Washington, D.C.., on the Potomac River.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters building.
Inside an office without windows.
Alexander Pierce, the Minister of the World Security Council and the current Supreme Leader of Hydra, was staring intently at a communicator in his hand.
At this moment, he was pale and weak, and cold sweat poured down his face.
On the communicator's screen, a short, encrypted message consisting of only a few lines was displayed.
This is intelligence sent back at great risk by Jessica Drew, a high-ranking spy infiltrating Stark Industries, ten minutes ago.
[Mission failed. The entire STRIKE Team was wiped out; not a single member survived.]
[ The Winter Soldier was captured alive, both legs shattered, and imprisoned in the basement of Stark's New York mansion.]
[The target Luca Stark, used a suit that instantly wiped out the entire enemy force.]
[Note: The target himself admitted that the combat suit was a disposable item and is currently unusable. The target is still in a weakened state. Please provide instructions for the next step.]
"Bang!"
Pierce's hands trembled, and the communicator fell directly onto the table.
For some reason, he felt that even breathing had become incredibly difficult.
Moreover, the entire army was wiped out?!
Keep in mind that Crossbones leads the STRIKE Special Team!
This is a top-tier tactical team that Hydra has hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D..!
Not to mention, the team also includes one of Hydra's top assassination weapons— the Winter Soldier!
With such a lineup, they could easily assassinate the president of a small country.
And the result?
Compared to Luca Stark, they were nothing but clay chickens and earthenware dogs.
Not only did they have no chance to escape, but they were also completely wiped out.
"Monster... damn monster..."
Pierce clutched his head in his hands, muttering to himself in anguish.
The Winter Soldier has been captured alive! That's the most devastating part!
The Winter Soldier was not only Hydra's super weapon, but also the direct executor of the 1991 assassination of Howard Stark and his wife.
If Luca Stark could pry any information out of the Winter Soldier, or trace it back to Hydra...
Then, Hydra's decades-long infiltration plan will be completely destroyed!
"Mr. Minister."
The hidden door to the office was pushed open, and a secret agent in a suit strode in, his face equally grim.
" Jessica Carter sent an inquiry. She said Luca Stark has run out of tricks, and whether a second wave should be sent immediately to take advantage of his weakness and carry out a second decapitation strike?"
"Decapitation? Behead my ass!"
Pierce suddenly looked up and couldn't help but roar.
"Damn it, are your brains filled with shit?! Do you really believe that cunning bastard has run out of tricks?!"
Pierce was trembling with rage, pointing at the communicator on the table and yelling.
"This is definitely a trap! I'm starting to suspect that Jessica has betrayed us, just to lure us into sending more people to their deaths! Maybe Luca didn't even have a period of weakness; he's just fishing for us!"
Pierce may be an extremist, but he's definitely not stupid.
While suspecting Jessica, he also suspected Luca of having some kind of conspiracy.
"Relay my orders!"
Pierce took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
"Immediately cut off all contact with Jessica! Let her continue to lie low; her identity must not be exposed!"
"From this moment forward, cease all probing actions against Luca Stark and the Justice League! No one is to provoke that madman again!"
"But Minister, the Winter Soldier is still in their hands..." the agent said hesitantly.
"Then let's just pretend he's dead!"
Pierce gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes.
" The Winter Soldier has been thoroughly brainwashed; even if he's captured, he won't divulge anything useful. We have a more deadly problem to deal with now!"
Pierce walked to his desk and turned on another computer.
The screen displayed monitoring data from S.H.I.E.L.D..'s internal network.
"Just in the last few days, that black bastard Nick Fury used the director's authority, bypassed the board of directors, and forcibly accessed the financial statements of the past twenty years and the personnel files of STRIKE Team."
At this point, Pierce's eyes turned dark, filled with murderous intent.
"He's starting to suspect us. Those two bastards, Stark, must have said something to Fury."
Pierce knew that once Fury's paranoia was ignited, it would never be extinguished.
The purge within S.H.I.E.L.D.. is about to begin.
"We can't waste any more energy on Stark. If Fury finds out, we're all finished."
After glancing at the agent, Pierce made the final decision.
"Notify all agents except those involved in Emergence Project that the plan is being moved up. We need to concentrate resources and manpower within S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"Since Fury wants to find the mole, then cut off his head first!"
"Let him see just how many heads Hydra really has."
The next morning.
New York, Manhattan.
In an apartment.
Luca slowly pushed open the apartment door.
After all, there was a cute little witch waiting for him there.
Luca walked in and found the living room empty.
He then walked to the bedroom door and gently pushed it open.
Wanda was fast asleep in bed.
Long, red hair was scattered on the pillow, and a faint blush lingered on her delicate face.
Even in her sleep, the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream.
Hearing the door open, Wanda's long eyelashes fluttered twice, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Upon seeing Luca standing by the bed, Wanda's eyes were initially somewhat dazed, but then she instantly became clear-headed.
As if she had remembered something embarrassing, her cheeks flushed red all the way to her ears.
So she quickly pulled up the blanket, covering herself up completely, leaving only her big, watery eyes showing.
"When... when did you get back?"
Wanda's voice was soft and gentle, perhaps because she had just woken up and was still a little drowsy.
"Just got back not long ago."
Luca smiled and walked to the bedside.
He then lifted a corner of the blanket and sat down.
"What, are you unhappy to see me back?"
"Or would you rather I be like those heartless scumbags who disappear without a trace after they're done?"
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Wanda glared at him, both ashamed and indignant.
He even gave Luca a light tap on the chest.
"You're a total jerk. Countless women are lining up to get into your bed."
Although she said that, Wanda's body betrayed her by moving closer to Luca and gently resting her head on his lap.
Luca reached out and gently stroked her long, soft hair.
"Those women are just playing around. But you're different, little witch."
Luca lowered his head and planted a kiss on Wanda's forehead.
"You are my personal power bank, and also a core member of the Justice League. How could I bear to abandon you?"
Upon hearing this, Wanda smiled sweetly.
very nice.
These are wonderful days.
She closed her eyes, feeling the sense of security that Luca brought her.
"By the way, where's Pietro?"
Luca glanced around and asked casually.
Mentioning Pietro, Wanda rolled her eyes helplessly and sat up in bed.
The blanket slipped down, revealing a large white shirt, the hem of which just covered the top of her thighs.
It's obvious that this outfit belongs to Luca.
With Luca gone, Wanda could only console herself in various ways.
It seemed that this way, Luca would always be by his side.
"Don't mention him. He seems like a completely different person lately."
Wanda sighed, somewhat disappointed.
"He's gone completely mad ever since Captain Steve took him out that night."
"I not only learned how to pick up girls at bars, but also how to strike up a conversation with them."
He didn't even come home last night; he said he was going to discuss the origins of life with a model.
At this point, Wanda puffed out her cheeks angrily.
" Steve is really something! He seems so calm and reliable, yet he's teaching Pietro all that nonsense!"
"Now look at him, Pietro's mouth is full of vulgarities, even street thugs are more cultured than him."
Upon hearing this, Luca couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! You've got the wrong person. Steve is an old-school soldier at heart. Of course, the apprentice he trained is a little rascal."
However, Luca still pinched Wanda's puffed-up cheek.
"But that's good too. Pietro has his own nightlife now, so he won't be following us around like a shadow all the time."
"This is called a man's growth; you should be happy for him."
"I'm not happy at all. He's just an idiot." Wanda pouted.
Luca's gaze followed Wanda's cheek down and landed on her white shirt.
The morning sunlight streamed in, making the shirt appear slightly translucent.
Luca's gaze instantly deepened, and his smile gradually became unrestrained.
Since the light bulb isn't home...
Luca suddenly hugged Wanda and pulled her into his arms.
"Ah!"
Wanda gasped in surprise.
"What... what do you want? It's morning!"
"Of course I want to! What's wrong with this morning? Capitalists can collect interest whenever they want from their apartments."
Luca leaned down and whispered in Wanda's ear.
"Furthermore, since you're wearing my shirt, I must punish you severely."
After saying that, Luca didn't give Wanda a chance to resist and kissed her soft red lips directly.
"Hmm..."
Wanda struggled symbolically for a moment, but quickly softened in the passionate kiss.
Her hands involuntarily climbed onto Luca's neck, responding passionately.
The temperature in the room rose sharply.
The oversized white shirt was ruthlessly ripped off and thrown onto the carpet.
For Luca, morning exercise is just a warm-up.
For Wanda, who had just begun to enjoy the taste of life, Luca's domineering desire for control was a deadly poison.
This led her to repeatedly succumb to the peak, unable to extricate herself.
I don't know how much time passed.
The heavy breathing finally subsided.
Wanda lay limply on Luca's chest, completely exhausted.
"Get some rest, little witch."
Luca kissed Wanda on the forehead, then got out of bed and started getting dressed.
With a thought, the battle suit hidden beneath his skin instantly emerged.
"Once the new base is completed, we'll move there. It has the best training facilities; you can properly develop your Chaos Magic there."
Luca said, adjusting his cuffs.
"I still have some things to take care of at the company today. I need to keep an eye on those messes at the Osborn Group."
Wanda poked half her head out from under the covers and nodded obediently.
"Okay, you go ahead and get busy. I... I'll sleep a little longer."
Luca smiled, turned and walked out of the bedroom.