Forty minutes later, Sean was pulled out of the black Ford, and the hood covering his face was removed...
He glanced at Bol, and the burly mercenary captain's eyelids twitched as every hair on his body stood on end. Like a beast sensing imminent danger, a biological warning flashed in his mind.
"What are you looking at? Move!" The momentarily cowed Bol quickly regained his composure and grew angry at himself...
A battle-hardened mercenary who had killed without blinking, scared by a seemingly defenseless young man?
'It must be an illusion...' Shaking his head, he dismissed the absurd thought.
As Sean entered the warehouse, he had already assessed the kidnappers' exact numbers and firepower. Through Skynet's tracking, he knew there were twenty of them, mercenaries from Hammer Industries' security division, mostly ex-private military contractors.
Their primary weapons were light firearms, micro-explosives, and directional mines. Dealing with them cleanly wouldn't be difficult, but with Betty and the others still in their hands, reckless action could lead to an uncontrollable situation.
Sean hadn't expected Samuel Sterns, a minor piece on the board, to escalate things to this extent. Even with his foresight, a momentary lapse had dragged him into this game...
'Murphy's Law is truly fascinating... whatever can go wrong, will.' He mused.
A mutated hound circled him, with drool dripping from its fangs. Its muscular frame left no doubt it could tear apart any human body.
In Sean's mental world, a dim green shadow pulsed around the beast, just like the murky green auras emanating from the twenty mercenaries. Clearly, Sterns had used Banner's serum samples to create these enhanced enforcers.
"Where's your boss? Too busy to greet me?" Sean asked the mercenary captain, his expression still devoid of panic.
This irritated Bol. He had hoped to see the young man cower in fear before the monstrous hound, but reality disappointed him.
"Mr. Cyphers, hello." A grotesquely enlarged green head emerged from the shadows, "I've seen you often in magazines and on TV, dreaming of one day becoming someone like you... showered with flowers and accolades, the envy of the world."
"Oh? Need an autograph?" Sean smiled, unimpressed by the figure that was radiating the brightest green glow, "Where are Betty and the others? Whether it's negotiations or bargaining chips, you only need me."
"Wow. I didn't expect the famous New York genius to also be a romantic Casanova." Sterns sneered, annoyed by Sean's arrogance.
Every time he saw young and accomplished men like Sean or Tony Stark, a deep-seated disgust and jealousy boiled within him.
While he had toiled away in a shabby lab, conducting obscure research no one cared about, these men basked in praise and adoration, with wealth and power effortlessly within reach.
Believing he had found Sean's weakness, Sterns laughed triumphantly and replied, "If we reach an agreement, they'll be safe, of course."
He discreetly activated a remote, ensuring his words were transmitted clearly to the three women locked in a side room, "Mr. Cyphers, I want you to transfer Umbrella's shares to me, free of charge."
"And if I refuse?"
Sterns' face darkened, "Then not only will your life be forfeit, but those three beauties will meet the same fate."
Sean glanced at the closed side room. Four mercenaries injected with the Hulk serum stood guard inside. Including Sterns, twelve more surrounded him. If he struck now, eliminating them all in an instant wouldn't be a problem.
His mind raced, calculating every possible contingency.
Confident in a 100% success rate, Sean finally allowed himself a faint smile, "Do you know Umbrella's valuation last month in venture capital assessments? It's a sum beyond your wildest dreams. So, Dr. Sterns, let's discuss something more realistic."
"You think a general's daughter, a police chief's precious girl, and your own employee are worthless?" Sterns grinned maliciously, deliberately raising his voice, "How about this? Let's play a little game. Today, you can take one woman with you. The other two stay."
He beckoned to Bol...
Understanding the signal, the mercenary captain's body suddenly swelled like an inflating balloon, his already massive frame expanding into something monstrous.
Veins pulsed with a sickly green hue, writhing like serpents beneath his now grotesquely bulging muscles. His skin turned a terrifying dark green, jagged bone spurs erupted from his arms, and his eyes burned with bloodthirsty savagery.
Seeing this, the other serum-enhanced mercenaries eagerly followed suit, their bodies twisting into similar abominations...
Sterns had modified the third-generation serum, increasing the dosage for greater power.
Surrounded by these hulking, green-skinned monsters, Sean remained unfazed, unlike the cowering, pleading wreck Sterns had hoped for.
"What? Still think someone's coming to save you?" Sterns sneered.
With his mutated hounds and an army of enhanced mercenaries, he was certain of victory. Even if Hydra or Justin Hammer came knocking, he wouldn't flinch.
"You know, Mr. Cyphers, Justin Hammer, that big-shot arms dealer, offered six million for your head." Playing the theatrical villain, Sterns continued, "But I don't want that. Hammer is a complete idiot. You? You're a far better partner."
"You kidnap my women, try to steal my company, and think you're doing me a favor?" Sean's tone was mocking, "You're ugly as sin, yet your delusions are even uglier."
The merciless taunt sent Sterns' rage skyrocketing...
His face twisted as he activated a monitor on the table, displaying the three women huddled fearfully in a corner, their faces pale with terror.
Hearing Sean's voice earlier had briefly kindled hope in their eyes, but it quickly faded into dread. Sterns was not an enemy one man could face alone.
"Which lovely lady would you like to see torn apart first?" The green-skinned megalomaniac grinned victoriously.
Having developed psychic control, Sterns could manipulate these mindless test subjects at will. He had considered using the same method on Sean, but controlling a beast with low intelligence was vastly different from dominating a fully rational human. Hence, the careful coercion.
"Sorry, but they're all my wings. No one gets to clip them." Sean lifted his gaze, a sharp golden light flashing in his eyes.
He clapped his hands once and ordered, "Blonsky. Crush them."