Chapter 112: Dr. Zola

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Link continued, "Now they've developed some kind of serum that allows people to recover from injuries, but this recovery has its limits."

"If the body takes too much damage, it will inevitably collapse, eventually causing an explosion."

"Explosion?" Stark seemed to have some vague recollection but couldn't fully grasp it. "So, what do we do now?"

Link pondered for a moment, then said, "For now, there's nothing we can do except wait for Nick Fury to contact us."

"Tony, you and Bruce should stay at Stark Tower. Make sure Pepper doesn't leave either."

"I'll return to Osborn Tower, and the others should remain at headquarters. Nick Fury should be reaching out to us soon."

"Only he knows the full picture and how to deal with Hydra. After all, the organization is too vast, and many within it are innocent."

"We can't just kill everyone."

Captain America agreed with Link's assessment and said, "Alright, for now, we just wait."

"But what about this USB drive?"

"This was handed to me by Nick Fury!" Captain America exclaimed.

Link responded, "I doubt it's of much use, but let's check it out anyway!"

He then glanced at Natasha, who took the USB drive from Captain America's hand and inserted it into a laptop, beginning to decrypt it.

"A signal is being sent out!" Natasha said as she worked on the decryption.

Link dismissed it casually, "No big deal. It's not like this place is a secret. Let's see what's on it."

Soon enough, the decryption was completed, revealing an address.

Link immediately recognized it as the location where Hydra's Dr. Arnim Zola had digitized his consciousness and stored the data.

Of course, it was also a trap—a lure to draw the Avengers there, only to destroy them with a missile strike.

Link thought it over and decided he would go check it out. Even though he already knew much of what was going on, he needed a legitimate reason to reveal certain information. If he physically visited the location, he could back up what he knew.

"I'll go check it out. The rest of you stay here," Link declared, ready to go on his own.

"You're going alone?" Steve asked. "Shouldn't I come with you?"

"No need. The three of you should secure headquarters. Tony and Bruce together will keep our strength from being too diminished, and it's more convenient for me to go alone," Link explained, shaking his head.

"Don't worry. If I can travel to space on my own, a little mission like this is no problem."

Indeed, after his solo trip to space, during which he'd even bought a spaceship, it was clear Link was more than capable. Meanwhile, the Avengers' headquarters needed protection.

Link attached his flying board to his back, entered the coordinates, and flew off.

Moving quickly, he reached the destination within a little over an hour, landing at what had once been a World War II military base. S.H.I.E.L.D. had used it for a time as well. Wasting no time, Link made his way to the underground section, where Dr. Zola's digitized brain was housed.

Inserting the USB drive, the old-fashioned computers whirred to life.

"Link~" an electronic voice sounded, and it addressed Link in Mandarin.

Link saw Dr. Zola's face on one of the old monitors. "So, this is a trap?"

"Your instincts are sharp. Do all psychology experts think this quickly?" Dr. Zola remarked, sounding impressed. "But you're still calm, even knowing it's a trap?"

"That's because Hydra has no idea how powerful I am. But no matter, got anything to say before I destroy you?" Link said as he took out his energy gun, prepared to dismantle the machines one by one.

Dr. Zola chuckled. "The Avengers will soon be gone, and Hydra will rise."

"You're talking about Project Insight, right?" Link asked, smiling.

"…!" Dr. Zola seemed genuinely stunned by this.

Link continued, "You're referring to the Helicarriers, aren't you?"

"Tsk tsk~ You really don't understand how powerful the Avengers are. I recently ordered a spaceship from space. Do you think your Helicarriers stand a chance against us?"

"Even our Quinjet could easily take them down. Your massive Helicarriers will just be giant targets in the sky, and you're actually proud of this plan."

"The technological gap is enormous!"

With that, Link raised his gun and fired at one of the data storage units, destroying it with a shot. "Pew... Boom!"

One of the units was blown up, though it didn't seem to affect Dr. Zola's presence. His voice turned shrill. "You're too arrogant! Soon, you'll be buried here."

Unfazed by the impending missile strike, Link methodically destroyed every piece of machinery in the room. He wasn't concerned with whether or not Dr. Zola would survive—his mission was simply to wipe this place out. After finishing the task, he took a moment to survey his work, then raised his left hand. With a slight gesture, a blue portal opened behind him. He stepped through just before a missile hit the site, obliterating it.

Hydra operatives soon arrived to search the wreckage, hoping to find Link's body.

Link hadn't gone far, however. He had merely reappeared at the edge of the base, watching as Hydra's search teams combed through the area. Smiling to himself, he drew his energy gun and unleashed havoc on them.

...

Meanwhile, Nick Fury wasn't dead. Though gravely injured, he'd gone into hiding under Maria Hill's care, trusting few people in the process.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had plenty of advanced medical supplies, and with Hill's help, Fury was on the mend.

"How's it looking outside?" Fury asked weakly from his hospital bed, still hooked up to IVs.

"Pierce sent people to attack the Avengers, but they were completely wiped out. The Avengers haven't moved yet. I think they're waiting for something," Hill explained.

Fury wasn't surprised. "Has Link returned?"

"Yes. He rushed to the hospital first—he must've noticed something—and later took prisoners back to Avengers Headquarters," Hill reported, her intel skills as sharp as ever.

"Should we contact them?" she asked.

"Meet with Link personally. He's sharp, and he'll know what to do. Arrange for the others to come once you've briefed him," Fury ordered.

Hill nodded and left to carry out the task.

Having wiped out the Hydra search team, Link returned to Osborn Tower, where Jessica was waiting for him.

The two shared an intimate moment before relaxing in bed. Link recounted his experiences, though carefully edited to leave out certain details—such as the fact that he was a time traveler. That was a secret he intended to keep forever.

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(End of Chapter)