The blinding flames roared like a fire dragon, swallowing everything in an instant!
A terrifying shock wave swept outward, carrying intense heat with it.
Everything in the hallway was torn to shreds in an instant.
The entire building trembled in the violent explosion.
The hallway at the center of the blast collapsed instantly. Pipes in the ceiling burst, sending water and sparks flying everywhere.
There were no words to describe the state of Jack, who had borne the brunt of it.
The chunk of wall he had just been holding up had been blasted to powder.
The force of the explosion slammed into his body.
Even though he had been enhanced and his body was as hard as iron, he couldn't withstand a weapon designed specifically for killing.
Jack screamed as he was sent flying backward.
He smashed through the wall behind him and crashed into another hallway.
Jack was a bloody mess from head to toe, and his combat suit had been blown to shreds.
There was no telling how many bones he had broken, and blood was gushing out.
Now he lay motionless in the rubble, alive or dead!
But strangely enough,
Although the explosion had looked terrifying and destroyed a hallway,
The building had suffered no structural collapse beyond a tremor.
In other words, the missile's blast radius had been designed in advance.
It had destroyed precisely the area around the elevator entrance without damaging the core of the building.
It was a lethal strike delivered with the smallest possible yield.
Without a doubt, someone had planned this in advance.
And it had been designed specifically for them!
Their enemy intended to kill them here on their very first step.
The flames in the hallway gradually died down, and thick black smoke filled the air.
The fire sprinklers came on, spraying water down continuously.
Anyone who didn't know better might have thought a war had broken out here.
Soon, amid the chaos,
John reappeared at the edge of the collapsed hallway.
His combat suit was covered in dust, and his eyes were full of shock.
Immediately afterward, a puddle on the hallway floor began to ripple.
Mark emerged from the water and returned to human form, but his expression was just as grim.
The two stood at the edge of the rubble, surveying their surroundings with grave expressions.
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
John ripped off his hood, revealing an angry face.
"What the hell is going on?! Why would a civilian hotel have Stark Industries missiles?! This makes no sense! We've been set up!"
"Captain, this was all a trap. Damn Happy was acting! The Stark brothers must have known we were coming to assassinate them, so they planted weapons here specifically for us!"
Mark pointed at the wall Jack had smashed through, his face full of anger.
"Let's check on Jack first. That hit was too heavy."
John gritted his teeth and nodded.
The hallway ahead of them had collapsed into a huge pit billowing black smoke.
But that was no obstacle to them.
John accelerated and leaped, while Mark turned into a puddle of water and crossed the pit.
The two crossed easily and reached the hallway on the other side.
They found Jack beneath a pile of broken bricks.
At the sight of Jack's condition, John and Mark both drew sharp breaths.
Jack's appearance could only be described as unbearable to look at.
There wasn't a patch of uninjured flesh on his body, and his pale bones were visible beneath it.
His left hand had been blown clean off, and a large part of his face was charred. He hardly looked human.
Even so, his body truly was powerful.
Despite suffering such severe, fatal injuries, Jack was somehow still alive.
Thanks to his powerful physique and regenerative ability, he was still breathing faintly, though he was already at death's door.
Mark crouched down and checked Jack's injuries, then shook his head.
"His internal organs are basically all crushed. It's a miracle he's still alive. He can't stand up." Mark looked at John and reported with a grave expression.
"Captain, the mission has gotten harder. The targets aren't just prepared; they're extremely dangerous."
"What the hell is going on? We haven't even seen the targets yet, and we've already lost a teammate in the hallway."
Mark was beginning to have second thoughts.
After all, even assassinating the president wasn't this dangerous. At least he would only bob his head around on the spot to interfere with their shots.
But assassinating Stark could really cost them their lives!
What kind of normal person installed missiles in a hotel?!
"Captain, should we retreat for now? Report to the higher-ups and draw up a new plan?"
Hearing Mark's suggestion, John's gaze flickered with uncertainty.
What should we do? Should we go back?
The answer was obviously no.
This was their first mission. If they declared it a failure without even seeing their targets,
Then he could already foresee their fate.
Death, and nothing else.
At that thought, he glanced at the hallway behind the elevator that led to the suite.
There was nothing there. It was frighteningly quiet, as if a monster were waiting for them in the darkness.
John hesitated, unsure what to choose.
But as the saying went,
If they retreated without a fight and returned to Hydra, brutal punishment was all that awaited them.
They were Mutants who had been created, nothing more than expendable assets in the eyes of the higher-ups.
"No. The mission continues."
John took a deep breath, his gaze turning vicious.
His pride would not let him accept a humiliating failure.
The great Hydra could not fail!!
"No matter what tricks they've pulled, they're still just ordinary people!"
"They've used up the missile. They must be hiding in their room and shaking right now. I'll drag them out and make the Starks wish they were dead!"
John had made his decision.
Then he looked down coldly at the dying Jack.
"Your mission is over, Jack."
"You're a burden now. You're no longer of any value to the organization. If you stay here, you'll only expose our whereabouts."
Hearing John's words,
Jack instead gave him a fanatical smile.
Then he fixed his gaze on John and spoke with absolute conviction.
"Hail... Hydra."
With those words,
Jack grabbed a piece of rebar from the ground with his only remaining hand and drove it into his throat without hesitation!
"Squelch!"
Blood gushed out.
Jack twitched twice, his head lolled to one side, and he stopped breathing altogether.
He had killed himself.
John and Mark watched Jack kill himself, their expressions as calm as ever.
They saw nothing wrong with it.
Jack had done everything he could.
He had given his life for the organization, the highest honor of all.
"Let's go. To Stark's room."
John spoke coldly, then turned and headed deeper into the hallway.
Mark turned into a stream of water and followed close behind.
No matter how dangerous things got, they were ready!
The organization would remember their sacrifice!
Hail Hydra!!!