"Rorschach, what's happening outside?"
"Why was there such an intense gunfight?"
After answering Luo Xia's question, Raven couldn't help but ask about something she had never quite understood.
"Raven, this is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you."
Rorschach paused at this moment, and Raven, noticing this, also stopped in front of him.
The two stood by the small door, not immediately stepping outside.
"I might have accidentally gotten myself into some trouble," Luo Xia said, spreading her hands toward Raven.
Raven suddenly grew a bit anxious: "What kind of trouble? Luo Xia, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, don't worry. Maybe I used the wrong word—it's not really a problem."
"To put it simply, when you came in to find Caliban, there happened to be a group of agents outside carrying out a mission."
Raven couldn't help but feel speechless.
So that was the reason for the gunfire.
It was purely a coincidence, nothing more!
"But what does this have to do with you?"
Raven, however, sensed that things might not be so straightforward and pressed further.
"What's even more coincidental is that Howard Stark was also involved in the gunfight..."
"Howard Stark? That Howard Stark?" Raven was astonished. Why would such a prominent figure come to such a small place?
"Yes, that Howard Stark. After I recognized him, I ended up rescuing him."
"Turns out, Howard Stark was actually leading those agents..."
As he spoke, Rorschach casually pulled out the business card Howard Stark had given him and handed it to Raven.
Raven felt her mind was spinning.
That nationally renowned billionaire had suddenly transformed into an executive of some obscure, long-named intelligence agency?
"So, you see, I need to give a statement or something along those lines," Luo Xia said, taking the business card back from Raven.
Raven, familiar with such procedures, didn't press further.
"Alright, you head back first. I'll follow once I'm done here."
Rorschach bid Raven farewell, and the two went their separate ways.
Raven returned to Xavier Manor, while Rorschach accompanied Howard Stark and his team to the SHIELD base.
The current SHIELD—or rather, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division—didn't yet have its own dedicated base.
They were using the camp of the 78th Artillery Regiment of the Navy Battalion in the Army.
Though not particularly famous, this place held significant importance in the Marvel universe.
It was the birthplace of Captain America and the first base of what would become the world's largest intelligence agency.
Howard's car slowly entered the base compound. Rorschach gazed out the window, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
It vaguely resembled the scene from *Avengers: Endgame* where Captain America traveled back in time to retrieve the Tesseract.
"Curious about this place? Are you wondering if this is where Rogers was born?"
Howard, sitting beside him, noticed Rorschach's lingering gaze and joked, "If you're a fan of Captain America, my answer might disappoint you."
"This isn't where Rogers was born. Think about it—how could someone be born in a place like this?"
"In reality, this is where the title 'Captain America' was born."
"Back then, we were brainstorming nicknames for Rogers—'Super Captain,' 'Fantastic Soldier,' 'Mr. Super'... In the end, Rogers chose 'Captain America.'"
"But I never expected the rumor to spread that he was born here."
Rorschach hadn't anticipated such a backstory behind Captain America's name.
By then, the convoy had stopped, and everyone stepped out of the cars.
Luo Xia glanced around and noticed Anton Vanko wasn't with them.
Curious, he asked, "Your friend didn't come with us?"
"First of all, he's not my friend. Secondly, this isn't a place just anyone can enter," Howard Stark replied, patting Rorschach on the shoulder.
Anton Vanko wasn't officially collaborating with SHIELD, and Howard had other plans for him.
"Alright, let's go!"
Howard Stark gestured to Rorschach, and they began walking toward the office building.
**Boom!**
But halfway there, an explosion suddenly erupted.
A powerful shockwave rippled out, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Despite the intensity of the blast, Rorschach was surprised to see that everyone in the camp merely glanced toward the explosion and shook their heads, unfazed.
Some didn't even flinch, their expressions as calm as ever.
**Bang!**
From the direction of the explosion, an iron door swung open.
Очень низкий мужчина в очках быстро выбежал наружу. Он прикрывал рот и нос рукой и громко кашлял. На его лице читались стыд и смущение.
– Это он! – кто-то воскликнул.
Роршах лишь мельком взглянул на невысокого мужчину, и в его глазах мелькнуло удивление. В тот же момент он понял, что стало причиной недавнего взрыва.
Арним Зола!
Тот, кто выбежал, был Арнимом Золой – бывшим ведущим учёным, работавшим под началом Красного Черепа! После падения Красного Черепа Арним Зола был захвачен Корпусом стратегической науки, предшественником Щ.И.Т.а, и успешно перевербован агентом Картер. Его "очистили" от прошлого, и он стал важным учёным в Щ.И.Т.е.
Конечно, всё это было лишь маскировкой. Никто не знал, что Арним Зола с самого начала и до конца оставался фанатиком Гидры. Даже после своей смерти он продолжал служить этой организации.
Но, независимо от его позиции, Арним Зола был учёным, стоящим на вершине научной пирамиды. Иначе зачем Гидре понадобилось бы сохранять его мозг после смерти? Не говоря уже о других достижениях, достаточно взглянуть на оружие, разработанное на основе Космического Куба. Даже в нынешнюю эпоху это выглядит невероятно впечатляюще.
И теперь всё стало очевидно. Взрыв, произошедший только что, определённо был результатом научных экспериментов Арнима Золы. И, судя по всему, это далеко не первый случай, поэтому все на базе оставались такими спокойными.
– Арним, всё в порядке? – крикнул Говард, увидев покрытого пылью Золу.
– Всё нормально, просто небольшой инцидент. Всё под контролем! – Арним Зола помахал рукой Говарду.
Затем он снова нырнул за железную дверь, из-за которой валил густой дым.
Обновлено: 07.04.2026