You'd Better Not Do That

After listening to Gideon Malick's account, Richard finally learned just how much trouble Hydra had stirred up lately.

Hydra had never truly been unified since the end of World War II. It sounded like a large organization with a clear goal, but that was not the case at all. The various leaders never communicated with one another and had always minded their own business. As long as no one caused a disaster that endangered their shared interests, no one generally meddled in anyone else's affairs.

It was a delicate balance. Each person controlled their own faction and kept the others in check, because everyone knew the others possessed enough strength and trump cards to serve as deterrents. Put simply, it was all a matter of power. Each side had the strength to intimidate the rest, which was why they could coexist peacefully.

Until recently, Baron Strucker had been considered the leading figure among the major leaders. As an old German who had survived since World War II, he had the most men, the most guns, and a large number of superpowered individuals hidden away. He was a major player none of the other leaders could afford to provoke.

But precisely because of his overwhelming strength, Baron Strucker had always carried a natural air of superiority when dealing with the other leaders, as though he stood above everyone else and they all had to obey his orders.

Out of consideration for his strength and seniority, the other Hydra leaders had not wanted to fall out with him over minor matters. So whenever they could endure it, they did.

But enduring it did not mean the other leaders had forgotten their grudges. They remembered every advantage Baron Strucker had taken and every benefit he had claimed over the years. Now that he