Conflict, Erica Dies

The missile exploded in midair behind Erica, the scorching shockwave blasting her forward.

A sharp whistling sound rang out at the same time.

Thud! A cluster of Bat Shurikens embedded themselves in the surrounding stone walls amidst the chaotic impact.

Erica gritted her teeth against the searing pain at her back, forcing herself to look toward the exit behind her.

Bullseye stood there, the target emblem on his forehead gleaming coldly as he stared at her, a playing card appearing between his fingers like a magic trick.

If not for Tony's missile, those Bat Shurikens would have hit Erica.

"Hey! Hey! Don't move, baldy!" Tony had already donned his helmet and stepped down from the platform, arm raised and aimed at Bullseye, the missile inside ready to launch.

Bullseye ignored him, still fixed on Erica, and warned, "He's mine."

"I got here first." Erica wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, stood up, twirled her sai, and glared back without backing down.

She didn't care much about the mission, but letting go of a prize already in hand wasn't her style.

Just then, Merlin's voice crackled through the headset.

"Bullseye, mind the rules of the game."

Bullseye cracked his neck and let out a sneer. "As long as the guy's dead, it's fine."

"What are you two talking about? Do you know each other?" Stark, standing behind them, was completely baffled.

Neither Erica nor Bullseye bothered to respond, treating him as an NPC.

Whoosh! Erica struck first, hurling one of her sai like a javelin straight at Bullseye.

She herself lunged forward in the same instant, a red blur charging in.

Knowing Bullseye's abilities, close combat was clearly the best option.

Facing the incoming sai, Bullseye—with his sharp dynamic vision—merely tilted his head and casually caught it.

Watching Erica rush at him, he smirked mockingly.

"Here, take it back!" The sai shot back at her, faster and at a trickier angle.

Erica immediately flipped midair, aiming to catch her sai on the way down.

But just as she was upside down and about to grab it, a shuriken flew in from behind and struck the sai.

Clang!

Thud!

Sparks flew as the sai veered off course under the impact, stabbing straight into Erica's palm.

"Damn, that's some Uchiha Throw." Merlin couldn't help but mutter in surprise as he watched the feed.

Erica's hand pierced, the force of the impact threw her off balance, and she hit the ground in an awkward tumble.

She scrambled up and ducked behind a rock, staring at the hole through her palm. Gritting her teeth, she gripped the sai's handle and yanked it out in one go.

Blood sprayed. She quickly tore a strip from her red dress and wrapped it around her hand, her eyes blazing with ferocity.

"Uh... that looks really painful. Ruthless." Stark, watching the sexy red-haired killer's grit, couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

He was starting to piece it together now—these two were probably players who'd taken the same rescue mission. But now, thanks to him, they were fighting over the spoils.

Once he figured that out, he just stood back and enjoyed the show.

From the fight, it was clear the red-clad female killer was the weaker one.

Whir, whir, whir... The sai spun a few times in Erica's hand before she gripped it firmly, pressing her back tight against the rock, peeking out tensely as she waited.

Bullseye watched her hiding, flicked his wrist, and three shurikens appeared in his hand. He advanced cautiously.

He'd used up most of his shurikens in the earlier slaughter; these three were all he had left, plus one magic card.

Bullseye closed in on Erica. Just then, footsteps echoed from the entrance.

"Stop. Whatever grudge you have, settle it outside." Natasha stood at the entrance, pistol aimed at Bullseye.

Bullseye turned his head at the sound, about to speak, when a gust of wind rushed at him.

Erica had seized the moment to strike!

Whoosh! The sharp sai sliced across his throat, drawing a line of blood, but stopped mid-stroke.

Bullseye ignored the wound on his neck, firmly grabbing her arm.

With a flick, the shuriken in his fingers slashed across Erica's wrist. She winced in pain, and the sai dropped from her hand.

Thud!

In a flash, Bullseye caught the falling sai and drove it straight through Erica's chest.

"Truth is, I've had it with you for a long time." Bullseye leaned in close, meeting her fading eyes, and whispered.

Erica felt her life slipping away, glaring at him with unwillingness.

Boom! A massive gunshot echoed through the cave. Bullseye, who had just been wild and arrogant, stared in disbelief, then fell to the ground with a look of resentment.

Frank stood beside Natasha, cigarette dangling from his lips, the shotgun in his hand still smoking.

"For a man as wicked as this, don't hesitate even if he's a temporary teammate." He exhaled a puff of smoke and said to Natasha beside him.

"Woof woof woof!!!" Accompanied by a burst of barking, John and Duke arrived at the scene with another person in tow.

At some point, the dense gunfire outside had faded into silence, and a faint smell of blood drifted through the cave.

When Stark came to his senses and saw the person who had entered with John, a look of surprise lit up his face.

"Yinsen!"

Yinsen, his hair a bit thin, cautiously hid beside John, afraid the green-furred hound beside him might eat him.

Though the dog had just saved him, it had nearly bitten him too. If its owner hadn't arrived in time to stop it, he was sure he'd have been devoured.

"Don't worry, he won't eat people." John explained with some exasperation.

After the mutation, he had explicitly warned his beloved dog not to eat humans.

"Woof woof woof!!!" Duke wagged his tail cheerfully at Yinsen as well.

Yinsen: "..."

Looking at Duke, who was like a lion, and his icy pupils, he could believe the dog would swallow a person whole.

"Are you all players who took the mission?" Stark, clad in his armor, asked warily as he watched the people filing in, including the fierce green-furred dog.

"Yes, we're here to rescue you. Is this man your companion?" Frank holstered his gun, signaling he meant no harm, and pointed at Yinsen.

"Yeah, thank you."

Only after Natasha pulled out her credentials did Stark let down some of his guard.

It was mainly the incidents with Bullseye and Erica that made him think this group of players was a bit unreliable.

"I remember there were six people who took the mission. There should be one more."

"He's in the sky."