When the strafing ended, the only enemies left on the battlefield were the Hydra soldiers engaged in close-quarters combat with the Avengers—spared only to prevent friendly fire. The latter began a rapid retreat, utilizing explosives and Norn Stones to make their escape.
Strangely, despite this being the perfect opportunity for a pursuit, Captain America ordered everyone to hold their positions. He prevented the chase personally, leaving many in the group utterly bewildered.
"What are you worried about, Steve?"
Tony landed beside Captain America and voiced his question. To Tony, this was the chance to strike deep into Hydra's headquarters and wipe them out in one fell swoop. Though the enemy certainly had other preparations in place, Tony believed the Avengers were more than capable of overcoming them.
However, Captain America's concerns went beyond merely winning a battle against a Hydra army.
"There's no point in chasing them down. I'm certain that their retreat paths don't lead to a central headquarters; they lead to the various branches we've already discovered but haven't fully purged. They will undoubtedly use delay tactics, stalling us layer by layer while they find a way to melt back into the shadows."
Tony wasn't satisfied with the explanation. "Even if they intend to run, those second-rate grunts are no match for us. We could hunt them all the way back to Hydra's main base."
"Is a 'headquarters' really that important to Hydra?" Captain America asked.
Tony blinked, looking at the soldier in the star-spangled uniform.
"The Budapest underground facility was a massive installation, yet it fell in less than a day. The Antarctic base in the Savage Land was enormous, and they abandoned it without a second thought. Do you really think Hydra would change their strategy now and make a desperate stand at a headquarters?"
At this point, Steve Rogers added another detail.
"Don't forget, Zemo is still missing."
The Supreme Leader of Hydra was nowhere to be found, and Hydra had a tradition of discarding current bases. Moreover, Hydra didn't need a headquarters to survive. Given the current level of their infiltration, once they lacked a large-scale base, they would find it even easier to disperse and blend into the rest of the world.
Tony remained disgruntled. He knew Hydra was everywhere within S.H.I.E.L.D. and the government, but he didn't see that as a reason to hesitate. Whether they destroyed a headquarters or not, that fact wouldn't change.
"Besides, they are intentionally letting us win," Captain America stated firmly.
This statement finally caught Tony off guard. "What do you mean?"
"In terms of scale, this was undoubtedly a large-scale war. But aside from the skirmishes over positions or rescuing allies, I haven't seen a mess fought with such 'piecemeal' reinforcement tactics. They were gauging our combat capabilities. Once they realized the front line couldn't be held, they continued to feed in troops just to keep us occupied. They welcomed this outcome."
"So that's why you asked Strange to open a portal for S.W.O.R.D.," Tony said, pieces of the puzzle falling into place. "So that the force destroying the Hydra army would be Kang's futuristic weapons rather than the Avengers."
Tony suddenly understood many things. "This proves to the world that even after the Avengers have fought for so long, their lethality doesn't compare to a single shot from S.W.O.R.D.'s main cannon."
Captain America added, "And in the public's mind, that warship was captured through the collective effort of every super-powered individual on Earth. At least, that's their impression."
Tony broke into a grin. Captain America wasn't giving up on catching Hydra; quite the opposite—he was going after the Hydra elements within the U.S. government first. S.W.O.R.D. had undoubtedly stolen the spotlight in this battle, and with the Ultimates entering the fray to help the Avengers maintain the line, the perceived importance of the Avengers in the conflict had significantly diminished.
At a time like this, those in Congress claiming the Avengers are the real threat rather than S.W.O.R.D., and demanding measures like a registration act for super-powered individuals... you might not catch every single one, but nine out of ten would definitely be Hydra.
Compared to a physical Hydra headquarters that could be seized, the Hydra hidden in the shadows was the greater threat that needed to be addressed.
Just two days later.
Accompanying a flood of news reports, "The Fall of Hydra" became a trending topic once again. Or rather, "The Re-Fall of Hydra" became the hot topic.
Over five hundred thousand people were arrested worldwide. In addition to the Savage Land and the Budapest underground, ten other large-scale bases were discovered across the globe, including sites in the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and Siberia. The weaponry and facilities recovered were enough to launch a regional war, and evidence was found of extensive human experimentation and illegal trafficking.
"My god, it's like the American ideal of itself—military bases capable of housing tens of thousands stationed all over the world, and completely pervasive."
Watching the news reports, Tony couldn't help but snark. While snacking, he asked Steve Rogers, "What do you think they'll say next time? Hydra has fallen again-again-again?"
"I only worry that eventually, Hydra will never truly 'fall.' Whenever there's a hint of trouble, people will assume it's Hydra. Everyone will suspect the Red Skull is still alive and spin a web of conspiracy that fits their own understanding."
Captain America watched the screen, clearly dissatisfied with the media's over-sensationalism. He turned to Tony. "Is there any way we can investigate this legally?"
"A legal investigation? No. An illegal 'legal' investigation? Now that we can do. We just investigate using FBI or CIA methods, then act as 'well-informed sources' and hand the intel to the media. If you want to prosecute them, you have to worry about illegal evidence, but for a media expose? That's not a requirement."
Steve didn't like the method, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Tony was still thinking about the Avengers' transport mechanism. They had acquired a massive amount of Norn Stones from Asgard and Hydra. If they could get a Master of the Mystic Arts to set it all up, the Avengers would be able to achieve global response and global deployment.
Recalling how the whole chain of events started, Captain America seemed to remember why this great war had happened in the first place. "By the way, how is Spider-Man doing? Now that most of Hydra's outposts are gone, has the Hand been caught yet?"
Tony Stark gave Captain America a meaningful look. "I think that kid is a little too busy to worry about that right now."
"Why? Did something happen again?"
"Not exactly." Tony leaned back on the sofa with a smile. "Homecoming is coming up again. He's probably agonizing over who he should invite to the dance this year."
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