In an instant, the sound of blades slicing through flesh echoed repeatedly as the swarm of cyborgs rushing forward were torn apart by the web trap. Blood splattered across the ground, and the gruesome scene caused even Steve to shudder in fear.
“How is this possible!”
He couldn’t hide his terror as a metal arm rolled to his feet. The next moment, he heard the sharp whistling of a shield cutting through the air, causing his heart to race.
“No!!”
In a desperate move, Steve barely managed to dodge the incoming shield with an ungainly roll, but not before a blood-soaked ear fell to the ground, prompting a scream of pain from him.
“Oh no, damn bug!”
Steve cursed, not even sparing a glance at his severed ear as he scrambled to his feet and ran. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar object racing toward him.
It was—
His shield!
Thud!
The shield flew by in a flash, sending another spray of blood as it sliced through the pipeline and then returned to Xia Luo’s hand. White gas hissed from the broken pipe, and Steve’s body froze in place.
His eyes widened as he looked down at the horizontal line of blood shooting from his abdomen and spraying against the wall. A wave of unbearable pain struck him.
“Ahhh!!”
“No, my body…”
At that moment, Steve’s body had been severed at the waist by his own shield. He collapsed into a pool of blood, staring at the lower half of his body lying in front of him, his eyes filled with terror and despair.
He let out a series of frantic screams, much like the dismembered cyborgs who hadn’t yet died. His wails and curses grew more and more garbled.
As his body quickly lost heat, Steve’s convulsions began to subside, and his consciousness started to fade into the cold, endless darkness.
In his final moments, Steve, now deathly pale, glared at Xia Luo.
“Xia Luo Parker, do you think you’ve won?”
A twisted smile crept onto Steve’s face before his eyes went blank, and he lay still.
In the blood-soaked aftermath, Xia Luo gazed at Steve’s halved body, feeling no sense of vengeance fulfilled.
He had expected a fierce battle but instead had experienced a one-sided massacre. Something felt off.
This guy was completely different from the one who had ambushed him before.
So…
With his finely tuned senses, Xia Luo felt a vibration beneath his feet. Instinctively, he spun around and swung deeper into the base.
Thwip, thwip, thwip!
Webs shot out as Xia Luo’s figure darted swiftly through the complex steel fortress. Along the way, he encountered cyborgs armed with guns, but he wasted no time engaging them.
Rat-tat-tat!
Gunfire echoed throughout the underground base as Xia Luo rushed headlong into the crowd, bullets zipping past him as if they were nothing.
Boom, boom, boom!
With the brute strength of a beast, the “bug” plowed through the dense throngs of enemies. Wherever cyborgs gathered, that was his destination.
Crash!
He burst through a wall, sending debris flying onto a flat runway.
Whoosh!
The roaring wind whipped around as a transport plane sped past Xia Luo, the fierce gusts swirling in its wake.
For a brief moment, his eyes met those in the cockpit.
“Could it be?” Xia Luo’s eyes narrowed.
“Queens—next time we meet, I’ll have a big surprise for you,” said the real Steve, his cold gaze lingering on Xia Luo before he pulled the control stick, and the transport plane roared down the runway.
Above the cliffs and over the crashing waves, the transport plane soared into the sky, disappearing into the blood-red clouds.
In the cockpit, Steve switched on autopilot and then activated a virtual computer, where a screen displayed footage of his other self being killed.
“Stronger after revival—an opponent worth considering.”
The commotion Xia Luo’s revival had caused would surely alert S.H.I.E.L.D.’s operatives worldwide to Hydra’s secret bases.
That was troublesome, but as long as Steve lived, Hydra would persist.
After all, he had plenty of time.
No longer burdened by the mantle of Captain America, he pondered his next move.
Clang, clang.
Suddenly, an odd noise from the fuselage made him frown.
Beep beep. Warning, warning! Hull damage detected. Immediate repairs required.
Alarms blared, and the cockpit was bathed in flashing red lights.
Realizing what was happening, Steve didn’t hesitate. He turned and rushed toward the cargo hold.
Bang!
The next moment, metal creaked above him as the shield sliced through the hull. Icy wind flooded the cabin as Xia Luo, in his red-and-blue suit, flipped down in front of Steve.
“Hey, Cap, I brought your shield back. You should really thank me,” Xia Luo said with a grin, his feet planted firmly on the ground as if glued there, unaffected by the howling wind.
Facing him, Steve spread his feet into a solid stance, his center of gravity low, while a sinister red glow flickered across his body, allowing him to remain steady despite the wind.
As he stared at Xia Luo, Steve’s eyes gleamed with admiration.
“Queens, interested in joining Hydra?”
“Sorry, I don’t like organizations named after snakes. Not a fan of snakes, unless you’re willing to change the name to something like… Hydra Worm? It sounds classier that way.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Steve tapped a device on his wrist, and the transport plane shuddered as it changed course, now heading toward the city.
“Before this plane crashes into Blake Street in Queens, I’ll give you one last chance to choose.”
His tone was calm, as if the madness of his actions was unrelated to him.
Xia Luo thought for a moment, quietly switching his web mode.
“The last guy who tried to threaten me with my family is already dead.”
Thwip, thwip!
Webs shot out, enveloping Steve. In response, Steve’s eyes glowed a fierce red, and he let out a high-pitched screech.
“SKREEEE!!”
An ear-splitting, blood-curdling sound wave erupted from Steve, accompanied by visible red shockwaves that tore through the webs. The metal of the plane groaned under the pressure, and sparks flew as equipment short-circuited.
With his spider-sense warning him, Xia Luo raised his shield just in time, stumbling backward as the shockwaves weakened its protective effects.
For a split second, his mind blanked before he regained his senses. But in that brief moment of distraction, Steve had already closed the distance.
“Thanks for returning my shield.”
As Steve’s blood-covered hand reached for the shield’s edge, Xia Luo’s body moved on its own. His right hand caught Steve’s wrist while his left hand swung the shield toward Steve’s face.
But Steve didn’t flinch. He reacted instantly, tilting his head to avoid the blow while letting the shield slam into his shoulder. In the same motion, he twisted Xia Luo’s wrist and disarmed him, slipping behind him in the blink of an eye for a suplex.
BANG!
Both figures slammed into the ground, leaving a dent in the floor as the plane rattled from the impact.
Reader discussion
0 Comments
Be the first reader to share a thought about this chapter.