"Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place."
This was Hydra's infamous creed—and the secret to their persistence. Even though Kurogai had eliminated one of their leaders, Whitehall, years ago, Hydra had simply grown new heads.
Now, the snake had returned, lurking in the shadows once more, its fangs aimed squarely at Kurogai.
Hydra thrived in the dark, unseen and unchallenged. But letting the man who had killed one of their leaders roam free was unacceptable. They needed to reassert their dominance, to remind the world Hydra was not to be crossed.
The decision was made.
The man in charge entered a secure terminal, punched in a series of encrypted codes, and dispatched the order.
In a hidden underground chamber, another man received the code. Without hesitation, he walked into a cold-storage vault and opened it.
A wave of icy mist rolled out, revealing a powerful figure sealed in cryostasis. His most notable feature: a mechanical left arm replacing the one he'd lost.
If Kurogai had been there, he would have recognized the man immediately—the Winter Soldier, also known as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, former friend and comrade of Captain America.
After plunging from a cliff during World War II, Bucky had been recovered and brainwashed by Hydra, reduced to a deadly tool in their arsenal. Now, they were activating him again.
"It's time to awaken, my warrior," the handler whispered, leaning close to the frozen soldier's ear.
The Winter Soldier's eyes snapped open.
"Sir, give the order," he said coldly.
"Your target is a young man with heterochromatic eyes. Memorize his profile. Your only objective is to kill him."
The handler handed over a dossier containing Kurogai's data.
"Understood, sir."
In this state, the Winter Soldier knew only missions and execution. And now, his sights were set on Kurogai.
But Kurogai was not the same person he had been years ago. Even against the Winter Soldier, he wouldn't flinch.
---
Meanwhile, Kurogai had wasted no time. After the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents departed, he began laying protective magic around the orphanage—an idea that had only just occurred to him.
The defensive enchantment he cast could absorb up to three high-impact strikes. Once the spell was buried beneath the foundation, Kurogai turned to more important concerns—Mary and Skye.
For them, he was even more thorough. In addition to physical protection spells, he erected mental barriers around their minds.
He still remembered Professor X's psychic intrusion.
That incident had left a deep mark on him. During his years of magical study, Kurogai had focused a portion of his training on resisting psychic attacks, crafting wards specifically designed to counter telepaths.
Naturally, he fortified his own mind even more.
The defensive spells protecting Kurogai's consciousness were intricate and layered. After all, his paranoia around Professor X hadn't faded. If the Professor hadn't been merciful and revealed his presence back then, Kurogai's memories could have been stolen without his knowledge.
Now, however, his mind was a fortress. Even Professor X wouldn't breach it easily.
And that gave him the confidence to return to New York openly.
"I should visit the X-Mansion soon," Kurogai murmured. "I said I'd go back once I could block Professor X's mind tricks."
That promise still lingered in his thoughts. Years ago, he'd intended to visit once he had mastered sufficient magical defense, but his training had consumed his time.
While he'd dedicated himself to learning magic, Kurogai had neglected his innate mutant abilities. He knew they existed—dormant and untapped—but magic had taken priority.
The trip to the X-Mansion wouldn't just be about fulfilling a promise. It would be an opportunity to observe how other mutants honed their powers. That, too, had value.
But as Kurogai mapped out his next steps, he had no idea that danger was already moving toward him.
The Winter Soldier had been deployed.
_
Thanks for the Powerstones.