Despite being an organization that operated in the shadows, The Hand did not rely on a single base. Each Finger, responsible for different matters, had their own stronghold within the United States. One by one, they returned to their territories, summoning all their scattered personnel and preparing for total war. They knew they faced an almost unbeatable enemy, but that didn't mean they would give up.
Staying in the main base, built over dragon bones, was both a curse and a blessing. They could be the first to be attacked… but they would also be the first to harness the power of the bones if anyone else tried to dig them up.
The one chosen for that role was, of course, Alexandra Reid.
Sitting in her office, tapping her index finger on the desk while thinking of possible solutions, she couldn't find any concrete idea. That was when she received a call.
Seeing the unknown number, Alexandra smiled before answering.
"And to think you would be the only person to call… Seems you're the only one with some humanity. Ironic, considering you're not human."
The voice on the other end of the phone did not play along. It spoke seriously, with a hoarse and grave tone.
"I have a plan to help you."
Alexandra frowned.
"Why would you want to help us?"
"That doesn't matter. Do you want help or not?"
"Speak."
"Ha, ha, ha…"
The deep, booming laugh echoed through the receiver before the voice continued.
"The dragon bones can give you power. You just have to dig them up and use them before the Avengers arrive."
"And how am I supposed to…?"
Her sentence was cut off abruptly as the call ended.
"Idiot," she muttered, returning her focus to her problems. Removing the dragon bones was possible, yes, but extremely risky.
Not only that: to do it quickly, she would have to resort to massive explosions, impossible to ignore, capable even of sinking the city. That would attract the Avengers even faster.
'Still… it's the only possibility,' she thought.
As she pondered, Alexandra noticed a disturbing detail.
"Explosions… sunken city…" she murmured, barely aware of her own words. "No, it must be a coincidence."
Trying to analyze the source of the problems, she reached the inevitable conclusion: it all came down to the explosions. By nature, The Hand planned to operate discreetly, but in Leonardo's painting it was clear that, for some unknown reason, they had used explosions. Now, being discovered and needing to resort to them, Alexandra felt that everything was part of some strange plot. Yet, she quickly dismissed the idea:
"No… They would not only have to anticipate us being discovered but also our reaction to it… that's impossible unless you can see the future."
Finally, she called an assistant and ordered explosives to be brought. In the current situation, acquiring them on the market was extremely complicated, but for The Hand it was easy. It wasn't about SHIELD not discovering them; it was about the fact that, even if they did, nothing could stop it.
After all, not even the Avengers could control the criminal chaos spreading across the world.
---
Meanwhile, an unusual event was occurring at Avengers Tower.
All the Avengers, except those in Asgard, were planning how to split up to attack the bases of each Finger. The Hand was expert at operating from the shadows; if they missed this opportunity, it would probably be almost impossible to find them again. That was why the plan involved a simultaneous strike.
However, Clint moved away from the group. His face, trained to hide emotions, showed a subtle trace of concern. Thanks to his training, he managed to retreat unnoticed, except by Captain America, who simply ignored him.
Once in his room, designed for each Avenger, Clint took out an old, worn phone: his private device, known only to his family and Natasha. That was why, when he saw a message from an unknown number, he was surprised. His worry grew as he opened the message: it was a photo.
The quality was low, due to the age of the phone, but Clint immediately recognized the subjects in the image. It was his family, the one only Natasha knew he had. The photo showed them playing in the field behind his house, giving him brief relief: it proved no one had harmed them, and that he was the target.
"What do you want?" he quickly sent a message.
The reply came seconds later.
[Architectural design of Stark Tower]
Clint was puzzled. Not because it compromised the Avengers' security, but because… it didn't.
Even if they could enter the Tower, it didn't mean they could defeat them or bypass Stark-level security systems. And if they wanted to steal information, they could simply ask for it.
Still, Clint did not argue and accepted the request. The ease of the task and the low lethality helped him make the decision. If it had been something that endangered his team, he would have had to choose between his family and the Avengers, a decision that would have destroyed him.
Despite everything, Clint was a trained spy. He decided to investigate the number, move his family immediately, and, of course, discover why someone wanted those blueprints that, at first glance, seemed useless.
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+15 chapters in advance on Patreon.
p-atreon.com/IAMME26
(just delete the hyphen)
80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)