"So, you got ambushed inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Dugan stared at Rumlow, who seemed unfazed, his confusion evident.
From what he knew, Hydra wouldn't target Rumlow.
"Their identities are still under investigation."
Rumlow snorted dismissively.
These attackers had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., bypassing entrance security, yet no information had surfaced. It made him resent Nick Fury.
The Director, whom he'd once held in high regard, now seemed too weak to even trace how these intruders got in.
In the past, Rumlow would've suspected some deeper scheme.
Now, he just thought Fury was finished.
Unbeknownst to him, both Fury and Pierce were raging in their respective offices.
The attackers came from another parallel universe—or perhaps a future version of this world.
Armed with Hank Pym's research, their mission was to stop Rumlow from handing the Mist Crystal to S.H.I.E.L.D., preventing Bul-Kathos from confronting the agency.
It was a desperate attempt, and they'd clearly failed.
Neither Pierce nor Fury knew anything about these intruders, but their suspicions turned on each other.
The difference? Fury hadn't yet identified his true enemy.
Pierce, meanwhile, was already plotting to eliminate Fury quietly.
"Alright, any theories on who they were?"
Dugan stubbed his cigar in the ashtray, trimming the burnt end.
Despite his status, cigars weren't something to waste.
"They knew me, but not well. Not my strength."
Rumlow stood across from Dugan, mulling it over.
"They knew you but had no clue about your power."
Dugan sized Rumlow up, unaware that he'd ascended to superhuman levels.
"Then they're likely not Hydra. Fury and Pierce would've had intel on you by now."
Dugan followed his train of thought.
"Is there a third faction inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
He could hardly believe his own guess.
Rumlow suppressed a smirk.
There was a third faction—Dugan's own group of old soldiers.
Though curious about the attackers, Rumlow was starting to care less.
In S.H.I.E.L.D., there might not be a stronger warrior than him now.
"No, I need to talk to Peggy. We can't let this slide."
Dugan slapped the table, steeling his resolve.
"Spill. Who's behind you?"
Blade was in a sewer, cleaning up trash.
The sun was still up, so hunting these vampire scum meant diving into sunless pits.
These lowlifes wouldn't know much, but it was better than doing nothing.
"Lord Valentin will—"
Blade didn't let the vampire finish its threat, slicing off its head with a flick of his wrist. It burned to ash.
"Another worthless scumbag."
Blade sheathed his blade, strolling through the relatively spacious sewer.
The vampires seemed split into two factions, which puzzled him.
But for an avenger dedicated to wiping out trash, it wasn't worth overthinking.
If not for Dugan's orders, he wouldn't bother questioning them before killing.
"That way, right?"
Blade checked a scope, glancing at a mark on the wall.
He headed in the direction it pointed.
If it weren't for the need to stay quiet, he'd have played some music.
"Hydra… what a disgusting name."
Blade moved forward, unaware of a black-clad priest trailing silently behind, whispering into a walkie-talkie.
Bul-Kathos emerged from the New York Sanctum, dodging civilian eyes. With a light push of his legs, he leapt onto a modest rooftop.
The roof was interesting, with a wide pool. A taller building loomed behind it—nothing unusual.
City planning didn't prioritize building heights, and residents blocked from sunlight could only hire a lawyer or accept it.
Sitting on the roof's edge, Bul-Kathos watched the sun dip.
In Sanctuary, the sky was hidden by layers of fog, leaving only chaos above.
Nothing else.
Ancient One was off chatting with Satan, leaving him bored.
No leads on decent punching bags, so drinking was his only entertainment.
His constitution kept alcohol from clouding his mind.
Whoosh!
A sound of something plummeting caught his ear. He turned to see a woman, arms spread as if to fly, falling rapidly.
Bul-Kathos sensed a faint Hellish aura on her, mingled with a sense of liberation in the face of death.
"Embracing freedom," perhaps?
He despised those who didn't value life, but that didn't stop him from saving one.
With a slight flex of his legs, he launched into the air, leaving a web of cracks on the rooftop.
As his arms caught the woman, the demonic aura flared briefly—then her life vanished before his eyes.
A circular void opened in the ground, countless hands reaching to drag her soul down.
"Xia!"
A thunderous war cry erupted, shattering nearby windows with its shockwave.
Cradling the woman's lifeless body, Bul-Kathos slammed his feet toward the void.
A demon of Hell had stolen a human life before his eyes. As her soul surfaced, he glimpsed the torment she'd endured.
He could accept warriors dying for glory—that was their fate.
He could watch life fade with age—death was part of existence.
But he couldn't tolerate evil harming a pure soul in his presence.
(End of Chapter)
📖 Enjoying the story? By joining my Patreon, you'll gain early access to new chapters and exclusive content available only to supporters.
🌐 Find me here: pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ
I, Tomoya Aki, Will Not Be a Simp (45 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Summoning Furina and the Genshin Gang to Reality (33 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd: Stranded in Another World, Surrounded by Valkyries (33 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: I Refused the Path of Betrayal and Chose to Rewrite Fate (66 Chapter)
I Only Wanted to Fix Machines, Not Help Conan Solve Murders (63 Chapter)
One Piece: I Brought Piltover's Tech to the Pirate Era (75 Chapter)
From Diablo to Marvel: The Barbarian Who Crushes All Heroes (96 Chapter)
Resident Evil: Ethan's Epilogue Is a Road Trip With a Dead Girl (65 Chapter)
Date A Live: Kurumi Rebuild (65 Chapter)
Harry Potter: The Lion of the Serpent House (76 Chapter)
I Just Wanted a Quiet Life... So Why Am I an Uma Musume Trainer?! (145 Chapter)
The Irregular at Magic High School: Everyone Loves My Brother?! (130 Chapter)
Runeterra: Prince of Demacia (17 Chapter)
Love is War: What If Kaguya Ha (10 Chapter)
Blue Archive: One Last Memory (36 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.
📖 Enjoying the story? By joining my Patreon, you'll gain early access to new chapters and exclusive content available only to supporters.
🌐 Find me here: pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ
I, Tomoya Aki, Will Not Be a Simp (45 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Summoning Furina and the Genshin Gang to Reality (33 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd: Stranded in Another World, Surrounded by Valkyries (33 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: I Refused the Path of Betrayal and Chose to Rewrite Fate (66 Chapter)
I Only Wanted to Fix Machines, Not Help Conan Solve Murders (63 Chapter)
One Piece: I Brought Piltover's Tech to the Pirate Era (75 Chapter)
From Diablo to Marvel: The Barbarian Who Crushes All Heroes (96 Chapter)
Resident Evil: Ethan's Epilogue Is a Road Trip With a Dead Girl (65 Chapter)
Date A Live: Kurumi Rebuild (65 Chapter)
Harry Potter: The Lion of the Serpent House (76 Chapter)
I Just Wanted a Quiet Life... So Why Am I an Uma Musume Trainer?! (145 Chapter)
The Irregular at Magic High School: Everyone Loves My Brother?! (130 Chapter)
Runeterra: Prince of Demacia (17 Chapter)
Love is War: What If Kaguya Ha (10 Chapter)
Blue Archive: One Last Memory (36 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.