Rumlow landed a heavy punch on the wraith's head, producing a muffled thud.
Beating a ghost wasn't something he'd ever imagined.
But the clear feedback told him this specter had substance.
After the punch, he crouched, preparing to roll.
His combat experience taught him the wraith countered at a predictable rate—one he could dodge if he stayed focused.
But, slowed by blood loss, Rumlow could only gamble on evading early. If he misjudged the wraith's attack, he'd die under its brutal claws.
Just like his team.
Through relentless fighting, Rumlow had tried various tactics, passing the bloodied remains of his fallen comrades as he kited the enemy.
He longed for the days when a trigger pull solved everything.
Those fights didn't hurt like this.
Wraiths weren't human, had no flesh, didn't tire, and weren't weakened by injuries.
If he couldn't defeat it, exhaustion would claim him, leading to failure and death.
"Ah!"
Rumlow shouted with all his might, his voice cracking.
This wraith had intelligence. As a champion monster, it wasn't insignificant in Hell, though still far from powerful or pivotal.
It could think.
Throughout the fight, it avoided traps and even turned Rumlow's tactics against him, inflicting severe wounds.
But its cunning was limited—not clever, just not entirely foolish.
Unfamiliar with this world's humans, it had seen the power of their tech but couldn't distinguish its nature.
Though it believed these weapons couldn't harm it, it remained wary.
That wariness lasted only a moment, as Rumlow's resilience exceeded its expectations.
Secret realm monsters were mere echoes of past barbarian battles, bound by death. At best, they approximated their original strength but lacked true cunning.
Rumlow's shout masked the sound of a grenade pin being pulled. His free hand clutched the grenade, swinging toward the wraith.
Though a specter, it wasn't unscathed in this fight.
Its soul-form was nearing its limit under Rumlow's assaults.
Facing his fist, it didn't dodge.
For a ghost that could pass through walls, evasion seemed trivial.
But these demon-like wraiths preferred to meet attacks head-on.
The wraith let out a discordant screech, a sound like nails on an old frosted glass chalkboard piercing Rumlow's mind.
In an instant, goosebumps erupted across his skin, jolting his blood-loss-addled brain awake.
Seizing the moment, he tossed the grenade upward, his free right hand landing a heavy blow to the wraith's stomach.
Rumlow rolled backward, dodging the ensuing explosion.
His wounds made intimate contact with the Fallen Ones' blood on the ground. Luckily, Hell's vermin weren't known for diseases, or he'd be in trouble.
A deafening blast rang out. The wraith's form grew far more translucent under the explosion's intense light and heat.
Shrapnel passed through its body, leaving minor scratches on Rumlow as he struggled to rise.
It wasn't just luck—his familiarity with explosives and the Spirit Stone's protection spared him serious injury.
…
"I'll go bring that guy out."
Bul-Kathos's tone lacked its usual decisiveness, tinged with hesitation.
Though odd, neither Jill nor the Ancient One had room to comment.
Who could point at someone and say, "You're not acting like yourself"?
People need space; knowing each other too well only breeds conflict.
Bul-Kathos's actions were fully captured by Tess's camera. Watching from the other side, Nick Fury masked all emotion, returning to his usual stoic demeanor.
The experts, despite their swirling thoughts, suppressed them after seeing Rumlow's dire state.
They knew Rumlow's baseline capabilities well.
Especially the biomechanics experts, who had his physical data down pat.
By Rumlow's account, he was now over five times stronger.
Doubling all attributes didn't just double combat prowess—it was exponential.
Yet even this enhanced Rumlow barely held his own against the wraith. How strong, then, were the barbarians who dismissed it as trivial?
"Director, can we study Rumlow's gear first?"
The energy research experts fixated on the equipment granting Rumlow superhuman power.
"That gear has energy unlike anything we know. If we can analyze it, humanity could find its next leap forward!"
The expert spoke with conviction, as if decoding this alien artifact was a simple task.
"Those items will reach your labs after review. For now, I need a behavioral analysis report on the barbarian named Bul-Kathos."
Fury left the room after issuing the order.
After all, Bul-Kathos had just hauled Rumlow out of the secret realm like a puppy by its collar.
"Tess, keep recording. Capture everything you can.
Medical support is almost at the mountain's base. Once Rumlow's stable enough to move, return to headquarters."
Fury issued the command through his earpiece.
Of the special ops team, only Tess, the observer, and the now-unconscious Rumlow remained functional.
Medical support had been dispatched the moment Rumlow's team entered the realm.
At least the barbarians on the mountain seemed to follow some form of order.
As long as they were lawful, communication wasn't impossible.
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