"You were looking for me, weren't you?" the Leader said calmly, his arms crossed behind his back.
In the dim light of the moon filtering through the forest canopy, the Hydra soldiers couldn't make out his figure clearly. Only one thing stood out – his head seemed abnormally large.
Perhaps he was wearing a helmet?
The Leader slowly approached, glancing at the red dots of the laser sights aimed at him.
"And another thing: I don't like it when people point their weapons at me."
Immediately after these words, several swift silhouettes slipped out of the shadows. The Hydra soldiers didn't even have time to see them – they only heard a sharp whistle cutting through the air. But they had no time to comprehend what happened, because at that moment, each of them felt sharp claws at their throats, ready to sink into their flesh. Cold sweat trickled down their foreheads from fear, and goosebumps ran down their spines from the raspy breathing of the predators right next to their ears.
The soldiers simultaneously lowered their rifles.
"Good," the Leader said with satisfaction and clapped his hands. The creatures holding them with their claws released their prey and silently disappeared into the undergrowth. The soldiers sighed in relief, feeling the mortal threat recede.
The Leader looked at them and continued, "Now take me to your boss."
The soldiers, barely catching their breath, exchanged glances, although their night vision goggles prevented them from seeing each other's faces. But their gestures were eloquent: they understood that the man before them was the one they were looking for. His strangely enlarged head matched the description they received from General Ross. Deciding not to argue with him, they agreed and began preparing to carry out his order – it was part of their original task.
"Whoosh!"
A loud rustling sound broke the silence of the forest: something large stirred in the foliage above their heads. The sound resembled the movement of a huge animal, and the terrified soldiers nervously raised their weapons again. Recent events had instilled in them a fear bordering on panic.
The Leader, noticing their nervousness, smiled with satisfaction and ordered them to move on. After receiving all the necessary information from the Hydra subordinate, he decided that this unexpected alliance would be a beneficial solution. Using Hydra's resources, he could accumulate enough power to take revenge on his enemy – the Storm Swordsman.
His enemy possessed not only advanced technology but also mental abilities surpassing even his own. Therefore, to achieve his goals – revenge and obtaining the Hulk's power – he decided to use Hydra. He needed their resources and support for further experiments.
General Ross had provided him with everything he wanted, particularly data on the super-soldier program, but now Ross had lost his value. Hydra was a much more attractive ally, and the Leader mused that with his mental abilities, he might even be able to subjugate this powerful organization in the future.
The Hydra squad captain took his radio and gave a detailed report to command: a description of the target, the Leader's demands, and a mention of the mysterious creatures they hadn't been able to properly see. Receiving orders, he led his men, escorting the target to the designated meeting point, while mysterious green-eyed creatures stalked them in the shadows.
...
After the Leader's escape, Noah, of course, had no information about what happened next. At this time, he and Gwen had just returned through the portal. They spent the night in China, but due to the time difference, it was still night in America. However, since they had both already slept, they weren't tired.
Gwen was going to return to her room to continue studying the magic books Noah had given her earlier. She was most interested in the portal spell he used. If she mastered this spell, she could travel anywhere in the world at any time.
"Noah, I'm going to read! See you tomorrow!" Gwen said cheerfully, leaving for her room.
Noah watched her go with a smile, feeling a sense of pride, as if his child had finally started taking their studies seriously.
Realizing this, he understood he had a lot to do. First of all, he needed to finish reading the ancient books he brought from Kamar-Taj. So far, he had only managed to read one book on portal magic, and even that not completely. He also had to improve his estate, transforming it into a place saturated with magical energy – an ideal training area, an idea that had recently come to him in Tibet.
His plan for the rest of the night was ready, but before that, he had one more thing to do. Opening a portal to his island, he decided to check on Bruce Banner's progress. He had previously convinced him to rest, so he must be awake by now.
When he stepped out of the portal, he immediately saw Banner working in the laboratory. The portal opened directly into the lab, and Bruce, hearing him, turned around.
"Dr. Banner, good evening," Noah greeted him.
"Hi, Lee," Bruce replied with a smile.
Thanks to advanced technology, the laboratory was always brightly lit and maintained a comfortable temperature. Noah approached, glancing at the work Banner was engaged in – upgrading the gamma detector.
"How's the gamma detector upgrade coming along?"
"Not bad. Last time, I did everything in a hurry, so now I have the opportunity to refine many details. When I'm finished, the device will be able to scan more accurately and over longer distances," Bruce spoke enthusiastically, noticeably engrossed in his work.
"If you helped me with the research, we'd be done much faster," he added.
"Um... I'm afraid I don't have time right now. I also have important matters to attend to. But as soon as I'm free, I'll definitely join your research," Noah replied. He had come only to check on the progress and was about to return to his own affairs – reading books and improving the magical atmosphere in his mansion.
"Alright, but hurry up. By the time you come, I might be finished already," Bruce replied with a smile and immersed himself in his work again.
"Okay, see you then."
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