Stealth Annihilator, Heading to Afghanistan

"I saved your life and gave you food, didn't I just help remove your troubles? No need to hold such a grudge." Merlin watched Bick gnawing on a cow bone and patted his head.

"Woof woof!!" Bick, who had been happily eating the bone, instantly snapped his jaws toward Merlin's hand.

But Merlin had anticipated it, dodging smoothly and even tapping him on the head.

Bick lunged again, still missing.

"Woof woof woof!!!"

"Woof!"

Merlin teased him a few more times, until an exasperated Bick let out a furious bark and buried his head in his bone, ignoring him entirely.

"I think I should let go of the leash." John found his beloved dog's huffy demeanor amusing and reached out to stroke its head in comfort.

If anyone else had teased Bick like that, the reins in his hand wouldn't have stayed so steady.

"Teasing him more helps build the bond."

John: "..."

He doubted Bick would ever forgive Merlin for neutering him.

Natasha and Erica noticed that among those present, Merlin seemed quite familiar with the other three. Only the two of them were meeting everyone for the first time.

"When do we start the mission? Where is Tony Stark now?" Once everyone was seated, Natasha spoke first, cutting straight to the point.

Hearing this, all eyes turned to Merlin.

According to the mission briefing, they had gathered here, and clearly the key point was Merlin.

"One at a time, I can answer all your questions." Merlin pressed his hands down and then organized his thoughts.

"The mission location is a hidden cave in Afghanistan, and the target, Tony Stark, is there as well."

"In this mission, I'll serve as logistics, handling transport, providing weapons, and planning."

"As for when it starts, once you confirm you're ready, we leave immediately."

"Now for the split. There are six of us and one dog here. John and the dog together get one-sixth."

John's eyes widened a bit. The split was fine, but something about how it was phrased felt off.

"The rest of us each get one-sixth, fifty million per person. How does that sound?" Merlin finished and waited for their response.

No one had major objections to Merlin's split. Without him as logistics, their mission would be hard to carry out.

Natasha herself didn't care much about the split, as long as she could see Stark.

Among those present, aside from Natasha's identity being less known, everyone else had some understanding of each other.

Frank and John went without saying—both were the kind of ruthless individuals who could wipe out a team single-handedly.

Erica and Bullseye were also well-known assassins in the underworld. Though Kingpin's growing favor toward Erica had made Bullseye resentful, since joining the Game Platform and taking on various missions for more money, he didn't care much anymore.

Killing in games was far more interesting than the jobs Kingpin gave him.

Though they weren't very familiar with each other, they could roughly sense each other's abilities, and in the end, no one had any objections.

After everyone had chosen their weapons, Merlin led them to an open space behind the modification shop.

"Wow, you even have an attack helicopter in your shop." Natasha couldn't help but say in surprise.

"UH-60, Black Hawk Special Attack Helicopter." Frank also read out the model of the helicopter before them in astonishment.

The others marveled at the black beast looming before them.

Its sleek, elongated fuselage resembled an osprey, with missile launch systems mounted on both sides, exuding agility and lightness.

The exterior was coated in a full black stealth finish, barely reflecting any harsh light under the lamps.

"Stealth Annihilator, based on the Black Hawk, with added new stealth technology and an Atomic Engine, capable of evading satellite and radar detection."

"Stealth technology?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, then reached out to touch the fuselage. It was cold to the touch, like ice.

"Fits exactly six people. Get in."

With that, Merlin opened the cabin door and sat in the pilot's seat.

Erica silently opened the door and entered the helicopter, followed by the others carrying their weapons.

Natasha, Frank, and John sat in one row, while Bullseye and Erica sat in another, with Bick between them.

"Good doggy." Bullseye tried to reach out and pat Bick's head, but the dog nearly twisted around and bit his hand.

"You'd better not provoke him." John said flatly from across the way.

Bullseye twitched his head, a flash of brutality in his eyes, and his lips moved.

But the next moment, the gazes of Frank, Natasha, and John all converged on him.

"Bullseye, we're teammates now. Once we get there, kill however you want. After this mission, your reputation in the assassin world will definitely take a big leap. But if you get thrown off the plane now, you'll have nothing." Merlin, in the pilot's seat, turned back to remind him.

Bullseye's skills were formidable—almost anything in his hands could become a lethal weapon, even a paper airplane could pierce glass in his grip.

Aside from the Punisher, none of them could likely take him on alone.

But together, Bullseye would definitely end up a corpse tossed out of the helicopter.

Bullseye felt their gazes on him, his lips twitching a couple of times before he finally, reluctantly, slid the paperclip back into its slot in his teeth.

"Taking off!" With the rear settled down, Merlin fired up the Annihilator's engine.

"Whirrr..." The rotors turned slowly at first, then faster and faster, soon blurring into a circular streak.

The fuselage lifted gently into the air.

The Stealth System activated, and with a ripple across the surface, the massive attack helicopter blended perfectly into the pitch-black night, leaving only the hum of the spinning blades. But as it climbed higher, the sound faded, growing faint until there was not a trace of noise.

"What the hell!" Matt, who had just arrived at Merlin's Custom Shop, slapped the door in frustration at the sound of the helicopter's roar.

Too late again.

The Stealth Annihilator carried the six people and one dog across Eagle Country's skies, quickly reaching the border. It slipped through layers of detection, successfully crossing into the airspace toward Afghanistan.

In the early hours of dawn, over a barren stretch of the Gobi Desert, the Annihilator materialized silently in the darkness, hovering midair.

"Buddy, we're here! Make sure you've got your earpieces on."

Natasha and the others shouldered their parachutes and opened the hatch. Not far off, amid the desolate desert hills, faint lights flickered into view.