While Arthur was fighting with the dog, Agent Carter had already lunged into action against the guards.
With the dog's arrival, people naturally followed. Arthur dealt with the dog, while Agent Carter took on the human opponents.
This woman was also extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat. After Arthur finished with the dog, he looked up to see Agent Carter first kicking away the guard's gun, charging forward, and delivering a knee strike to the opponent's groin.
"Tsk!"
As a fellow man, Arthur winced on behalf of the guy on the receiving end.
Agent Carter's move was ruthless, circling behind the guard, grabbing his neck, and slamming his body to the ground.
The two disappeared from the horizon at the same time. Arthur quickly approached and saw the guard, now with a purplish face, struggling to break free.
Without hesitation, Arthur kicked him in the head, rendering him unconscious.
With both the human and canine threats neutralized, Arthur and Agent Carter stared at each other.
"What do we do?" Agent Carter spoke first, sensing that the situation had become complicated.
Arthur's earlier explanation made Agent Carter believe that this mission was highly likely to be true. After all, Colonel Phillips wasn't a fool, and such a small conspiracy was entirely possible.
"What else can we do?" Arthur sighed. If they had simply observed the surroundings without alerting anyone, they could have immediately retreated without any issues.
However, being discovered changed everything. Although their actions were swift, causing the guards no time to call for reinforcements, it was still a case of 'startling the snake in the grass.'
Hoping that Hydra's spies were fools, knocking out both patrolling guards and the dog at once wouldn't go unnoticed. Even the slightest trace of their presence might lead the enemy to deduce that they had been exposed.
Any plan they had would then be compromised.
Arthur was pragmatic. "If that's the case, we'll just have to go all in."
"You mean…"
"Get in there and tie up the people!" Arthur's eyes glinted with determination.
Initially, Arthur was reluctant to take any risks. In the beginning, he strongly disapproved of the plan to infiltrate and capture people. But the situation had changed. Hydra's spies were no fools; they were intelligent individuals. Once they realized they had been exposed, the potential danger would be enormous.
Moreover, this danger was latent and completely unpredictable. Arthur didn't want to take such risks. Though infiltrating was dangerous, he believed that with his current skills, unexpected accidents could be avoided.
Comparatively, the hidden and unpredictable risks were more challenging to dodge. This was the fundamental reason why Arthur had made up his mind.
Don't underestimate this determination. When Arthur first arrived in this world, he had a somewhat "live life carefree and undying for thousands of years" attitude. Now, he wasn't lacking in the determination to fight desperately.
After Arthur made up his mind, Agent Carter seemed a bit hesitant. "What about Colonel Phillips' plan?"
"When we were discovered by that damn dog, all the plans became meaningless."
Arthur squatted down and began to strip the clothes off the unconscious guard.
Hearing Arthur's words, Agent Carter nodded in agreement. However, when she saw Arthur undressing the guard, she was a bit puzzled. "What are you doing?"
"Tying people up. You wouldn't want us to be halfway through the infiltration, and this guard and his dog wake up, shouting 'assassins,' would you?"
"The dog can't talk!" Agent Carter blinked.
"But it can bark!"
Arthur sighed. "In short, if they were all bearded guys or Hydra's people, it would be easier. But they're not… This makes it difficult for us to actually kill them."
"You're a good person," Agent Carter said sincerely.
"…Don't talk nonsense; you'll be cursed as a sanctimonious bitch." Arthur rolled his eyes. "I just don't want to kill dozens of American citizens for capturing a spy. That would land us in military court!"
After tying up both the guard and the dog in a hogtied position and gagging them, their appearance became quite awkward.
Agent Carter couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit embarrassed as all this trouble seemed to be stirred up by her.
She whispered, "Do you have a plan?"
Arthur was also contemplating and inquired, "Have you investigated this place? What's the situation like?"
Agent Carter took out a map from her pocket.
Arthur's mouth twitched, "Now I understand how you became an 'agent.' In certain aspects, you are indeed quite formidable."
Agent Carter snorted and pointed to one of the buildings, "It's 2 PM now. Between 2 and 4 PM, Lindsay Clive will be working diligently in his office. He won't come out until after 4 PM…"
"But his office will definitely be heavily guarded."
Taking the map from her, Arthur studied it carefully. Every corner of the mansion was marked, even with approximate guard patrol times.
Looking at the numerous guards, Arthur felt uncomfortable. "Why does one man need so many people to protect him? And he's just a spy lurking in our homeland!?"
"Huh?" Agent Carter gave Arthur a puzzled look, sensing a strong resentment in his words.
At this moment, Arthur took a deep breath, looking at Agent Carter seriously. "I have a plan!"
…
…
Ten minutes later, Arthur leaned against the outer wall of the mansion, sighing helplessly. "Why did the plot evolve like this? It's as if I have no choice but to go in…"
He was alone here; Agent Carter had been assigned the task of providing support.
Infiltration missions were not suitable for large groups. Dividing tasks between two people, one handling the capture while the other providing support, was the logical choice.
Arthur himself hadn't expected to muster the courage for such a task. He lightly patted his face, "Today, I'll let you guys know that when an otaku gets serious, their courage can break through the sky!"
Finally, he checked the time, recalling all the information from Agent Carter's map. He carefully listened to the footsteps within the courtyard.
"Now!"
With a sudden leap, using both hands and feet, he reached the top of the wall, flipped over, and landed on the other side, making no sound as his feet touched the ground.
Without any pause, the footsteps of the next patrol were already audible. Arthur rushed forward, diving into the bushes to conceal himself.
"Stealth game… it's starting again!"