Boom!
The grenade detonated with a deafening roar, the blast wave ripping through the workshop and sending the Hydra agent hurtling backward. Chester's eyes flickered with brief satisfaction, but it vanished just as quickly. The explosion hadn't done nearly enough, and frustration tightened his chest as he realized the few seconds he'd bought with the throw had been wasted.
The Hydra agent surged back into motion almost immediately, charging forward with a heavy car door ripped clean off its frame. The slab of steel looked absurd in his grip, but in his hands, it became nothing less than a weapon.
The distance closed in an instant. With a casual, almost dismissive swing of his arm, he struck Chester squarely in the chest.
The old man's body flew backward as if swatted by a giant, crashing hard against the ground. The impact knocked the air out of him, and a sharp, wet cough tore from his throat.
"No!"
Carter's eyes went wide, panic flashing across her face as she reacted without hesitation. She tossed aside her pistol, the empty magazine clattering against the floor, and drew a dagger from her coat. Her movements were fast and precise as she lunged forward, driving the blade straight toward the enemy.
But before the strike could land, a single hand shot out and clamped around her wrist. The Hydra agent's grip was like iron, stopping her completely.
In the next instant, his leg lashed out.
The kick hit her squarely, and Carter's body was launched backward, slamming down beside Chester. Pain exploded through her chest as she struggled to breathe, her body refusing to obey for a moment as she collapsed next to the old man, who was already coughing up blood.
"This is what happens when you go against Hydra," the agent said, his voice filled with savage amusement. He looked down at them like a predator toying with its prey, clearly enjoying the sight of an old man and a young woman barely holding themselves together.
Chester forced a laugh despite the blood pooling in his mouth. His voice came out rough and strained, but there was still that familiar sharp edge beneath it.
"Didn't expect I'd see that guy Locke so soon," he muttered, choking slightly as he spoke. "Thought I had at least another ten years before that happened."
Carter's hands tightened around him as she supported his body, her expression crumbling. Her medical instincts had already told her the truth the moment she assessed his injuries.
This wasn't something he was walking away from.
Even a trained soldier would be crippled by a super soldier's strike. Chester… never stood a chance.
The two of them exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them as the weight of the moment settled in.
Then, a voice cut through the air.
"Well, old man, I didn't expect you'd miss me this much. Sounds like you've been carrying a bit of guilt."
The words echoed across the workshop, clear and steady, completely at odds with the scene of destruction.
Chester blinked, his mind sluggish as he tried to process what he'd just heard. A bitter chuckle escaped him as he coughed again.
"Guess I'm dying after all," he muttered weakly. "Hearing Locke's voice now of all times…"
But Carter's reaction was immediate. Her head snapped toward the source of the sound, her eyes widening in disbelief.
That movement alone snapped Chester out of his daze.
Both of them turned.
A figure in a green military coat was walking toward them, unhurried, as if stepping into an entirely different scene.
"Colonel!"
"Locke?"
Their voices overlapped, shock flooding their expressions. The Hydra agent, on the other hand, frowned slightly, confusion flickering across his face as he tried to understand what was happening.
Locke reached up and pulled back the hood of his coat. His hair was slightly disheveled, his face marked with a faint stubble, but the calm confidence in his eyes hadn't changed at all.
His gaze swept over the two of them sprawled on the ground, and a faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth.
"How long's it been?" he said casually. "Didn't expect to find you two in such a mess."
Chester's face flushed red, a mixture of relief, disbelief, and lingering frustration colliding all at once.
"I knew you weren't dead!" he snapped, his voice rising despite his condition. "You had me feeling guilty for a while, you bastard!"
"Colonel, watch out!"
Carter's shout cut through the moment.
The Hydra agent had already moved. With a sudden motion, he hurled the car door toward Locke. The heavy slab of steel tore through the air with a sharp, whistling sound, its speed and weight more than enough to crush a man.
For a split second, panic flashed across Carter and Chester's faces.
Then—
Boom!
The impact never came.
Locke stood where he was, completely unmoved, one hand raised casually as he caught the flying car door. The force that should have sent him crashing backward didn't even make him shift his footing.
The workshop fell into a brief, stunned silence.
The Hydra agent's eyes narrowed, his expression turning serious as he studied Locke.
"So… you're a super soldier too?"
Locke didn't answer.
Instead, he moved.
With a simple flick of his arm, he hurled the car door back.
Boom!
The Hydra agent caught it with one hand, but the force behind it drove him back five full steps before he could stabilize himself. His expression flickered with shock, the difference in strength immediately obvious.
"How—"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire cut him off.
Bullets slammed into the steel door, some of them punching through the edges and grazing his arm. The sudden shift caught him completely off guard, and pain flared as one round clipped him.
"Damn it!"
He hadn't expected Locke to pull a gun mid-fight.
Locke stood there, a Gatling gun gripped in one hand, the rotating barrels already spinning as a stream of golden bullets poured out in a relentless torrent. The sheer volume of fire turned the area into a storm of metal, shredding everything in its path.
The Hydra agent dove for cover, sprinting toward a nearby bunker as the bullets tore into the structure. Sparks and debris exploded outward as the heavy rounds chewed through the barrier, reducing it to fragments in seconds.
A scream tore from his throat as he realized the cover wouldn't hold.
In desperation, he flung the car door back toward Locke, trying to force him to react. At the same time, he pivoted sharply, diving into a side tunnel the moment Locke's attention shifted.
He didn't hesitate.
He ran.
Boom!
Locke swatted the incoming car door aside with a casual strike, sending it crashing off to the side. Then, before the echoes of the impact had even faded, his figure blurred.
To Chester and Carter, it looked like he simply vanished.
In the next instant, he was already standing in front of them.
Chester coughed violently, a mouthful of blood spilling from his lips as he tried to focus on the man in front of him. His expression was complicated, filled with too many emotions to untangle.
"I knew… you weren't normal," he rasped, a weak laugh escaping him. "This is good… this is really good…"
"Because of that doctor?" Locke replied lightly, a faint smile still on his face. The tension in the air didn't seem to affect him at all, as if this entire situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"You idiot… I'm dying here, and you're still joking?" Chester snapped, forcing his eyes open wider in mock anger.
Carter remained silent, but tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes. A thin line of blood trailed from her lips as well, her injuries far from minor.
"Dying?" Locke tilted his head slightly, his smile never fading. "That's not something that's going to happen in front of me."
Before either of them could respond, he moved.
With a quick motion, he sliced open his palm.
Bright red blood welled up instantly.
"What are you doing?" Chester asked, confusion cutting through the haze in his mind as he stared at Locke.
"Drink," Locke said simply, extending his hand forward. "If you wait any longer, you might miss your chance."
There was no room for argument in his tone.
After a brief hesitation, Chester opened his mouth.
The blood dripped in.
Under Carter's stunned gaze, the change was immediate. The pale color drained from his face, replaced by a healthy flush. His breathing steadied, the pain in his body fading as if it had never been there.
"This… this… what the hell…" Chester stammered as he pushed himself upright. The agony that had wracked his body moments ago was gone, completely gone.
He flexed his arms, his legs, disbelief flooding his features.
"What are you?"
"Human," Locke replied without hesitation.
"Bullshit!" Chester snapped. "You're telling me that's human blood? Then what, I'm turning into a vampire now?"
Locke ignored him completely.
His palm had already healed, but he cut it open again without hesitation and held it out in front of Carter.
"Hurry," he said, his voice firm. "This will fix you."
Carter didn't argue.
She leaned forward and drank.
The warm, metallic taste spread across her tongue, but what followed was something else entirely. A surge of warmth flooded her body, racing through every vein, every nerve. The pain in her chest vanished almost instantly, replaced by a strange, comforting sensation.
She stood slowly, her movements steady.
Her hands moved instinctively, touching her face, her body, as if confirming that everything was real.
Then she looked at Chester.
He looked back at her.
Both of them turned toward Locke at the same time.
"Relax," Locke said with a casual wave of his hand. "Still human. Just… a little more capable than most."
Chester stared at him, then glanced down at his own hands, flexing them again as if afraid the strength would disappear.
"I feel like I just got ten years back," he muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.
Locke didn't give them time to dwell on it.
He turned and walked straight toward the most advanced vehicle in the workshop, his purpose clear from the moment he arrived.
By the time Chester and Carter snapped out of their shock, he was already climbing onto it.
They exchanged a glance, then moved without hesitation, following him.
The engine roared to life.
Flames burst from the rear as the Hydra-built war machine surged forward, tearing out of the workshop at full speed.
....
Join my exclusive P@treon community for 60+ thrilling chapters!
Link: pa*treon.com/MidnightWonder (Remove the *)
If you join now you will get 2 Chapters for free as well.
Don't miss out, join now!