Chapter 108: The Death of Whitehall (Part 2)

"Damn it! How could this be happening?" Sunil Bakshi cursed under his breath while shouting at his subordinates to move faster. The research lab at Roxxon Corporation was in a state of chaos. Not only were they trying to destroy sensitive Hydra documents, but they were also scrambling to save high-tech equipment. Many of these devices were cutting-edge and irreplaceable, causing Hydra considerable distress at the thought of losing them. These were painstakingly acquired by Hydra leaders like Alexander Pierce.

"Good thing I got here in time." Amidst the frantic evacuation, Daniel Davis apparated into the document storage floor of Roxxon's building.

"Who are you?" The sudden appearance of Davis startled the men burning the documents. They couldn't fathom how someone had just materialized in front of them.

Bang, bang, bang.

The only response they received was a volley of gunfire. Davis showed no mercy, taking down the Hydra agents while his left hand, holding a wand, extinguished the flames with a jet of water from the Aguamenti charm. 

Davis then opened a portal and used the Levitation Charm to float the heavy alloy document boxes through the portal to a predetermined safe location. He had been monitoring this place for a while but had delayed action to avoid arousing Hydra's suspicion. Hydra's meticulous secrecy was impressive—they preferred physical documents over digital records to prevent leaks, which helped them remain undetected for so long. Only Alexander Pierce's erasure of traces and Hydra's extreme caution kept them hidden.

Had Pierce not embarked on his ambitious Insight plan, even an eventual Hydra exposure wouldn't have been as comprehensive, and they might not have been fully unmasked. Hydra's motto, "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place," meant that even Red Skull was merely a branch of the broader organization. If all of Hydra's divisions had supported Red Skull during WWII, the outcome might have been very different.

"It's done. Let's go." Sunil, after ensuring that the key high-tech instruments had been loaded onto trucks, made a quick decision to leave behind the remaining equipment. They could always replace it later, even if it meant incurring additional costs.

Click. Just then, Sunil heard a distinctive, chilling sound—the sound of a grenade pin being pulled.

Boom!

Before Sunil could react, multiple blinding flashes erupted in the underground parking garage. When the light dissipated, all the Hydra members, including Sunil, were down. Their faces bore strange marks left by the blasts.

The serpent's fang poison grenade had a powerful paralyzing effect, inducing a sense of temporal disorientation. S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson had once been affected by this type of grenade. Davis used it to immobilize all the Hydra members at Roxxon's facility, ensuring none could escape.

Given Hydra's secrecy, anyone working at Roxxon was a hardcore Hydra member. Davis intended to capture them all in one sweep.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are arriving soon," Red Queen's voice alerted Davis, prompting him to stop what he was doing. He quickly opened a portal and dragged the paralyzed Sunil through it. Before leaving, he pressed a button.

Boom.

As the portal closed behind him, a massive explosion rocked the building. Davis had ensured complete destruction by using two missiles. When the dust settled, Roxxon Corporation's facility was reduced to rubble, leaving a deep crater in its place. Fortunately, the facility was in a remote area, so there was minimal collateral damage.

"What happened?" Fury, Carter, and Captain America, arriving in a Quinjet, saw the smoke from the explosion from a distance. As they landed and surveyed the ruins of Roxxon Corporation, Fury's face darkened, almost as if he could cry tears of frustration.

Carter and the Captain were equally dismayed.

"Damn it, who leaked this?" Fury roared, throwing his communicator to the ground in anger. It was clear that the enemy had been tipped off in advance. Despite their efforts to keep the operation covert, their plans had still been compromised. This meant the situation was even worse than Fury had anticipated.

"Damn it, who leaked this?" Across town, Alexander Pierce at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Triskelion headquarters received the latest intelligence. He breathed a sigh of relief but then ground his teeth in frustration. Covering for Whitehall had cost him dearly.

The fact that Fury and Carter's operation had been compromised meant the penetration into S.H.I.E.L.D. was deep. Pierce almost wished Whitehall's faction would just disappear. He could easily eliminate Whitehall's group with his control over S.H.I.E.L.D. However, doing so would provoke retaliation from the other Hydra factions, a price he couldn't afford. Hydra's survival hinged on the cooperation and mutual cover-up of its divisions.

"Consider yourself lucky," Davis smiled at the sight of the now-Imperiused Sunil. Hydra's power was vast and could be exploited in numerous ways, which was why Davis had been content to leave them alone until now. But Pierce's actions had forced his hand, leading to Whitehall's downfall instead.

For Davis, the best move would have been to control Whitehall directly, reaping all possible benefits and perhaps eventually absorbing Hydra entirely. But he detested Whitehall and found easier targets like Alexander Pierce and Gideon Malick more appealing.

Sunil, on the other hand, could serve as a useful pawn. As Whitehall's close aide, Sunil could take over Whitehall's subordinates and become a new Hydra leader. Most Hydra leaders, except for the long-established Gideon Malick, rose to power this way.

"What went wrong? How was I exposed?" In a new hideout, Whitehall pondered where his security measures had failed. He had led a very low-profile life, even delegating Roxxon's management to Sunil, to avoid detection.

As Red Skull's right-hand man, Whitehall was a formidable figure, second only to Arnim Zola in intellect within Hydra. While Zola focused on technology, Whitehall pursued biological evolution in his quest for immortality, earning Red Skull's favor.

"You're back. Are you alright?" Whitehall's thoughts were interrupted as Sunil entered the room, causing Whitehall to raise his glass in a smile. But his expression quickly changed when he noticed a familiar figure following Sunil.

"Finally, we meet, Mr. Whitehall. Or should I call you Werner Reinhardt?" Davis, holding his wand in his right hand, lounged comfortably on a luxurious sofa across from Whitehall.

Despite being a temporary hideout, the place was more opulent than Davis's villa, which was valuable more for its location and size than its decor.

"It's you," Whitehall gasped, unable to believe his eyes. The presence of Davis, along with the now-stationary Sunil, revealed exactly where his plans had gone awry.

"Surprised?" Davis smiled.

"Sunil, I can't believe you betrayed me," Whitehall snarled at Sunil. He was convinced Sunil had leaked the intel; otherwise, how could such a well-hidden organization be compromised?

Whitehall knew that Hydra's selection process, especially for mid-to-high-level operatives like Sunil, was stringent and thorough. These operatives underwent multiple evaluations before being brought into Hydra, unlike the lower-tier members who were often brainwashed.

"He didn't betray you. He's merely under my control now, much like you would control others. Your swift evacuation was commendable, but Alexander's overzealous efforts may have backfired. Fury is not one to be taken lightly," Davis explained.

"How do you know that? Who are you?" Whitehall's calm facade shattered as he knocked over his wine glass, spilling expensive wine on his trousers, though he no longer cared about such trivialities.

"I know a lot of things. Hydra is quite a formidable organization, with former S.H.I.E.L.D. directors and ex-Security Council members in its ranks. No wonder you've managed to turn S.H.I.E.L.D. into your own branch office," Davis continued. 

"Gideon Malick, Baron Strucker, Dr. List—these names must ring a bell, right, Mr. Whitehall?"

"How do you know these names? Who are you really?" Whitehall's voice trembled. The names Davis had mentioned were the leaders of Hydra's major divisions. Capturing these individuals could dismantle Hydra once and for all, ending the endless cycle of "cutting off one head."

"You should know by now that I'm a wizard. Gathering information is one of my skills. Hydra seemed interesting at first, but why did you have to provoke me?" Davis said, causing Whitehall to regret his entire life's choices. If there was a way to take back his actions, he would. Never had he imagined that the mighty Hydra could be laid bare by someone.

"A star fell from the heavens long ago, bringing a gift of happiness to humanity. This legend, Mr. Whitehall, must be familiar to you," Davis smirked at the now-stunned Whitehall. Revealing this felt oddly satisfying to him.

"You know about that?" Whitehall's obsession with the so-called "blue angels" remained undiminished, even in the face of his downfall.

"It's understandable, given that you've devoted your life to this legend. You've been conducting experiments with the Obelisk, using humans as subjects, with no real breakthroughs. That is until you found someone who survived touching the Obelisk. You were thrilled, but then Peggy Carter showed up, capturing you and shattering your dreams.

"When you thought you'd rot away in a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison, Malick and Pierce rescued you. They even found that person who survived the Obelisk. You tracked

 her down and replaced your organs to regain your youth, becoming the man you are today. Am I right?"

"You...?"

"Wait, I'm not done. You're very interested in the blue angels, right? Let me tell you, they aren't angels but Kree, an alien race. They came to Earth and left behind a 'gift'—not happiness, but genetic experiments.

"The Kree were at war with another alien race and came to Earth seeking cannon fodder. Before they could finish their experiments, the war ended, and they left. The subjects of these experiments remained, passing on their altered genes, resulting in individuals with extraordinary abilities.

"The Obelisk is the key to unlocking these powers. Only the descendants of those experiment subjects can touch it and gain abilities. You got lucky finding someone with healing powers. By the way, she's still alive and seeking revenge. She's gathering a group of Inhumans to come after you. Imagine what would happen if I handed you over to her."

"That's impossible," Whitehall's face turned ghostly pale. He couldn't believe that the truth behind his lifelong pursuit was so grim.

"Nothing is impossible."

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