A Corner of the Chessboard

Since the existence of the Super Soldier Serum had already been revealed, there was no way Duncan would allow Joss to leave today. The reason for asking first was that if Joss cooperated, it would make things much more convenient for both sides, sparing them the tedious process of brainwashing.

Besides, the doctor had his own methods of controlling these enhanced soldiers, so there was no concern about their loyalty. But if Joss refused to cooperate, they had other means—though it would require a bit more effort.

Duncan's threat was obvious, yet Joss's expression remained unchanged. In fact, he looked even more intrigued, his gaze fixed intently on Duncan’s teeth.

"Is this... something you gained after injecting the serum?"

“Haha, you’ve got an eye for detail. What I received was Dr. Connors’ Super Soldier Serum, the shark variant. Not only are my physical abilities far beyond an ordinary person’s, but these teeth are my most formidable weapon.”

Perhaps it was confidence in his strength, or maybe the shark teeth simply couldn’t be hidden, or perhaps he had another ace up his sleeve. Whatever the reason, Duncan openly displayed his teeth to Joss.

“You’ve probably heard that a great white shark’s bite can reach eighteen hundred kilograms, haven’t you?” Duncan casually started fiddling with his sidearm.

“Yes, I do know that,” Joss replied coldly, thinking to himself, If you’d like, I could even tell you the value down to seventeen decimal places.

In the next instant, Duncan shoved his pistol into his mouth, bit down with a sharp snap, and broke it in two. He chewed the metal as if it were chewing gum. “But my bite force is a full three thousand kilograms.”

He spat out the chewed-up wad of metal and looked back at Joss. “The doctor has plenty more serums like this. Whether you want powers like Spider-Man or abilities from any kind of animal, he’s got it all…”

After a brief pause, Duncan added with a hint of mystery, “If your potential is high enough, you might even get something even more special from him.”

“Is this Lizard-Man planning to open a zoo here?” Joss almost blurted out, but managed to keep the remark to himself, merely nodding calmly.

When Duncan mentioned Dr. Connors—the more famous moniker being the Lizard—Joss had already suspected as much. As one of Spider-Man’s arch-enemies, this military doctor who mutated himself into a lizard clearly had a fanatical passion for human-animal hybrids.

Such talent—or perhaps obsession—when combined with the Super Soldier Serum, could result in anything. Joss was not surprised by whatever came out of it.

“Is something the matter? Are you interested in my serum?”

“No… I was just suddenly curious—do you perhaps know a special move called ‘Fang Mastery’?”

“What’s that?” Duncan frowned, seemingly curious.

“Ah… don’t mind it. It’s just a kind of tooth-fighting technique,” Joss coughed, dropping the subject.

He couldn’t help it. Just imagining Duncan’s fighting style made him cringe with second-hand embarrassment.

“So, what’s your answer?” Sensing the timing was right, Duncan asked again.

“Heh…” Joss sneered at the question. “You don’t really intend to give me a choice, do you? Besides, with the opportunity for superhuman powers right in front of me, why would I possibly refuse?”

Though their interaction had been short, Joss had already figured out Duncan’s character. He had some intelligence, maybe even a silver tongue, but after gaining power, his arrogance had eclipsed all his virtues.

“Hah, you know what’s good for you. In that case, you’re one of us now. Go home and get your things; tomorrow we’ll arrange for you to meet Dr. Connors.”

Before he’d finished speaking, Duncan’s tone turned cold. “Of course, you understand what would happen if you tried to escape or leaked anything said here, right?”

“You jest. As long as I can gain power, I have no interest in such trivial matters.” Joss raised his head proudly, putting on an exceedingly arrogant air, which delighted Duncan.

“Alright, save the small talk for later. You can leave now,” Duncan said, waving him off, having lost interest in further conversation.

“Please wait a moment, sir.”

“What is it? Any more questions?”

“No, I just noticed the quality of the black tea on your desk is rather fine. You know, the tea I brew myself is quite popular back home. May I make you a cup?”

“Oh? Didn’t expect you to be so thoughtful. Go ahead, go ahead, hahahaha…”

Despite the laughter, Duncan’s gaze, hidden behind his sunglasses, never left Joss’s figure. Yet, by the time a cup of tea was set before him, he hadn’t seen Joss make any suspicious moves.

“Interesting. Not only is he good in a fight, but he’s got a knack for service, too. Maybe I’ll ask the doctor to assign him to me in the future,” Duncan thought as he drank the tea, watching Joss leave the room. He was already making plans in his mind.

“Hmm… Why do I feel so sleepy today? Never mind, work’s done anyway. I’ll just take a nap…”

As Duncan drifted off, he failed to notice a pool of black liquid quietly slipping in through the window crack.

…

“Random serums, the Lizard, Duncan’s attitude… If I combine this with the information Nick gave me, it’s clear that this base has already been infiltrated by Hydra. No… it might even be a S.H.I.E.L.D. branch outright.”

Honestly, Hydra’s motto of “cut off one head, two more shall take its place” may or may not be threatening, but it’s certainly nauseating.

Ever since coming to this world, nearly every event Joss experienced had Hydra’s shadow lurking behind it.

Now that he thought back, Jason’s operation had been assumed to be a trap set by a handful of Hydra remnants targeting the Avengers. But with so many Hydra agents here, could it be that the whole affair was just a smokescreen, a cover for Hydra’s true intentions?

And then there was that vampire clan plotting their scheme—abruptly cut short by Joss and Blade at its source—and the vampire lord who’d been possessed by Venom. Who could say for sure that Hydra didn’t have a hand in any of that?

“Tch… If that’s really the case, Hydra’s game might be even bigger than Nick and I imagined…”