Marvel: The Enlightened One#197+198: Madame Hydra Ophelia, Hawk Meets Captain America

That's right.

The caller wasn't just anyone—it was Anna.

HYDRA's Anna.

After exchanging pleasantries, Anna's voice came through the line, tinged with genuine apology. "I'm sorry. I only just got the news. Hawk, please believe me—we had no intention of becoming your enemy. You know that."

Hawk let out a soft laugh. He was about to respond when he noticed Victoria Hand and the female SHIELD agent nearby, both clearly eavesdropping. Instead of answering immediately, he looked at Commander Hand.

"Since you're all set here, I'm heading out."

"Don't mention it."

Before Victoria Hand could respond, Hawk turned and vanished from the underground detention block of the New York SHIELD Operations Center.

When he reappeared, he was already airborne.

Hawk drifted lazily toward New Amsterdam Hospital, continuing his conversation with Anna.

"John Garrett wasn't one of yours."

"No."

"Then whose was he?"

"Arnim Zola."

Anna didn't hesitate for a second before naming Dr. Zola. Then, over the sound of frantic shouting in Japanese on her end, she added, "New York is close to New Jersey, so that whole area has always been Zola's territory."

Figures.

Just then—

Several gunshots crackled through Anna's line.

Hawk raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you right now?"

"Japan."

As Anna spoke, more panicked Japanese screaming erupted in the background, followed by a few more crisp gunshots. "I got transferred here. Remember?"

Hawk's mind immediately conjured an image.

Anna—who usually greeted him with a warm smile—now stood like a cold, merciless queen dressed in black leather, positioned by a floor-to-ceiling window somewhere in Japan. Behind her, a line of Japanese SHIELD agents who refused to surrender were being executed one by one.

Anna seemed to remember something else. "Oh, by the way, Hawk, I was in New York a few days ago, but you weren't around. Couldn't get through to you either. I was planning to wait in New York until you got back, but, well—you know how it is. I had to come back here."

Hawk suddenly remembered the half-month arrangement he'd made with Anna.

He instinctively slapped his forehead.

"Sorry. Had to take care of something out of town."

"It's fine. Once I'm done cleaning up Japan, I'll swing by New York again."

"Sounds good."

Hawk smiled. "Actually, you don't have to wait until you're done. If things go south, just head straight to New York and find me."

He never chose friends based on what side they were on.

Sharon was his friend.

Anna was his friend too. And compared to Sharon, Anna felt more like an old friend who actually understood him.

If Sharon died, her soul would go to his Underworld. If Anna died, same thing. But just like he could protect Sharon, he could protect Anna too.

Anna picked up on the subtext in Hawk's words.

Though she seemed to misunderstand it.

"Hawk, this whole thing had absolutely nothing to do with us. The moment Mr. Pierce found out, he tore into Dr. Zola."

"Oh yeah? And then?"

"Dr. Zola said he'd handle it himself."

"Heh."

Hawk actually laughed at that.

Dr. Zola had "handled it himself" by throwing John Garrett under the bus and hoping that would be enough to smooth things over.

He thought about it for a moment, then spoke into the phone. "John Garrett was just a small-time player. I was actually wondering if Alexander Pierce might be the one pulling the strings behind this."

Anna's voice turned urgent.

"Absolutely not. When Mr. Pierce found out Garrett had sold out to Dr. Zola, he kicked him out of the Triskelion immediately."

"I know. Commander Victoria Hand from New York SHIELD just told me the same thing."

Hawk said, then shifted gears. "But regardless of who was backing John Garrett, he was still HYDRA. So I was thinking—why not just take the whole organization down? You know, if no one steps up to take responsibility for this."

There was an old saying, after all.

To straighten something crooked, you have to overcorrect.

Better to kill a thousand innocents than let one guilty party slip through.

So yeah, he'd genuinely been considering it. HYDRA had chosen to test him, so they needed to pay the price.

Some nobody named John Garrett—someone Hawk had never even heard of before—wasn't going to be enough to quench his anger.

What kind of joke was that?

"But now, Anna—you're my friend."

"I can do you a favor and not let my anger spill over onto the rest of HYDRA."

"Just—"

"Are you really planning to use the favor I owe you to get me to back off?"

Hawk's tone turned serious as he asked.

Anna's answer came without hesitation.

"Yes."

"Done."

Hawk chuckled, not bothering to drag it out. He gave a straightforward answer. "I'll agree to that. I won't let my anger touch your branch or Alexander Pierce's people."

Anna let out a relieved breath on the other end.

"Thank you."

"I already agreed, so you've got to give me something in return, Anna. I came here pissed off. You understand how it feels to finally come home, only to find three brain-dead HYDRA agents trying to break into my house, right?"

"I understand."

"Good. Then figure out a way to redirect my anger onto that Yasukuni outhouse over in Japan."

Hawk smiled as he laid out his demand. "I need to see footage of that place burning to the ground within two hours. Once I see it, I'll stay out of this—just like before. I won't care whether you or SHIELD comes out on top in the end. Deal?"

Anger didn't disappear. It just got redirected.

After all, Zola was just data. Even if Hawk killed him, there wouldn't be any satisfaction in it.

But killing him was still on the agenda.

He just needed to transfer that anger onto something tangible first.

And Anna just happened to be in Japan.

Perfect. The Yasukuni Shrine it was.

Anna paused for a second, processing his request. Then, without any hesitation, she nodded in agreement. "No problem. I'll have people on it right now. Within two hours, you'll see it going up in flames. I promise."

Hawk hummed in acknowledgment.

"One more thing. I was planning to ask you for help when you came to New York next, but since we're on the phone anyway, I might as well bring it up now."

"...Go ahead."

"The Mind Stone Scepter."

After wiping out Wakanda in Africa, Hawk had originally planned to bring this up when Anna returned to New York half a month later.

But then, he'd gone to Skull Island. And while it felt like only two days to him, thanks to the time dilation, seventeen full days had passed in the outside world.

And the moment he got back, HYDRA's second uprising was already underway.

So when Anna said she'd waited for him in New York but eventually had to return to Japan to oversee HYDRA operations there, Hawk didn't doubt her for a second.

First, Anna was HYDRA.

Second, she was his friend.

HYDRA was work.

Friendship was personal.

Hawk wasn't the type to get upset just because Anna hadn't waited around in New York for him.

He'd originally planned to call her in the next day or two anyway.

But since Anna had called him now, he figured he might as well mention it. Better than forgetting later.

On the other end of the line, Anna's voice paused briefly when Hawk mentioned the Mind Stone Scepter.

But she recovered quickly.

"The Mind Stone Scepter?"

"Yeah."

Hawk didn't bother playing coy. He got straight to the point. "I know you've got it. I need to use it for something. Don't worry—I'm not asking you to give it to me for free. I just want to borrow it. And if you're worried, I can come to wherever it is and use it on-site. I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

This time, Anna didn't immediately agree. She thought about it for a moment, and her tone was less certain. "I don't want to lie to you, Hawk. This isn't something I can approve on my own. But I'll escalate it."

Hawk wasn't surprised.

"Fair enough. That's all I've got. Nothing else."

"Alright. I'll handle it."

"Okay. Talk later."

After hearing Anna's assurance, Hawk didn't waste time. He said goodbye and hung up immediately.

Everyone was busy, after all.

He was busy getting Gwen home safely, then heading to New Jersey to find Zola and pull the plug on that digital bastard.

Anna was probably even busier.

Not only did she have to deal with the Japanese SHIELD agents, she also had to figure out how to torch that shrine.

So they could catch up properly another time.

Hawk thought to himself as he looked down and spotted New Amsterdam Hospital below. With a thought, he vanished from the sky.

...

At the same time.

Far away in a standalone villa on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., Alexander Pierce grabbed another phone and dialed a number. The call went to Japan, to a woman known within the organization as Madame Hydra—Ophelia Sarkissian.

The call connected quickly.

A sultry, dangerously languid female voice came through the line.

"Good morning, Pierce."

"Ophelia, I need a favor."

Alexander Pierce took a deep breath, then spoke in a low, urgent tone. "Within two hours, burn down the Yasukuni Shrine."

At that moment, Madame Hydra—lounging lazily on her bed in a seductive pose—blinked and sat up.

"Why?"

"Goddamn Zola."

Alexander Pierce cursed under his breath, then explained how some glitch in Zola's programming had made him think it was a good idea to test Hawk, only for Hawk to catch them red-handed.

Ophelia immediately laughed.

"Pierce, I've been saying this for years. 'Artificial intelligence,' my ass. It's just a broken computer program that can't even move because it's hardwired to a pile of outdated hardware. And you people still treat his word like gospel."

"Skip the commentary. I need time. All I have to do is stall until the Insight Helicarriers launch. So—two hours. Burn the Yasukuni Shrine. Can you do it or not?"

"Fine."

Ophelia chuckled and nodded. "No problem. I'll have people on it right now. But, Pierce—remember. You owe me a favor."

Pierce let out a relieved breath.

"I'll remember."

"Hanging up now."

"Alright."

"..."

<><><><><><><><>

New Amsterdam Hospital. VIP ward.

After sleeping for about an hour, Sharon Carter refused to go back to bed no matter what anyone said. With Gwen's help, she propped herself up against the headboard, her gaze drifting through the window toward the night sky outside.

Sharon looked deeply worried.

Gwen, sitting beside her, saw the expression on Sharon's face and smiled reassuringly. "Sharon, don't worry. If Hawk promised, he's not going to break his word."

When Hawk said someone was going to die, that person died.

No exceptions. Guaranteed.

Sharon heard that and pulled her gaze back from the window, looking at Gwen. She managed a strained smile and shook her head. "I'm not worried about that. I'm wondering if I need to start looking for a new job."

Gwen froze.

"What?"

"Do you think SHIELD will even exist after HYDRA's second uprising? Even if this whole thing gets resolved?"

"Uh..."

Gwen heard Sharon's question and fell into thought.

Just then, Hawk appeared in the hospital room, catching the tail end of Sharon's question. He let out a soft laugh. "That's definitely not happening."

Gwen's eyes lit up when she saw Hawk return.

"Hawk."

Sharon also snapped to attention when she saw him. She braced her hands against the bed, her expression caught between wanting to speak and holding back.

Hawk knew what Sharon wanted to ask. He cut straight to it. "Victoria Hand is fine. And I got your Operations Center back for you."

Sharon's heart surged with emotion.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. From here on out, it's up to you guys."

Hawk smiled.

Once he pulled the plug on Dr. Zola, he was done. He'd go home, sit with his fiancée, and watch this whole thing play out from the sidelines.

"Oh, right."

Hawk remembered something about Zola. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Sharon. "Before Cap took the super soldier serum, didn't he train at some military base in New Jersey?"

Sharon nodded instinctively. "Yeah."

Hawk immediately followed up. "Do you know which base? Where is it?"

He knew about all the major events in the Marvel Universe—past, present, and future.

But his knowledge wasn't exactly encyclopedic.

For example, right now, he knew that Arnim Zola had converted himself into a digital consciousness and had been hiding in SHIELD's original server room all these years.

But he didn't know the exact location of SHIELD's founding base.

After all, neither the movies nor any history book spelled that out.

No problem, though.

Other people might not know, but Sharon Carter—who was at least tangentially connected to Captain America—definitely would.

Sure enough—

"Camp Lehigh. Third Army Base in Jersey City."

Sharon answered without even thinking. "It's about thirty kilometers east of Jersey City. But that base was decommissioned back in the nineties. Why are you asking?"

Hawk smiled faintly but didn't answer. Instead, he looked Sharon over. "How are you feeling right now?"

Sharon was curious why Hawk was suddenly asking about this, but she nodded anyway.

"A lot better."

"Good."

Hawk nodded. He was about to say something when he seemed to sense something. He turned his head toward the hospital room door.

The next second, A knock sounded.

Gwen's heart jumped.

"HYDRA?"

"SHIELD."

Hawk said flatly, looking at the door. "Come in."

The door opened.

The female SHIELD agent Hawk had seen earlier at the New York Operations Center stepped in, along with a male SHIELD agent.

The female agent looked at Hawk. "Mr. Phoenix."

Hawk nodded.

Sharon, sitting in bed, craned her neck to see who was at the door. When she saw the female SHIELD agent, her face lit up. "Martha!"

The agent—Martha—also saw Sharon in bed. Her expression softened with relief, and she quickly crossed the room. "Sharon, thank God. You're okay."

Sharon asked urgently, "How's Commander Hand?"

Martha glanced at Sharon, who was still hooked up to a transfusion, and smiled. "Same as you. Getting blood. But don't worry—the Commander's fine."

Sharon's worry disappeared completely. Then she looked at Martha. "I want to go back to the base and be with you guys."

As she spoke, Sharon instinctively glanced at Hawk.

Hawk laughed.

"I'm not HYDRA. I'm not holding you prisoner."

Hawk joked, then turned to Gwen. "Alright, Sharon's people are here. Let's head home."

He still needed to get his fiancée home safely, then run off and pull the plug on Zola.

Gwen nodded and looked at Sharon. "Sharon, we're heading out."

Sharon hummed in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Gwen."

Martha also turned to Gwen. "Thank you, Miss Stacy."

Gwen smiled, waved at Sharon and Martha, and then followed Hawk out of the room.

The black Audi A8 tore through Manhattan's streets, making it back to the garage at 521A Bleecker Street in under twenty minutes.

...

Back in the living room.

Gwen turned on the lights, then turned to face Hawk with a smile. "Alright. I'm home. You can go take care of business now."

Hawk raised an eyebrow at her.

Gwen smiled. "Sharon doesn't know you that well, but I do, Hawk. You're not the type to ask random questions for no reason."

Hawk looked at Gwen with exaggerated shock.

"Nothing gets past my dear fiancée."

"Quit the sweet talk."

Gwen gave him an amused eye roll, then said, "Go on. Get it done. I'll make us something to eat. Come back soon."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hawk straightened up with mock seriousness, gave her a salute, then suddenly appeared right in front of her, leaned down, stole a quick kiss, and vanished before she could react.

Gwen instinctively covered her mouth, watching the spot where Hawk had just been. She let out a quiet laugh, shook her head with a smile, then turned on the TV and headed toward the kitchen to make a late-night snack for when Hawk got back.

Just as she took her first step toward the kitchen—

Hawk had already appeared in the airspace above the abandoned military base thirty kilometers east of Jersey City that Sharon had mentioned.

The next second, he was standing in the middle of the decommissioned base, which was now overgrown with waist-high weeds.

Hawk's gaze locked onto a munitions warehouse in the distance.

It wasn't because he vaguely remembered that Captain America Steve Rogers had noticed something off about a non-existent warehouse.

It was because every door in the entire base was shut tight and locked—except for that warehouse. Its large door was wide open, practically impossible to miss.

After all, Hawk wasn't blind.

When Hawk saw the warehouse door standing open—as if someone had beaten him to it—he paused for a moment, then realized something.

The timeline for Captain America: The Winter Soldier was actually pretty similar to Thor: The Dark World. Both were short.

Wait... Thor 2's plot was compressed into forty-eight hours. Cap 2 happened over seventy-two.

HYDRA had officially launched their second uprising yesterday. Today was day two.

So, If he wasn't mistaken, Captain America Steve Rogers and Black Widow Natasha Romanoff had probably already found this place.

Hawk thought to himself as he took a step forward. In an instant, he was standing at the entrance to the wide-open munitions warehouse. His form flickered again, and when he reappeared, he was already inside.

THUD.

Captain America, who had only recently arrived and had already found the secret elevator and was currently talking with Dr. Zola—learning the truth behind Project Insight—seemed to sense something. He looked up at the ceiling.

Natasha, standing nearby and equally shocked by what Zola had revealed, noticed Cap's movement out of the corner of her eye. She snapped out of her daze and followed his gaze upward.

"Cap, what is it?"

"Someone's here."

Captain America Steve Rogers said in a low, serious tone.

Natasha immediately shifted into combat mode. The tactical pistols holstered at her sides were drawn in a flash, and she scanned the room with sharp, cautious eyes.

Just then—

The bulky computer screen behind them was suddenly flooded with streams of data. At the same time, the ancient server racks filling the entire room started humming at full capacity, their cooling fans whirring loudly.

Natasha noticed the change. She spun around to look at Dr. Zola, who seemed to be calculating something.

Cap also reacted. He turned to face the screen displaying Zola's digital face.

"Zola, what are you up to?"

"..."

Zola didn't answer. He was analyzing.

But no matter how much he analyzed, he couldn't figure out how Hawk had pinpointed his location this quickly.

Even if John Garrett had sold him out, it wouldn't matter.

Because Garrett didn't know his exact location either.

Unless...

Dr. Zola's data streams quickly zeroed in on a ten-minute gap in Alexander Pierce's signal records.

He nearly crashed.

Because Zola couldn't understand why Alexander Pierce would do that either.

Just then, Captain America, still watching Zola, caught a spatial distortion in his peripheral vision—right by the elevator entrance.

No hesitation.

WHOOSH.

With a sharp twist of his core, Cap's shield was already flying toward Hawk, who had just silently materialized at the elevator entrance.

The shield spun through the air.

The force behind it was enough to cut a normal person clean in half at the waist.

...