"Doctor, I insist. Let's go in together~"
Luca maintained his smile, but his mechanical hand was an iron vice, forcibly dragging the trembling Dr. List into the office.
Seeing this, Raina's expression shifted multiple times. She realized something was wrong.
But her position was precarious. Publicly, she was Luca's secretary. Privately, she was a corporate spy for the SHIELD/Pierce faction.
Neither identity allowed her to refuse. She could only bite the bullet and follow Luca into the quiet office.
The office door closed. No sounds of conflict came from inside.
Outside, Dunshan and the Hydra soldiers hesitated, then slowly lowered their weapons, relaxing their guard.
However, the scene inside the office was far from harmonious.
As soon as Luca dragged List inside and Raina followed...
A "Hydra soldier" standing in the room slammed the door shut, locked it, and pulled out a familiar scepter.
The tip of the Loki Scepter touched Raina's chest before she could scream.
Blue energy surged. Her eyes turned black, then returned to normal, but devoid of fear or tension. She stood by the door, docile and motionless.
Next to her, Dr. List was shaking like a leaf, shaking his head and waving his hands frantically.
"I don't need it! I don't need it! I'll cooperate!"
As expected!
Luca laughed.
"Seems like Dr. List anticipated this outcome?"
"I guessed a little... actually, my relationship with Hydra is..."
Before he could finish his excuse, Luca took the Scepter from the Haro Mech (the "soldier") and tapped it against List's chest.
"We can talk about your loyalty later. This is safer~"
Blue energy flashed. List's eyes glazed over.
Luca nodded in satisfaction. Now the office was full of "his people."
Controlled Strucker. Controlled Raina. Controlled List. The Haro Mech. And Luca himself.
But Luca didn't immediately interrogate them. Instead, he left them standing there like statues while he admired the Scepter in his hand.
Specifically, the system panel floating above it.
It really is good stuff!!
---
[Yuri Construction Yard]
Source: Red Alert Universe (1/5)
Creator: Yuri
Status: Core Component (Mind Scepter)
Synthesis Materials Needed: 1 Transport Vehicle (600+ tons), 1 Transformable/Foldable Industrial Base, 1 Complete Industrial Production Line, 1 Biochemical Reactor, 1 Large Remote-Control Mechanical Arm, 1 Signal Detection Tower, 1 Cloning Lab.
Item Description: The Yuri Construction Yard (MCV). The crystallization of biomechanical technology and psychic control. It is the core of Yuri's strategic deployment. Once deployed, the MCV rapidly establishes a base, allowing construction of Yuri-faction structures like Bio-Reactors, Barracks, Psychic Towers, Grinders, and Cloning Vats. The vehicle itself stores vast amounts of Yuri-tech data and contains a comprehensive industrial production line.
Warning: With this, you can quickly build an evil empire with a unique tech tree. But please, don't get too addicted to mind control~
---
Yuri's MCV! With complete psychic and biotech?! This is an instant takeoff!
Luca scanned the materials list again. Some items were tricky (600-ton vehicle, cloning lab), but everything was obtainable with effort.
With Aurantius Industries' resources, he could gather these materials relatively quickly.
Psychic control technology!
Luca had hoped the Scepter would yield a psychic item, maybe a Cerebro-like device he couldn't really use.
Instead, he got an entire base-building system with a psychic tech tree!
I must take Sokovia!
His first thought was conquest.
He couldn't build this massive base in the US. The government and SHIELD would interfere constantly.
And gathering materials like a transformable base or signal towers required space and secrecy.
Sokovia, an overlooked Eastern European nation, was perfect. He could build the base under the guise of industrial development, providing jobs to locals while secretly expanding his power.
More importantly, he had the Mind Stone. He planned to recruit Wanda and Pietro.
Without the Mind Stone in Tony's hands, Ultron wouldn't be born (at least not the same way), and Sokovia wouldn't be destroyed by a falling city.
This country, currently controlled by Strucker, was the ideal foundation for his empire.
But I can't be too deeply tied to Hydra. On the surface, I'll maintain normal business cooperation. The actual investment and construction must be under Aurantius Industries' name.
Yeah, 'Rebuilding my mother's homeland and boosting the economy.' Great PR.
Using Hydra's resources directly would be faster, but risky.
What if the Avengers wiped out Hydra tomorrow?
Luca might even join the raid as "Metal Knight" to keep up appearances.
If Hydra's secrets were exposed (like in Winter Soldier), any base built with their money would be seized or destroyed.
I need to gradually phase Hydra out of Sokovia's administration so this place doesn't get dragged down with them.
Luca was deep in thought, planning his future empire, completely ignoring the three mind-controlled puppets waiting for orders.
Suddenly, glancing at the panel again, he froze.
Wait. The core component for the Yuri Construction Yard is the 'Mind Scepter.'
Then... what about the Mind Stone??
He looked closely at the scepter.
The entire staff glowed with the white light of a Core Component.
But the gem at the tip... it glowed with an even brighter, more dazzling light!