prevouly in chapter 72
Whitehall sighed, the sound heavy with frustration. He didn't like loose ends. Bakshi, sensing an opening, continued, "I have a scientist downstairs whom I believe has talent that is being wasted. I request the authority to move her up."
Whitehall raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Do you trust her?"
Bakshi bowed slightly, his voice steady. "I am now, but if she proves otherwise, then I hope you two finally meet face to face." There was an unspoken understanding in his words, a thinly veiled threat.
Whitehall considered this for a moment before nodding. His attention was then drawn to the computer screen in front of him, displaying an image of Henry. "Send more people to this alchemist," he ordered, his voice decisive. "Remember, if they aren't with Hydra, then they are a threat."
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Chapter 73
Sunil Bakshi nodded, a determined look on his face as he left the room, the heavy door closing behind him with a dull thud. The sound seemed to echo in the silence that followed, a silence that was filled with the unspoken plans and machinations of Hydra.
-scene change-
Back in his hideout, Henry methodically double-checked the encrypted message he had just sent to S.H.I.E.L.D. It detailed a warning about the fundraising event for the church that recently burned down and the painting that miraculously survived, adorned with alien runes. Henry knew it was a trap, and though he kept his identity anonymous, he ensured the message was thorough enough to catch S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention. They would heed his warning—he had made it too compelling to ignore.
"But for Whitehall to threaten Raina, hmm," Henry muttered as he scanned the map in front of him, marked with the locations of several Hydra bases. He zoomed in on one particular spot, tapping it thoughtfully. "Daniel, Daniel, you are too powerful for me to be comfortable." He cracked his neck, a gesture of both tension and resolve, before finalizing the data packet. This packet contained everything S.H.I.E.L.D. needed: the locations, weak points, entry strategies, personnel numbers—comprehensive intelligence to dismantle the Hydra bases. With a click, he sent the information, leaning back in his chair..
-scene change-
In a familiar large plane docked in an underground hangar, the air was filled with a sense of urgency and anticipation. The sound of footsteps echoed off the metal walls, blending with the distant hum of machinery. In a private office on the plane, Coulson sat at his desk, his gaze fixed on the phone in his hand. The soft light from a desk lamp illuminated his features, casting a thoughtful shadow over his face. Across from him, May stood, her posture rigid and alert.
"So, this anonymous helper gave us the locations of Hydra bases, the number of people stationed, and the best places to get in?" Coulson's voice was skeptical, his brow furrowed in thought.
"Yes," May replied, her tone steady and measured. "All tailored to our capabilities." Her eyes never left Coulson's, conveying the seriousness of the situation.
Coulson frowned, his mind racing. "So whoever sent this knows us and Hydra very well " He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk.
May nodded, her expression mirroring Coulson's concern. "The question is why? Why do they want us to go after Hydra?" She shrugged, a rare gesture of uncertainty from the usually composed agent. "Maybe it's someone who wants Hydra gone."
Coulson nodded slowly, considering the possibilities. "Maybe the government, maybe Talbot decided to be nice for once," he speculated, though his tone lacked conviction.
May, ever the pragmatist, didn't believe it. "Well, whoever they are, they are quite resourceful and willing to help, whatever their agenda might be." She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought through the implications.
Coulson's expression shifted, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Are we going through with it?" May asked, her tone indicating she already knew the answer.
Coulson's smile widened as he leaned forward, a determined glint in his eye. "Tell them to suit up. We've got some Hydra to take care of." The decision made, a sense of purpose filled the room.
May nodded crisply, turning on her heel to leave the office. As she walked out, the sound of her footsteps mingled with the rising activity in the plane. Agents moved with purpose, preparing for the mission ahead. The underground hangar, usually a place of quiet tension, was now alive with the buzz of a team ready to take action. Coulson remained at his desk for a moment longer, staring at the map of the Hydra bases displayed on his phone. The anonymous tip was a gamble, but one he was willing to take.
[some time later ]
Back at the hideout, Henry finally got to purifying the gravitonium element off of the human soul and he used it to grant a function to a steel ring that was crafted flawlessly using his alchemical hammer, of course.
[ Name: Gravitational Ring ]
[ Grade: 5th ]
[ Description: A flawlessly enhanced steel ring that has been alchemically refined to perfection. ]
[ Effects: This ring was given the function to generate a gravitational 20-meter radius field that is controlled by the wearer using Gravitonium element, previously tainted with a human soul but subsequently purified, as a supplementary material.]
[ Deterioration-Rate: 0% ]
Looking at the ring, Henry, who was sitting at his desk surrounded by miscellaneous items, activated his mana, which allowed him to use the function of the ring, generating a 20-meter radius field. He then decreased the gravity on himself alone, causing him to feel light before he started to float. "Interesting," he murmured, enjoying the sensation of feeling weightless, like he was in a zero-gravity zone. He then reverted everything back to normal before he increased his own gravity. Feeling the increase in gravity, Henry continued to increase it until he started to feel it becoming unbearable, so he stopped. "That would crush a normal human to a paste," he assessed as he deactivated his mana, before focusing on the monitor in front of him, which showed a Hydra base that had something he wanted: a formula. "Well, with that formula, I should make progress on the Phoenix Warrior Potion v2," he smiled before looking to his side where a blue pill lay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------A/N i really should stick to just potions, but with the function skill, yeah, i don't know about that.