Ch.153 A New Mutant

The next morning, Ronan slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed to school as if nothing had happened.

According to what Phil Coulson had said, S.H.I.E.L.D. would take "responsibility" for the capture of Winslow.

Although Ronan thought this was no different from covering one's ears while stealing a bell.

Still, he had to play along.

Maybe the leaders of Hydra were truly naive enough to believe Coulson's story.

When he arrived at school, as expected, Gwen Stacy was already waiting for him.

She even brought breakfast she had made herself.

How should I put it? Gwen Stacy was probably the perfect type.

Not only did she inherit her parents' looks, but she also inherited her mother's gentle personality.

Even in terms of cooking skills, she had at least 80% of her mother's talent.

At least when it came to breakfast.

"By the way, last night, I heard from my dad that the organization that was surveilling you before has reappeared around your house."

"Except this time, they caught a Hydra agent."

"Are you okay?"

While Ronan was eating breakfast, Gwen mentioned the news she had heard the night before.

As the police commissioner of New York City, her father would know about any major events, even the slightest disturbance in the city.

Let alone S.H.I.E.L.D. making an arrest.

"I'm fine. It's just S.H.I.E.L.D. catching a Hydra agent."

"I even saw the arrest scene."

Ronan swallowed a bite of his sandwich and replied.

If he said he didn't know, that would be a lie, since it had happened right across the street from his house.

"Do you think we misunderstood them back then?"

"From the documents, they seem to be a national organization."

"Even several major countries are involved."

Gwen seemed to recall the events from before.

Ronan, however, smirked. Misunderstood S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Well, maybe they couldn't be blamed for some minor things.

But most of the outrageous incidents were almost entirely their doing.

Thinking this, Ronan glanced over his shoulder about a hundred meters away, where a black SUV was parked.

The classic villain vehicle from American TV shows.

That car had been following Ronan since he left his house, keeping its distance but never getting too close.

Last night, right after Winslow was captured, they had already sent a new agent to tail Ronan.

It seemed they got the news faster than S.H.I.E.L.D. agents!

Tsk.

Should I say S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security protocols are poor, or that Hydra's spies are just too fast?

Either way, these people were much more cautious than Winslow.

At one point, they even deliberately overtook Ronan, then changed their license plates two streets away before continuing to follow him.

If Ronan hadn't used some tricks to mark the car, he might have been fooled.

"By the way, my dad gave me an invitation. There's a party tonight. Do you want to go?"

"It's supposed to be a very luxurious event, with several Hollywood celebrities attending."

"Apparently, there's even some special surprise."

Gwen seemed to remember something and pulled out an invitation from her pocket.

Huh?

Why does this look so familiar?

Ronan stared at the invitation, feeling like he had seen it before.

He reached into his backpack and pulled out an identical invitation.

"Huh?"

"You got one too?"

Gwen looked at Ronan in disbelief.

She had gotten the invitation from her father, and only because George Stacy was the police commissioner of New York did she have access to it.

But how did Ronan get one?

Could his family background be even better than Gwen had imagined?

"Actually, I didn't receive it. A friend gave it to me."

Ronan looked at the invitation with a strange expression.

Didn't Tony Stark say this was one of those exclusive parties where even kids weren't allowed?

How did George Stacy get one?

Wait...

Ronan suddenly remembered a popular joke from his past life.

A son-in-law goes to a bathhouse, finishes his bath, and sees his father-in-law coming down from upstairs. They both pay the bill together.

When they check out, the total is 998 dollars.

The son-in-law's bath and massage cost 98 dollars. What did the father-in-law do to make it 998?

Ahem...

Thinking this, Ronan took a deep breath.

"Since we both have invitations, why don't we go check it out tonight?"

"Tomorrow's the weekend anyway, so let's treat it as a weekend party?"

Ronan subtly changed the subject. He didn't want the story of the son-in-law and father-in-law at the bathhouse to repeat itself.

But he mentally noted this about George Stacy.

"Sure, let's take the night off."

"Then I'll go home to change, and my dad will drive us there."

Gwen smiled.

That was her plan too.

"No need for a ride. I can drive. Since December last year, I've passed the probationary period for my license."

"So, I'll pick you up tonight."

Ronan pulled out his driver's license and waved it.

Although the U.S. allows 16-year-olds to get a driver's license, for the first year, they must have a licensed adult accompany them while driving.

But after December, that rule no longer applied to Ronan.

It seemed that the inexplicably lost month had some benefits after all.

"Alright, then I'll wait for you at home tonight!"

Gwen kissed Ronan on the cheek, and under the envious gazes of countless single people, the two walked into the classroom together.

Another day of boring classes.

...

While Ronan was peacefully attending classes, the atmosphere on Steve Rogers' side was completely different.

After a night of internal struggle, Steve Rogers had made a decision.

He would follow Ronan's advice and inform the others that he had recovered the Cosmic Cube.

However, he would not hand it over to the government for safekeeping.

The reason was simple.

As Ronan had said, the man named Thanos was terrifyingly powerful.

Even if high-ranking government officials took the Space Stone and hid it through multiple layers of security, they would inevitably meet a tragic end.

This was almost a given.

If Thanos wanted to achieve his ambitions, one more or one less death wouldn't make a difference.

Steve Rogers understood this type of person well, even if he was an alien.

So, he first held an internal meeting.

The meeting had only three participants: Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Falcon, who had recently joined the Avengers.

Falcon, who had helped Steve Rogers greatly in their last mission, had been accepted into the Avengers.

He was now an official Avenger.

At least now he could wear his suit without any issues.

Perhaps he didn't know yet, but he would eventually take up Steve Rogers' shield and become the new Captain America.

"Everyone, last night I thought it over and decided there's something I need to make clear to you."

Seeing the three of them seated in the meeting room, Steve Rogers took a deep breath.

According to Ronan's instructions, he could share some information with the others, but the one thing he couldn't reveal was anything about the future.

Including Thanos' name.

"Captain, you're rarely this serious."

Black Widow, who had just gone through life-and-death situations with Steve and even kissed him a few times, smiled.

If anyone thought there wasn't some adult-level intimacy between them, Ronan wouldn't believe it.

After all, they were both adults, unmarried, and it was normal to relieve stress in the heat of the moment.

"You look like you did when we were running by the lake."

Falcon was trying to express the pressure Steve Rogers exuded.

Every time Steve overtook him during their runs, he would say, "On your left." Who could handle that?

It was the ultimate taunt!

"Although I'd like to joke around, what I'm about to say is no laughing matter."

Steve Rogers shook his head, his expression serious.

Seeing him like this, the three of them immediately changed their demeanor.

It was rare for Steve Rogers to be this serious.

Thud.

Steve Rogers didn't rush to explain. Instead, he placed a box on the table.

He opened it, turned it 180 degrees, and revealed its contents to the others.

When they saw what was inside, both Black Widow and Hawkeye were stunned.

The Cosmic Cube?

"Wasn't that taken by Loki?"

"How did it come back?"

Hawkeye looked at Steve Rogers in disbelief.

Many people had seen Loki escape using the Cosmic Cube.

Since the New York incident, the Cosmic Cube had been marked as "lost" by S.H.I.E.L.D.

They had searched for it for so long but found no trace.

Now, Steve Rogers had suddenly produced it.

"Not this troublesome thing again. Why does just seeing it give me a headache?"

Black Widow rubbed her temples. She had vivid memories of this thing.

It was because of it that humans first saw what aliens looked like.

"Wait, wait, wait."

"What is this thing?"

"Why have I never heard of it?"

Falcon quickly asked.

He had joined the team the latest and hadn't participated in the Battle of New York, so it was normal for him not to know.

However, Steve Rogers waved his hand.

"No need to explain it now. After all, this thing isn't exactly a good thing."

"What I want to tell you all is that although the Cosmic Cube is back in our hands, trouble has also come with it."

Steve Rogers recalled the script Ronan had given him and added his own touch.

"Trouble?"

"Not another alien invasion, is it?"

Black Widow frowned. Every time she saw the Cosmic Cube, she thought of aliens.

Even though she was a seasoned fighter, she had only encountered aliens once.

"You're close, but only half right."

"With the help of a friend, I found the Cosmic Cube last night, but I also received some bad news."

"A very powerful alien has set his sights on the Cosmic Cube."

"And he will come to Earth, targeting the Cosmic Cube!"

Steve Rogers revealed the most critical part to the group.

Although his explanation was vague, it was all he could disclose.

"A friend?"

"What friend has such incredible abilities?"

Black Widow was the first to question.

"This friend doesn't want to reveal his identity, and you don't know him."

"But what's certain is that the information about the alien is accurate."

Steve Rogers shook his head. He wouldn't reveal Ronan's identity.

"When will this alien arrive on Earth?"

"Do we need to prepare for battle immediately?"

Although he still didn't know what the Cosmic Cube was, hearing about aliens seemed to excite Falcon.

He had never fought aliens before, so he was eager.

However, Hawkeye and Black Widow didn't share his enthusiasm.

"The timing is unclear. It could be years, months, or even tomorrow."

"But I'm certain the alien will come."

"Because... I've seen it!"

Steve Rogers took a deep breath and dropped a bombshell that shocked the three of them.

He had seen it?

"Captain, are you saying you've seen the future?"

Hawkeye was incredulous.

Although legends spoke of people who could foresee the future, and some even claimed that people hundreds or thousands of years ago had predicted today's world, those were just myths.

And there was a lot of exaggeration and overinterpretation involved.

But now, Steve Rogers was telling them he had seen the future?

"No, I didn't see the future."

"I only saw fragments."

"And the source was this Cosmic Cube."

Steve Rogers, following Ronan's instructions, shifted the blame to the Cosmic Cube.

If Hydra could use the Mind Scepter to create two mutants, then the Cosmic Cube predicting the future wasn't far-fetched.

After all, they didn't know what the Cosmic Cube really was.

According to Ronan, if they wanted to spread this information without anyone noticing, the best way was to let Hydra know.

At the very least, Hydra needed to know that the Cosmic Cube was in the hands of the Avengers.

The more people who knew, the higher the secrecy level, and eventually, the lie would become the truth.

Of course, Steve Rogers didn't know this last part.

"Phew..."

"Although I don't believe anyone can see the so-called future..."

"If it's you saying it, Captain, then I'll believe it."

Hawkeye exhaled softly. He trusted Steve Rogers' character.

At the very least, he had no reason to lie about this.

"So, what do we need to do now?"

"Hide the Cosmic Cube and prepare for battle, waiting for the alien to arrive?"

Black Widow continued to ask.

"The Cosmic Cube must be hidden, and we must prepare for battle."

"You could say that the Avengers' mission now is to protect the Cosmic Cube."

"Even if it costs us our lives!"

Steve Rogers' expression was deadly serious. He had made up his mind.

As a soldier who had fought on the battlefield for so long, he understood what this meant.

Just as Ronan had told him.

This could cost him his life.

But Steve Rogers felt that if he died protecting Earth, it would be a worthy end.

Perhaps the reason he hadn't died in the glacier back then was so he could wait for this day.

"The reason I'm telling you all this isn't to force you to join me."

"Because you know, and I know, that if we really have to protect this thing, there's a high chance we'll lose our lives."

"So, if anyone doesn't want to participate, you can leave now."

"Because what comes next involves highly classified information."

Steve Rogers looked at the three people in the room.

These three were the strongest fighters in the Avengers.

While the others were carefully selected, most could only handle peripheral tasks.

When it came to real combat, it would depend on these three.

"Captain, you're being a bit redundant."

"Back on that ship, we were as good as dead."

Falcon was the first to speak up.

He hadn't joined the Avengers for the name.

He wanted to fight alongside Steve Rogers.

"I'm the same. You know, Captain, I'm a lone wolf. I don't have much to worry about."

Black Widow shrugged and looked at Hawkeye.

She knew that among them, only Hawkeye had a family, even children.

But these were things outsiders didn't know.

"Don't look at me. I was a soldier before, and I still am."

Hawkeye shook his head. If he had wanted to retire, he would have done so after S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded.

But he hadn't chosen that path.

Looking at his three teammates, Steve Rogers smiled.

It was because of them that he felt confident in accomplishing this task!

He took a deep breath and hid his smile again.

"Alright, since everyone agrees, I hope you can keep what comes next confidential."

"Because this matter involves a very important plan!"

...

Hydra.

In an underground base, Baron Strucker, with a monocle over his right eye, was contentedly watching a monitor.

On the screen, a man and a woman were performing bizarre actions in a cell.

The man moved at an impossible speed within the cell, occasionally crashing into the walls and being forced to stop.

As for the woman, she sat quietly in her cell, playing with a toy.

Strangely, her hands didn't touch the toy, yet it floated within the range of her hands.

Both scenes were beyond normal comprehension.

"Baron."

At that moment, a voice interrupted Baron Strucker.

"Dr. List, are the experiment results ready?"

Baron Strucker didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on the monitor.

These were his two most prized creations.

Without a doubt!

"The experiment results are in. All subjects injected with the blood of these two individuals died without exception."

"And the manner of death was bizarre."

"Those injected with Pietro's blood aged rapidly within minutes, their cells deteriorating until they died."

"Those injected with Wanda's blood stopped breathing immediately after the injection."

"We didn't even have time to determine the cause of death."

Dr. List reported the experiment results.

Baron Strucker showed no surprise at the outcome.

They had seen this many times before.

"What about the new batch of enhanced individuals? Any results?"

Baron Strucker asked about another matter.

"Most of them failed."

Dr. List paused deliberately here.

Hearing this, the previously calm Baron Strucker suddenly turned around.

"What do you mean, most of them failed?"

He pressed.

"One of them didn't die. He survived."

"But he's like a mindless idiot."

"Only... only..."

At this point, Dr. List seemed unable to continue.

"Only what?"

Baron Strucker grabbed Dr. List by the collar.

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Only when he sees a person does his gaze follow them."

"It seems like he... craves humans."

Dr. List didn't know how to explain it, but that was the truth.

Only when he saw humans would the idiot stop muttering to himself and look up.

His eyes would follow the researchers the entire time.

"He craves humans?"

Baron Strucker released Dr. List's collar and turned back to the monitor, deep in thought.

Dr. List didn't dare say more, silently listening.

After a long while, Baron Strucker finally spoke.

"If he's interested in humans, then give him a human!"

"I want to see what abilities he has!"

Dr. List left to carry out the order. In this base, Baron Strucker's words were as good as God's.

If he wanted something, it would be done.

Especially when it came to a few human lives.

Baron Strucker looked up and focused on the monitor again.

"Captain America, Bruce Banner, Iron Man..."

"And the most mysterious one of all, the Supreme One."

"What will you do when you encounter my creations?"