"William Abel, male, Level 5 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Level 5 Agent of Hydra, member of the Mutant Capture Squad stationed at the Hydra base on Staten Island."
Under compulsion, William revealed his secrets. His eyes betrayed a flicker of struggle, as though attempting to resist the control.
Logan couldn't help but ask, "How many mutants have you captured? Are they still alive?"
"There are 51 mutant children on Staten Island. Ten have already been dissected for experimentation."
"Dissected?" Logan's face darkened at the word. Memories of his time at Stryker's mutant research facility flooded back, alongside the horrors he had witnessed during his revenge. His emotions grew visibly agitated.
"Do you have other bases holding mutants? Where are they?" Logan pressed further.
"There are others, but my clearance level doesn't grant me access to that information."
Garus frowned in confusion. Mutant children, no matter how young, should not have gone unnoticed if so many had been captured. He had even asked Kingpin, who assured him there was no trace of any mutant presence.
"How did you manage to control the mutants?" Garus asked sharply.
"Baron Zemo, Hydra's scientist, developed a suppressant serum for mutants. It nullifies their powers for an hour."
Baron Zemo. One of Hydra's high-ranking leaders.
"Logan, are you alright?" Garus noticed Logan holding an injector containing a small amount of green liquid.
"This is the serum they shot me with earlier," Logan said, handing it to Garus. "I felt like my healing factor was gone."
"Don't worry," Garus reassured him. "You'll recover in about an hour."
Just then, Garus heard a familiar voice in his head:
[System task issued: Mission difficulty A. Rescue the mutants on Staten Island and establish a mutant academy. Reward: 15,000 exchange points.]
So, this world doesn't have Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters? What had happened to create such a parallel reality?
"I have to save them," Logan said resolutely.
"Logan, they have a serum that suppresses mutants. Are you sure about this? You could die there."
Hydra was a formidable organization. Even Fury, the old fox, had been outmaneuvered, forcing S.H.I.E.L.D. underground. Garus knew his resources were limited; his industrial empire wasn't fully developed, and relying on the mob offered little advantage.
"Yes," Logan answered firmly. He couldn't stand by while his people were dissected and experimented on.
"Alright then," Garus sighed. "I'll go with you. But this device controlling him is unstable; he could break free at any moment. We need to act now."
Logan nodded, a flicker of gratitude flashing in his eyes. Whatever Garus's motives, he was a friend for now.
Garus sent a telepathic message to Kingpin, requesting a car.
Soon, an off-road vehicle pulled up outside Garus's villa. Bullseye emerged from the driver's seat, looking uncharacteristically eager.
"Boss Garus, I'm here to pick you up. Where to?"
Garus gestured toward the controlled William. "Get in and show us the way."
Bullseye gave William a curious glance, finding his expression peculiar.
Following William's directions, the car traveled down a desolate road. The barren scenery stretched endlessly until they neared the edge of the island. William then instructed them to stop.
"Here?" Garus was puzzled. Didn't these Hydra fools know about hiding in plain sight? If they'd built their base in a bustling area, even the Avengers would hesitate to attack, fearing collateral damage.
But that wasn't his problem.
"Alright, you can leave now," Garus told Bullseye, dismissing him. He had no use for him here.
Suddenly, a strangled scream broke the quiet. Garus turned to see Logan had already decapitated William in a fit of rage. Blood pooled on the ground, glinting in the dim light.
Logan's impulsiveness was troublesome. Now they'd have to spend more time finding the entrance.
Beneath Garus' feet lay a sprawling Hydra base, one among many. The facility held countless glass rooms, each containing a child. The youngest was only five, while the oldest was sixteen.
The children, drugged with sedatives and other suppressants, lay unconscious on their beds. Scientists in white lab coats bustled about, conducting experiments.
Looming in one corner were glass tanks containing dissected remains of children, eerie and unsettling. These were mutant specimens under study. Hydra aimed to extract the X-gene and transfer mutant abilities to ordinary humans—though without success so far.
"Lord Carden, we have a situation."
A white man, who had been observing an experiment, snapped back to attention. He picked up a radio from his belt.
"What's the situation?" he demanded.
"Two unidentified individuals are above the base. They've killed Agent William from the capture team."
Hearing this, Carden abandoned the experiment. "Damn it. Who are these people? Killing one of my men..."
In the surveillance room, Carden watched the screen, his expression darkening as he saw Logan's adamantium claws.
"A mutant," he muttered before dialing a number. "Fitz, take a squad to the surface and eliminate them."
"Yes, sir!" replied Fitz, the security leader. "I'll take care of it immediately."
"Bring the mutant suppressants," Carden reminded him before ending the call.
"Look over there. Someone's coming out," Garus pointed to a mountain in the distance where a door had just opened.
Without waiting, Logan shed his jacket and sprinted toward the entrance at full speed.
"Logan! Watch out for their suppressants!" Garus shouted, hurrying after him with his massive sword.
Logan deftly dodged the darts fired at him, moving with animalistic grace. Garus followed, bullets ricocheting off his armor with a metallic clang.
Despite the squad of over twenty guards, they dispatched them in less than a minute.
Watching through the monitors, Carden broke into a cold sweat. The base's ordinary guards were no match, and even the suppressants couldn't touch them.
Carden hurried back to his office, activating his computer. On the screen appeared a man wearing an iron mask.
"Baron Zemo, the mutant research base on Staten Island has been compromised. Two powerful mutants are attacking. I request the deployment of Subjects One and Two."
Baron Zemo's expression remained unreadable. "Approved. But you must collect battle data. Capture those two, or you know the consequences."
"Understood, my lord!" Carden responded, undeterred by Zemo's veiled threat. He was confident in Subjects One and Two.
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