A few days later,

Outside of a covert base located on the outskirts of Nevada,

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the desert landscape, an armored car stopped in front of a heavily guarded metal gate. The guards standing in front of the gate pointed their rifles at the car and yelled, "You are trespassing on private property! Please return or we would be forced to use lethal force!"

The guards waited for a few seconds for the car to reverse and turn around but it didn't.

Instead, a man with a nervous expression stepped out of the front door of the car and hurriedly opened the rear door.

He held out his hand and a woman's hand grabbed his and a beautiful woman with green hair stepped outside.

It was none other than Madame Hydra herself.

Madame Hydra took the cigar out of her mouth and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

She thought, 'Where is that dwarf? He was supposed to be here! If he makes me wait a single second more, I will-'

At that moment, the large metal door suddenly opened.

Madame Hydra saw Trask and a few of his subordinates walking toward her hurriedly.

Trask arrived in front of her and said while smiling, "Welcome! Madame Hydra, Welcome! I hope you didn't have any difficulty in finding my covert base."

Madame Hydra looked at him disdainfully and said, "Covert?"

She gestured toward the base with a dismissive sweep of her hand and said, "This? You call this 'covert'? Hydra knew about your little hideout long before you even acquired this land."

Trasksmile faltered but he tried to keep his smile while thinking, 'Fucking bitch!'

Nonetheless, he adjusted his tie and said, "Please, Madame Hydra, if I may, allow me to escort you inside"

Madame Hydra nodded and said, "Lead the way, Trask."

Trask turned around and led her to the gate.

But, before entering inside, she suddenly took out a gun from underneath her clothes and pointed it at a guard.

* BANG *

Trask was startled by her sudden action and turned around in shock.

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He glanced at the dead guard, blood leaking out from his forehead, and glanced at Madame Hydra with a scared expression while thinking, 'W-Why? Why did she kill him?'

Madame Hydra, seemingly undisturbed by her actions, wore a chilling smile on her lips. Nonchalantly, she remarked, "I didn't like the way he looked at me."

She threw the cigar at the dead guard's body and walked forward and ordered, "Come on, Trask! I don't have all day."

Trask took deep breaths to calm himself.

Then, he turned and followed her after gesturing to the other guard to dispose of the body.

Inside the base, Trask led her to a restricted part of a warehouse.

When they entered, he proudly smiled and declared, "Behold, Madame Hydra, I am honored to present to you the very first of our Sentinels - Mark 001."

…

In the training room in Val's mansion,

Val dodged Mystique's punch at his face.

He noticed that she was going to follow through with a punch aimed at his ribs.

So, he blocked her punch and retaliated with a punch to her stomach.

* WHAM *

"Urgh!", Mystique groaned as she felt extreme pain in her stomach.

But, she gritted her teeth and kicked his knee.

* WHAM *

She noticed Val's balance faltering and quickly, she jumped and kicked him in the chest.

* WHAM *

Val flew back and landed on the floor a few meters away.

* THUD *

Mystique looked at him and asked worriedly, "Hey! Are you okay?"

She thought, 'Did I hit him too hard?'

But, Val simply, jumped and landed back on his feet.

He smiled at her and said, "Well done, Mystique! You have proven that you can take down an enhanced human but...", he clenched his fists and absorbed more energy within himself, and asked, "Can you fight someone stronger than a simple enhanced human?"

Mystique sighed and raised her fists in a stance.

She smirked and taunted him, "I guess, we have to find out, don't we?"

Val fired back at her, and he said, "Don't cry later or I won't read your bedtime stories tonight."

Mystique got angry and yelled, "Fuck you! I'm not a kid!"

She ran toward him and spun around as she aimed her kick at his face while yelling, "Take this!"

But, Val quickly grabbed her leg and he was about to smash her on the floor like a vase.

However, Mystique transformed into a snake and wriggled out of his grasp.

She slithered her way onto his neck and coiled around it.

Then, she transformed into her blue self.

Now, she was on top of him with her legs tightly bound around his neck.

She raised her fists and pounded his head.

* WHAM *

* WHAM *

* WHAM *

She stopped after a few punches and glanced at her fists which had cuts all over them and blood was leaking out of it.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance and asked him, "Is your head made of steel?"

Val grabbed her legs and said, "You talk too much."

He bent down a little and jumped.

Mystique saw her head nearing the ceiling and thought, 'Fuck!'

She quickly transformed into a cat and jumped away from Val.

She landed on the floor and transformed into her blue self.

She turned around and saw Val, hovering in the air, smirking at her as he said, "Come!"

…

Within a grand mansion nestled in Boston, Massachusetts, a man hurriedly walked in it.

His footsteps echoed through the elegant corridors until he finally reached his destination - an exquisitely designed door.

He wiped the sweat from his brows and composed himself before he knocked on the door.

* KNOCK *

* KNOCK *

* KNOCK *

A few seconds later, he heard a voice say coldly, "Enter."

The man carefully opened the door and stepped inside the office.

He saw a well-groomed older man, his golden locks cascading effortlessly, clad in a meticulously tailored suit.

The man sat behind a desk, engrossed in the contents of the files before him, his fingers rhythmically tapping against the polished surface.

The man silently stood for a few minutes until the blonde man closed the files and kept them aside.

The blonde man glanced at the man and coldly ordered, "Speak."

The man said, "Mr. Frost, I.. am sorry to say but we failed to find the one who buried your daughter."

Frost took a deep breath and ordered, "Go, find him again."

"B-But, I j-just said that-", the man tried to speak when he was interrupted.

Frost narrowed his eyes at him and yelled, "I don't care! You will fucking find him or I will make sure that your wife and kids don't find your body! Do you understand?"

The man meekly nodded, "Y-Yes, Sir!"

Frost shouted, "Now, get the fuck out of here!"

The man nodded and quietly stepped out of the office.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair when he heard the clicking of heels from the corridor.

He noticed a woman with a small girl walked inside the office.

He sighed and said, "No... Hazel. They didn't find him."

Hazel sighed and said, "What are we going to do now, Winston?"

Winston glanced at the blonde girl holding Hazel's hand and said, "We will make sure that Emma doesn't repeat the mistakes her sister made."