Black Widow had said earlier that, because of national borders, they could not enter the country in force to rescue Tony.
Qin Xiao had thought a few people would come with equipment and supplies to help the two of them infiltrate the Ten Rings' camp.
He had not expected S.H.I.E.L.D. to send another ace agent directly: Hawkeye.
Hawkeye appeared before Qin Xiao on foot at one in the morning.
He looked just as he did in the movies, dressed in black combat gear, with a quiver on his back and a compound bow in his hand.
He also carried a bag filled with various individual combat weapons.
Qin Xiao wondered whether it was because the actors in the movies were generally older.
So far, every character from the story he had seen looked considerably younger than in the movies.
Hawkeye looked thirty at most, quite sharp, with a cold expression.
"Clint Barton, Agent Barton. This is Qin Xiao."
Black Widow gave the two a brief introduction.
"Natasha told me about you. You received a transfusion of Isaiah's blood and became a super soldier. You're lucky, kid!"
Hawkeye extended his right hand toward Qin Xiao.
Calling me kid and saying I'm lucky? Heh!
Qin Xiao sneered inwardly and reached out to shake Hawkeye's right hand.
Just as I thought. Trying to test me?
Looking at Hawkeye's sturdy arm, Qin Xiao smiled slightly and tightened his grip.
Hawkeye's expression changed dramatically in an instant.
"Hmm?!!!"
God was his witness, Hawkeye had only intended a normal handshake. Qin Xiao had imagined the whole thing and immediately squeezed harder.
His strength was now measured in tons. However elite an agent Hawkeye was, he was still within human limits.
"Hey, Qin, what are you doing? Let go!"
Fortunately, Natasha pulled Qin Xiao away in time, or Hawkeye would not even have been able to draw his bow that day.
"Are you okay?"
Natasha looked at Hawkeye's flushed face.
Hawkeye said nothing. He shook his hand, then flexed it, indicating that he was fine.
"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? Why would you squeeze so hard in a handshake?"
Natasha demanded.
Qin Xiao was embarrassed too. In fact, the moment he squeezed, he had realized that Hawkeye had never intended to test him. Otherwise, there was no way he would have offered no resistance at all.
He had looked exactly like someone caught by a sneak attack.
Qin Xiao scratched his head awkwardly.
With an embarrassed expression, he explained.
"I thought he was going to test me. That's how it always goes in the movies, and he called me kid and said I was lucky..."
Qin Xiao's voice grew quieter and quieter. He really was very embarrassed.
"Sorry, Agent Barton. How about I don't resist, and you squeeze mine back?"
Qin Xiao held out his right hand.
Hawkeye glanced at him and suppressed the urge to punch him in the nose.
He could see it now. This kid was a complete and utter rookie.
"You owe me one. Remember that!"
With that, he turned away with a cold expression to sort out his equipment.
The moment he turned around, Hawkeye's face twisted, and he nearly cried.
He could not help it. Having the bones in his hand squeezed hurt too much.
After that brief interlude, he and Hawkeye could count themselves acquainted through a clash.
Four in the morning was supposedly when people slept most deeply at night.
A figure slowly crept toward the vicinity of the Ten Rings' camp.
"I'm in position! Over!"
Qin Xiao lay less than twenty meters from the camp, wearing night-vision goggles about the size of ordinary sunglasses.
He spoke softly.
"Copy! Stay put for now. Watch the camp and wait for instructions. Also, don't say over. This isn't a movie, rookie!"
Hawkeye's voice came through his earpiece.
On a small dune just under a hundred meters from the camp.
After speaking, Hawkeye switched off his voice transmission, raised his bow toward the camp, and said.
"Want to compete? Same rules?"
Beside him was Black Widow, holding a sniper rifle fitted with a suppressor.
"Sure! I never thought I'd get the chance to fight alongside you in the desert. Looks like Nick really values Tony Stark!"
Black Widow carefully studied the positions of the camp's sentries through her rifle scope.
"It's not Stark he values. It's this kid Qin. He's clearly sent us here to babysit a rookie."
As Hawkeye spoke, he adjusted the small monocular sight over one eye. Presumably, this was his standard equipment for using his bow at long range.
"On three, we start together. One, two, three!"
Whoosh!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ever since absorbing the super-soldier serum, Qin Xiao's senses had also become sharper than those of ordinary people.
He heard arrows whistling through the air.
As the sounds rang out, he watched the sentries in the camp ahead drop one after another.
Some had arrows driven straight into their throats, while others had holes punched directly through their foreheads.
Black Widow and Hawkeye must have struck together.
In less than two seconds, all seven or eight sentries, both in the open and concealed, had fallen.
Immediately afterward, footsteps sounded behind him.
Hawkeye came running up quickly from behind.
As soon as he reached Qin Xiao's side, Hawkeye nocked an arrow and drew his bow, his eyes fixed on the camp.
Only then did Qin Xiao see Black Widow running fluidly down the small dune toward them.
Upon arriving, she too said nothing and immediately aimed her rifle at the camp.
"I'll take the cave on the left. If anyone comes out, I can keep them pinned down. Stark should be on the right. I'll leave that to you. Any problems?"
Hawkeye glanced at Qin Xiao as he spoke.
Qin Xiao made an okay gesture.
"Go!"
The moment Hawkeye said go, Qin Xiao sprang straight up from the ground.
This showed just how much value Basic Combat Skills offered.
It covered not only combat techniques and knowledge of firearms, but even hostage rescue missions like this.
Although this was Qin Xiao's first time, the way he ran and moved made him look thoroughly trained.
He did not look like a novice at all!
Hawkeye discreetly gave Black Widow a thumbs-up.
An expert knew what to look for: moving as quickly as possible, avoiding obstacles, and watching for enemies who might appear ahead at any moment.
Whether someone was experienced was obvious at a glance.
"This kid's pretty good!"
Leaving those words behind, Hawkeye followed close after him, running toward the camp.
Whether it was because they maintained tight security outside and lax security inside, or because they had confidence in the location they had chosen, he did not know.
There were no guards posted inside the cave, only two stationed at the large door at the very back.
However, both were asleep against the large iron door at that moment.
Qin Xiao hesitated, then drew his suppressed pistol, aimed at the two men, and shot each once.
This was his first time killing someone. Qin Xiao had originally wanted to use a knife, but after some thought, he decided a pistol would be better.
Whether it was because he had used a pistol or because he was in a hurry to rescue someone, killing people with a pistol from several meters away did not cause Qin Xiao any discomfort.