Chapter 25

Nick Fury finally sighed, abandoning the idea of competing with Tony for the spaceship. Circumstances were indeed stronger than him. The pistol he had been carrying had now passed into Kurohane's hands. Fighting Tony in his Iron Man suit empty-handed? I'm not Captain America with super-soldier serum, nor am I a big green guy like the Hulk, so forget it! he thought resignedly.

Tony took the flying device and immediately sped off. Kurohane then said goodbye to Nick Fury just in time. "I'm not a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent anymore, so you'll have to do the alien hunting duty." He glanced back, a faint smirk on his lips. "If you find any trace of that alien, don't forget to call me!"

"Where are you going?!" Nick looked at Kurohane, who was constantly checking his clothes, feeling utterly baffled. "You don't have a penny, nor a phone. What can you do?"

"That's a secret. Traitors of the world aren't worthy of knowing it!" Kurohane turned, leaving Nick Fury with a parting gaze that felt deeply dramatic.

Fortunately, Kurohane's luck was always with him. While walking down the street, he met a kind-hearted black man who was handing out money while carrying a weapon. The man not only gave him a US military heirloom 1911 from World War II but also a phone, which Kurohane obtained for free. Kurohane thought for a moment, then dialed a number he hadn't touched in a long time.

Ten minutes later, a van with all its windows covered in black privacy film stopped in front of Kurohane. The car door opened, revealing the face of the person Kurohane least wanted to see right now: Brock Rumlow, nicknamed Crossbones, Captain America's archenemy in the comics. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was the Captain of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Special Rapid Response Team and also a Hydra spy!

"Kurohane! Long time no see, get in the car," Crossbones, dressed in a tight and neat combat suit, smiled and waved at Kurohane.

Kurohane shook his head resignedly, then got into the black van. "Rumlow, we all know each other. I know the rules." He sighed. "I won't resist. Can you be gentler with me later?"

"Of course!" Crossbones nodded contentedly. He was very pleased with Kurohane's current resignation. He took a black cloth bag from his pocket, placed it over Kurohane's head, then struck the back of his neck with a swift and precise hand chop!

Kurohane was indeed the toughest person in S.H.I.E.L.D. He passed out without the slightest groan! This was why Kurohane believed that S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't defeat Hydra. Even a genuine Hydra agent like himself had to be knocked out just to return to Hydra's secret base. Meanwhile, almost all of Nick Fury's secret bases had been discovered by Hydra. If they could win like this, it made no sense!

After who knows how long, the black cloth bag on Kurohane's head was removed. Kurohane found himself tightly bound to a metal chair, even his feet securely locked. The dazzling white light made Kurohane dizzy. Although he had a huge cheat like Super Vision, Kurohane now chose to deactivate that ability. Otherwise, some instinctive reactions couldn't be faked!

"Kurohane, 38th class member of the Hydra Undercover Training Program, once infiltrated Nick Fury's side." A deep, authoritative voice began. "But resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. a month ago, reportedly to join a secret plan. And also used my name. Furthermore, in Hell's Kitchen, he became Batman to fight crime. Not long ago, he had a fierce fight with Obadiah on the rooftop of Stark Tower and then disappeared. Just an hour ago, we received contact from Agent Kurohane. Is that true?"

Kurohane tried to open his eyes and found that the person standing in front of him was Secretary Alexander Pierce. Small clips were attached to his fingers, and his chest was also covered with several electrode pads. That familiar feeling returned again. The Lie Detector was Hydra's most advanced technology! He licked his slightly dry lips, frowning as he looked at the old man in front of him. "You are absolutely right, but I'm a bit thirsty. Can I have a glass of water?"

Alexander dropped the folder in his hand and took out a phone from his pocket. "Agent Kurohane, is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"My resignation was to join a plan called 'Avengers.' This plan is run by Nick Fury." Kurohane spoke with a flat yet clear intonation. "Its purpose is to gather superheroes like Captain America to face the upcoming alien invasion war..."

Kurohane had just uttered two sentences when Alexander interrupted him. "Alien invasion war? What nonsense are you talking about?"

"That's the second thing I was about to say. I just got off a battleship," Kurohane continued, seemingly unperturbed. "Because of the battle with Obadiah, I was severely injured. As an Avengers member who had long been monitored by Nick Fury, he took me into space..." He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in. "Can I have a glass of water now?"

Kurohane recounted everything he saw on the Skrull battleship, only concealing Tony's presence. Apart from that, he even talked about the grudges and complicated relationship between the Kree and the Skrulls! Alexander turned to look at the Hydra member sitting in front of the lie detector and found that Kurohane was not lying. He nodded with satisfaction and told Crossbones to release Kurohane from the chair. Crossbones was very pleased with Kurohane's performance and kindly gave Kurohane a bottle of mineral water.

"So, everything you did in Hell's Kitchen after resigning from S.H.I.E.L.D. was just to show off your marksmanship?" Alexander asked, his tone probing.

"It wasn't just about marksmanship, but more importantly, showing Nick Fury my righteous heart!" Kurohane replied, drinking the water down. "By demonstrating absolute righteousness, I was able to become Nick's bodyguard. This will make them remember the super soldier from World War II!" Kurohane said very seriously to Secretary Alexander. "Sir, I think there must be someone from Hydra in this 'Avengers' organization!" He looked at Pierce with full conviction. "If you feel I'm not trustworthy enough, you can always let Rumlow try it. I don't mind. Hail Hydra!!!"

Kurohane's performance was flawless, because even when he said this, the lie detector electrodes were still connected to him, and the lie detector showed that Kurohane truly thought this way! Alexander patted Kurohane's shoulder with great satisfaction and kindly helped him remove the electrodes from his body.

"You're very good, but I'm not entirely satisfied with your performance. As a superhero," Alexander began, "you can't just have strong marksmanship. You also need to improve your close-combat abilities!"

"Close combat?!" Kurohane looked at his superior in confusion. Why was someone like him, a long-range supporter, being asked to learn close combat?

"Yes, close combat. Because of your excellent performance recently," Alexander smiled faintly. "I'm giving you a big gift. I've found you the strongest combat instructor!" He clapped his hands. The door behind Kurohane opened, revealing a silvery-white left arm!

Kurohane: (Eyes wide, heart pounding)

A gift?! This must be a Hell of a joke, right?!

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