Chapter 51: Demands

Several agents quickly approached the seaside villa, and Alex recognized the leader among them—a familiar face from the Marvel movies, the elite agent known as Agent Rumlow, aka Crossbones.

There was no doubt that these agents belonged to Hydra, but Alex wondered what they wanted from him this time. As Crossbones led the agents closer to the villa, his heartbeat quickened, even his well-trained nerves couldn't suppress the tension.

After all, they were approaching the villa of "White Hair"—the man who had defied the world, scorned the military, and slaughtered thousands yet remained unscathed.

His superiors had once told him that if "White Hair" wanted, he could easily destroy or rule the world, fulfilling Hydra's long-held dream. So, despite the likelihood of this mission being a one-way trip, he had to try. If they could recruit "White Hair," nothing could stop Hydra from conquering the world.

They moved in lightly, bringing only essential equipment and no firearms, knowing that what could be deadly to ordinary people was mere child's play to "White Hair."

The villa's door was wide open, and as they entered, they found "White Hair" casually sitting in a chair, lazily watching them.

"White Hair" lazily yawned and then looked at them with amusement, speaking calmly, "Hydra? Oh no, it's S.H.I.E.L.D. What do you want with me?"

Crossbones was shocked. He hadn't expected "White Hair" to know not only his identity but also the connection between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.! Hydra's infiltration hadn't been exposed yet, had it?

Using all his training to stay calm, Crossbones respectfully addressed Alex, "Mr. 'White Hair,' I am here to invite you to join Hydra."

Seeing the agents struggling to maintain their composure, their heart rates betraying their fear, Alex smiled. "I want the Tesseract and the Obelisk. Give them to me, and I might consider joining Hydra."

Crossbones' face showed concern. These two items were beyond his authority, so he replied, "I need to consult my superiors."

He then contacted Alexander Pierce: "Sir, Mr. Alex is willing to join us, but he wants the Tesseract and the Obelisk!"

"The Tesseract and the Obelisk?!"

Alexander Pierce's face darkened upon hearing the demand. Since World War II, Hydra had been using the Tesseract's boundless energy to create powerful weapons that had greatly impacted the war. Though now under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control, it was still essentially in Hydra's hands. There was no way they would give up the Tesseract to "White Hair," as it was a critical asset to Hydra.

Just as Pierce was about to refuse, he remembered the Obelisk, an item that could turn anyone who touched it to stone unless they belonged to a special group. It was of little practical use to Hydra, unlike the Tesseract.

It might be better to give the Obelisk to "White Hair." If he could touch it without harm, Hydra would gain a powerful ally, even if he didn't join them. And if he turned to stone like others, the world would be rid of an unpredictable threat, making Hydra's path to world domination easier.

So Pierce quickly told Crossbones: "Tell 'White Hair' that we can give him the Obelisk now, but the Tesseract will have to wait until Hydra controls the world."

Pierce had no intention of giving up the Tesseract. He only intended to buy time.

Crossbones relayed Pierce's message to Alex, who smiled even more warmly. "Of course."

He never really intended to cooperate with Hydra. Getting a new energy source like the Obelisk was an unexpected bonus. How could he refuse?

As Crossbones felt a wave of relief, thinking the plan to recruit "White Hair" had succeeded, his expression froze. The man in front of him suddenly vanished and reappeared right before him, leaving Crossbones unable to move anything but his mouth.

He demanded, "Mr. Alex, what are you doing? We're allies now, aren't we?"

But the smile on Alex's face had turned into a menacing grin. "We are allies, but even allies must respect each other. You entered my home without permission, and that deserves some consequences."

"But this is Tony Stark's seaside villa, isn't it?" Crossbones asked, confused.

"If I say it's mine, then it's mine." Alex replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

Crossbones wanted to protest, but his words were cut off as a glowing sphere of energy formed in Alex's hand and slowly floated toward him.

In a matter of seconds, the searing energy entered Crossbones' mouth, igniting a firestorm inside him. His body began to glow and crumple from the inside out, until he was reduced to ashes.

The entire scene took place in mere moments. The other Hydra agents only realized what had happened after it was over. Just as they turned to flee, countless spatial slashes engulfed everything within a five-meter radius around Alex, reducing them all to blood mist, not even leaving a trace behind.

Using his control over gravity, Alex pulled the only intact communicator to his hand and spoke to Pierce: "Sir, remember to send another team with the Obelisk. Don't be late—you wouldn't want to see me angry, would you?"

Pierce gripped his communicator, his face livid with anger, but he didn't dare to show it.

Then, Alex's indifferent, lazy voice came through the communicator: "Oh, and Pierce? Next time, remember to knock."

Ending the communication, Alex turned his gaze outside the villa, where a man wearing high-tech battle armor hovered in the air, looking down at him. The man's eyes glowed with cosmic energy, ready for a blast to be unleashed.

Alex's smile widened—things were about to get even more interesting!

°°°

A/N: Guess who arrived

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