Yelena crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair, staring at the holographic screen in front of her. The battle footage from Howard's suit played in a loop, showing the Hydra agents storming the containment area. Every movement, every detail was being analyzed.
She let out a breath. "You took down Madame Hydra. You wiped out Zola's AI. Every Hydra facility, every hidden cell. You found them all and burned them to the ground. And still…" She gestured toward the screen. "They're here. Organized. Prepared. Someone is pulling the strings... Hydra grew a new head."
Tony tapped a few commands into the holographic keyboard, eyes scanning the data scrolling past. "Maybe." He frowned. "Or maybe we're dealing with something else."
Yelena raised an eyebrow. "They had Hydra symbols all over their gear. If they're not Hydra, then who are they?"
Tony leaned forward. "That's the problem. Just because they wear Hydra's colors, use Hydra's tactics, and scream 'Hail Hydra' like a bunch of lunatics… doesn't mean they are Hydra." He pointed at the screen. "Look at their weapons. Their gear. Their numbers. Some of them fought like trained soldiers, sure, but others? Sloppy. Uncoordinated. That's not Hydra."
Yelena frowned. "You think it's a copycat group?"
Tony nodded. "It makes sense. If the real Hydra is gone, someone could be using their name to scare people. Hydra had power, history, and resources. A new player trying to rise up? Pretending to be them? That would be a smart move."
He waved his hand, and a new set of data appeared. "Dad's suit recorded everything... every weapon, every face, every move. Let's see what we're really dealing with. Hermes, run a quick scan."
[Affirmative]
A series of images popped up. Guns, armor, combat tactics, even retina scans. The system started analyzing them one by one. The results were surprising.
[Sir. They have no digital records.]
"Clean," Tony muttered, eyes narrowing. "No records. No criminal history. No military background. Nothing. It's like they don't exist."
Yelena leaned closer. "That's not possible. Nobody pulls off an attack like that without leaving a trace."
"Exactly," Tony said. "Which means someone went to a lot of trouble to wipe their records."
Hermes spoke up. "One anomaly detected."
A new image appeared on the screen. A close-up of a handgun recovered from the battle. It was standard military issue, nothing fancy. But the serial number told a different story.
Tony's eyes lit up. "Bingo."
Yelena leaned in. "What?"
He enlarged the weapon's details. "This gun. It was registered to Oscorp."
For a second, there was silence. Then Yelena frowned. "Wait… Oscorp? The tech company, Ross is collaborating with?"
"The very same," Tony said, rubbing his chin. "That means either someone at Oscorp is arming these guys, or… Oscorp is these guys."
Yelena sat back. "So, what now?"
Tony grinned, "Now, things just got a whole lot more interesting."
He knew about the fact that Norman was trying to create his own version of SSS with government funds in secret, thanks to his past life's knowledge. With Ross involved, he was getting more than enough funds and manpower.
'So, this is how Norman is playing the game, huh? If I were to guess, they somehow got their hands on Hydra's SSS formula and tried to recreate the serum. But the fact is I've no idea which version of Norman this one is. So, there are many variables involved,' Tony closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing the corner of his eyes as his thoughts ran wild as usual.
Ross knew about the Symbiote and wanted it for himself, so he joined hands with Norman, assassinated the World Council Leaders, who refused to support them, placed their men in their empty seats, and created this mess. His plan was probably to get Peggy killed, pin the blame on Fury, get government support to his side, and take over Shield. That way, Ross would get both the Symbiote and Shield. And Norman will get to supply weapons and technology. It's a win-win situation for both.
However, things went south when Peggy took Tony's serum, reached peak human form, and burst out of her room, looking for answers. Ross had to amp up his plan and at least get the Symbiote. So, he openly attacked using Hydra's name and guise.
'Humm... Or, it could be Norman, manipulating Ross to get the Symbiote. If this was the game version then Norman needs the Symbiote to fix Harry's disease. Or, he just wants it for experiments. And I've no idea if he took the faulty serum yet. Haaa...' Tony sighed.
"So, are you going to say something or just think and sigh?" Yelena asked.
Tony let out a long breath, then turned to Yelena, his expression sharpening. "Alright, enough thinking. Time for some action."
Yelena raised an eyebrow. "Finally. I was starting to think you just wanted to sit here and brood all day."
He smiled a little shaking his head. "As much as I love a good brooding session, we've got work to do. I need you to take some of your Widows and do what you do best... infiltrate."
Yelena's eyes lit up with interest. "Now we're talking."
"Oscorp. And Norman's home," Tony said, pulling up a detailed map of the Oscorp Tower and Osborn's personal residence. "I need everything. Every single detail on his company, his personal life, his side projects... everything. If he so much as sneezes in an unusual pattern, I want to know about it. Oh, and look at these black areas. Jammers. I can't get in. So, do plant some bugs while you are at it."
She leaned forward, studying the data with a wolfish grin. "You really think Osborn is behind this whole mess?"
Tony crossed his arms. "I don't believe in coincidences. Oscorp weapons in the hands of ghost soldiers? Ross backing this whole thing? Hydra's name being used as a distraction? Norman's involved. I just don't know how deep. I need evidence."
Yelena cracked her knuckles. "Good. I was getting bored of this peaceful lifestyle. Missions keep me sharp."
He chuckled. "Then this one's gonna keep you razor-sharp. Take a Widow team, go dark, and dig up everything. If Norman has skeletons in his closet, I want them laid out on my table."
Yelena stood up, stretching her arms. "Infiltration, espionage, a little breaking and entering? Sounds like a perfect night."
Tony nodded. "Be careful. Osborn isn't an idiot. He'll have countermeasures."
Yelena smirked. "We got your suits and our skills."
"Fair enough," He gave a slight nod.
She turned, already sending silent signals to her Widow network through her wrist device. Within seconds, encrypted messages were sent, and her best operatives were mobilizing.
Tony watched her go, then looked back at the holographic screen. His gut told him they were just scratching the surface of something much bigger.
And that was the part that worried him the most.
...
[Meanwhile, Back on the SHIELD Helicarrier…]
The Helicarrier groaned under its own weight as it finally stabilized, emergency thrusters kicking in to correct its descent. Smoke still hung in the air, the aftermath of the intense battle against Hydra or whoever they truly were. Howard retracted his energy whips, his armor cooling down after the sustained combat.
Fury stood among the fallen agents, scanning the wreckage. Peggy wiped the blood from her lip and checked on the SHIELD operatives who were still standing. Maria Hill gave a thumbs-up, signaling that their forces were back in control.
"Well, that was fun," Howard muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Let's not do that again."
Fury ignored him, turning toward the containment unit. The reinforced chamber that had once held the symbiote was still standing.
But the real problem?
The symbiote was gone.
"Shit," Fury cursed, moving toward the wreckage. His sharp eyes scanned the scene. "Tell me someone saw what happened here."
Hill quickly accessed the security system, but her frown deepened as she tapped through the holographic interface. "Sir… the footage is corrupted. I can't get a clear visual of what happened in the last five minutes before the attack ended."
Peggy stepped forward, her brows furrowed. "You're saying someone stole the symbiote while we were in the middle of the fight?"
"Not just stole it," Howard muttered, running his suit's scanners over the scene. "They took it without leaving a single trace. No DNA, no energy signatures, nothing."
Fury's eyes darkened. "That means this wasn't some random Hydra grunt." He turned to Hill. "Get me a list of anyone who boarded the carrier in the last twenty-four hours. I want names, clearance levels, any suspicious activity... everything. Haaa... What a mess."
Hill nodded and moved to a nearby console.
Peggy glanced at the containment unit. "This thing is too dangerous to be out there. If someone took it, they knew exactly what they were doing."
Howard sighed, rubbing his temple. "Great. First, we get ambushed by Hydra. Now we've got a missing alien parasite with enough destructive potential to wipe out a city or the world."
...
[A few hours later...] [Horizon Island]
Melina landed before Tony's lab.
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[Read 15 advance chapters] [No double billing]
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AN: With Batman x Ironman finally completed, some might ask, what's next? Well, I'll be working on a Shazam ff, probably write a few chs and see how it goes. But Ultimate Ironman will get a stable update starting Monday. I'll stockpile some chs and then start.