Chapter 38: Base
May 2, 2023 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
Phew~
Colin took a deep breath, retracting his gaze from Howard's [Time Shard].
He turned his head to look at the scenery rapidly receding outside the car, and at Hawkeye and Howard, who were huddled in their seats on either side. A strange expression involuntarily appeared on his face.
Just a short while ago, they had destroyed the pursuing Ultron at his residence.
Now, however, they were sitting with him in a taxi, completely devoid of their previous powerful and mysterious aura.
"May I be so bold as to ask..." Colin's words drew the attention of everyone in the taxi, and he couldn't help but ask.
"Don't you have a more suitable mode of transportation for a situation like this?"
"But taking a taxi is also the most convenient way to keep a low profile," Nick Fury, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, said from the driver's seat, turning the steering wheel to complete an overtake. "My identity is registered with the 'New York Taxi Workers Alliance', making me a legal taxi driver, which helps us avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."
So you really are a taxi driver.
Earlier, when Colin saw Nick and Howard appear with the others, he thought Nick's taxi driver identity was just a disguise.
But hearing this, it turned out he wasn't just a taxi driver, but one who was registered with the union.
On one hand, there was former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow, Natasha, registered as a Superhero.
On the other hand, there was former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, registered as a taxi driver.
Comparing the two, Colin momentarily didn't know how to react.
...
And so, in a moment of silence.
Nick drove the taxi and stopped in front of a ruined building. "Alright, we're here."
Colin followed Howard and the others out of the taxi, seeing what appeared to be a long-abandoned manor.
Cracks covered the manor's surroundings, especially the perimeter walls, where more than half had collapsed, revealing the cement and stone bricks underneath. Inside the manor, vegetation grew wild; dead trees lay fallen amidst chest-high grass, and moss and weeds climbed over every corner of the estate.
By any measure, it didn't look like a place where anyone could live.
"Where is this?"
Led by Howard, Colin stepped over the wild shrubs in the manor, passing a collapsed fountain.
"The Dark Avengers' Base." Walking ahead, Howard said in a deep voice.
Dark Avengers! Base? Hearing Howard's reply, Colin couldn't help but turn his head to glance at the scene in the manor. Frankly, he found it hard to connect the ruins before him with the "Base" Howard spoke of.
And Dark Avengers. Silently repeating the familiar name in his mouth, Colin looked back at Howard's retreating figure.
Clearly, the Dark Avengers Howard mentioned were completely different from the ones he knew.
And so, he followed closely behind Howard for a short while.
He watched Howard and his group enter a collapsed wall opening with practiced ease, then followed closely behind them. The group passed through the equally dilapidated interior of the manor, finally stopping before a wall that appeared to be nothing special.
Extending his left mechanical hand, he pressed a certain spot on the wall.
Accompanied by a series of complex mechanical whirring sounds, the seemingly dilapidated wall opened, revealing a technologically advanced underground Base.
"Welcome home..." At the same time, a slightly frivolous voice rang out.
"It seems your operation went smoother than expected..."
Hearing the voice from within the Base, the cold expression on Howard's face seemed to soften slightly.
"Tony, report on the Hydra situation."
Arriving at the Base's Control Console, Howard inserted his modified left Mechanical Arm into it for maintenance, and simultaneously asked.
Tony? Inside the Base, Colin's gaze subtly shifted upon hearing Howard's address to the Artificial Intelligence.
Tony Stark, the son reported to have died in a car accident alongside Howard, and also Iron Man.
"As of now, there are no abnormalities. The activation of Ultron Mark I seems to be unknown to the Doctor."
In front of the Control Console, hearing the Artificial Intelligence Tony's reply, Howard fell silent for a moment before continuing to give orders.
"Continue monitoring."
"Understood."
...
[Contacted a Twisted Time Node, collected a small amount of Time Shards ×1]
Manhattan, 890 Fifth Avenue. Inside a temporary residence within the secret Base.
Colin looked at the text, a thoughtful expression on his face.
This [Time Shard] was not obtained from someone else within the Base, but from an individual he had previously encountered—Nick Fury.
It seemed that [Time Shards] weren't just obtained from the initial encounter; they could be acquired repeatedly.
This was undoubtedly good news for Colin.
It meant that the number of targets and methods for him to acquire [Time Shards] had greatly increased. He no longer had to rely on repeatedly searching for possible [Twisted Time Nodes] to obtain small amounts of [Time Shards] as before. If he purely relied on that method to obtain shards, Colin would need to interact with at least thirty or forty targets to collect enough [Time Shards] to condense a [Bronze Mark].
Not to mention, there were other Marks above the [Bronze Mark].
But why Nick Fury?
His gaze fell upon the [Time Shard (Nick Fury)] before him, and Colin began to seriously recall his experiences on this journey.
Undoubtedly, there had been no particularly special interaction between him and Nick Fury during this trip. The only new information he gained was that Nick Fury was a union taxi driver, registered through the 'New York Taxi Workers Alliance'.
If there was one unique difference, it was simply the number of times they had met.
This was Colin's second encounter with Nick Fury, after previously taking a taxi home.
So, is the way to obtain new [Time Shards] simply to re-engage with the target?
No, it shouldn't be that simple.
Reflecting on the differences between the two encounters, a conclusion gradually formed in Colin's mind.
Perhaps it was due to the different levels of interaction.
The first meeting, merely establishing an interaction, allowed for the initial [Time Shard] to be obtained.
However, to acquire more [Time Shards] subsequently, more extensive interaction with the target would be required.
This was also why, even though he, Nick Fury, Howard, and Hawkeye had been in the same taxi earlier, Howard's and Clint's [Time Shards] appeared first, while Nick Fury's [Time Shard] only appeared after he brought Colin to this temporary residence in the Base.
(end of chapter)