Pym Particles, Tour

At S.W.O.R.D., Hank Pym and Hope were escorted into an office by agents. Peggy Carter and the bald Darren Cross were waiting for them.

Upon seeing Carter, Dr. Pym raised his cuffed hands and sneered, "Ms. Carter, you’re certainly putting on quite a show."

"Hardly a show, but at least I’m innocent. Unlike you, who turned yourself into a criminal."

Carter gestured for the agents to remove the handcuffs from the Pyms, then scolded, "Being a criminal yourself wasn’t enough, so you dragged your daughter into it too? What kind of father are you?"

Dr. Pym snapped, "Wasn’t it because you stole my Pym Particles?"

"Teacher, the idea did come from you, but I conducted my research independently. I didn’t steal your data."

Darren said unhappily, "Just because you developed it doesn’t mean no one else is allowed to research it, does it?"

Dr. Pym stubbornly said, "My Pym Particles cannot be used to aid evil and abet wrongdoing."

"You’re the one aiding evil, aren’t you?"

Carter cursed without restraint, "You actually helped someone harm the child in Pepper’s womb. Hank Pym, you used to be just a bastard, but now you’re disgusting human trash."

"Harm the child in Pepper’s womb?"

Dr. Pym asked in astonishment, "What are you talking about? I only helped those Holy Light Warriors steal things from the church."

Hope hurriedly said, "Aunt Carter, we really didn’t know about that."

"I hope so."

Carter snorted and said, "Hank, I’ve run out of patience with you. You have two choices. First, you and Darren establish a company together and jointly manage the Pym Particles. The formula doesn’t need to be made public, but a copy must be filed with Steve.

"You should trust Steve’s character. I’m not trying to take your Pym Particles, but this is a treasure of humanity. It cannot be lost."

"Establish a company?"

Dr. Pym froze, then said, "Darren, you didn’t develop the Pym Particles, did you?"

Darren sighed. "I’m confident I could develop them within two years, but Blood God doesn’t want to wait that long."

Dr. Pym’s expression turned ugly beyond measure. "So this was a trap from beginning to end? A trap to lure me in?"

"You could say that. Also, while I didn’t design this trap, I didn’t oppose it either."

Carter did not deny it. "Because they merely moved the timetable up. Two years from now, you would have done the same thing anyway."

Dr. Pym said resentfully, "What if I refuse your terms?"

"Then you go to prison. As for your Pym Particles, we’ll confiscate them on the grounds that they endanger human security."

Carter said coldly, "Hank, we’ve already been more than sincere. If it had been another organization, they would have dealt with you under the table long ago."

"Just as expected of the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ruthless and decisive."

Dr. Pym snorted. He knew he had fallen completely this time. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I can agree, but I have one condition. Fire that bastard Scott Lang. I want him to go back to being a thief who can barely survive."

"Dad."

Hope cried out in shock. Dr. Pym cursed, "He’s a bastard."

"Sorry, but S.W.O.R.D. is not S.H.I.E.L.D. We will not sacrifice our own people for a deal."

Carter flatly refused. "Also, Scott Lang will become a Super Hero of S.W.O.R.D. and the spokesperson for the new company."

Dr. Pym said with a thoroughly displeased expression, "So not only will he escape punishment, he’ll also rise to the top of the world?"

Carter said, "Yes. Whether you agree or not."

"That kid got off easy."

Dr. Pym cursed, then said, "I agree to your terms, but you must support me in building a Quantum Tunnel. Also, Hope must be the chairwoman of the new company."

Carter was somewhat surprised. "I thought you would refuse."

Dr. Pym said with a cold face, "If you agreed to my conditions, I definitely would refuse, because that would mean you’re no different from the old S.H.I.E.L.D."

Carter finally smiled a little. "S.W.O.R.D. is certainly not S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Hope will be the chairwoman of the new company, and I’ll be the president."

Darren said, "Teacher, you are far inferior to me when it comes to business. You’ll handle production and oversight, while I handle sales."

Dr. Pym looked at Darren and said, "Darren, you’re a lot like me, but you’re more extreme than I am. And you have no feelings."

"I know you’ve always thought I was morally corrupt."

Darren smiled. "But so what? I won’t be stupid enough to betray Blood God, and I certainly won’t be stupid enough to give up being a super-rich tycoon."

"I hope so."

Dr. Pym sighed. With that, the Pym Particles officially fell into Wang Bert’s hands. All sorts of related development could begin immediately, and the strength of both the Blood God Group and S.W.O.R.D. would greatly increase.

The next day, at Hydra’s Sokovia base.

Baron Strucker personally received the Candidate and the Grand Elder. He smiled and said, "You are about to see Hydra’s army. An army beyond your imagination."

The Candidate said critically, "Stronger than America’s Cosmic Squad?"

"What is the Cosmic Squad compared to my army?"

Baron Strucker laughed loudly and led the Candidate, the Grand Elder, Viper, and a short Black man to the second underground level. More than a thousand soldiers in Hydra uniforms stood there in neat formation, waiting for them.

These soldiers looked imposing, but the Grand Elder secretly frowned. The hostility around them was heavy. They did not look like good people.

"Huh, isn’t that Peacemaker?"

The Candidate looked at the captain standing at the front and asked in surprise, "Weren’t you captured by S.W.O.R.D.?"

That captain was none other than Peacemaker’s pilot, former S.H.I.E.L.D. assault team captain Rumlow. He had been captured during the battle against Hydra and later supposedly died suddenly in prison. No one could have imagined that he would be here.

Rumlow grinned and said with a hint of savagery, "You can call me Crossbones. S.W.O.R.D. can’t hold Hydra."

"Piri."

Facing the Candidate’s puzzled gaze, Baron Strucker nodded to the short Black man following them.

It was worth mentioning that the reason the Candidate had been able to instantly travel from the New York office to the Hydra base was this short Black man.

"Yes, Baron."

Without wasting words, Piri’s body quickly stretched and thinned, becoming like an enormous sheet of cloth.

Then, the cloth turned transparent, revealing a prison cell on the other side. When the prisoner inside saw the suddenly appearing curtain of light, he immediately rose and saluted, whispering, "Hail Hydra."

Baron Strucker gestured to Viper. Viper gently blew a breath toward the other side, and the Hydra prisoner immediately collapsed to the ground, no longer breathing.

"Your breath is way too bad, isn’t it?"

The Candidate jumped in fright and quickly moved farther away from Viper. Everyone looked at him speechlessly. Anyone with half a brain knew it was poison gas. What did it have to do with bad breath? "He has entered a state of suspended death. Even S.W.O.R.D. won’t be able to detect it."

Baron Strucker pretended not to hear the Candidate’s nonsense and explained, "According to S.W.O.R.D.’s rules, he’ll be sent to a crematorium for incineration. We bribed several people at the crematorium to switch him out, allowing us to rescue him without anyone noticing.

"Those people at S.W.O.R.D. think Rumlow is dead, but they do not know that he is now one of Hydra’s captains."

After saying that, Baron Strucker waved his hand. Piri returned to normal and stood quietly to one side.

"So that’s how it is."

The Candidate suddenly understood. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Baron Strucker, although you have quite a few people, they can’t deal with Super Heroes, can they?"

Baron Strucker smiled proudly. "They are not ordinary people. They are all Inhumans, and every one of them has special abilities. Crossbones."

Upon hearing Baron Strucker’s command, Rumlow immediately let out a roar. His body rapidly expanded, transforming into a small metallic giant. Then, in a heavy metallic voice, he shouted, "One day, I will personally twist Steve’s head off."

"Over a thousand Inhumans?"

The Candidate was stunned. Even the Grand Elder was taken aback. No wonder her master had sent her to investigate. Hydra had truly grown into a major force.

"Not just that. This is only the finest batch. Mr. Candidate, Grand Elder, Hydra has already mastered the ability to create Inhumans. We can have as many Inhumans as we want."

Baron Strucker laughed loudly. "No matter how powerful the Super Heroes are, there are only a few dozen of them. How could they possibly stop my Inhuman army?"

"They definitely can’t."

The Candidate grew somewhat excited. He asked, "Baron Strucker, can you defeat Blood God? He isn’t someone numbers alone can handle."

"We have a special trump card specifically for Blood God. You can rest assured."

Baron Strucker said confidently, "Mr. Candidate, some of these Inhumans can control computers, while others can control humans. With our help, becoming president will be as easy as turning your hand over."

"President?"

The Candidate could not help swallowing. If Baron Strucker was not lying, then he really had a chance to become president.

The Grand Elder suddenly asked, "If he becomes president through cheating, won’t those Super Heroes refuse to let it go?"

"Of course they won’t, but what does that matter? We aren’t afraid of them."

Baron Strucker said, "Besides, once he wins the election, righteousness will be on our side. Those members of the military’s Radical Faction have long been dissatisfied with Blood God and President Ellis."

"I don’t know anyone in the military."

The Candidate hesitated a little. "They might not support me."

"They will."

Baron Strucker clapped his hands, and an energetic old man radiating an iron-blooded aura walked over. When the Candidate saw him, he exclaimed, "General Ross."

That was right. The newcomer was General Ross. Without wasting words, he said directly, "Once you become president, I will persuade the Radical Faction to stand by your side. It’s ridiculous that America has to ask a Vampire for protection. That is the disgrace of every soldier."

"That’s wonderful."

The Candidate beamed. Then he thought of something and asked, "Wait, why haven’t I heard news of your death? With your terrible reputation, plenty of people would surely applaud if you died."

Everyone was speechless once again. How had this guy survived until now without being beaten to death? Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. It’s better that he’s an idiot—easier to control. Baron Strucker silently consoled himself.

"I’m not dead. An Inhuman is serving my sentence for me."

General Ross clenched his fist, which suddenly turned red and began to emit steam. With a savage expression, he said, "Blood God, and Bruce Banner too—I will make them pay. Everything they did to me, I will return a thousandfold."

"Looks like you’ve mutated too, General Ross. Once I become president, you’ll be my Secretary of State."

The Candidate suddenly felt that his future was bright. He laughed loudly. "No one understands Hydra better than I do, Baron Strucker. We will be the best partners."

Baron Strucker looked at the candidate with a smile. "No, future president. We are on the same side."

The Candidate froze, then understood. He hesitated slightly before shouting, "Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra."

Baron Strucker laughed loudly. With General Ross, the future president, and an Inhuman army, who could possibly stop Hydra? Viper glanced mockingly at Baron Strucker and the Candidate, then sent a thought toward the Mind Scepter in the treasure room. "Is there something wrong with that Grand Elder? I always feel she’s strange."

"You are a follower of an Evil God, while she is an angel elder. It is only natural that you feel uncomfortable around her."

Supergiant’s voice rang in Viper’s mind. "She is protected by holy light, and her will is firm, so I cannot probe her mind. However, judging by what they have done, there should be no problem."

"The issue is, aren’t angels and devils on the same side?"

Viper asked. This was why she remained suspicious of the Grand Elder.

"I don’t know about that either, but it doesn’t matter. We’re only using her anyway."

Supergiant said.

"That’s true."

Viper nodded. In fact, she was Supergiant’s true collaborator, which was why she had surrendered to Baron Strucker.

"Once the war begins, there will surely be a great many souls. My God, I will sacrifice countless souls to you."

Viper stroked the ring transformed from the Serpent Crown on her hand, a fanatical gleam flashing through her eyes. What was some grand ambition compared to a god’s favor? Ambition would one day come to nothing, but a god could grant eternal life, even the power to destroy heaven and earth.

Supergiant sensed the Serpent Crown ring on Viper’s hand, and her eyes flickered. This ring was the reason she had chosen to cooperate with Viper.

Viper herself was unimportant. What mattered was the god she worshipped.

Setting that aside, after the Candidate joined Hydra, Baron Strucker became increasingly enthusiastic toward him, taking him around to many places, such as the Energy Weapon Room and the Intelligence Room.

However, Baron Strucker certainly would not tell the Candidate about core secrets such as the Kree, the Supreme Intelligence, the Mind Scepter, and Hydra corpses.

Even so, the Candidate was deeply shocked. Hydra was far stronger than he had imagined.

There must be more than this. I need to keep investigating.

The Grand Elder’s eyes flickered. She did not immediately send what she had seen to Wang Bert, because she was worried the Mind Scepter would discover it. She would contact her master once she had a chance to get out.

"Baron Strucker, what should we do next? I can’t wait to become president."

The Candidate was clearly getting carried away. He said, "I will become the greatest president in American history. Mount Rushmore will definitely have my face on it."

"Not definitely. It will have only your face."

Baron Strucker smiled and said, "Next, you must continue speaking the truth—the truth about gods, angels, devils, and Blood God. Tell them everything."

Remembering the humiliation he had suffered that night, the Candidate’s expression darkened. "Those idiots won’t believe it."