Snowstorm Base

"It's not hose third-rate websites providing fake news to attract attention, right?" Hawkeye joked.

"Clint, based on my investigation, most of those websites are indeed spreading fake news, but among them are also messages intended to disrupt our investigative direction. They've been lurking around us, never truly leaving," Nick Fury replied sternly, hoping his subordinates would take this matter seriously.

Daisy didn't participate in their conversation. She was busy with her laptop, calculating the impact of the Antarctic magnetic field on teleportation. Black Widow glanced at her but indicated she couldn't help.

...

The aircraft flew through the night and landed on the Antarctic Peninsula the following evening. Daisy arrived at one of Nick Fury's safe houses, a military base codenamed Snowstorm.

"Black Widow has been here before. You're all people that I trust. Rest here tonight, and tomorrow we'll head to the target location. Daisy and I are going to meet someone," Nick Fury explained.

Daisy suspected that this "someone" held significant importance, given the massive scale of the base's construction. An underground hangar had been carved out beneath the Antarctic, housing a runway. Two unmarked Quinjets were parked there. The base consisted of dozens of rooms filled with various weapons, ammunition, and supplies. A cursory glance revealed the substantial amount of money and resources that Fury had secretly allocated for this endeavour.

These were all pieces of evidence. Without being one of the "most trusted people," Daisy wouldn't have been able to enter.

She also knew that the Avengers would eventually requisition this base as an outpost, a watchtower for the Savage Land, which was nearby.

The Savage Land was an observation station established by extraterrestrial races over two hundred million years ago. They gathered Earth's various species in a basin surrounded by volcanoes to observe the evolution of life on Earth. This was the true Jurassic Park.

After the extraterrestrial races departed, the Savage Land became a colony of the Atlanteans. Unfortunately, with the cataclysmic deluge that submerged Atlantis, the civilisation retreated from this secluded paradise.

Later on, various people stumbled upon this place, with notable figures such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne, but none could confirm the existence of this region.

The legends of this lost land never faded, and one individual who took particular interest was Adolf Hitler. He dispatched his agents to Antarctica, indirectly setting off the investigation that had brought them here today.

Daisy surveyed her surroundings but found nothing. It was normal; Nick Fury had established a large base here, and the Nazis had been here for sixty years without discovery. If they hadn't found anything, she wouldn't either.

From what she remembered, the Savage Land also had a Vibranium mine. Unfortunately it in in an aerial palace. Without a special method, there is no way to enter.

The extraterrestrial races of the past were lightyears ahead in terms of spatial technology. Attempting to teleport in with their current knowledge would prove to be an immense challenge.

Following Nick Fury, they walked deep into the base. The journey was very quiet, and Daisy didn't know who she was going to meet.

Outside a medical room, she saw the long-lost Frank Castle, still muscular, but his face was pale. He was jogging on a treadmill.

Nick Fury threw his old friend into Antarctica? Was there some dark secret? Daisy glanced warily at Hawkeye.

Nick Fury pointed to his own head and nodded towards Frank, who was still working out, "He has a bullet in his head, lodged in the gap between his skull. It can't be removed by conventional means. Your treatment back then didn't fully heal him."

Daisy nodded, "I noticed that at the time, but his brain is too intricate. I couldn't control my ability with that level of precision."

"And now?"

Daisy pondered, "Even now, I can't guarantee it. What's his condition? Why did you place him in Antarctica? The medical conditions in New York would be better."

Nick Fury glanced at his old friend, "His memory is somewhat blurred. Only here can he calm down. Let's go in and say hello. After all, he recommended you to me back then."

They entered the room.

The initial scars had healed, but looking at Frank's body covered in bullet holes and knife wounds, it was still heartrending.

He greeted Nick Fury with a stiff expression and then looked at Daisy for a while. Despite it only being a year ago, he seemed to be recalling something from a long time ago, "You... You're the girl who saved me back then?"

Daisy nodded, "Let me take a look at your injuries." She gestured for him to lie down on the bed, hands held in front, focusing on feeling the bullet's location.

The results weren't great. This soldier was a tough one to crack. His remarkable recovery ability showed that the damaged skull was starting to mend. In normal circumstances, this would be an advantage, but now it was becoming problematic. The bullet remained lodged in his brain, continuously influencing his thoughts.

If Daisy were to remove the bullet like Magneto, Frank would probably die on the spot.

As for shattering the bullet, that was even less possible. The bullet might not shatter, but his brain would.

Daisy ran through the list of known superhumans in her mind. Phantom Cat's ability might be useful, but he was currently just a regular human, not in a transformed state.

And these mutant abilities were often neglected by their possessors unless a loved one died. Even if Phantom Cat was found, he wouldn't have the capability to treat Frank now.

Daisy's face showed her frustration, and both Nick Fury and Frank understood her meaning.

"I'll return to New York and consult with Dr. Pym. There's a renowned neurosurgeon in New York, Stephen Strange. He might have a solution," Daisy tentatively suggested her plan.

"No need to trouble those doctors. I'm fine like this, there is no discomfort," Frank waved dismissively, clearly not concerned.

The three of them exchanged a few more words. Initially, Frank was quite normal, chatting about some amusing stories from their past battles. However, as he spoke, his facial expressions started to numb. His gaze became tender, focusing on a corner of the room. His lips moved slightly, as if he was communicating with someone.

Seeing this, Daisy and Nick Fury had no choice but to slowly leave the room.

"If possible, please try to help him. Consider it a favor I owe you," Nick Fury said to Daisy as they left.

...

The night passed quietly, and they began to change clothes early in the morning.

Thermal underwear, cold-resistant clothing, snow pants, snow cap, snow boots, goggles – Daisy put on layer after layer of clothes as she left the base. The harsh climate was chilling her to the bone.

Black Widow was in a better state than her; although she was bundled up like a ball, she could still manage to do a few shooting actions.

Hawkeye was relatively normal. He refused to use the specially designed cold-resistant weapons from the base and insisted on using his bow and arrow. His outerwear was similar to theirs, with just a pair of gloves added.

As for Fury, he was a true tough guy, merely adding a layer of cold-resistant clothing over his usual leather jacket.

The four of them boarded a specially made snow camouflage vehicle and headed toward the coordinates.