As soon as the plane landed, it started raining heavily in Brazil.
Betty barely spoke the entire journey, her forehead pressed against the porthole, her eyes half-open, her whole body huddled in her seat as if her bones had been removed. Lin Xiao sat next to her, one arm still wrapped around Betty's chest since takeoff. He talked the whole way, from the New York weather to the Tom Yum soup at the Thai restaurant, from how much food Kara ordered, to how he was going to provoke Sitwell today. By the end, he couldn't find any new topics, but Betty remained silent.
Lin Xiao didn't rush her, but simply pressed her head against his shoulder, his fingers gently stroking her hair. Betty's hair was disheveled, with a few strands sticking to her cheeks, which Lin Xiao tucked behind her ears.
"Your dad's got a tough life," Lin Xiao said in a low voice. "He's managed to keep the military in this mess all these years by himself, so he can handle this. Besides, he's in command from the rear, so it's not his time to be in the public eye."
Betty didn't speak, but buried her face even closer to his chest. Lin Xiao also fell silent; he knew that saying anything at this moment would be useless. It wasn't that Betty didn't believe him; she was just too afraid. Afraid that something really had happened to her father, afraid that she wouldn't even get to see him one last time, afraid that there were some things she would never have the chance to say again in this lifetime.
After the plane landed, the three took a taxi to the city. Lin Xiao found a hotel not too far from the military's operational area and booked two rooms. Betty leaned on him the whole way, and when they entered the elevator, her legs went weak and she almost bumped into the door frame, but Lin Xiao caught her by the waist. Hill followed behind them, carrying an emergency kit, and didn't say much the whole way.
Once inside the room, Lin Xiao put Betty on the bed, took off her shoes, wiped her face with a hot towel, and poured her a glass of warm water. Betty took a couple of sips and then shook her head, her voice hoarse and almost inaudible. " Lin Xiao, I'm fine. Let me sleep for a while. Can we go see my dad tomorrow?"
"You go to sleep, I'll stay here and keep watch. Okay, we'll go first thing tomorrow morning."
Lin Xiao sat on the edge of the bed and tucked the blanket around her. Betty's eyes were red and swollen, and her eyelashes were still wet. She looked at Lin Xiao for a while, then closed her eyes, but her hand gripped Lin Xiao's wrist tightly.
Lin Xiao looked at her, took her hand off his wrist, cupped it in his palm, and leaned down to kiss it.
"I promise you. He'll be alright. You get some sleep, and when you wake up, I'll take you to him."
Betty's tears fell again. She sniffed, buried her face in the pillow, and slowly closed her eyes. Lin Xiao sat by the bed, holding her hand and patting her gently until her breathing gradually calmed down and she fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Xiao stood up and dimmed the bedside lamp to its lowest setting. He glanced back and saw Betty unconsciously move to the spot where he had just been sitting. His heart ached as if someone had squeezed it.
He tiptoed to the door and opened it. Hill was leaning against the wall in the hallway outside. When she saw Lin Xiao come out, she didn't ask how Betty was; she just nodded to him.
"I need to go out for a bit," Lin Xiao said.
"Now?"
Yes, now.
Hill looked at him without saying a word. Lin Xiao's eyes, illuminated by the corridor lights, appeared dark and bright, unlike his usual carefree demeanor. It was the first time she had seen him like this; the layer of hippie on his face seemed to have been completely torn away, leaving only an extremely tense calm.
"Keep an eye on her for me," Lin Xiao said.
Hill opened her mouth as if to say that this was against the rules, that she should follow S.H.I.E.L.D..'s regulations, but what came out was. "When are you coming back?"
"I don't know." Lin Xiao had already taken two steps towards the elevator, then stopped, turned back to look at her, and said, "If she wakes up, tell her I'm going out to familiarize myself with the surroundings. If she cries, just let her cry. Don't try to comfort her; crying will make her feel better."
Hill didn't reply, watching him enter the elevator. As the elevator doors closed, she saw Lin Xiao raise his hand slightly at the last second, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing.
The rain is still falling.
Lin Xiao left the hotel, walked along the street for a while, turned into an empty alley, and with a light leap, he was already on the rooftop. The night wind mixed with raindrops hit his face. He took a breath and mentally reviewed the map that Doupao had brought up. The temporary military camp was less than forty kilometers away from here, and at his flying speed, he could get there in ten minutes.
As he took flight, the rain intensified, turning the entire city into a blurry patch of light beneath his feet. By the time he reached the outskirts of the military camp, it was too late.
Flames shot into the sky from the direction of the military camp, the thick smoke suppressed by the rain, instead accumulating into a thick, impenetrable black fog in the low sky. Something had smashed through the barbed wire fence from the inside, and two armored vehicles lay overturned in the mud, half of a broken machine gun mount still embedded in their bodies. Several tents were burned down to their steel frames, the flames flickering in the rain, seemingly impossible to extinguish completely.
Looking down from mid-air, Lin Xiao saw a crater more than three meters wide in the center of the camp. Lin Xiao eyes widened in shock. Hulk did this? Impossible! Impossible!
Lin Xiao landed on the ground, stepping on a piece of charred military uniform. Further ahead, a soldier lay on his back, covered in blood, his chest caved in, clearly dead.
The soldier was young, with freckles still lingering on his face. Lin Xiao crouched down and reached out to straighten his helmet. The helmet had a crack, and rainwater seeped in through it, washing away the last bit of warmth from the soldier's forehead. Lin Xiao's fingers paused for a moment, then he stood up and continued walking.
Every inch of this camp ground before him told him what had happened here just minutes before. It wasn't the first time he'd seen dead people; in Afghanistan, in New York, in Monaco, he'd seen far too many. But this time was different. Every corpse on the ground was wearing the same uniform as Betty's father. Thaddeus Ross's father wouldn't... Lin Xiao felt a chill run down his spine at the thought, so he simply stopped thinking about it.
He walked through the collapsed outer wall of the command post. Doupao's voice rang in his mind, speaking much faster than usual, "Ding—High-energy life form detected, moving towards the host. Target confirmed: Emil Blonsky. Ability: A mutant mutated form created after fusing with the Hulk Serum, possessing near-infinite regenerative abilities. Combat strength rating: A (growth potential). Completely out of control."
Lin Xiao ignored it and continued walking forward. From the ruins of the collapsed command post ahead, he heard faint breathing sounds, and Lin Xiao practically lunged towards it.
General Ross leaned against the rubble, a section of his chest caved in, his uniform soaked in blood, his lips as white as paper. His eyes were still open, but his pupils were dilated, and his mouth was slightly open as if he wanted to speak, but no sound came out.
Lin Xiao squatted down and reached out to check his carotid artery. There was still... just a little bit left.
"You can't die," Lin Xiao whispered, his fingers pressing against Thaddeus Ross's neck, feeling the faint pulse. "Your daughter flew all the way from New York, not to collect your corpse. You old man, didn't you look down on me? If you fall asleep, I'll really let you see your daughter, heavily pregnant, visiting your grave. Hang in there!"
Thaddeus Ross showed no reaction. His chest heaved barely, so barely that each rise felt like the last. Lin Xiao took out Life Restoration Potion from his System Space, unscrewed the cap, and tried to pour it into Thaddeus Ross's mouth. But Thaddeus Ross could no longer swallow. The potion dripped down his chin, mixing with the blood, and he couldn't get anything down.
Lin Xiao cursed, slammed the medicine bottle on the ground, and pressed his hands against Thaddeus Ross's chest. Blue Silver Grass sprouted from his palms like madmen, desperately burrowing into Thaddeus Ross's wound and pouring life energy into it.
One, two, ten, dozens. Blue vines connected between Lin Xiao and Thaddeus Ross, forming a luminous net that shone blindingly in the rainy night. Lin Xiao's face paled visibly. In the past, he would only slightly infuse some life energy into the Blue Silver Grass, but now he had to let the Blue Silver Grass frantically absorb his life force to infuse into Thaddeus Ross. Veins bulged on Lin Xiao's forehead, and large beads of sweat dripped down his chin. He felt as if someone was pulling his bones out one by one; his head began to spin, and his body swayed involuntarily, but he did not let go.
He recalled the first time he met Thaddeus Ross. The old man in the military district stared at him and said, " Lin Xiao, a Level 6 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.., your file says you're honest and kind. You don't look honest and kind at all."
Lin Xiao laughed at the time. He found the old man amusing; even though he had thoroughly investigated him, the old man still acted as if he knew nothing, a typical military-style show of force. But later, Lin Xiao gradually realized that Thaddeus Ross treated everyone this way—his daughter, Banner, and especially himself. He saw everyone as a potential threat, and then transformed that threat into a cold, suffocating kind of attention.
Betty said her father had never attended her graduation ceremony, never watched her experiments, and never asked her what she liked. Yet, every time she went on a long trip, someone would secretly follow her; she had known this for a long time. Lin Xiao once asked Betty, "Does he love you?" Betty thought for a long time and said, "I don't know, but I know he's afraid I'll die."
A person who has devoted their entire life to the state apparatus can only express their fear through control.
Lin Xiao gritted his teeth, suppressing his turbulent thoughts. The light of the Blue Silver Grass was dimming at a visible rate, but Thaddeus Ross's breathing became more and more noticeable, his chest rising and falling slightly, and his blood-stained lips moved.
Doupao's voice rang out again, carrying a warning. "Host, your current life energy output has exceeded the safety threshold by 200%. If you continue to supply it, your recovery system will be suppressed by your own energy, rendering it unusable for at least three to five days, and in severe cases, it may cause organ failure. Host, the Life Restoration Potion is no longer effective for the current target. If you continue, you may not be able to save him, and you may also lose your own life."
"Fuck you, you bastard." Lin Xiao didn't let up; instead, he increased his output. "I've never broken a promise I made, especially regarding my woman. Betty can't wake up as an orphan."
His eyes were frighteningly red amidst the interplay of torrential rain and blue light; his face was indistinguishable between rain and sweat; his shirt was soaked through and clung to his slightly trembling shoulders.
Just when he felt he was about to give up, Thaddeus Ross suddenly let out a very faint, groan-like sound from his throat. Lin Xiao's pupils contracted, and the Blue Silver Grass, as if receiving some command, suddenly contracted and then expanded, forcefully pushing the last bit of life energy into Thaddeus Ross's heart.
Lin Xiao suddenly felt everything go black.
He lurched forward, his forehead hitting the gravel. A sharp pain kept him from completely losing consciousness. His arms were no longer under his control, trembling like two taut strings. All the Blue Silver Grass had retracted into his palms, except for one, like a dying green snake, which lay limply on the back of Thaddeus Ross's hand. Thaddeus Ross's fingers moved. Very lightly, very slowly, but they did move.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind them.
It was heavy, very heavy. Every step he took landed in the mud and water, splashing water half a foot high. The footsteps were unhurried, as if the person who came had been waiting here for a while, and only came out slowly after Lin Xiao had finished what he needed to do.
Lin Xiao slowly turned his head.
Abomination stood a dozen meters away, rain pouring down his grayish-green skin and running down his bulging muscles. He was a size bigger than Hulk, his entire body bearing the marks of rage and serum, his back hunched like a newly hatched beast. But what struck Lin Xiao most was that a trace of human expression remained on his face. He was laughing, a cold and disgusting laugh.
"So you're Lin Xiao?" The Abomination voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against sheet metal. "The general has spoken of you. Every time he talks about you, he grits his teeth, saying you abducted his daughter. What, you're protecting him now?"
Lin Xiao didn't speak. He glanced down at Thaddeus Ross; the Blue Silver Grass vine was still draped over the old man's hand, throbbing weakly like a thread that hadn't quite broken. Lin Xiao pulled it back, braced himself against a broken concrete slab, and slowly stood up. His arms were still trembling, and large raindrops pounded on his shoulders, soaking his coat completely.
"You did this to him?" Lin Xiao asked, his voice low, as if suppressed by rain.
Abomination grinned, revealing a set of crooked teeth. "His own soldiers have become the monsters he most wants to capture. How amusing."
Lin Xiao didn't reply. He stared at the Abomination, his mind racing through his current condition. The Blue Silver Grass's energy was almost depleted, and after his life energy was overdrawn, the Lizard Serum's restorative effects were temporarily locked by the system. His arms were trembling even when he clenched his fists. But that wasn't the real problem.
The real problem is that he just used up most of his energy to save Thaddeus Ross.
Abomination suddenly spoke, his voice carrying an unsettling calm, "You must be hiding something good on you too. I smell something in your blood, it smells familiar." He took a step forward, the ground trembling slightly, mud exploding in all directions. "So, are you coming over here yourself, or should I go to you?"
Lin Xiao suddenly laughed. The laugh was short, but it made Abomination somewhat displeased.
"You just said that Thaddeus Ross raised you, and now you've turned into this mess, and you're quite proud of it."
The Abomination froze for a moment.
"Let me guess." Lin Xiao took a step forward, his shoe sinking into a pool of blood with a grating sound. "You're Thaddeus Ross's most trusted man, his right-hand man. He's been chasing the Hulk for so long, he must have gotten Hulk's or Banner's blood. After studying the blood, he used it on you, thinking you'd become the second Hulk and help him capture the first one. But you became the second monster, he doesn't recognize you anymore, he even wants to capture you, so you want to kill him."
After Lin Xiao finished speaking, he looked around at the mess.
"You did everything here, didn't you?"
The Abomination breathing became heavier.
"I was right." Lin Xiao took another step forward, raindrops flying across his face in the wind, but his eyes were like two knives just pulled from a fire. "That old bastard Thaddeus Ross, he really is a scoundrel. He dares to use even his own daughter, and he dares to send his own soldiers to their deaths. You hate him, I won't stop you. But you can't kill him today."
"Why?" Abomination tilted his head, his smile returning, now tinged with genuine curiosity.
"Because my woman is still waiting for news from him." Lin Xiao took off his coat and threw it on the rain, revealing his soaked shirt. He looked up, staring at Abomination, and said, word by word, "I promised her that her father would live, and that he shouldn't be judged by you. He needs to pay for his crimes while he's alive. But you're different! I'm the one judging you!"
He stared at him with Abomination for three seconds, then laughed. The laughter seemed to be squeezed from the depths of his chest, shrouded in foul air, and sounded particularly eerie in the rain.
"Then if you die, her father will die too." The Abomination laughter abruptly stopped. "But if you really die, I'll devour you properly, digest all the smell from your body, which should make me two sizes bigger."
Before he finished speaking, he had already charged forward like a cannonball.
Lin Xiao's pupils contracted slightly. He had been waiting for this moment. His body moved faster than his mind; with a light tap of his toes, he dodged to the left. The Abomination's fist grazed his right shoulder, smashing the ground into a crater two meters in diameter, sending surrounding rubble flying. Lin Xiao rolled over on the ground, and as he stood up, the Blink Dagger in his right hand had already slid into his palm.