Chapter 37: Hydra: How Did I Expose Myself Like This?

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Clint Barton's conjecture was undeniably audacious. Hydra, the ancient and malevolent organization, left a deep impression on every member of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Why do you say that, Barton?" Phil Coulson couldn't help but ask. "Is it solely based on the assumption that a Hydra scientist might still be alive?"

"Captain might still be alive, and so might the Hydra scientist," Clint Barton replied. "So, I don't think we can believe the conclusion that Hydra has been completely eradicated. Perhaps, just like that scientist, the destruction of Hydra was merely an illusion we witnessed. But, of course, my suspicion is not solely based on this."

"What other reasons are there?" Phil Coulson perked up his ears.

"In the previous round of questions, a startling future was revealed," Clint Barton said slowly. "Director Fury will be assassinated by his former superior, Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"What?" Phil Coulson was taken aback, as he hadn't heard about this before. "How is that possible? And why would Alexander Pierce want to assassinate Director Fury?"

"That's still under investigation, and we have no leads yet," Clint Barton replied. "I was also puzzled before, but when the topic of Hydra came up, something clicked in my mind. If Alexander Pierce is affiliated with Hydra, then there's nothing strange about him trying to assassinate Director Fury."

"Barton, you're making a huge leap connecting Alexander Pierce with Hydra based on a single assassination attempt," Phil Coulson still found it hard to accept this inference.

"Coulson, if you knew something else, perhaps you wouldn't say that," Clint Barton said.

"What else?"

"When Alexander Pierce attempted to assassinate Director Fury, he deployed a super soldier!"

"What? A super soldier!"

"Yes, a super soldier! Just like Captain!" Clint Barton paused for a moment and added, "And based on the timeframe of the super soldier's activities, he is very likely from the World War II era."

"Hydra stealing the serum, a super soldier from World War II, and this super soldier serving under Alexander Pierce..." Phil Coulson muttered to himself. Indeed, with this information, it seemed plausible to connect Alexander Pierce with Hydra.

Though somewhat far-fetched, the logic behind it held up.

"We need to inform Director Fury that Hydra might still exist," Phil Coulson finally said.

"..." Witnessing this scene, Li Cheng was in awe. Did Hydra just expose itself like this?

It all started from a mere mention of Arnim Zola's name.

Winter Soldier was indeed created by Arnim Zola, but Li Cheng only knew about it because he had watched the movies and researched the subject from an all-knowing perspective.

Yet Clint Barton, as a character within the story, managed to draw this inference without knowing the full picture.

One could only say that Clint Barton's ability to become a founding member of the Avengers as an ordinary person was truly remarkable.

"Stark, what do you think? If Arnim Zola is still alive, is it possible for him to create the Arc Reactor?" Clint Barton asked Tony Stark.

"In a certain sense, Arnim Zola was a rare genius," Tony Stark pondered for a moment and then shook his head. "But the Arc Reactor is a groundbreaking invention. Even if he were alive today, he wouldn't be able to create it."

"So, you're ruling out Arnim Zola?" Clint Barton said.

"Not ruling him out."

"But you just said he couldn't create it."

"Naturally, he wouldn't have the ability, but if it was theftand not creation, then it's a different story," Tony Stark explained. "The Arc Reactor wasn't something I built from scratch; the blueprints were left by my father. Arnim Zola and my father were contemporaries, albeit on opposing sides, and it was common for both sides to steal each other's technology. If Arnim Zola stole my father's blueprints back then, then it's possible that he could have created the Arc Reactor today."

"That possibility can't be ruled out. What about option A?" Thor, who had been unable to interject until now, finally had a chance to speak. "With these two options, we can't determine the correct answer."

"This person is just like that Stephen Strange, someone I've never heard of," Tony Stark shrugged, indicating his helplessness. He looked at Phil Coulson and Clint Barton. "What about you? You're agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., do you know this Ivan Vanko?"

"Sorry, Stark, I'm more of an operative than an intelligence guy," Clint Barton replied, implying that he didn't know this person.

"I think I remember..." Phil Coulson spoke up.

"You know this person?" Tony Stark hurriedly asked.

"I don't know this Ivan Vanko specifically, but if he has any connection to that person, then he's very likely the answer," Phil Coulson said.

"Coulson!" Clint Barton exclaimed. "Since when did you become so verbose? Who is this person?"

"I haven't heard of the name Ivan Vanko, but I have heard of another person with the surname Vanko," Phil Coulson mentioned a name. "Anton Vanko."

"Anton Vanko?" This name was still unfamiliar to everyone.

"Stark, it seems your father didn't tell you everything about the Arc Reactor," Phil Coulson remarked.

"My father?" Tony Stark was taken aback. "Is this related to my father?"

"You could say that," Phil Coulson continued. "Do you know that your father wasn't the only one who had the blueprints for the Arc Reactor?"

"How is that possible?" Tony Stark couldn't believe it. "The Arc Reactor was my father's life's work, and he only entrusted it to me!"

"Stark, hold on a moment. Let me explain," Phil Coulson said. "Your father didn't independently create the Arc Reactor. He worked on it with a person named Anton Vanko."

"I've never heard of this person."

"Anton Vanko was a Soviet physicist who collaborated with your father on the development of the Arc Reactor. But he saw it as a way to get rich, and when your father found out, he exiled him to Siberia..."

"Wait a minute! My father was just a scientist. How could he exile someone like that?"

"Stark, don't get caught up in the details," Phil Coulson shrugged. "Naturally, there were governmental forces at play. What Anton Vanko wanted to do back then could have jeopardized national security, otherwise such a brilliant scientist wouldn't have been exiled."

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