Chapter 172: Cat Burglar
"I want to ask, where is my brother?"
Loki conjured himself a flashy head of black hair, each strand perfectly combed and in place.
"Your brother?"
Norman blinked in surprise.
Coulson walked over and said, "The other prince of the Divine Realm, the owner of that hammer."
Norman immediately remembered.
He had indeed seen files on Thor.
But Thor was just an ordinary person now, so he hadn't paid much attention.
Actually, if Loki hadn't brought it up, Coulson would have almost forgotten about Thor.
He had been through so much lately, so much that his old employer was gone, no, the whole agency was gone.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier had become H.A.M.M.E.R.'s property.
"Let me see..."
Coulson flipped through the files.
Then he said, "Great, Pierce was just looking for him not long ago, so the file is at the top."
"He was swinging a big hammer at a construction site before. He doesn't have any other special skills, just a body full of muscle and strength."
Upon hearing this, Loki let out a scoff.
"That certainly suits him."
"If you're looking for him, he's in midtown New York. His place is... Brooklyn."
Coulson frowned.
He hadn't noticed it before, but now he realized Thor was living in Brooklyn.
While this was the hometown of the famous Captain America, it was actually the place with the most poor people in New York.
Thor was probably living here because rent was cheapest.
"I'll go look for him."
Loki didn't plan on bothering these Midgardians this time, especially since Norman and Coulson seemed to have a pretty good relationship with Ben.
But he didn't head to Brooklyn immediately.
Inside the Helicarrier.
A dark figure walked by.
The figure moved through the helicarrier's corridors without any regard, not even avoiding H.A.M.M.E.R. agents they encountered.
Yet, those agents seemed completely oblivious.
"Too easy, they didn't suspect a thing."
The dark figure chuckled smugly. Just then, another voice came through the communicator.
"Be careful. If only I could bring the item to me..."
"Don't worry, I already know the location..."
"Wait, someone's here!"
Chameleon quickly cut off the communication. Just then, three or four agents came around the corner. He immediately disguised himself as an agent and blended in.
After everyone had left, Loki, wearing a golden crown, materialized from the shadows.
"I didn't expect any bonus gains."
He looked surprised, then followed them.
Half an hour later.
The unconscious Chameleon lay in a room on the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier. Loki shook his hand, absorbing the memories and intel from Chameleon.
Then, he took out his communicator and contacted Ben.
After a few minutes of explanation, Ben finally understood what had happened.
"So, he was commissioned by Kingpin to break into the H.A.M.M.E.R. prison to find the Cat Burglar?"
Ben tapped his chin, deep in thought.
Loki said, "He had bad luck and ran into me."
He looked at Ben smugly, as if seeking praise, but Ben tilted his head and asked, "Why were you wandering around the helicarrier instead of looking for Thor?"
Loki was taken aback. He clearly hadn't expected Ben to ask that question.
After a second's pause, he stammered, "I was... looking for something... Alright, I was looking for the hammer," Loki spread his hands, "I just wanted to know if I was qualified now."
"Don't even think about it. You're definitely not."
Ben said, "Perhaps when you stop caring about qualifications, that's when you'll truly be qualified."
"You sound just like the official fortune teller of the Asgardian court," Loki scratched his head, changing the subject. "So, what about this guy? Kill him?"
"Let me think about it first."
Ben said.
He remembered that Cat Burglar was Felicia's father, but he wasn't too clear on the specifics.
He immediately pulled up all the information on Cat Burglar from the H.A.M.M.E.R. database.
Cat Burglar, his name was Walter Hardy.
Of course, that was an alias.
His real name was John Hardesky.
Strictly speaking, Cat Burglar was from the same era as Captain America. He was born in 1930. When Captain America became a Super Soldier, Cat Burglar was only thirteen years old.
This meant that, by now, Cat Burglar was almost eighty years old.
But Felicia was only sixteen this year.
"Cat Burglar injected the Super Soldier Serum, so his aging process is slower than that of ordinary people. And the serum gave him agile skills, which is also why he could become the famous Master Thief Cat Burglar."
Cat Burglar knew the formula for the serum because when Captain America was injected with the serum, the young him was hired by the Nazis to gather intelligence on the serum.
Except at the time, he thought he was working for America.
After discovering the truth, John didn't tell the formula to the Nazis. Instead, he hid with the secret, and later Cat Burglar emerged.
However, getting John Hardesky to reveal the serum formula wouldn't be easy.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to capture Cat Burglar for years, but they couldn't get the complete formula from him.
To obtain the serum formula, leaving Chameleon alive and letting him act according to Kingpin's plan might be simpler.
But Ben had no intention of doing that.
Because Felicia was his girlfriend.
So he nodded and said to Loki.
"Kill him."
Then, Ben cut off the communication, preparing to go find Cat Burglar for a chat.
Hearing this.
Loki's face broke into a smile. He turned his head to look at the unconscious Chameleon, and a dagger appeared in his hand.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Prison, now H.A.M.M.E.R. Prison.
Cat Burglar had long since discovered that the outside world had likely undergone tremendous changes.
Because too many prisoners had been locked up during this period, many cells were packed full.
And some of these prisoners, he had seen before – they were former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Not only that, but the guards had also been replaced. The S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle on the guards' uniforms had been replaced by a hand holding a hammer.
He really wanted to figure out what had happened, but during this time, Nick Fury had not appeared.
"Mr. John Hardesky."
Hearing someone call his name, Cat Burglar, now with white hair, looked up towards the outside of his cell.
Standing before him was a young man, not wearing any uniform, looking like someone completely unrelated to S.H.I.E.L.D.
But how could such a person be here?
And even less likely that the guards would show him expressions of respect.
"Who are you?"
"Ben Parker, you probably haven't heard my name," Ben said.
"What do you want with me? Where is Nick Fury?" Cat Burglar retorted.
"Nick Fury has been dismissed. I'm here to let you out. The prison is running out of space, and I don't think petty thieves like you need to be held under such strict security."
Ben opened the cell door, but Cat Burglar stayed pressed against the wall, not immediately coming out.
"I wasn't imprisoned here for theft."
"I know, it's because of the serum."
Ben indicated that he could speak after coming out.
"Since you know, then why..."
Old fart, it's because I'm dating your daughter.
Ben really wanted to say that, but he decided to maintain a civilized image for his father-in-law.
"It's precisely because you know the formula that you can't be locked up in a viper's nest. These people..." Ben gestured around, pointing to most of the cells, "are all Hydra."
"What exactly is going on?"
The Cat Burglar was startled by what Ben said, and it was precisely because of this that he walked out of the cell.
Then Ben roughly recounted the entire Anti-Project Insight incident to him, and only then did the Cat Burglar understand what had happened.
"Unbelievable, Fury even asked me for the serum's formula, but I didn't tell him everything," the Cat Burglar said.
Having been imprisoned for over a decade and suddenly released, with the world having changed so much, the Cat Burglar felt a bit lost.
He didn't know what he should do.
"I have a suggestion for you."
Ben said, "Go home, spend time with Felicia, and live your life as an ordinary father."
"You know Felicia?"
John Hardesky froze when he heard his daughter's name.
His emotions were like a deep river, seemingly calm on the surface but turbulent beneath, with longing and guilt filling his heart.
"Ahem, allow me to introduce myself..."
Ben coughed lightly and somewhat awkwardly extended his hand to John.
"I'm Felicia's boyfriend."
John Hardesky: ???
For some reason, John Hardesky suddenly found Ben a bit annoying.
Then Ben handed him a photo. In the picture, Felicia was holding an ice cream cone and laughing heartily in the sun.
This was taken during Ben's first outing with Felicia.
At the time, Felicia insisted it was a study group, but in the end, neither of them even opened their books. Instead, they went through ice cream and cotton candy one after another.
John Hardesky took the photo with trembling hands, and in an instant, the old man's tears burst forth like a dam.
"Felicia, my daughter..."
He covered his mouth and sobbed, repeatedly caressing the photo as if trying to make up for the lost decade.
But that was impossible.
"Cherish the present, Mr. Hardesky," Ben consoled him.
Hardy wiped his tears and looked up, saying somewhat angrily:
"You're still calling me Mr.?"
Ben: ???
To be honest, the moment he saw the photo of his daughter, Hardy no longer had any issues with Ben.
Felicia in the photo was brighter than the sun. For him, it was enough that his daughter could be so happy.
"Can I have this photo?"
He put the photo into a pocket close to his heart, like a treasured artifact.
Then he sighed sadly and said, "But I can't go back to Felicia, nor can I compensate her and her mother."
"As you know, the formula for the Super Soldier Serum is of great importance, and countless people are trying to obtain it. I would bring danger to Felicia."
"Actually, the danger has always been there, Mr. Hardesky... Uncle?"
Ben originally intended to say "Mr.," but Hardy shot him a glare, and the pressure from his potential father-in-law forced him to change his address.
Then he realized, was he some kind of uncle-collecting maniac?
Uncle Ben, Norman, and now Hardy.
Oh well, there might be more in the future.
He shook his head and told him about Chameleon and Kingpin.
"The danger has always been there, Uncle Hardy. I think you need to trust Felicia," Ben said. "Felicia is very strong. No matter what happens, she always wants to do her best."
Hearing this, Hardy burst into tears again.
When Felicia was young, he often told her to strive to do her best in everything.
He never expected that after so many years, Felicia would still remember his words and always try to live by them.
"So, what's your plan?"
"Your original records have all been classified to ensure that fewer people know about them. As for Kingpin..."
Ben's gaze turned a little colder.
He had actually tolerated Kingpin for quite a while.
Initially, Kingpin collaborated with the original Green Goblin, Stromm, and sent Bullseye to kill Spider-Man. Later, he caused trouble in court. After being defeated, he even sent Kraven to capture him and Peter.
However, Ben had always considered that if Kingpin didn't suppress the gangs, Hell's Kitchen and even the entire New York underworld would become even more chaotic, so he hadn't made a move against him.
But they say there's a limit to everything.
This time, with Kingpin causing trouble again, Ben had already decided to get rid of him.
Taking down Kingpin would be easy for him.
After all, Kingpin was just a mortal with a bit more strength and influence, not even a superpowered individual.
His so-called peak human condition was nothing in Ben's eyes.
So, it would be better to let Felicia finish him off herself, and she could also rule Kingpin's criminal empire.
It remained to be seen if Felicia had what it took to be a queen.
"Isn't that a bit too dangerous?"
Hardy was still hesitant, worried about his daughter getting hurt.
But Ben shook his head.
"Don't worry, I'll help her."
Of course, he wouldn't let Felicia go into danger alone.
"You?"
Hardy didn't quite believe in Ben's abilities. "What superpowers do you have?"
"I am rich..."
Ben blurted out.
Then he quickly shook his head and nodded again. "No, but also yes. Anyway, I can fight pretty well."
He clapped Hardy on the shoulder like an old friend, catching Hardy completely off guard.
"If that's the case, let's find a place to make the Super Soldier Serum,"
Hardy said after some thought.
He was actually tired of being confined to prison. If he could solve the problem once and for all, it would be a good thing for him.
Moreover, it was completely acceptable for him to have his daughter inherit his superpowers, or rather, his legacy.
Ben snapped his fingers.
"I have a lab."
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