"JARVIS, let him in."
Hermione was a little puzzled. She had no idea why he had come to see her at this hour.
The elevator doors opened, and Sitwell walked in with an ingratiating smile.
"Good evening, Miss Wizard."
Hermione gave a slight nod.
"Sitwell, what can I do for you?"
Sitwell glanced at Tony and Pepper, hesitating to speak.
Tony saw through him immediately and curled his lip in disdain.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is always pulling this cloak-and-dagger stuff."
Pepper gently tugged Tony's sleeve and shook her head.
"Tony, let's go. Don't interrupt little Hermione's business."
Tony reluctantly let her pull him out of the room.
Only Sitwell and Hermione remained, but he still said nothing. He looked around, his expression uncertain.
Well, well, quite the cautious one... Hermione immediately understood his concern. He was afraid of being overheard.
"Salvio Hexia."
With a gentle flick of her wand, an invisible barrier instantly enveloped them, sealing them off from the surrounding space.
Only then did Sitwell breathe a sigh of relief and look at Hermione.
"Miss Wizard, I came today because there are some things I want to tell you."
"Do you know... about Hydra?"
He lowered his voice and asked cautiously.
...Huh?
Hermione was a little surprised.
What was this little bald guy up to?
Sitwell took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
"Hydra is a secret organization with a long history. They've been hiding within S.H.I.E.L.D., waiting for their chance to act."
"They've completely infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., and I'm one of them."
"Their leader is Alexander Pierce. Hydra was behind the last attack on you."
He said it all in one breath, watching Hermione's reaction nervously.
A look of surprise finally appeared on Hermione's face.
It wasn't because of what the little bald guy had said, but because of what