"When do we hit the Hand again?" Luke asked Matthew as they reached Hell's Kitchen in the dead of night. Dodging vagrants, they arrived at Matthew's safehouse.
"I need to check on my friends first—they'll be worried," Matthew replied, changing into casual clothes. His battle gear was shredded from trials. Luke's hoodie was tattered, making him look worse than the street's homeless.
Matthew, blind, didn't notice Luke's state or offer clothes. He collapsed onto his soft bed, which creaked, but it felt wrong after Harrogath's stone slabs. "Got anything I can wear?" Luke asked, his bulk dwarfing Matthew's frame.
Matthew realized Luke's plight. "Clothes in that room's wardrobe. Find something," he said. Luke headed over, steps light, mood upbeat. Matthew flipped the mattress off, lying on the bare wood, finally drifting to sleep.
At dawn, Bul-Kathos returned to the shop, prepared Jill's breakfast, and watched him board the school bus, waving. Locking the door, he portaled to Harrogath for Rumlow's fourth trial, eager to watch.
"Rumlow! Ready?" Talic bellowed in the Elders' Temple plaza.
Rumlow checked his axe, nodding firmly. Today was his chance. Finding materials in the trial meant no need to plant vibranium under Hawkeye's watch. If not, he'd have to outwit him. Talic, informed, agreed to project the trial for "everyone"—Hawkeye and the unidentified agents. Ancestors saw it as mere entertainment.
Success would smooth his plan. Talic confirmed Bul-Kathos wouldn't rage over enemies on Harrogath—barbarians feared no foe. Defiling their honor, though, would earn his wrath. Rumlow trusted barbarians wouldn't scapegoat like cowards.
"Trial begins!" Talic slammed Proof of Shame into the ground, opening a golden portal.
Before Rumlow moved, the foolish Hydra agent rushed in. Hawkeye's eyes flashed confirmation, hand reaching for a throwing knife. A master of projectiles, he aimed to subdue the agent for interrogation, lacking Black Widow's finesse for live captures.
A massive boulder, like a meteor, crushed the agent into gore. "Barbarian rules aren't for scum like you!" a roar echoed. The stone vanished, leaving blood. "Nice one, Orlongus!" "Epic Ancient Spear toss!" "You nailed him like Baal!" ancestors cheered.
Orlongus, creator of No Escape, mastered throws that tormented demons. The ancestors felt no pity for the agent, whose vile aura had irked them. Hawkeye pocketed his knife, grabbing bow and arrow, tip down. Other agents lowered guns, heeding the warning: don't aim at barbarians unless ready to die.
Rumlow, unfazed, nearly laughed. He knew the agent's ploy but had to shield him to keep Hydra's exposure gradual. Now, the fool's act pinned him as a double agent, perfect for sparking S.H.I.E.L.D.-Hydra conflict. "Let's go! I'm ready!" Rumlow shouted, drawing his axe, striding to the portal.
Fear gone, he accepted death's possibility. Hydra's exposure was certain; conflict inevitable. Barbarians never schemed or hesitated. Smiling, he entered. "Don't disappoint, recruit!" Talic grinned, sensing a worthy heir.
As Rumlow vanished, the trial's projection lit the plaza. Hawkeye and agents lowered weapons, focusing on the fight.
(Chapter End)
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