Otherworldly Visitor

Riding the elevator, Red Skull stared expressionlessly at his reflection in the wall.

The underground levels beneath the former White House had long since been transformed by Hydra into a massive subterranean base, twenty floors deep.

The top three floors were dedicated to security. Hydra’s elite personnel were stationed there, and all manner of advanced Hydra weaponry could be seen everywhere. Fully armed Hydra soldiers patrolled around the clock, while also handling network surveillance and monitoring developments across the world.

Below that were floors dedicated to research. They contained not only all kinds of genetic studies, but also laboratories researching alien technology. The scholars captured by Hydra were held under house arrest there, developing powerful weapons and human enhancements for them.

Genetic enhancement and human modification—perhaps because of his nemesis, Captain America—even after so many years had passed since that battle, Red Skull remained obsessed with the power possessed by those heroes.

To that end, he had collected the legacies of most superheroes and summoned scientists from nearly all over the world, hoping they could find the key to inheriting those superheroes’ powers.

And to ensure those people under him harbored no disloyal thoughts, Red Skull had not only placed trusted subordinates in charge of every floor, but had also kidnapped the families of most of the scholars.

In the past, whenever Red Skull felt the emptiness in his heart, he would come here for a walk. It was not merely to urge the scholars to crack the secrets of the superheroes’ legacies sooner, but also to relive the good old days.

Whenever he saw the equipment of the Avengers, X-Men, or Fantastic Four, Red Skull felt as though those old enemies were standing before him again, hurling insults at him. But in the end, the image would slowly shift to their miserable state before death.

Ordinary people could never understand such an experience. Perhaps only someone on Red Skull’s level could feel that thoroughly satisfying comfort from it.

However.

Red Skull had not come here today to reminisce.

With his hands clasped behind his back, his fingers continuously rubbed against the bat belt. That small gesture revealed how unsettled he was. In fact, he had not experienced such excitement in decades.

Ding—

The elevator slowly came to a stop with a crisp chime, pulling Red Skull’s wandering thoughts back to reality.

After steadying himself, the elevator doors opened. Red Skull looked at the pitch-black corridor, his eyes burning with fervor, though he quickly suppressed those emotions.

Red Skull adjusted his collar, his expression returning to its calm, unruffled state. Then he strode out of the elevator.

This floor belonged to Red Skull alone. In the eyes of most other Hydra members, this floor did not exist—or rather, they were not qualified to know of its existence.

The corridor was silent. Other than the emergency lights, there was no source of illumination. Red Skull moved through it with practiced ease, evidently knowing every inch of the place like the back of his hand.

This was a place built specifically by Red Skull, and the only way to enter was through the elevator that only he could use.

Blue light suddenly emerged from the wall. Soon, a human face appeared before Red Skull.

"Password."

The face was expressionless.

"Under the sun."

Red Skull answered unhurriedly.

The moment his words fell, the face’s mechanical expression instantly became somewhat more human. It looked at Red Skull respectfully, its tone even carrying a hint of eagerness. "Welcome, esteemed Fuhrer."

"Mm. Take me to see my Consultant, Zola."

"As you wish," Arnim Zola replied.

Then the solid wall abruptly slid open, revealing a hidden passage at its center. Red Skull walked straight inside.

He paid no attention to Arnim Zola, not even sparing him another glance. It was no wonder. Though Red Skull called him "Zola," the real Dr. Zola had died long ago. What remained here was merely an artificial intelligence developed from Dr. Zola’s thought patterns.

In a sense, it could be considered Dr. Zola’s incarnation, or perhaps his reborn form. But Red Skull did not care. To him, it was simply a highly useful tool.

And to make that tool even more useful, Red Skull had restricted Arnim Zola’s autonomous learning module, ensuring that this artificial intelligence had no ideas of its own, much less any true thoughts. It had become a perfect tool loyal only to Red Skull.

After entering the dark passageway, Red Skull soon came upon a small room enclosed by sturdy alloy bars.

Inside the room was a man bound to an alloy pillar. His entire body was tightly restrained. Other than his head, which he could still move, none of his limbs could move at all. Beside him stood a robot specifically assigned to monitor and care for him.

Sensing someone’s arrival, the man slowly raised his head. In his field of vision, a burly man gradually emerged from the shadows. His gaze fixed on that scarlet, demon-like face, and he recognized the man’s identity.

Red Skull stopped before the bars. Though it was dark here, he could still see the man’s resolute eyes through his long bangs.

"Long time no see, otherworlder."

Red Skull greeted him, but the atmosphere remained utterly silent. He received no response, making it seem as though he were talking to himself.

"Still refusing to speak?" A trace of mockery appeared in Red Skull’s eyes. "You should be grateful for your origins. If you did not come from another universe, you would already be dead—or worse than dead."

Red Skull had discovered this man by accident. Hydra researchers had confirmed that they had found matter from another universe, matter completely different from anything in this universe. That led Red Skull to suspect that someone from another universe had seemingly arrived here.

After confirming this possibility, Red Skull secretly mobilized many people to gather information about otherworldly visitors across the globe. However, he did not publicize the news. Instead, he cautiously dispatched his trusted subordinates to handle it.

And hard work paid off. The man before him was Red Skull’s prize.

"To be honest, you remind me of quite a few old friends. Like you, they possessed wills of steel. And that only makes me more curious about what the other world is like.

"You should understand that if I did not want to damage your brain and the things stored in your memories, I could easily brainwash you into my finest agent. So I advise you to recognize the situation.

"I traded three laboratories’ worth of equipment and more than twenty geneticists to Connors for you. I did not do that to keep a mute bride. So—

"Say something."