NOVEL WEB Chapter 16: Hydra's Plan
It was clear that Tony Stark, caught up in the battle, had no time to check the Marvel List chat channel.
Meanwhile, Whitehall, who had been monitoring the conversations, suddenly spoke in a smooth, insidious tone:
[Whitehall: It's obvious the boy is getting beaten up. If you don't go help him, he'll end up dead. I recall you two got along, right? Why not lend him a hand?]
[Baron Stratt: Either way, Tony Stark's a wealthy man in our world. He's been on magazine covers with every woman out there. If you help him now, you're just…]
[Dreykov: Honestly, with your impulsive style, if you really help him out, he'll probably thank you with something like… a supermodel party or so.]
The impulsive young man known as the Human Torch, who had no grasp of the world's hidden dangers, failed to see through the Hydra trio's underlying scheme.
Without hesitation, he activated his Multiverse Travel Permit, connected his authority, and instantly transported himself into the Avengers' universe.
Meanwhile, Susan—his sister—sensed something was wrong the moment she read the villains' manipulative messages in the chat.
These weren't the types to suddenly talk about "rescue missions." If anything, their concern smelled like a trap.
[Invisible Woman Susan: @Human Torch, Johnny, don't be reckless! It's too dangerous to go alone. Tony Stark is the richest man in that world—he'll have someone else to save him.]
But the Human Torch, already standing on Earth in the Avengers universe, ignored her warnings and replied confidently:
[Torch: Don't worry, Sis. This universe has no real superhumans, and Mr. Stark is a really nice guy. Nothing's going to happen.]
When Susan realized her brother had already left their world, she snapped and yelled in the chat:
[Susan: Come back immediately! Do you even realize how dangerous this is?!]
[Human Torch: I won't! Even if I return later, I must save Mr. Stark first. We get along really well—I can't just stand by and watch him die!]
With those words, he left the chat entirely and took off, flying toward the battlefield where Iron Man was clashing with Thor.
Meanwhile, in Hydra's private chat group...
Whitehall grinned wickedly as he watched the Human Torch fall right into their trap with laughable naïveté.
Naturally, their intentions were far from noble. Their true goal in luring the Human Torch to this universe was to capture and exploit him.
Whether it was Whitehall or Pierce, both were confident that once the young man fell into their hands, he'd become one of Hydra's future generals in no time.
And with that, Hydra would gain another step in the race to become the most powerful organization.
Even if they failed to make large gains, adding another powerful superhuman to their ranks was already a huge win.
Whitehall turned and asked, "Pierce, proceed as planned. Did you send a team to Tony Stark's location?"
Pierce nodded. "I've dispatched SHIELD's 'Ghost' (the villain from Ant-Man 2), along with the Winter Soldier himself, just to ensure everything stays under control."
[Baron Stratt: I'll be sending my trump card as well. This time, we must capture the Human Torch.]
[Pierce: By the way, I've been considering merging Hydra's branches. Don't you think we've got too many leaders?]
Whitehall frowned upon hearing that. After all, Hydra's power had always come from its chaotic leadership and scattered cells.
Pierce's proposal would, in essence, strike at the roots of Hydra's original structure.
But as everyone knows, this trio had no regard for principles when personal gain was involved.
Whitehall said, "Let's discuss this after we get the Human Torch. If we succeed, the three of us can work together to purge the rest of the filth from our ranks."
Baron Stratt didn't object. Without the sudden appearance of the Marvel List, he wouldn't have considered Pierce's idea at all. But now, consolidating Hydra seemed like a necessary step to earn those golden rewards.
On a peaceful resort island…
Isaac was enjoying his vacation when he saw the latest updates in the chat. He slowly rose from his chair, stretched a little… and vanished in an instant.
He knew all too well what the Hydra trio was up to. In the end, this was just a predator-versus-predator scenario—and only one of them would walk away a winner.
What they hadn't realized… was that someone else had been watching from the shadows all along.
Like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the bird behind it.
With that thought, Isaac decided to cut his vacation short and see if he could swoop in and claim the real prize for himself.
At that moment, on the battlefield near "Seaview Villa," the Human Torch arrived after crossing worlds.
And the moment he saw Tony Stark pinned beneath Thor's hammer… the corners of his mouth twitched.
He wasn't sure whether to leap in and help the man or turn and run for his life.
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The condition for the bonus chapter has been met. It will be uploaded this evening along with the latest chapter."
100pw : 1+ chapter