New Avengers: The New Initiative

CHAPTER VI

PARKER ROBBINS/ THE HOOD'S POV

So laughable. So pathetic. Those morons were so gullible and idiotic that it was embarrassing. For a second, Parker thought he might have underestimated the Black Widow's hidden intelligence. After all, she was smart enough to question his seemingly too-innocent agenda and brought up the idea of backing out while she still had her life. If she didn't have so much devoted loyalty to that pretender and disgrace to American dignity, it might be possible that she could retain a faction of common sense. She was only one of many people who would bend the knee and alter their morals and ideals to appease their self-serving and untrustworthy idols. What did it matter? Whatever made it easier for him to complete his scheme was a win-win situation in his favor.

All of it was almost for nothing. But then, it all changed in the aftermath of the First Battle of New York. It all happened in an instant, the presence of immense power and strength. Two Infinity Gems? In New York?! Parker certainly did not waste any time in searching for the approximate location, but the moment he arrived, the essence had vanished into thin air. All the wasted time and energy until Parker crossed directions with Tony Stark. There it was a second time, the same sense of immense power and strength in the form of diminishing residue. Interesting. Perhaps, Stark might be a new person of interest. Since that one-offish encounter, Parker had observed Tony Stark from a distance. If he had that much residue on him, then he could become the key to locating the Infinity Gems. Next arrived the Second Battle of New York. Rather than the detection of two Infinity Gems, it appeared that four of them were present in the battlefield vicinity.

And it all led to Tony Stark.

Tony Stark. That man was a textbook definition of an enigma. Heck, he did not even understand himself. In some way, Parker could respect him. At least he didn't pretend or wasn't afraid to admit that he was no better than any other average person and seemed to have genuinely cared about the people he swore to protect. But he had what Parker wanted and what he had wasted so much time and his entire life to obtain. Tony Stark didn't earn those rewards. Parker deserved them. It made him angry, envious, and bloodthirsty for vengeance. Tony Stark could have the infinite amounts of money and the massive influence over the government, but that power, that immense strength inside of him, belonged to Parker, and he would acquire it one way or another. It all almost went to waste; his unrelenting and infuriating search almost ceased to exist.

Four of the most powerful relics in the universe, all ranging from Tony Stark's proximity; it was even more peculiar when Parker detected an even stronger sense of strength in Tony Stark, almost as if the physical state of an Infinity Gem was in his possession. Why?! How?! What made Tony Stark so special that four out of six Infinity Stones were potentially attracted to him?! What about the other two? Tony Stark must have also had them. What was the connection? There was only one clear objective: if Parker aspired to obtain the powers of the Infinity Gems, he needed to destroy his only obstacle: Tony Stark. Tony Stark would not know what would hit him. And if those two morons knew what was good for them, they would not interfere too much with his agenda. But for now, Parker would play nice around them; he knew how to do that. Those morons' festering egos would be their ultimate downfalls. He would dispose of them later once his schemes were complete.

"So, what is your name? How are we supposed to trust you if we don't know anything about you?" The so-called 'Captain America' asked with a commanding tone. That so-called 'Captain America' would not dare to speak to Parker in that matter if he knew he had the ability to eradicate him within a millisecond.

"Forgive me. Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Parker Robbins, but most people would refer to me as the Hood."

"Ok, Robbins. What exactly had Stark stolen from you?" The Black Widow questioned in an interrogating and demanding matter.