On the far side of the Atlantic, in a lavishly decorated chamber shrouded in dim light, Madame Hydra sat cross-legged on a velvet chair. Her sharp eyes glimmered with intelligence and malice, watching the figure across from her.
It was not a human being but a robot. Its body was angular, its movements precise, and its eyes glowed with a menacing red light.
The mechanical voice that emerged carried both mockery and curiosity.
"Of course I've come, Madame. When so many of you show interest in this Nathan, it tells me he is no ordinary man. A person who can attract the attention of Hydra's leaders deserves to be studied closely. Naturally, I want to see him for myself."
Madame Hydra smiled like a flower in bloom, her lips curving with a mixture of charm and deceit. "Unexpected, Dr. Zola. I hadn't thought you'd come to join this hunt. But surely, if you've followed my trail, you already expect me to have found him?"
Zola's mechanical avatar leaned forward, red optics flickering. "And did you? Have you located this Nathan? If so, perhaps you will share your findings… with a fellow Hydra scientist."
Her smile widened, though her words danced with lies. "I have not. I've searched and searched, but Nathan conceals himself too well. No traces, no careless mistakes. Even Baron Strucker scoured the world and came back empty-handed. I've only worked in New York for a short while. Do you truly think I could accomplish what Strucker failed to do in so little time?"
Her tone was smooth, but in her heart, she thought otherwise.
Why would I ever share my prize with you?
Nathan was a treasure, a living key to power. She had witnessed with her own eyes how he strode into New York and, with impossible ease, took over Osborn Industries. A company that had been teetering on the edge of bankruptcy suddenly leapt to the top of the medical world, blazing like a new star across the United States. That could not have been mere coincidence.
And she remembered vividly the oppression Nathan radiated when she first encountered him. A force that sent shivers down her spine and convinced her his strength far outstripped what her imagination had prepared for.
No, Nathan was no simple byproduct of Hydra's projects. He wasn't Strucker's creation at all. Madame Hydra was convinced: Nathan was the true reason Osborn thrived, the true reason Hydra failed to control him.
He was no subject to be studied—he was a treasure trove waiting to be plundered.
---
Hydra's Rivalry
Zola's avatar tilted its mechanical head. "Impossible. You've been in hiding these last days—surely you've been searching for Nathan. Why pretend otherwise? We are Hydra, are we not? We should share what we find. Together we can seize him, strengthen Hydra's power, and keep him from destroying us as Strucker nearly allowed."
The robot's voice sharpened. "Remember what happened to Strucker. His greed to claim Nathan alone led to his downfall. We must learn from that. Only unity will let us hold Nathan in our hands."
Madame Hydra's lips curved in a practiced smile, but her heart whispered scorn. Unity? With you? I'd sooner be poisoned.
Aloud she said, "I truly have nothing. My tracks were hidden only so that I could investigate discreetly, without alerting Nathan. But my search bore no fruit."
Zola's optics dimmed briefly, as though disappointed. "Very well. If you won't speak, then we must each rely on our own means. Let us see who captures Nathan first."
The robot began to rise, but paused at the doorway. Its red eyes glowed brighter. "One last note. The Hive is returning. When he arrives, I expect he will be eager to join forces with me. Perhaps, Madame, you should consider whether you can stand against both of us. Betray Hydra, and the punishment will not come from me alone—you will face the wrath of the entire organization."
With that, the light in the robot's eyes flickered out. Zola's presence had gone offline, leaving only the cold husk of the machine behind.
Madame Hydra sat motionless for a long moment, her expression carefully blank. Only the faint tightening of her grip on the chair betrayed the storm inside.
The Hive… returning?
Her heart sank.
The Hive was no ordinary Hydra agent. It was an ancient, terrifying being with the ability to parasitize others, seizing their bodies, harvesting their memories, and amplifying their abilities. If Zola truly joined forces with it, even Nathan might struggle. Together, they could ensnare him, drain him, and Hydra would win its greatest prize.
She whispered into the dim light, "I cannot let them succeed. If Zola and the Hive reach Nathan first, everything will be lost."
---
A Hydra Splintering
While Madame Hydra wrestled with her thoughts, elsewhere in the shadows two other Hydra figures convened: Baron Strucker himself and a towering mutant known only as the Siren.
The Siren was infamous even among Hydra elites. His voice alone could shatter steel or bring armies to their knees. His mutant power allowed him to unleash devastating sound waves that doubled as both weapons and wings, enabling him to slice through the air in supersonic flight.
To Hydra, he was a super-villain. To Strucker, he was a potential partner.
"Let us join forces," Strucker said, his tone smooth but urgent. "Help me capture Nathan, and we'll share the spoils."
The Siren smirked, folding his arms. "Spoils? That sounds vague. What exactly would I gain?"
Strucker's single eye gleamed. "The secrets that made Nathan so powerful."
The mutant raised an eyebrow. "So, you admit there's an experiment? A hidden formula? You would share that with me?"
Strucker nodded solemnly. "Yes. We capture Nathan together, and the research is ours to divide."
But deep inside, Strucker laughed bitterly. There is no experiment. Nathan is no creation of mine. His genius and his power are his own. No one would believe me if I said so.
The truth was that Strucker feared Nathan. This man had advanced Hydra's super-soldier serum beyond what anyone thought possible, then turned and destroyed Hydra's core team. That was no accident. It was proof that Nathan was not only a genius but a force Hydra could neither predict nor control.
And Strucker's greed would not let him walk away. If he could somehow capture Nathan, he would have at his disposal a living treasure chest of science and power.
Yes, Strucker thought. With Nathan in my grasp, Hydra will rise anew—and I will stand above them all.
---
Dark Tides Rising
Back in her chamber, Madame Hydra paced slowly, her heels clicking against the polished floor. For all her elegance, her thoughts were heavy.
Hydra was fracturing. Zola hunted Nathan with machines and whispered of the Hive. Strucker plotted with the Siren. And she herself? She wanted Nathan as her own weapon, her own creation.
No matter what they said, none of them wanted to share.
The competition for Nathan had already begun, silent but deadly.
She clenched her fists. "I must act before they do. Or Nathan will be lost—and Hydra will devour itself in the fight to control him."
Her eyes gleamed in the shadows. For Madame Hydra, this was no longer about loyalty to the organization. It was about power, survival, and the treasure that was Nathan.
And so, the stage was set. In secret rooms across the world, Hydra leaders sharpened their knives—not only for their enemies, but for each other.
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