Chapter Thirty-Five: Grell at the Door

S.H.I.E.L.D.

When it came to this United Nations intelligence agency scouring the globe for traces of its own organization, Hyde knew them inside and out. After causing such a commotion, he had a feeling S.H.I.E.L.D. would show up. He just hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly.

He had originally estimated he’d have at least five hours or so, but now not even half an hour had passed before S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had mobilized in full force, encircling the entire Ingram Street. Damn it, it was as if these S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had been waiting outside all along... Could it be because the C26 base had been discovered? That shouldn’t be possible...

His secrecy measures had been absolutely flawless. Hyde racked his brain but couldn’t fathom how S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed such a rapid response—truly a tremendous coincidence that defied explanation. The real reason, however, was that Zhong Shenxiu happened to be living here. Hyde could be said to have taken the fall for nothing.

Fortunately, at the time, Hyde had controlled the “Scourge of God” and ensured that a policeman who had recklessly ventured onto Ingram Street would never leave it. The resulting intimidation seemed to have worked, for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had remained stationed outside, too wary to enter on their own.

Still, by nature a cautious man, Hyde decided to accelerate his plan to slip away. For this, he first needed some helpers, so he began researching ways to awaken some of his subordinates. At first, he had no leads. But then he found a clue from a man named Grellew.

Grellew was a patroller assigned to the present batch of Experiment Zero, making daily rounds near the edges of the specially designed cell. Over time, he had gradually become tainted with traces of the “Scourge of God.” Usually, the accumulation of such exposure drove patrollers insane, leading them to suicide. But this time, Grellew had inadvertently benefited.

Upon observing him, Hyde noticed that Grellew was unaffected by the recent incident—while everyone else had become witless, Grellew alone was inside, busying himself with handiwork. Thus, Hyde deduced a straightforward method to awaken his remaining subordinates: injecting them with a measured dose of the “Scourge of God.”

This “measured dose” was a vague concept, and after many trials and untold numbers of ruined test subjects, it was not until 5:12 that he succeeded in reviving a group. These were Taylor, Raynor, and six others, making eight, to which he added Grellew. Altogether, nine men, whom he ordered to Ingram Street to gather supplies.

This set the stage for everything that followed.

Hyde needed such a large quantity of supplies solely to prepare for his secret base, where he intended to hide out for a while. Given S.H.I.E.L.D.’s swift action, Hyde suspected he might already have been exposed, perhaps inadvertently. No matter; the most crucial asset in the entire base—Experiment Zero—had already been transported to his secret lair. Everything else was expendable. As long as Zero remained, he could rise again.

As for the secret base itself, almost no one knew of its existence. The only risk of exposure now lay with backup files in the computers at the main C26 base and the nine revived subordinates who had escorted him there. But none of these risks concerned him; he had made all necessary preparations.

Once all supplies were in place, Hyde settled into the chair behind the surveillance room, switched on a monitor, and watched the gate of the Happy Factory. After nearly half a minute, four familiar modified vans passed through the gate, returning to the factory’s interior. When they had all entered, Hyde activated the remote locking mechanism for the main base—every exit of the factory clamped shut with a sharp metallic click.

Then, he pressed the red button at the bottom, shielded by a glass cover.

This was the self-destruct sequence for the C26 main base. The vast quantities of explosives buried beneath would ignite at that instant, obliterating both the C26 base and the Happy Factory—erasing all evidence and everyone within in a single, blinding moment.

Even from his distant vantage, Hyde could feel the earth tremble with the explosion’s fury. He felt a pang of regret for his loyal subordinates, but there was no other way: his secret base was small, and the supplies barely sufficient for himself and Zero to last a while. He could not possibly bring them to live here.

If allowed to wander outside, when S.H.I.E.L.D. finally entered Ingram Street, who knew what these men might reveal under interrogation? Most information was trivial, but if by chance they exposed the higher organization—those tireless architects laboring in the shadows for dominion over the world—even nine lives would not save Hyde from their wrath.

All things considered, purging them swiftly was the optimal choice.

Switching the surveillance feed, Hyde watched as the Happy Factory was engulfed in flames, finally allowing himself to relax. He pulled out a bottle of cheap red wine, poured it into a goblet, swirled it, and took a slow, contemplative sip.

Ah—delightful.

The slightly bitter bouquet slid over his nose and palate like silk. This taste was something he had never found in even the most luxurious wines. Gulp, gulp.

He downed the rest in one go, then fixed his gaze on the row of monitors, still black, and mused to himself:

He might need to lay low for months. Once the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents left, or the commotion died down, he would reach out to the organization and apply to build a new base. He had made a tidy profit selling the Rhino Man last time; securing approval for a new facility should be easy...

Suddenly!

One of the screens flickered to life, displaying the view outside the gate of his current villa. Standing there was a man.

Hyde immediately put down his goblet, tapping at the keyboard to adjust the camera angle. The image sharpened—Grellew!

Hyde recognized him instantly; he had observed the man closely at dawn. But how could Grellew be here? Shouldn’t he have been in one of those four vans, now reduced to ashes by the blast?

Perplexed, Hyde watched as Grellew’s lips moved ceaselessly. He switched on the microphone and speakers, and at once heard:

“Master Hyde, they actually left me here. I’ve thought it over and can’t find anywhere else to go…”

Left here? This fellow’s luck was extraordinary—not only had he escaped the effects of the “Scourge of God,” but he had even survived the inescapable explosion.

Hyde grumbled inwardly. Then another thought struck him:

If Grellew had avoided the blast, he certainly couldn’t be left to wander outside. With three years of experience in the underground base, who knew what he might let slip if S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived and started questioning him? Most importantly, the man knew the location of Hyde’s secret base!

He could not be allowed to live.

Hyde touched the Scourge of God controller on his head, recalling the deep-seated infestation of the “Scourge” within Grellew. A plan began to take shape in his mind.

“Come in,” he said through the intercom at the gate.

Then he opened the villa door.