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*****
But Fenyx hadn't given up. Looking at Cap's dead-serious expression, he spoke up again, "He's not in a great state right now, and there's a highly critical issue that might be impossible to solve. Are you sure you don't want information on him?"
Hearing Fenyx's words, Cap fell into silence. Though he understood perfectly well that wiping out Hydra was the top priority right now, he simply couldn't stand by and do nothing about Bucky.
Seventy years ago, he had failed to catch his best friend, watching him plunge off the cliff. Seventy years later, waking up from the ice all alone, he didn't want to miss this chance again.
Seeing Cap wavering, Fenyx immediately drove the point home, "Besides, it's not like I'm refusing to help. I just have other things to take care of. If you run into a problem you genuinely can't handle, I'll step in!"
These words were the final straw that broke the camel's back, forcing the hesitant Cap to make his choice.
"Where is he now? How is he doing?"
Hearing this, Fenyx breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "After he fell off the cliff back then, Hydra rescued him. They injected him with a modified super soldier serum and brainwashed him into the Winter Soldier, using him for assassinations. When they didn't need him, they kept him on ice, which is how he managed to survive to this day just like you."
"Six months ago, Hydra sent him and a few other Winter Soldiers to assassinate me. I recognized him and let him go. I'm not entirely sure where he is right now, but you can definitely get his location from Alexander Pierce."
"You knew six months ago?"
Cap frowned, a flash of resentment flitting through him because Fenyx was only telling him now. His overwhelming concern for his friend made him lose his usual composure.
"I didn't tell you because there are other reasons involved. You can go ask Tony about that; it's a matter between the two of you."
In truth, after all this time, Fenyx could see that Tony had let go of a lot of his hatred. Especially after dealing with Wanda and Pietro, his feelings toward Bucky had become quite complex.
"This has something to do with Stark?"
Cap was slightly taken aback, completely unable to fathom how Bucky's situation could involve Tony.
"Alright, you can find out the details yourself. The fried chicken rolls tasted pretty good, so I'll be taking my leave now!"
Fenyx waved his hand and, without waiting for a reply, conjured a portal and vanished on the spot.
A quiet stillness settled over the room. Cap and Nick Fury were still processing Fenyx's words, while Ava Starr had nothing to say--her only responsibility was helping Nick Fury resolve this crisis.
After a moment, Nick Fury snapped out of it, glanced at Cap who was still lost in thought, and spoke first, "I've already had Coulson and Agent Romanoff gather personnel. Let's head to the base to meet up with them first."
"We really should have had that kid give us a lift."
Saying this, Nick Fury couldn't help but sigh again. If Fenyx were around, even if he didn't join the fight, traveling and logistics would be vastly more convenient and secure.
Meanwhile, back at his house, Fenyx also let out a sigh as he surveyed his messy living room, which was now missing a sofa.
Even though his location had been compromised, Sitwell's cover should keep things clear of major trouble for a while. Therefore, Fenyx had no intention of moving. After all, Hydra would be completely gone in a matter of days anyway.
After cleaning up the bloodstains Nick Fury had brought in and the damage caused by Ava Starr, and ordering a new sofa online, Fenyx finally returned to his bedroom and threw himself onto the bed with a long exhale.
When he told Cap he had things to do, it wasn't entirely an excuse. Encountering Ava Starr had given him the urge to reach out to Hank Pym.
Setting aside the unique nature of the Quantum Realm and the time vortexes, Fenyx had actually been highly interested in Pym Particles for a long time.
Back when he didn't possess the Spatial Storage spell and couldn't carry the Chitauri Scepter around with him, his very first thought had been to use Pym Particles to shrink it down so he could keep it in his pocket.
It was only later, thanks to Frigga, that he acquired the Spatial Storage spell, causing that particular idea to fade into the background.
But that didn't diminish his curiosity about Pym Particles. The ability to reduce the distance between molecules and alter an object's size without affecting its mass or properties was fascinating.
Furthermore, this technology had been invented decades ago. One had to admit that while Earth's civilization was generally lagging behind, it still possessed extraordinary anomalies.
However, Fenyx recalled that Pym Particles weren't perfect. At least for now, there were significant side effects. For instance, their inventor, Hank Pym, had already developed a physical intolerance and could no longer wear the suit.
Thinking of this, Fenyx suddenly remembered the second-generation Ant-Man from the original plot. He couldn't help but pull out his phone to look up the name Scott Lang.
According to the news, he discovered that Scott had already been in prison for a while.
Yet reports of his exploits were still all over the internet. He had broken into one of the most prominent security companies of the day, redistributed the stolen funds back into the accounts of the scammed customers, and finally driven a car straight into the CEO's swimming pool.
Reading the reports, Fenyx found the guy quite amusing.
Setting his phone aside, Fenyx recalled the original plot. By this time, Hank Pym should already be keeping an eye on Scott, marking him as one of the candidates for the next Ant-Man.
In truth, if one wanted to enter the Quantum Realm, the Ant-Man suit was indispensable alongside the Pym Particles because shrinking an organic being caused chemical imbalances in the user's brain.
Fenyx wasn't entirely certain if his powerful physical constitution could withstand that kind of psychological toll.
So no matter how he looked at it, Fenyx would have to cross paths with Hank Pym eventually. He decided he would visit the company Pym had founded first thing tomorrow.
Because of the incident with Nick Fury in the afternoon, Fenyx skipped his evening training at Kamar-Taj, choosing to stay home just in case.
Fortunately, Sitwell proved to be highly efficient. The night passed peacefully without incident, and neither Nick Fury nor Cap contacted him.
The next morning, the ordered sofa arrived. Fenyx helped the delivery staff place it in the living room before leaving the house. Following the address he had looked up online, he headed toward Pym Technologies.
Because he was traveling like a normal person, it never crossed his mind that he would end up being stopped by the security guard upon arrival.
"Excuse me, sir, do you have an appointment?"
Looking at the wary guard in front of him, Fenyx couldn't help but silently give his own foolishness a thumbs-up.
Even if Pym Technologies wasn't a massive mega-corporation, it was still a cutting-edge tech firm. They wouldn't just let ordinary people walk in for a tour.
Just as Fenyx was about to use his laboratory credentials to try his luck, a woman's voice suddenly came from behind him.
"What's going on here?"
Fenyx turned around to see a woman in formal business attire, her short hair giving her an incredibly sharp and capable look.
"CEO!"
The guard's face changed instantly upon seeing her. He was just about to explain, but Fenyx turned around ahead of him and beat him to the punch, "Hello, I'm Fenyx Halsey. I wanted to visit your company, but I forgot to make an appointment beforehand. This is my business card."
Taking Fenyx's card, the woman looked at it, and a look of surprise involuntarily washed over her face.
Due to the breakthroughs discovered by Helen Cho, combined with the corporate backing of Stark Industries, Fenyx's laboratory was currently making massive waves in the industry.
Thus, the woman smiled faintly and extended her hand, "Hope van Dyne. Welcome to our company, Mr. Halsey."