Chapter 121: Skye (Part 1)

"Amazing, they figured out how to use it in such a short time. No wonder Hydra is such a formidable force; their leaders aren't complete idiots."

In Sokovia, deep within the northern ice forest, lay a massive fortress built into the mountains. This was Baron Strucker's research base. With the intel provided by Sunil, Daniel Davis quickly located the base.

Baron Strucker had already discovered how to use Loki's scepter. It required powerful energy to activate, similar to how Red Skull and S.H.I.E.L.D. had previously studied the Tesseract.

As an Infinity Stone, it could theoretically be activated by any form of energy—electricity, nuclear power, divine power, chi, true qi, magic, etc. As long as the energy reached a certain threshold, it could trigger the stone's power.

The Tesseract's infinite energy also required a strong energy input to activate.

Baron Strucker's method of studying Loki's scepter was crude but effective. Initially, he only intended to test its mind-control abilities. Seeing how Loki had used it to control Hawkeye made Hydra very eager to harness this power. If they could control the scepter, they could potentially control Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, even Stark, and the President of the USA. Their dream of world domination would soon be realized.

Because of this, other Hydra branches began channeling resources towards Baron Strucker.

Understanding the significance of Loki's scepter to their organization, Baron Strucker worked tirelessly to study it and eventually made some breakthroughs.

Although he didn't unlock the mind-control abilities they wanted, he discovered that the scepter could grant superhuman abilities. Some test subjects, after undergoing experimentation, developed powers beyond those of ordinary humans. Initially, this caused significant personnel losses at the base, but fortunately, these enhanced individuals couldn't sustain their powers for long and were quickly subdued.

Strucker then focused his research on this aspect, finding that Loki's scepter could indeed grant superpowers. However, no one could sustain these powers for long, with most subjects dying shortly after gaining their abilities, often in gruesome ways, such as exploding from within.

Those who could endure the powers for a short time lasted no more than three days before dying as well.

Strucker's solution was straightforward. He had scientists analyze the data while continuously recruiting more test subjects, hoping to find individuals who could adapt to the power.

Strucker's approach wasn't wrong, but the Mind Stone's power was too advanced for ordinary scientists to fully comprehend.

The second method had a chance of success but at the cost of many lives, resulting in the creation of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.

To Hydra, such sacrifices were negligible. They valued their own lives but saw others' lives as expendable.

Strucker chose Sokovia for its chaotic environment, where missing people wouldn't attract much attention. He didn't directly abduct people but lured them in as volunteers, exploiting their desperation.

Hydra excelled at brainwashing and manipulation, using large sums of money to entice people. Whether driven by money or idealism, many fell into Hydra's trap.

"Directly channeling the Mind Stone's power into people? It's crude but effective." Observing Strucker's experiments, Daniel pondered. He had never considered directly channeling the Infinity Stones' power into himself.

"The problem is it's too reliant on luck." Using the Infinity Stones' power was a gamble. Success stories like Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch contrasted with failures like Jane Foster.

Daniel wasn't willing to take such risks with his own body. He wasn't a madman like Wesker, who tested bio-viruses on himself to the point of near-death and then continued injecting various viruses to grow stronger.

With his Op-Op Fruit powers, Daniel could be much stronger if he took risks like Wesker. But he preferred not to gamble with his body, choosing natural methods like diet to enhance his physique.

"Those who survived for a few days seemed to die from physical weakness. If someone had a strong enough body, they might endure."

Reviewing Strucker's research data, Daniel kept thinking.

"So if I find Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver now, I could use Loki's scepter to grant them powers. But what's Scarlet Witch's real name?"

Daniel faced an awkward realization. He had always referred to her as Scarlet Witch and had forgotten her real name, making it difficult to find her and her brother without it.

"Is this like forgetting how to write a word? With my enhanced intelligence, this shouldn't happen. Good thing I know they're twins."

After ensuring there were no twins among the test subjects, Daniel decided to destroy the base.

Just as he was about to act, he saw Strucker and a researcher hurrying to the lab, indicating something had happened. Curious, Daniel followed them in secret using the Mirror Dimension, ensuring he wouldn't be detected.

"It worked, sir!" The researcher exclaimed as Strucker entered the lab. The first successful test subject had emerged.

"Absorbing Man," Daniel soon realized the test subject's power—transforming his body into any material he touched.

Daniel learned the man's name, Carl Creel, a boxer nicknamed Crusher, who had volunteered for the experiment to become stronger.

"So Absorbing Man was created by Loki's scepter," Daniel thought. The Marvel universe had many superhumans, not just Inhumans. Many gained their powers through accidents.

Absorbing Man's power was both formidable and limited. He could turn into materials like stone, steel, or even more extraordinary substances like diamond or vibranium, becoming incredibly durable. However, his strength didn't increase proportionally. Even in vibranium form, his strength remained the same, though vibranium's properties would enhance it somewhat.

"He's a useful weapon if handled properly, but Hydra seems afraid to give him strong materials," Daniel thought. Hydra could obtain vibranium if they wanted.

"Forget it, he's not a good person. Better eliminate him." Daniel decided to kill Absorbing Man. While he could brainwash and control him, Daniel didn't need henchmen and had no plans for world domination like Hydra.

"Can't understand these people's thoughts." The cultural differences sometimes baffled Daniel. Many Westerners, like Creel, sought power through experiments, even when they were physically healthy.

Unlike someone with a terminal illness seeking experimental treatment, these people willingly underwent dangerous experiments.

Daniel, despite his Op-Op Fruit powers, never experimented recklessly on himself. His physical enhancements came through natural means.

"Phil Coulson, I'm solving another big problem here." With that thought, Daniel decided to act.

Strucker's base was massive, carved into a mountain, with high-tech facilities and substantial supplies. For example, there was a warehouse full of Stark Industries' Arc Reactors and Jericho missiles.

There were also numerous bunkers and anti-aircraft missiles, making it a military fortress.

Destroying the base was simple. A few explosions in the missile and bomb storage would obliterate it. However, Daniel wanted to avoid being linked to the attack, so he couldn't use Fiendfyre.

He also coveted some of the technology and weapons, so he opted for a more complicated approach.

"Misty Cloud." Daniel cast a spell, filling the base with thick mist.

This weather spell had no offensive capability but was useful for obscuring vision. Wizards often used it in expanded spaces, and it was effective against surveillance.

With his power, Daniel easily filled the base with mist, then released a gas.

As a skilled biochemist, Daniel knew how to create effective toxins. Many elements in the periodic table were lethal, but obtaining them was simple for him.

"Doctors kill without bloodshed." With the gas released, Daniel moved to retrieve Loki's scepter. The base's alarms sounded, but the mist caused chaos, rendering Strucker's orders ineffective.

Before acting, Daniel blocked several ventilation shafts. He then dragged Absorbing Man into the Mirror Dimension. Creel, a boxer with quick reflexes, transformed into steel upon sensing danger but was immediately dismembered by Daniel's Op-Op Fruit powers. No material could withstand it.

Daniel's curiosity about Creel's survival with Loki's scepter's power justified his ruthless actions. His moral compass, shaped by years of ethical education, remained intact.

Next, Daniel began looting the base. Most Hydra members were unconscious from the gas, and those who weren't, like Strucker, were trapped in sealed rooms.

The gas wasn't lethal, merely causing unconsciousness. Deadly toxins spread less effectively than non-lethal ones.

"Am I constantly milking Hydra?" Daniel mused while swiftly transferring materials.

Hydra would be eliminated eventually, and their wealth would benefit others. Daniel preferred to take it for himself.

"Unexpectedly, there's so much food here. The giants' world needs this." After securing what he needed, Daniel placed missiles around the base.

Using Hydra's weapons against them was the most satisfying approach.

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