Chapter 10
Yang Jian hovered among the clouds, his eyes faintly glowing gold.
Super vision swept across the planet like radar, piercing every obstacle, scanning every corner of Earth.
He was searching for the other Infinity Stones.
The Mind Stone's location was unknown. The Time Stone was at Kamar-Taj. The Reality Stone was tucked away in some pocket dimension.
"But what if the timeline's shifted?"
With a trace of hope, he turned his gaze toward Eastern Europe.
In the original timeline, Hydra had used the Mind Stone for human experiments there—granting Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff their powers.
But when his vision pierced the mountains and locked onto the hidden Hydra base…
No Stone.
Only cold laboratories, flickering equipment, and—
Cages.
Dozens of emaciated prisoners were locked in narrow metal cells.
Some huddled in corners with vacant eyes. Others were strapped to experiment tables, tubes piercing their bodies.
In the farthest cage, Yang Jian spotted a red-haired woman.
She hugged her knees, head bowed, tangled hair hiding half her face.
But those eyes—glowing faintly in the dark—held something fierce, something on the verge of eruption.
Wanda Maximoff.
The future Scarlet Witch, currently just another Hydra test subject.
"They locked her up this early?"
He had zero interest in playing hero, but since he'd seen it…
"Might as well clean house while I'm here."
Yang Jian firmly told himself it was absolutely not because the witch was beautiful.
Absolutely not.
Eastern Europe Hydra Secret Base
Yang Jian hovered above the clouds, looking down at the facility camouflaged as a ruined castle.
Super vision revealed the massive underground complex: labs, cells, patrol routes, and—
A man with a monocle and a vicious face.
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
"Perfect. One clean sweep."
Yang Jian smiled faintly and descended slowly, stopping a hundred meters above the base.
Super hearing picked up the conversation inside.
Strucker stood in the central lab, berating several terrified scientists.
"Subject 19's energy readings are still unstable! Fail again and you'll volunteer as the next test subjects!"
The researchers nodded frantically. One dared to speak. "Baron, activation takes time. Forcing it risks instability—"
"Silence!" Strucker snapped.
"Hydra doesn't need excuses. We need results!"
Yang Jian narrowed his eyes, gaze locking onto the corner cage.
Wanda huddled there, pale and fragile.
"This is the place."
In a flash, he moved.
Alarms screamed through the corridors!
"Who's there?!" Strucker roared, backing up as guards raised weapons.
"Intruder! Intruder!"
The guards opened fire in panic—but before they could track the target, a black blur swept through!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Every guard was slammed into walls simultaneously, necks snapping instantly.
Yang Jian appeared in the center of the lab, black armor untouched.
"Hydra."
He scanned the room, eyes sweeping over the horrified scientists. "What a disgusting nest of vermin."
"Fire! Fire!!"
The remaining guards emptied magazines in desperation.
Yang Jian didn't even blink.
Bio-field expanded. Bullets halted half a meter away, then clattered harmlessly to the floor.
With a casual wave, a shockwave erupted—shattering every piece of equipment, twisting metal, hurling bodies through walls.
Controlled force. Every Hydra member died instantly.
Strucker's face twisted in terror. He slammed the emergency button on his wrist. "Activate defense protocol! Release all enhanced subjects!"
With a grinding roar, metal gates slammed open on both sides.
Dozens of Hydra's super-soldier experiments charged out—muscles bulging, eyes blood-red, roaring like beasts as they lunged at Yang Jian!
"Pathetic."
His eyes flared crimson.
BOOM!
Heat vision swept in a wide arc. A dozen enhanced subjects froze mid-stride, bodies vaporizing in searing heat.
The rest barely reacted before Yang Jian appeared among them. Fists and kicks blurred.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike hit vital points with surgical precision. Bones shattered in rapid succession. In three seconds, every enhanced subject lay broken and dead.
Strucker finally panicked and bolted for the exit!
"Going somewhere?"
Yang Jian flashed in front of him, hand clamping around the Baron's throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
"Who… who the hell are you?!" Strucker choked, face purpling.
"Yang Jian."
He said calmly. "Remember the name of the man who ended you."
"No! Wait! We can cooperate! Hydra's resources, technology, wealth—"
Crack.
A slight squeeze. Strucker's neck snapped. Terror froze forever in his eyes.
Yang Jian dropped the body like trash.
Seconds later, the base fell silent.
He walked to the cell block. A casual finger swipe tore alloy bars like paper.
Prisoners stared in terror, too afraid to move.
Only the red-haired woman slowly lifted her head.
"Who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, wary.
Yang Jian studied her. She looked young—around 19 or 20—gaunt from captivity, but those eyes already carried the spark of unyielding will.
"Someone passing through. Want to come with me?"
Wanda was silent for several seconds. Then she stood slowly.
"They did a lot of experiments on me." She whispered.
"There's something strange inside my body."
"I know." Yang Jian nodded.
"Chaos magic. Very powerful."
Wanda's head snapped up, shock flashing in her eyes. "What is that?"
"Not important right now." Yang Jian cut her off and turned toward the exit.
"What matters is you're free."
Wanda hesitated, then stepped forward to follow.
In the next instant, they shot into the sky.
The other prisoners, seeing the chance, rushed out and scattered into the wilderness.
Yang Jian took a moment to deposit them all in safe, distant locations.
Then—
BOOM!!!
Heat vision erupted from his eyes, sweeping the entire base!
Walls melted. Equipment detonated. Every trace of Hydra vanished in white-hot fire.
No alarms reached the outside. No distress signals.
The base—and everyone inside—erased without a whisper.
Outside the Base – Wilderness
Yang Jian stood on a hilltop, watching the sunrise.
Wanda stood behind him, wrapped in a blanket scavenged from the ruins, voice soft.
"Where are you taking me?"
"New York. Safer there." Yang Jian didn't turn.
"I want to find my brother. They killed him." Tears welled up as memories flooded back.
"Your brother?"
Yang Jian was mildly surprised. His vision swept the area—no body.
"His remains aren't here. They probably disposed of him already." He sighed quietly.
Wanda stood frozen for several seconds, then looked at him.
"Why help me?"
Yang Jian turned his head, pretending to think.
"Maybe because I really hate Hydra."
Wanda blinked. Then the faintest hint of a smile touched her pale lips.
"Thank you."
Yang Jian said nothing more. He reached out, gently gripping her shoulder.
The next second, they rocketed toward New York, vanishing into the clouds.
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