The Beginning of the Blood Pool's Breakdown

After Ethan nodded in agreement, Countess Valentina smiled with satisfaction.

"My dear! I saved your life, and you're doing me a favor in return. That's only fair, isn't it?" the Countess said with a charming smile.

Ethan remained expressionless and nodded slightly.

"So... please cooperate. For now, get some rest. We'll have dinner together tonight," the Countess added, then gracefully strutted out of the room.

Ethan and the others were then escorted to their guest rooms.

"Damn it! You really kept us in the dark. We're here to investigate that containment object, right?" Sharon Carter pretended to be angry as she questioned him.

Ethan shrugged innocently without responding. After all, there was no easy way to explain the situation. His main purpose in coming here was to check out the Church of the Broken God and handle Containment Object-354, the Blood Pool.

Who could have anticipated that Countess Valentina would be so close to the pool and would find it first?

"We need to figure out a way to get this information out, but it seems like there's a signal jammer in this room. Even our satellite phones are down," May remarked helplessly, staring at her satellite phone.

"Relax, waiting isn't so bad," Ethan replied with a meaningful smile.

Outside the castle, the Winter Soldier stood expressionless as he surveyed the fortress.

"Strange, why hasn't Countess Valentina given the order to attack yet?" One of the Hydra agents muttered impatiently. The "hero saves the damsel in distress" plan was missing its final act. Yet, the Countess remained quiet, which was frustrating for the Hydra agents.

"Do you think... the Countess has already dealt with that kid?" One Hydra agent suggested, envy creeping into his tone.

As they recalled the Countess's sultry figure and regal demeanor, all the Hydra agents grew envious. The thought of their proud goddess being subdued by someone made their jealousy burn fiercely.

"That bastard is lucky!" one of the Hydra agents cursed under his breath.

A phone rang soon after.

"You can leave now. I've already taken care of Ethan," the Countess said lazily over the comms.

Unbeknownst to Hydra, the Countess was intent on keeping the Blood Pool to herself. She didn't want Hydra discovering her secrets, so she fabricated an excuse to dismiss the agents.

Upon receiving her command, the Hydra agents were now convinced that the infuriating "yellow monkey" had indeed conquered their goddess.

"Retreat!" the Hydra squad leader ordered dejectedly.

"That Foundation Director? Bah! Just a lecher," one of the Hydra agents spat.

"Exactly! I don't get why an organization with such lofty ideals would have someone like him as their leader," another chimed in.

"I heard from our undercover agents that the real leaders of the Foundation are the O5 Council. While the Director holds a lot of power, he doesn't actually do much," someone added.

"Then that makes it even more ridiculous! The O5 Council must be crazy to choose someone like that as their figurehead. If they needed a leader, they should have picked Hydra!"

All the Hydra agents shared a moment of mutual disdain for Ethan.

Meanwhile, back in Hydra's headquarters, Pierce couldn't stop grinning after receiving word that the Countess had likely seduced Ethan.

"Ah, the youth! They fall so easily even before we've made a serious move," Pierce quipped, feeling overjoyed. He even popped open a bottle of champagne in celebration.

At that moment, Nick Fury stormed into the room. Eyeing the champagne on the desk, Fury teased, "Pierce, you seem to be in a good mood today?"

"Of course! After all, the Avengers Initiative is coming together," Pierce replied with a smile.

"And who do you have in mind for the Avengers?" Fury asked as he pulled out a file.

Pierce looked it over, eyebrows raised in confusion. "Black Widow? Are you sure she's qualified? Didn't she betray S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"That was for Ethan, not because she's a bad person," Fury explained. "In fact, Natasha's principles are more solid than most agents'. Her involvement will help bridge the gap between the Avengers and the Foundation."

Pierce begrudgingly accepted this reasoning.

"And what about Iron Man? That playboy doesn't have time to play hero, and he's got strong ties to the Foundation."

"Tony's resolved his palladium poisoning and matured a lot since the Middle East incident. He's more than capable now," Fury answered.

"And Hulk? He destroyed half of New York!"

"You know that wasn't Hulk's fault. It was caused by Abomination and that containment entity, SCP-682," Fury said firmly.

"Fine!" Pierce muttered, closing the file and handing it back. He could tell Fury was just going through the motions and had already made up his mind.

"Enjoy your success while you can," Pierce thought to himself. The prospect of controlling the entire Foundation tempered his irritation.

A few hours later...

The old butler handed Countess Valentina a report.

"Is this all your scientists have figured out after several hours of research?" Her tone was calm, but the butler could sense her growing frustration.

The scientists had only concluded that the pool contained a thick, red liquid resembling human blood (hence its nickname, "Blood Pool"), but biologically different. The pool seemed bottomless, with its consistency becoming thicker as one descended. No one had been able to reach the bottom yet.

"What about its abilities? I need to know what this containment object can do!" the Countess demanded coldly.

"The researchers still haven't identified any specific effects of the Blood Pool," the butler admitted awkwardly.

The Countess exhaled sharply, clearly irritated by their lack of progress. She dismissed the butler with a wave.

After regaining her composure, she summoned Ethan and his companions.

"Come with me. I'll show you the containment object," she invited.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. The direction they were heading in was outside the castle—toward the Blood Pool.

He began to suspect something.

Sharon Carter and May, unhappy with the situation, followed behind him, their anger simmering. Their trackers and satellite phones had been confiscated upon leaving the castle, cutting off all communication with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Both women glared at Ethan, blaming him for their predicament. But they didn't realize Ethan's strength allowed him to ignore the danger they perceived.

Under the Countess's guidance, the group arrived at a desolate valley. Unlike the lush green forests surrounding it, the valley was barren, with not a single tree or blade of grass in sight. Even the birds avoided flying over it.

"My butler discovered this area two hours ago. We've identified it as a containment object, but its exact abilities remain unknown," Countess Valentina explained, pointing to the crimson pool before them. "This is the Blood Pool."

"What have you discovered so far?" Ethan crouched beside the pool, feigning curiosity.

The Countess elaborated, "We've determined that the pool's consistency is similar to human blood, though it's biologically different. We also haven't found the bottom yet, and the liquid thickens as you go deeper."

Ethan pondered this for a moment before advising her seriously, "This containment object is likely a disaster-type. I suggest you let me contact the Foundation."

"A disaster-type?" The Countess looked intrigued. She hadn't known there were different classifications for containment objects.

Ethan explained, "Disaster-types, if they lose control, can cause unpredictable catastrophes, resulting in mass casualties or even global extinction events."

Instead of being deterred, the Countess's eyes gleamed with excitement.

The allure of power had blinded her to the dangers. Ethan could only shake his head at her reckless ambition.

"I've given you my warning. The consequences will be yours to bear," Ethan said before preparing to leave.

"Escort our guests back to their quarters, and notify the council to send troops to guard this area," the Countess ordered.

While she wasn't completely dismissive of Ethan's warning, her arrogance led her to believe she could control the Blood Pool. If the Foundation could manage thousands of containment objects, surely she, with the resources of both Australia and Leviathan, could handle one.

Night fell quietly...

The Australian Army had set up camp outside the valley. Back in the castle, after dinner, Ethan stood by the window, gazing at the moon.

"Tonight's moon looks eerie," Sharon remarked as she stared at the crimson sky.

May nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's blood-red, like it's been stained with blood."

Countess Valentina, holding a glass of wine, nonchalantly remarked, "In ancient times, a blood moon was considered a bad omen."

"And that belief still holds true today," Ethan replied, his tone meaningful.

At that moment, within the valley, under the moon's eerie glow, the Blood Pool began to churn violently, as if it were boiling. Researchers nearby noticed the pool's unusual behavior.

"Report this immediately! The Blood Pool is acting up!" someone shouted.

"Is there some kind of heat source beneath it?" another suggested as the water continued to bubble.

Suddenly, a massive bat erupted from the pool. Its wingspan stretched nearly 20 meters, casting a shadow over the moon.

The colossal bat screeched, sending a devastating sonic wave toward the researchers, who clutched their ears in agony. But the soundwave was indiscriminate, and the scientists were quickly reduced to pulp. A thin mist of blood covered the camp as the Blood Pool absorbed the spilled blood, churning even more violently.