Chapter 115: Allen – I Am the Hydra Squad
"From this moment on, I'm taking over Hydra. If you agree, sit. If you object, stand." Allen declared.
In the next second, the five surviving leaders immediately sat down.
They had no ability to resist—Allen had implanted a psychic storm in their minds. Disobeying meant instant death.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Allen. Back in World War II, I served as a Hydra agent and obtained critical intelligence," Allen said unhurriedly, recounting his glorious past.
"The Iron Curtain of the Empire… Allen?!"
One of the leaders suddenly remembered seeing that codename and name in a sealed archive.
"You've heard of my story?"
Allen's eyes lit up, feeling rather pleased with his own notoriety.
"Just a little," the leader replied awkwardly, unwilling to reveal the true contents of the file.
The dossier described Allen as a double agent, simultaneously working for both Hydra and the Soviet Union. He later defected to S.H.I.E.L.D., stealing an artifact that could've turned the tide of the war.
There were also unconfirmed rumors that he had defeated the Old God Ares.
Naturally, there was no solid evidence. According to witnesses, the battlefield during that pivotal battle was filled with thunder and lightning so intense that no ordinary person could even approach. The phenomenon could be seen and heard from dozens of kilometers away.
"Let's not dwell on the past. Focus on your work and stop trying to suck up," Allen waved dismissively like a seasoned leader.
"…"
The leader awkwardly scratched his foot in embarrassment.
Who's sucking up to you?
Could you please tone it down?
Psylocke, meanwhile, was stunned to learn Allen had participated in WWII. The problem was, he only looked to be in his twenties. She had no intention of digging deeper, simply assuming he'd used some mysterious means to prolong his life—likely with a mental cost.
"Bring me all intel on Stryker," Allen ordered, keeping the first step of his plan firmly in mind.
One of the leaders immediately reported, "Stryker has resumed his post. He's been transferred to a military research facility on the Canadian border and is preparing to restart the Weapon X program."
As expected—it lined up perfectly with Allen's own deductions.
Psylocke couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine. A growing fear toward Allen began to take root.
It wasn't just his terrifying ability to strategize and scheme—it was that his mind didn't operate by any normal logic. No one could predict from which angle he might strike or what his next move might be.
"Label him as a top-priority surveillance target," Allen murmured, resting his chin in his hands. "The fish is too small—we need to fatten it up."
Allen didn't reveal the full plan to the Hydra leaders. He only needed them to follow orders.
"Have a combat suit designed. I don't want to hide the fact that I'm the Hydra Squad Captain anymore."
"…"
Hydra Squad Captain? That title didn't even exist. In the history of Hydra, there had never been such a role.
The only prior mention of it was during Allen's visit to S.H.I.E.L.D., when he randomly tossed the term around. That was the first anyone had ever heard of a 'Hydra Squad Captain.'
"The Brotherhood of Mutants and the Hellfire Club—mark them as secondary surveillance targets," Allen instructed.
With that, he had more or less completed the current stage of his plan.
He also requested a list of Hydra's top combat assets.
The list was divided into two categories: personal combat ability and intelligence.
A fully developed supervillain organization couldn't rely on brute force alone. It also needed a think tank.
On the combat list, most active agents had already infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., so they couldn't be mobilized easily. Acting on orders could easily expose them.
Reading further down—
There it was: six Winter Soldiers in suspended animation.
There wasn't just one Winter Soldier. It had been a significant project, and only six subjects were worthy of the title in the end—Bucky being one of them.
Which meant, Bucky hadn't been awakened yet and likely hadn't encountered Baron Zemo.
"Good… I'll be needing Bucky," Allen muttered, already factoring the Winter Soldiers into his plan.
Further down the list were pending recruits.
Natasha Romanoff (Pending Recruitment)
"Black Widow!"
Allen instantly thought of the familiar face. Rubbing his chin, he commented, "Hydra's got guts—trying to recruit Natasha."
No question—Allen had just added her to his target list.
He casually flipped to the intelligence list. None of the names were familiar—
Arnim Zola (Sealed)
"Another old acquaintance," Allen said, remembering when Dr. Zola had assigned him missions.
Back then, Zola had been in his forties. By now, he should've died of old age.
"Wait, no—he ascended into machine form!"
Allen slapped his thigh, recalling how in the movie, Zola had transferred his consciousness into a computer, achieving digital immortality.
The file confirmed Zola was currently housed in a Hydra safe house.
Allen immediately decided to pay his old friend a visit.
Psylocke, tasked with monitoring him, stood silently by his side, quietly observing Allen's rambling. From start to finish, she made no comment, waiting patiently for him to slip up.
Inside the safe house, few agents were present. They were mostly office staff.
They didn't particularly care about the leadership change—just showing up to collect their paychecks. Truth be told, Hydra at this point was practically in a dormant state.
Any time someone tried to stir things up, another would step in and warn them to stop—lest they all end up dead.
Underground—Level One.
Large mainframes, one after another, were lined up in rows.
The electronics were from the 60s and 70s—hardly ideal for performance. Supporting a digital consciousness required an overwhelming number of devices to compensate.
CLACK—the power switch was pulled.
Immediately, rows of fluorescent lights flickered on.
Soon after, the mainframe fans spun up, whirring to cool the system.
At the center, a computer screen lit up.
First came streams of green data scrolling from top to bottom, as if the system were booting up.
"Ooh, pretty cyberpunk," Allen commented, stepping forward to pat the monitor. Old electronics usually needed a physical wake-up.
For example, the black-and-white TV at the orphanage—when the signal got fuzzy, the director would give it a couple of smacks and boom—kids were back to watching Astro Boy with their meals.
Soon, the system finished booting up. On-screen, Arnim Zola's face appeared, rendered in green pixel blocks.
"I have waited long for the dawn of a new age—the Fourth—"
Zola stopped mid-sentence, staring stiffly at Allen.
"The fourth what?" Allen pressed. "Don't leave me hanging, Zola."
"It's nothing," Zola deflected, then asked suspiciously, "Allen? You're supposed to be dead. What are you doing here?"
SMACK!
Allen slapped the screen, furious. "Who's spreading that rumor? When did I die?"
"After that battle, you vanished. Plenty of Hydra members wanted revenge, but no one could find you," Zola explained truthfully.
It had been decades. Everyone had assumed he was dead. His file had been sealed and scheduled for disposal after the retention period expired.
"But… how haven't you aged?" Zola asked excitedly.
He had uploaded his consciousness for immortality—yet here was Allen, unchanged in appearance. How could he not feel jealous?
"We're not on the same timeline," Allen replied, giving the screen another smack. "Don't dodge the question. Tell me what 'Fourth' meant, or I'll rip out your hard drive."
"Wait, no—I'll talk…"