"The situation is like this..." Sam quickly explained everything from beginning to end.
"You're saying that after they left, you went inside to check and found a secret room that you couldn't open, right?"
Coulson repeated Sam's words.
"That's right! Captain and Hawkeye must be trapped inside. I'm asking to join you in rescuing them. Captain Rogers is my friend!" Sam said seriously.
For Sam, this was an opportunity—a chance to join the Avengers and become Captain America's ally. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although his post-retirement life was peaceful and quiet, it wasn't what he wanted.
Afraid that Blake and the others might not take him seriously, Sam directly pulled out a stack of documents. They detailed his service in a secret unit—an elite special operations team equipped with advanced personal flight gear.
"Trust me, I can definitely help. But I need my gear back. It's locked behind three security doors and a twelve-inch steel wall at the National Security Agency headquarters in Middletown."
"Hey, Sam, I can help you get your gear. I absolutely believe you can help, but right now, you need to calm down. Since we know where the Captain is being held, we can save him first, right?"
As Blake spoke, he opened a portal directly to the museum.
The three of them immediately arrived at the museum entrance from the base.
"Can't you just open a portal directly to where they're being held?" Coulson asked, trying to gauge the extent of Blake's ability to control the Tesseract.
Blake gave him a faintly amused look but didn't expose Coulson's little scheme. Instead, he explained honestly, "I need a mental connection to the location—a clear idea of its coordinates, its general position, and the surrounding environment. At the very least, I need to know about the place. Understand? I haven't been in that secret room, nor do I even know how deep underground it is!"
As they talked, the three entered the museum. By now, it was already open, and they walked in openly.
Led by Sam, they headed straight to a break room near the entrance.
Inside, a few museum employees in uniforms were sitting. When they saw the three enter, especially Blake and Coulson, their expressions subtly changed.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, this is a staff-only area. If you wish to visit, please—"
Their expressions didn't escape the trio's notice. For Hydra operatives, Blake saw no need to be polite.
With a flick of his wrist, a burst of flames shot out.
Five thousand degrees Fahrenheit. To give context, during the Gulf War, the U.S. military used a thermobaric bomb that generated such heat, vaporizing over nine hundred people in just two seconds.
Since Blake's flames were controlled manually, the energy was even more concentrated, with minimal effect on the surroundings. But the two men in front of him were instantly vaporized. No chance to scream, no chance to run.
"Open the door! I don't want to repeat myself!"
Hydra's most terrifying aspect was its brainwashing-level control over its members. While the higher-ups reveled in power, the lower-level soldiers were truly unafraid of death.
Faced with Blake's threat, the remaining two exchanged a glance, shouted "Hail Hydra!" and drew their guns, charging at Blake.
With another casual flick of his hand, flames roared out once more.
"Blake!" Coulson shouted, but it was already too late.
"You should've left two alive. We need to get answers—this is Hydra we're dealing with!" Coulson said regretfully.
"Trust me, Coulson. S.H.I.E.L.D. has plenty of Hydra agents alive. Once we rescue the Captain, I'll take you to catch them one by one!"
Blake's smile at that moment sent a chill down Coulson's spine.
Plenty of Hydra agents in S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Coulson knew better than anyone how many secrets S.H.I.E.L.D. held—how many undisclosed weapons, mysterious artifacts, and hidden assets the organization possessed.
If what Blake said was true, that S.H.I.E.L.D. was crawling with Hydra agents… God…
While Coulson was lost in his chilling thoughts, Blake, following Sam's directions, forcefully broke open a hidden metal door embedded in the wall.
Beyond the door was a staircase descending deep underground.
"This museum tells people every day how Captain America defeated Hydra, yet right underneath it is a secret Hydra base. The irony is almost too much," Blake remarked as he led the way into the basement.
Perhaps because the employees upstairs were all Hydra operatives, no one had been stationed below to guard the area.
Captain America and Hawkeye were locked in two separate cells, secured by metal bars made from a special alloy. Their gear was carelessly thrown in a corner outside the cells.
The two men appeared to have just regained consciousness, or perhaps the sedative in their blood hadn't completely worn off yet. Both looked tired and lethargic.
"Gentlemen, judging by how sluggish you look, it's obvious you skipped breakfast. Couldn't you make things a bit easier for everyone?" Blake teased.
Hearing his voice, the two men's eyes widened in surprise and joy.
"Blake, Coulson… Sam, you're here too?" Captain America asked, curious about the unexpected trio.
"You should thank Sam properly, Captain. Without him, we wouldn't have found you two so quickly," Blake said as he drew his Tang Dao Sword and, with a few swift slashes, cut through the bars, freeing the pair.
"Blake! Hydra—I've discovered Hydra's presence!" the Captain exclaimed eagerly as soon as he was out.
"I know, Captain. I told you to leave Hydra to me and take that girl on a vacation, but what did you do? You left her alone on a boat. Well done, Captain!" Blake said in a sarcastic tone that made the Captain blush slightly.
As a diehard fan of Captain America, Coulson naturally stepped in to save his idol from embarrassment.
"Captain, you met a girl? That's fantastic! You'll have to let me treat you both to a meal sometime!"
"Let's save that for later," Blake interrupted, cutting off the unproductive conversation. He opened a portal and led the group back to the base.
"Blake, thank you! But now that Hydra has resurfaced, I can't just sit back and take a vacation. I need to deal with them myself!"
The Captain felt a bit guilty. His vacation had not only caused trouble but also dragged Hawkeye into danger. If not for Sam's timely discovery, who knows what might have happened?
"I understand, Captain," Blake said, patting him on the shoulder.
"If you're determined to take down Hydra, let's start by sorting through everything clearly. You take charge of the action plan. I'll gather everyone."
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