WHOOSH!
The HYDRA fighter jet sliced through the clouds, an invisible predator streaking across the sky. Onboard, four super soldiers locked into their seats, stared straight ahead with glowing red visors, and said nothing.
Through the onboard camera feed, the pilot and soldiers could see the stolen HYDRA car parked just off the road, engine still warm, seemingly abandoned.
"We've spotted the car, Baron," one of the soldiers said through his headset. "There's no movement outside. The target might still be inside."
Baron Strucker's voice crackled back through the comms, brimming with anticipation.
"Move in immediately. I want that man alive."
Back at HYDRA headquarters, the Baron stood before a wall of monitors. One feed showed the car, motionless. A grin slowly spread across his scarred face.
"The Super Soldier Serum… within reach at last."
He clenched his fist.
"Once he's captured, the formula is mine. My legacy begins today."
The fighter jet hovered in place like a hunting hawk. A hatch opened beneath its belly, and the four super soldiers dropped down in unison, landing with heavy thuds around the car.
One of them approached the driver-side window and peered inside.
A young white man sat in the driver's seat, counting a wad of cash.
Startled by the sudden appearance of armed soldiers, he froze.
BANG!
The soldier smashed the car window, reached in, and yanked the man out by his collar.
"Who are you?" he barked. "Where's the black-haired Asian guy?!"
The thief stammered in fear. "I—I stole the car! The guy you're looking for went into the pharmacy, and the car was unlocked. There was cash inside… I just—just drove off with it!"
The soldier's brow twitched with fury.
WHAM!
He slammed the thief's face into the steering wheel. The crack of cartilage breaking was audible. Blood spilled over the dashboard as the man screamed in pain.
"Which pharmacy?" the soldier demanded coldly.
"Th-The one behind us!" the man sobbed. "Wes Pharmacy!"
The soldier let go, then turned to walk toward the fighter jet, reporting back to the Baron over the comms.
Behind him, another soldier quietly raised a pistol, ignoring the thief's muffled pleas for mercy.
BANG.
The body slumped forward, face pressed against the wheel. Blood pooled.
A moment later, a lighter was tossed into the car.
BOOM!
The vehicle exploded into a ball of fire, black smoke billowing into the sky.
The soldiers boarded the jet once again, taking off as flames consumed the vehicle.
"Baron," came the report. "The driver was not the target. We've confirmed it. He's not in the car."
Back at the base, Baron Strucker's grin disappeared.
His expression hardened.
"What do you mean he's not in the car?!"
"He likely left it behind, sir. According to the thief, Nathan walked into a pharmacy. The car had money in it and was left unlocked."
Baron clenched his fists.
"That manipulative little rat… he planned it. He knew we'd track the car and sent someone else to take the fall."
He punched the table. "Clever bastard."
"To think… wounded, on the run, and still calm enough to set up a decoy."
He exhaled slowly.
"He's not just a scientist—he's a tactician."
His eyes scanned the data logs on his screen, then narrowed.
"Where are you going now, Nathan?"
---
Meanwhile…
An old, beat-up sedan pulled up in front of a dive bar tucked into the side of a dusty roadside alley.
Inside the car, Nathan sat quietly, his face dimly lit by the bar's neon sign flashing the word "NOKA."
He muttered to himself, "They should be closing in on the pharmacy by now."
He smiled faintly. "But I left long before that."
Nathan had known from the beginning that the HYDRA vehicle was trackable.
That's why, during his escape, he hadn't just abandoned the car—he weaponized it.
On the way, he'd spotted a twitchy man standing near another car in the lot. One look told Nathan he was a car thief.
Perfect.
He left the door unlocked, cash on the seat, and walked away to the nearby pharmacy, just long enough to be seen. The thief took the bait. Nathan didn't even look back.
Then, he bought himself a second-hand sedan down the road. Cheap, ugly, but functional.
He chuckled to himself.
"They're hunting the wrong man now."
Nathan stepped out of the car and looked at the bar entrance.
According to the stolen HYDRA files, this bar was the current hideout of Klaue, the Vibranium dealer who once armed Ultron.
If Nathan could get even a small chunk of Vibranium… it might be enough to build armor strong enough to resist Wolverine's claws.
He pushed open the bar door and stepped inside.
---
The stench hit him immediately.
Sweat. Cheap beer. Cigarettes. Bad cologne.
Inside, flashing lights bounced off mirrored walls. The space was tight and grimy, filled with rough-looking men playing pool, smoking, and eyeing the newcomers.
Nathan's presence was noticed instantly.
He was clean. Unscarred. Unfamiliar.
Too unfamiliar.
Conversations died down as eyes followed him from every direction.
Nathan ignored the tension and made his way toward the bar, but halfway there—
A shadow loomed in front of him.
A large, greasy man stepped in his way. He looked Nathan up and down with a sneer.
"Well now… you look new."
"And your face is awfully tender."
He reached out and slapped Nathan across the cheek, testing him.
The slap echoed in the bar, followed by mocking laughter from nearby tables.
Nathan didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.
Instead, he tilted his head slowly… then looked the man dead in the eye.
"Do you want to try that again?"
The bar went silent.
---
Back at the pharmacy, the HYDRA squad arrived to find…
Nothing.
No Nathan.
No car.
No leads.
One soldier looked around and muttered, "He was here, alright… but he's gone."
With no city infrastructure nearby and few surveillance cameras in this remote area, Nathan had slipped through the cracks.
Once again, HYDRA lost the trail.
---
Baron Strucker was livid.
He roared, slamming his fists into the command table.
"That car wasn't stolen… He left it as bait!"
"He wanted it stolen!"
A subordinate tried to explain. "Sir, he might have had prior knowledge of the area, local terrain, surveillance weaknesses—"
"Silence!" the Baron shouted. Then, quieter, he muttered,
"He's too intelligent for a lab rat."
"He created the serum alone… escaped our facility wounded… and still outwitted our tracking team."
He clenched his fists. "Fine. But you can't run forever, Nathan."
He stared at the last GPS ping.
"Sooner or later, you'll surface again. And when you do… I'll be waiting."
___________________________________
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