The latter half of 1941 saw the global conflict intensify with a brutal, unrelenting ferocity. Germany, having failed to break Britain, turned its devastating Blitzkrieg eastward, launching Operation Barbarossa – the invasion of the Soviet Union. This monumental clash of titans reshaped the European war, drawing vast resources and attention from all sides. For Elias Thorne, it presented both immense danger and unprecedented opportunity. The Russo-German front would become a horrific crucible, potentially forging or revealing new "enhanced" individuals and unique technologies.
Logan, Miller, and O'Malley continued their grim hunt for Hydra remnants across occupied Europe and neutral territories. Their successes were notable, if largely unheralded. They dismantled a Hydra cell in neutral Sweden attempting to weaponize runic artifacts, neutralized a team of SS scientists in occupied Poland experimenting with creating fear-inducing psychoactive compounds, and even managed to destroy a small, heavily guarded U-boat pen in Norway that was being used by Hydra to smuggle "specialized personnel" and equipment. Each mission yielded small [Prime Essence Shard Fragments] (his total now [3.8/5.0]) and invaluable [Combat Data], further pushing Logan's integration and slowly unlocking Elias's own System sub-routines. The [Enhanced Healing Factor Augmentation (Host Self)] finally activated, providing Elias with a level of regeneration that, while still shy of Logan's raw tenacity, was nonetheless superhumanly swift and efficient. He could now shrug off injuries that would cripple an ordinary man in minutes. Logan's loyalty, fueled by the continuous action and the clear targeting of an enemy he despised, settled at a more stable, if still wary, [68%].
Dr. Finch, in Montreal, became Elias's strategic oracle regarding the Eastern Front. His analysis of Soviet and German communiques, troop deployments, and industrial output painted a picture of a conflict of unimaginable scale and brutality. "The Soviets are trading space for time, Mr. Thorne," Finch reported, his face grim. "Their losses are staggering, but so is their resilience. This will bleed Germany dry, but the human cost… it's almost beyond comprehension." Finch also picked up on increasingly frequent, if heavily censored, reports from both sides about soldiers exhibiting "abnormal strength and ferocity" or "unexplained regenerative capabilities" – battlefield myths, perhaps, or hints of more widespread, if crude, enhancement programs than previously thought. This made Elias even more determined to prototype more Feral Strikers.
Anya Petrova, from her London nexus, focused her attention on two key areas: attempting to penetrate the wall of secrecy around the Soviet "Winter Soldier" program (a near-impossible task, given the NKVD's ruthless efficiency), and monitoring the increasingly tense diplomatic situation between the United States and Japan. American neutrality was a cornerstone of the current global balance; its entry into the war would be a game-changer. Anya reported a significant increase in Japanese naval activity in the Pacific, coded diplomatic traffic suggesting a major offensive was being planned, and growing anxiety within certain British intelligence circles that President Roosevelt was looking for a pretext to bring America into the fight.
"There's a faction in Washington, Mr. Blanchard," Penny Worthington confided to Elias during a tense meeting, the Blitz sirens wailing in the distance, "that believes American intervention is inevitable and desirable. They are… actively seeking an 'unmistakable provocation' that would galvanize public opinion. Japan may be foolish enough to provide it."
This intelligence resonated deeply with Elias. His System, while not overtly precognitive, had an unnerving knack for highlighting [Critical Geopolitical Inflection Points]. The Pacific theatre was rapidly becoming one such point. If Japan attacked the United States, it would not only bring America into the war but also potentially expose a new front for "enhanced" activity. Japan, with its own militaristic ideology and pursuit of regional dominance, was a prime candidate for developing its own unconventional assets.
Elias decided on a bold, proactive gamble. He needed eyes and ears in the Pacific, specifically within the American naval apparatus and its intelligence community. He didn't have any established agents there, and creating a network from scratch on short notice was impossible. But he had another option: his burgeoning Feral Striker program.
Thomas MacIntyre had successfully overseen the empowerment of a third Feral Striker – a wiry, resilient Metis fisherman named Antoine "Tony" Beaulieu, known for his incredible endurance and quiet determination. Beaulieu, Dubois, and Macgregor now formed a cohesive three-man pack, their training honed to a razor's edge. They were still "green" in terms of real-world combat experience compared to Logan, but their loyalty to Elias (via Thomas) was near absolute ([Beaulieu, A: 90% (Protective Instinct towards Pack/Leadership)]), and their combined strength, senses, and healing made them a formidable unit.
Elias decided to deploy this Feral Striker pack, not to Europe, but to the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
His rationale was multi-layered. Firstly, if Japan was indeed planning an attack, Pearl Harbor would be a prime target. Having assets on the ground during such an event could provide invaluable, real-time intelligence, and perhaps even an opportunity to "acquire" unique combat data or Shard fragments if any Japanese "special" units were involved. Secondly, embedding his Strikers within the US military, however covertly, could be the first step towards influencing American wartime policy and gaining access to their burgeoning scientific and industrial might. Thirdly, the System had flagged a faint, intermittent [Anomalous Energy Signature – Type Unknown] originating from the Hawaiian archipelago for months, too weak to investigate from afar, but potentially significant.
Getting them there was a challenge. He couldn't use Allied military channels. Instead, he utilized his "Mr. Blackwood" persona's vast (and now anachronistically advanced, thanks to Finch and some "acquired" German designs) shipping interests. A Thorne-owned cargo freighter, ostensibly carrying "non-essential goods" from Vancouver to neutral South American ports, was rerouted to make an "unscheduled emergency stop" in Honolulu for "engine repairs." Dubois, Macgregor, and Beaulieu, along with Thomas MacIntyre (who would oversee their initial deployment and then return), were smuggled aboard as "specialized engine crew." They carried forged papers identifying them as Canadian merchant seamen.
Their mission, once ashore in Hawaii, was to "observe and report," to blend in with the thousands of sailors and civilian workers at Pearl Harbor, and to be Elias's eyes on the ground should events escalate. They were to gather intelligence on naval readiness, potential security vulnerabilities, and anything related to the anomalous energy signature. They were to avoid direct combat unless absolutely necessary for self-preservation or to protect a critical objective Elias might designate.
It was an incredible risk, placing his newly minted Feral Striker pack, along with his most trusted lieutenant, into what Anya's intelligence suggested was an imminent flashpoint. But Elias was playing for the highest stakes. If Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the world would change irrevocably. And Elias Thorne intended to have his pieces in place to capitalize on that change, perhaps even to influence it.
As the freighter carrying his Canadian "wolves" steamed south into the Pacific, Elias Thorne, from his control centers in Montreal and London, felt like a conductor overseeing a symphony of global chaos. The war in Europe, the shadow conflict against Hydra, the emerging Soviet threat, and now, a new, potentially explosive front in the Pacific. His personal power was immense, his network growing, but so too were the dangers. The System pulsed with a sense of impending, critical events. The world was holding its breath, and the whispers of Pearl Harbor were growing into a deafening roar in the aether of his heightened senses.