable powers? Between this and [Demon Lord's Corruption], with the Curse of Bhaal added on, I'm one bad day away from being the worst villain the world has ever seen.

Still, this gives me an idea.

Fun Fact: that roll got bumped up a rarity thanks to your new gift. 

Huh, good to know. Man, I can't decide if I love or hate Sett, the lucky fucker.

For now, I relax and spend some time with Rogue and Kitty, mostly just watching a movie and snacking, but in the back of my mind, I'm plotting my next move. Well, mostly as I cuddle against Rogue. 

When night comes, I get the feeling Rogue would have preferred to come with me, but Kitty nixes that by dragging her away for some 'girl-talk', which I want nothing to do with. Instead, she settles for a long kiss, her hands moving across my chest before she breaks it with a grin and a sway to her hips as she walks away.

As I head to my room, I pause for just a moment as I walk past Bobby. I don't look at him or even stop for more than a second, but it's long enough for me to say a single thing.

'I win.'

– Next Day –

Waking up in a cold sweat, I gasp to myself as I summon a translucent knife. Bhaal is pleased with my actions, but not enough to stop the night terrors. I dreamt of unleashing my new powers, consuming the souls of everyone in this world as I added them all to the hivemind, gaining godlike powers as a result.

With it all under my command, I could have anything I wanted; the hivemind would be able to fulfil whatever dreams or ambitions I had, but the worst part is that it felt tempting. How many villains could I consume and drain their powers into the hivemind, using their powers for better ends than they ever did?

"Didn't sleep well?" 

The unfamiliar voice makes me act instantly, tossing the dagger toward them without hesitation as I move out of bed, getting ready for a fight as the woman blocks the dagger with barely a movement, an orange runic circle forming in the air and dispelling the dagger.

"That won't be necessary, Mr King. My apologies for the unexpected meeting, but we have much to discuss, and I couldn't delay this any longer," the woman says, giving me a calm smile. She's unique, to say the least, bald and dressed in an orange robe. "Have you enjoyed your molestations of the timeline?"

"Yes, thanks for asking," I quip back, making her chuckle even as I feel myself start to panic.

"I really don't mean you any harm, but you have set something into motion that needs to be stopped, for all our sakes," she continues.

"Who the hell are you, and how did you get into my room?" I ask, making her smile.

"My name is lost, even to me, but you can call me the Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of the Masters of the Mystic Arts," The Ancient One explains. "As for how? The same way you've been having so much fun lately, just a little time manipulation. Don't worry. We have all the time in the world."

Gesturing out of the window, my eyes widen at the sight of a bird frozen mid-flight.

"You know about my newest trick?" I ask cautiously, well aware that I'm dealing with someone very dangerous. [Power Sight] warns me that I'm dealing with a true master of magic, and that amulet around her neck…

"I know you keep jumping back in time, barely a few minutes at a time, but I don't know what you're doing with your powers, though I can guess," the Ancient One says simply in a wry tone. "As the Sorcerer Supreme, such manipulations of the timeline do often fall under my purview. But your mostly harmless time jumps aren't why I am here. My role also covers protecting this realm from more spiritual threats."

"Like the one giving me such bad dreams," I say, getting ready for a fight again, but she just smiles and nods.

"Indeed. Through you, this Bhaal is attempting to claim dominion of this world. I attempted to banish him myself, breaking your connection, but I fear I only enraged him," The Ancient One admits, making me blink. "I do not blame you, Arthur. You did not willingly summon Bhaal or ask for his blessing, but the danger remains all the same."

"Did you ask for that connection to the Dark Dimension?" I ask, making her blink before she chuckles and a mark appears on her head. Power Sight doesn't lie, and I'm not the only one in this room with a connection to a dangerous being.

"I did," The Ancient One admits. "But I haven't sent any souls to the Dark Dimension either."

I got completely still at that, memories of my first sacrifice fresh in my mind.

"What do you want?" I finally ask, plotting my escape. Would my little time trick help? I doubt it, given that she has the Time Stone around her neck, which makes my own time abilities look like a party trick. Plus, did she just wait for me to wake up? If I jump back, will she be waiting for me five minutes ago?

I could take her form, but trying to beat the Sorcerer Supreme in a battle of magic with my [Curse of Mana Corruption] is just asking for trouble.

"I did consider killing you, to be perfectly honest. You are the link Bhaal is using to get into this world and, by extension, the other Gods of his realm," The Ancient One admits, utterly calm. "Oh, my apologies for dropping this on you the moment you woke up. Let me get you some tea."

Blinking, I look down at my hand, which is now holding a teacup with a sigh. Wizards.

"Considered?" I prompt, focusing on what matters as she nods easily.

"Exactly. I tried, even. It did not… end well for anyone involved. Should you die, your soul goes to Bhaal. With you in his grasp, fully corrupting you is far easier than some bad dreams, and you become the Bhaalspawn champion he wants so dearly. With your ever-growing powers and access to the multiverse, you spread his influence across countless worlds, countless planes, consuming their souls while adding their bodies and skills to your endless hivemind until you return to this world. By the time you return, your hivemind is all but unstoppable, and you wash over the world in a matter of days," The Ancient One explains easily. "Before Bhaal could claim your soul, I used the Time Stone to turn back time and prevent myself from killing you. Do try the tea, it's quite nice. It's a personal blend."

Taking a sip, I admit. Yeah, it's pretty nice.

"I suspect your new dreams come from Bhaal's anger. I cannot wipe the memories of a God; he remembers the timeline where he nearly won and is less than pleased that I've reset it and denied him his victory," The Ancient One continues.

Ah, so that's why I'm still getting the bad dreams even though Bhaal is supposedly sated. 

"So, what happens now?" I ask, making her hum. I don't bother calling her out for agitating the Lord of Murder because I get the feeling she knows more about her blunder than I do.

"I simply have no way to break Bhaal's connection with this world now that he's reached it through you. It's problematic, to say the least, but not unwinnable. You can break your bond with him, can you not?" she asks, making me nod hesitantly. "Oh, I've… muffled your connection with him. He cannot hear us."

"I know how to, but I'm not nearly strong enough to do so as I am now. I know how to summon his Avatar, and defeating it in single combat would free me from his hold on my soul," I explain.

"But the Avatar of a God is no easy opponent," The Ancient One finishes, making me nod grimly.

"Which is why I need to ward off the hunger his curse inflicts on me for long enough to get enough power to defeat him," I explain. 

"Which is why you sent him a soul. A foreign soul would be a wonderful meal for such a god, regardless of how… unimportant the soul was in life," The Ancient One continues.

"I get urges if I try to resist, and I'd rather send him the soul of a rapist than lose control and go into a murderous rage," I say, head held high. I did what I had to. I played with the cards I was dealt. "With my powers, I could do incredible damage to this world in a single lapse of judgement. I can't afford that. I did the right thing, the scum I killed was a nobody, and the world is brighter for his death."

A single touch could plant my parasite into someone, and while some people might have the capabilities of dealing with a magical parasite that's consuming their soul, most would not.

Give me an hour, and I could have dozens of mutants implanted, their powers shared between the hive mind, becoming the start of my army. 

"Perhaps," The Ancient One says, utterly serene as she has been through this entire conversation. 

"Look, just tell me what you want. You didn't break into my bedroom to watch me sleep," I say bluntly.

"I've thought long and hard about how to deal with this new threat. The Masters of the Mystic Arts are used to dealing with foreign entities trying to invade our world. Discovering Bhaal's intrusion into our reality was just another Tuesday. Frankly, it's a strange week when we don't have to deal with something like this," The Ancient One admits. "But I've looked through all the timelines and found that I simply cannot defeat Bhaal. Bhaal either wins, or you break free of his control. Any attempt for anyone else to deal with Bhaal for you ends poorly."

Great. Well, it's not like I didn't already know that, given that I have the quest to free myself of his curse.

"So, you came all this way to tell me to do something I already planned to do?" I ask, lips twitching as she pauses before nodding easily.

"More or less, yes," The Ancient One agrees easily. "Oh, and to do this."

With a movement so quick, I can barely catch it, she closes the distance and places her hand on my chest, rings of glowing orange light forming around me and trapping me in place as words I can't understand pour from her mouth.

After a moment, it's done, and she steps back, freeing me as Yamato appears in my hand in response to my anger.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, making her tilt her head in amusement.

"A ward, to lessen Bhaal's influence on your soul. I can't break the connection, but I can at least lessen the urges and dreams he sends your way," The Ancient One explains helpfully, lips twitching. "As my name suggests, I've been doing this a long time. You are not the first person I've seen being influenced by a murderous God."

"Then why didn't you just ask first?" I ask, making her chuckle.

"Because you always assume that it's a trick. Bhaal can be subtle in his actions and taints your image of me to ensure that you don't accept my help. This is my eighteenth attempt at this conversation; many ended with you attacking me outright. In one, you managed to sever my own connection to the Dark Dimension with that fascinating sword of yours right before you severed my head," The Ancient One explains helpfully, making me blink. Yamato can do that? "I had to pause time because without it, we both just kept jumping back, and the conversation was getting very confusing, even for me."

Huh, so that's what it's like to be on the other side of that little time trick?

As she speaks, I can't deny that I do feel slightly lighter. It's not enough to be massively noticeable, so I need to focus on the constant weight Bhaal puts onto my soul to notice it, but it's there. Do I trust that that is all she did? Not even remotely.

"Thanks, assuming you are telling the truth," I finally say. "So, what happens next?"

"That is up to you, I suppose. I have done what I can to lessen the danger, but this trial is yours to face. Still, I have one simple warning for you," The Ancient One says, making me blink. "Every soul has a place it is destined to go, and each of these places has someone who oversees them. You may think that the criminal's soul was irrelevant, but do you think the being you stole the soul from believes the same?"

With her piece said, she turns and walks through a portal that forms with a gesture of her hand, ignoring my call to wait. As the portal closes, the world starts to move again, and wanting more information, I jump back a minute.

I'm only mostly surprised when I find my bedroom empty, with no Ancient One in sight.

Well, that's ominous. Also, a very good point. Does this world have an afterlife, and if so, who looks after it? 

Laying back down, I groan to myself as I rub my head. Damn it.

– Later –

Whatever is going on, the simple fact is that I need more power. If I have another God of Death out for my blood over one measly soul, I need every edge I can get my hands on.

Which means I need to achieve more feats, and I can get those in a few different ways. 

Ophelia rides me as I lay on the beach of my tropical island, her bodysuit scattered across the sands. Well, it isn't the real Ophelia, just the summon of her that I can create with [Conquerors Gallery]. See, I get feats for sleeping with unique and noteworthy people, such as Mystique and Andrea Von Strucker, so this little test is to find out if I can get feats for banging a summoned version of a captured cape.

Ophelia is undeniably beautiful, her curvy, athletic body bouncing enticingly as she rides my cock, but this is mostly for the sake of testing things. She smirks down at me as she places her hands on my chest, speeding up the gyrating of her hips.

"That's it, master, just lay back and let your slutty spy ride you," Ophelia whispers, moving one of my hands to her breast. The copies have the personality of the original but with a fanatical loyalty to me. Her former loyalty to Hydra or the Serpent Society has been replaced with a zealous worship of me. I am her God, for all intents and purposes.

She also knows everything the original knew, making her a good source of information. Viper works for the Serpent Society, a small sub-section of Hydra that works for the Red Skull's daughter and heir. Baron Von Strucker made a deal with Sin to deal with me because he's too busy dealing with Shield to come for me. He's also hired the Serpent Society to free Andrea in exchange for his support in Sin's cause to become the new ruler of Hydra.

I've sent a warning to Natasha because I don't want Andrea to get free.

Flipping us over, Ophelia smiles up at me as she wraps her legs around my waist and whispers encouragements as I start to pump into her incredibly tight pussy. 

Work, work, work.

– Ophelia Sarkissian (Viper) –

She'd come to understand a little about the portrait she was trapped inside, having vastly underestimated Copycat and his strange abilities. She was especially worried about his ability to make copies of the painting she was trapped in, creating a weaker copy of her to serve him.

If Hydra saw that clone, they'd assume that she had betrayed them, and that had only one ending. Sin hated betrayal above all else, and Baron Von Strucker would turn his ire toward her, both for failing to avenge his son and then for 'joining' Copycat to save her own skin.

But for now, she had another problem. 

Bitting down a moan, she rolled her eyes at the feeling of an impressive phallus pumping into her empty pussy. Copycat was a teenage boy under all of his guises; it was predictable what he would do with an obedient clone of her, but she wasn't sure that he knew that she was bound to the copy. She could not see through its eyes, but she could feel what her clone felt, and right now, that was the pleasure of being fucked hard.

Well, it was better than the boredom of sitting around in her painting, she supposed. 

– Arthur King (Copycat) – Later

Unfortunately, it seems that my hope has failed. 

Looking down at the cum-stained Ophelia, I dismiss her as she turns back into a card. No feat, which means if I want to get the feat for fucking Viper, I'm going to have to fuck the real deal. 

I'm pretty sure she's not going to be as willing as her clone. That said, she is a villain, and I'm not ruling out pumping her for a feat in dire emergencies. Right now, I don't want to bring her out of her portrait just to rape her. I'm not that desperate, but if things get grim?

Well, any captured villainess is another feat saved up for emergencies. If Bhaal, whatever God of Death or this Von Doom dude comes for me, I'm not above just pulling all my captives out one by one to get what extra feats I can from them.

It's actually a fairly decent idea to keep a bunch of easy feats stored for later because if someone comes for me, I can suddenly boost my strength and catch them by surprise (assuming I roll well).

Which is admittedly a big assumption. It'd be laughably on-brand if my secret stash of rolls became a pile of curses right before a major fight.

Which led to my next test. Ophelia, my copy, is fairly weak despite her skills. She has half the power of the original, but can I improve the original to improve the copy? I can give other people my powers, but I've never considered it before because I need everything I can get.

[Bottomless Clip] - Uncommon 

Weapons you are firing will not run out of ammo or need reloading, creating 'phantom rounds' that will disappear several seconds after being fired. 

This is fairly useless to me, as all my skills are in the art of the blade. I don't need a gun when I have magic, teleporting and a mythical sword. But Ophelia is a master marksman, so if I gave this to her (temporarily), would the copy also gain it?

When I can summon triple copies, and they have seventy-five per cent of her strength, it may be viable to give unused powers to my captives to empower the copies. I can reclaim the powers with a thought, even if they'd go inactive for a short period afterwards, so there's no real risk. The real deal glares at me as I touch her portrait, but I ignore her and summon her copy again.

A short test later shows that my scheme works. My Ophelia now has the [Bottomless Clip] power, a powerful tool for an assassin. Once I have the upgrade for Conqueror's Gallery, I'll have three Ophelias who all have Bottomless Clips. That's far better value than just me hanging onto a power I've never used.

It's also an idea for me to give my Tinker power to a captured villain who is talented with technology, and then I'll have three Tinkers working together on whatever I want creating.

And one final test as I approach the portrait again.

Ophelia crosses her arms and stares at me, looking less than pleased as I focus and reach out to her. But the fact is, she's already beaten and captured, so as I start the battle of wills, she is rapidly beaten down. Her eyes widen, and she lets out a shout of surprise and pain, her body moving unnaturally within the portrait.

[Demon Lord's Corruption] - Mythical 

You can corrupt your targets by engaging in a battle of wills with them. If you win, you can corrupt them both physically and mentally. This corruption is irreversible and can take whichever form you wish.

 She came to kill me, so I feel no guilt over using her as my test subject as her body changes according to my will. Patches of glimmering dark-green scales grow along her arms and around the corner of her eyes, which become slits as her open mouth exposes a pair of fangs and a forked tongue.

It's not just her body that's changing, as I overpower her mind and shape her in my image. They aren't massive changes, just nudging her slightly as I shift her body more. Her blood grows cold, but my power will protect her from the usual downsides to being cold-blooded, her breathing far slower. She won't show up on thermals anymore, and she can hold her breath for hours without issues.

She called herself Viper. I'm just… helping her along. She'll be more dangerous than ever with my changes, becoming an even better assassin, just… under new employment. 

She passes out, collapsing as I summon my copy of her. I smile as I see all the changes I made to the original, which is another success. This has potential, doesn't it? Ophelia has very few powers beyond her immunity to poison and her minor enhancements, but now?

She's stronger, faster, stealthier with eyes that see in the dark and a venomous bite, amongst other things… and now so is my copy of her. It's far from the force I'll need to survive this world and all the threats coming my way, but it's a start.

— Bonus Scene — Natasha Romanov (Black Widow) 

With the warning they were coming, Shield had no real trouble fighting off the Serpent Society's attempts to free Andrea, but this Sin was more powerful than they'd expected.

How Arthur had gotten Ophelia to betray her former allies so quickly, she was very interested to know, but for now, her decision to approach him was already bearing fruit. His message had been short and to the point, but it had also been correct.

They'd captured some more Hydra goons, but the leaders of this attempted jailbreak had escaped thanks to Sin and her empowered lieutenants. Still, they'd gained some good intelligence from this failed attack (and from Arthur himself) about the Serpent Society. 

The Red Skull's daughter was using the exposure of Hydra to make her own move and replace the current heads of Hydra with herself. Of course, they hadn't even known the Red Skull had a daughter, but it was just another surprise piling up.

It certainly increased her desire to talk to Arthur himself because Ophelia would be a very useful source of information if he had a way to make her talk.