While Watson and poison dragon bird soared high above the deserts of Afghanistan, another story unfolded deep beneath the earth. In a bunker buried dozens of meters underground, Baron Strucker was dining as he listened to an infuriating report.
"I've said it before! If you can't secure the real intel on that individual, then bring me the armor! Do you understand? You're all useless!" A man in the corner, shadowed and wearing monocles, grimaced at Strucker's outburst. His voice was sharp and venomous as he interjected.
"If you can't manage that, then target other weak points! Use disguises, infiltration—kidnap that damn veteran and his wife if you have to! Do you need me to spell it out for you?! They've already taken out my SHIELD agents! Do I have to teach you how to do your jobs?!" The agents before him stood stiffly, swallowing their fear. One of them managed to stammer, "Understood, Master Strucker! We'll move immediately!"
The heavy doors slammed shut behind them as they exited. Strucker, now alone, paused for a moment. He strode into his private quarters, pulling something from a hidden compartment. Holding the object to the light, his lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Kull's incompetence finally paid off in a way," he murmured, admiring the jagged scales of a feral jackal in his palm. Moving to his desk, Strucker pressed a button on a communication device. His tone turned cold and calculating. "Pierce, I have a proposition for you."
The Quiet Before the Storm
At Uncle Polk's house, the muffled sound of gunfire echoed faintly from the basement shooting range. Aunt Lia, busy in the kitchen, called out, "Polk, do you know where the soy sauce is?"
After a long pause, Uncle Polk's voice came up from below. "Doesn't look like it. Why, do you need it for something?" "Not really. I was thinking of running to the store," she replied casually. "Want me to come along?"
"No need, dear. I'll be back before you know it. You stay and finish up your target practice."
Carrying a basket, Aunt Lia stepped out of the house. As she walked to her car, she muttered to herself, "I wonder when Watson will visit. Maybe I should grab more groceries—those hamburgers can't be good for him."
In the Shadows
Elsewhere, a SHIELD agent known as No. 6 was stationed nearby, covertly monitoring Lia's safety. Through a secure channel, the team lead gave orders. "No. 6, stay on the target. Protect Watson's family at all costs."
"Roger that. The target is entering the supermarket now. Everything looks normal." But then, static crackled through the radio. "No. 6? What's your status?" The silence was broken by a sharp, garbled screech, followed by nothingness. "Damn it!" the lead snapped. "All units, No. 6 is offline. Repeat, No. 6 has lost contact!"
Gunshots suddenly rang out in the vicinity. The response team scrambled toward the noise, only to find themselves stopped in their tracks as arrows whizzed through the air, silencing any further commotion. The captain caught a fleeting glimpse of a shadowy figure leaping across the rooftops, bow in hand, before disappearing from view. He exhaled, realizing that reinforcements had arrived—though not his own.
A Supermarket Standoff
Inside the store, Aunt Lia wandered between the shelves, oblivious to the danger around her. Two men, moving with sinister intent, flanked her from either side. The man on the left, chewing gum, slowly approached her from behind.
Just as he reached out with a cloth soaked in a foul-smelling substance— "This isn't how a gentleman treats a lady," a sharp, playful voice interrupted. The would-be attacker froze. Before either man could react, a red-haired figure darted between them. Moving with cat-like precision, she delivered a flying scissors kick, locking her legs around one man's head and flipping him to the ground. In the same motion, her hands snapped around the neck of the second assailant, twisting him into submission.
Both men collapsed in a heap, groaning, as she swiftly handcuffed them. Aunt Lia, stunned, stared wide-eyed at the scene. "Oh my God! What just happened? Who are you?"