Chapter 378

Time rewound slightly, back to when Peter followed Steve to destroy the Hydra base.

After Schiller took over Hydra's operations, the Avengers' missions began to falter, leaving Peter disheartened, so he called Schiller, seeking some comfort.

He understood the reasoning Steve had given him, but some feelings of disappointment were hard to shake; previously, Peter had stayed for a while at Schiller's psychological clinic, where every emotional issue he faced could be directly discussed with Schiller.

He felt that was the most emotionally stable period of his life, and the feeling was good, so even after leaving, Peter still missed those days.

"Uncle Ben often told me that in the adult world, failure is the norm—you might face many failures before achieving one success."

"I understand what Captain said too—even studying and exams require a full semester, let alone taking down Hydra, such a formidable spy organization."

"But before, our missions went smoothly—we captured many Hydra agents and avenged those poor victims."

"Back then, I was happy, but recently, I've seen more horrifying experiments in Hydra's bases, yet I couldn't capture the perpetrators right away…"

"When I think of the pain those victims endured, I feel like I can't breathe, and when I think those evil people might still threaten others, it's even worse."

Peter sighed into the phone; on the other end, Schiller asked, "Where are you now? At the Avengers' base?"

"Yes, they're outside discussing tactics, and I'm calling from the lounge—I'm worried they might hear and think I'm…"

"Your base is underground, right? You'd better go somewhere else—find a café with floor-to-ceiling windows and sit for a while."

"Adults can usually handle pressure from all directions—work setbacks, relationship problems, dark living spaces without sunlight—but that doesn't mean minors can."

"Especially the adults you're dealing with aren't ordinary people—their mental resilience far exceeds yours, so you perceive them as unfazed, but that only increases your pressure."

"In this contrast, you might feel weak yourself, downplay the mission's difficulty, and blame your own inadequacy—but that's not true."

"So should I go out now? Well, actually, I was planning to go home and pick up some clean clothes anyway."

Peter walked out while talking on the phone; Steve and Stark greeted him, and he smiled back, but once away from the group, his expression turned bleak.

He said, "That's right, Doctor Schiller—just as you said, I feel like they don't care about these failures at all, and I keep wondering if I'm overthinking."

"It's fine. While counseling might slightly ease your emotional pressure, it's not a fundamental solution—I think we should try something more fundamental."

"A fundamental solution? What's that?"

"Eliminate Hydra."

Peter gave a helpless smile and said, "If we could do that, why would I be worried? Every time I listen to their battle plans, I understand the content—but I can't predict the outcome. No one knows what those madmen might do next…"

"I don't know if you can understand, Doctor—I feel like we're fighting with our hands tied, while they wield every kind of weapon imaginable."

"It's not your illusion. Good people always face this when confronting evil—that's why I'll tell you the method I use in such situations…"

"What is it? Can it really destroy Hydra?" Peter asked curiously; he couldn't imagine any other way to deal with them besides outsmarting them.

Schiller smiled and said, "I have a plan…"

Thus, Peter became Schiller's other mole within the Avengers—yes, he coordinated with Grant; Grant created a disturbance to draw the Avengers out and lure them near the Hydra base where the Winter Soldier was hidden.

After Captain America and Iron Man began arguing, Peter had to seize the opportunity to fake an injury—specifically, one inflicted by the Winter Soldier.

In plain terms, it was a self-harm tactic, or a distraction method—even the worst outcome would at least ease their intense argument.

People in rage often say things they regret, escalating until they completely break ties—but energy peaks once, fades the second time, and exhausts the third; once that atmosphere breaks, there's more time to calmly reflect on the root causes.

Both Iron Man and Captain America are intelligent men—even if momentarily blinded by emotion, once they calm down and think, neither will want things to spiral into the worst-case scenario.

In Arkham Sanatorium's office, Peter touched his left shoulder and said, "Thank goodness for the symbiote—it blocks my pain nerves and rapidly repairs my body."

He pressed hard on the spot where the wound should've been and said, "It feels like a dream—was I really stabbed?"

"Don't doubt it. If you hadn't been injured, Iron Man and Captain America might already be fighting each other."

"But they're now attacking Dr. Strange, treating him like a punching bag." Peter shrugged. "His magic seems powerful—he'll be fine, right?"

"But…" Peter shifted tone, his expression turning worried. "I've noticed the Captain's behavior is strange—every time Bucky is mentioned, he loses emotional control."

"He might have PTSD. Many veterans do—it's just more or less obvious."

"But he seemed normal before? He was arguably the most stable among us."

"PTSD triggers only under specific stimuli—Bucky might be the trigger that sets off his reaction."

"Then what do we do? When Bucky wakes up, they'll have to meet—and then Stark will…" Peter covered his forehead and sighed helplessly; he could already picture the chaos ahead.

"So the core problem remains: eliminate Hydra." Schiller reached out, took a file from the bookshelf, and said, "I've made progress on the case of T'Challa's injury and poisoning."

Schiller handed the file to Peter. "I called you here specifically to deliver this to the Avengers."

"What is this?" Peter asked as he took the file.

"The origin of Hydra."

"The origin of Hydra?" Stark held the file. "Isn't Hydra just a spy organization developed by the Nazis? What's there to say about its origin…"

As he spoke, he flipped open the first page—it bore two large characters: "Hive."

The most widely known origin story of Hydra is its connection to the Nazis—and this story is true. The vast Hydra organization today evolved from the intelligence network established by the Nazis.

But if we trace back to the era when Nazi Hydra was created, Red Skull was inspired by another organization also called Hydra—though it was entirely different from today's Hydra.

Long ago, a powerful Inhuman named Hive was brought to Earth. A group of Earthly believers revered Hive as a god and founded an organization with one goal: to welcome Hive back.

Throughout history, this original version of Hydra spawned countless branches, while the original Hydra quietly funded them all.

Unlike later spy organizations, this original Hydra resembled a secret cult, filled with talented individuals and ancient families, all united by one purpose: to reclaim Hive, let the Inhuman Hive conquer Earth, and become its sole citizens.

How Schiller obtained this file begins with a Hydra head sold to Mephisto. These high-ranking figures know this history well—but according to this particular head, he had never met any member of this mysterious original Hydra; only the top echelons of Nazi Hydra could see them.

Schiller had long known Hydra's history, so he wasn't surprised—but he needed Stark and Steve to know this.

Do you think today's Hydra is hard to handle? Wait—something even harder awaits you.

Schiller had no interest in this organization—he had already dealt with a similar one in the DC world: the Court of Owls. Their origins and natures were nearly identical; Schiller had no desire to collect another catalog.

Yet he hadn't sought out the original Hydra—when suddenly, it sought him.

It was a dark winter night. Schiller had just finished counting the profits he'd extracted from Hydra and was about to sleep when his sanatorium's door was knocked on.

Schiller heard the knocking—and turned over to sleep.

Don't expect him to act like a horror movie protagonist, rushing downstairs in pajamas at midnight to investigate strange noises. He assumed the wind had rattled the door and had no intention of opening it.

After knocking for a while, the visitor realized he looked foolish.

This horror movie trope only works when the protagonist cooperates: the night door resembles a beast's maw, footsteps echo in the empty corridor, the creaking door reveals a mysterious black-robed figure…

But if the protagonist doesn't cooperate, it just looks like a clumsy insurance salesman helplessly pounding on a client's door…

The visitor finally understood—he walked straight into the sanatorium, climbed the stairs, and knocked on every door upstairs—but received no response.

The dark corridor flickered with faint light. Now, roles were reversed: the midnight knockers became the horror movie's protagonist, while the sanatorium's owner was the unknown monster lurking somewhere.

Schiller had no intention of speaking alone with this uninvited guest—he immediately pulled out his phone and called Stark and Steve.

Any current trouble? Dump it all on them. If they're busy enough handling problems, they won't have time to argue.

Following this principle, Schiller called them first, then appeared at the end of the corridor, facing the black-cloaked figure.

The black-cloaked figure studied Schiller. Schiller wore pajamas, but strangely, held a black umbrella. The mysterious figure slowly spoke, a hoarse female voice echoing through the dark corridor.

"You're the 'Doctor'?"

"I am indeed a psychological doctor."

"Don't play games with us. I'm also a member of Hydra—though I come from Hive."

Schiller remained silent, saying nothing. He showed no interest in asking questions, so an eerie quiet settled. After a moment, the self-proclaimed Hive figure had to answer herself:

"The Hydra you joined is merely our offshoot. Hive Hydra possesses power beyond your imagination—and now, we need fresh blood…"

"Originally, we favored your superior, Alexander Pierce—but he's too old. Though we have ways to restore his youth, he's not worth it."

"We've been observing the entire Hydra organization, selecting capable individuals to join us. Based on your recent performance, you've earned your ticket…"

"What if I refuse?" Schiller asked.

"It doesn't matter. Soon, you'll understand Hive's greatness."

As she spoke, the mysterious black-robed figure suddenly removed her hood. Schiller saw a white woman—her entire forehead tattooed with a massive Hydra emblem. She opened her mouth, and an unknown object flew out, hovering before her.

With a loud "crack," the window behind Schiller shattered—Iron Man's armor flew in, staring at the black-robed figure. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Steve also came up the stairs. Schiller turned to Stark and asked, "You came together?"

"Of course not!" "Exactly!" they both said in unison.

Schiller was about to mock their relationship when suddenly—he realized something. He snapped open his umbrella with a "bang." A tiny, bee-like injector shot at high speed and struck the umbrella's surface. Without the umbrella, it would've pierced Schiller.

Schiller's expression didn't change. From the moment the woman opened her mouth, he knew she'd use a hidden weapon.

But what happened next exceeded his expectations.

The injector suddenly transformed into a spinning blade, emitting a deafening hum—then "shrieked" as it sliced through the umbrella.

The black fabric was slashed diagonally, half of the canopy torn loose, leaving only the bare ribs exposed.

Schiller paid no attention to the needle that struck his shoulder—he just stared blankly at his new umbrella, barely days old, now torn apart.

Steve and Stark both felt a terrible premonition—and soon, they realized it was entirely correct.

For suddenly, Schiller froze in place—as if no consciousness controlled his body.