There was no more time to think, no more space to hesitate. Rex knew it the moment the wall exploded—if he stayed in that alley even a second longer, he'd be turned into shredded meat.
He ripped off the coat wrapped over his bulletproof vest and moved swiftly toward the alley's edge. With a sharp motion, he flung it out into the open.
In an instant, gunfire erupted.
Thousands of bullets tore into the coat midair, shredding it into a tattered mess before it even hit the ground. The sheer volume of firepower made Rex's chest tighten for a split second, a cold realization creeping in.
That would've been him.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself as the weight of the situation pressed down hard. Outside, it wasn't just a handful of enemies—it was an army, armed and waiting for him to step out and die.
Before he could fully reset, the second RPG slammed into the alley.
The explosion roared, sending debris and gravel blasting across his face. Pain flared, but he didn't have the luxury to react. Time had already run out.
In one fluid motion, he tore off both heavy bulletproof vests and dropped them.
His body lowered slightly, muscles coiling tight like a spring, every fiber of his being aligning for a single explosive movement.
Then came the signal.
The third RPG.
"Whoosh—!"
"BOOM!"
At that exact moment, he moved.
The two discarded vests were hurled outward in opposite directions, flying left and right as decoys. But the fastest thing in that instant wasn't either of them.
It was Rex.
He shot forward like a predator unleashed, his body cutting through the air with terrifying speed. The ground beneath his feet blurred as he burst out of the alley, breaking into the storm of bullets head-on.
Gunfire roared from all directions.
Rounds screamed past him, the scorching air brushing against his skin like invisible flames. Every inch of his body was under threat, every fraction of a second a gamble between life and death.
His senses surged to their peak.
With his dynamic vision fully engaged, the chaos slowed—just enough for him to pick out the lethal paths hidden within the storm.
There.
Two curved trajectories, weaving unnaturally through the hail of bullets.
Death.
His body twisted violently mid-run, muscles screaming as he forced himself into an impossible angle. The arcing bullets sliced past where he had been a fraction of a second earlier.
But there was no relief.
Because the sniper hadn't fired yet.
He sprinted forward, covering distance in a blink, and dove behind a parked car. The metal frame offered partial protection, cutting off several angles of attack.
For the first time in seconds, he exhaled.
Then—
Danger screamed in his mind.
His focus sharpened instantly, every nerve igniting as his awareness locked onto a new threat. Through the chaos, he sensed it clearly.
A spiral-pattern round.
It punched through both car doors as if they were paper, tearing through metal with horrifying ease and slamming straight toward his abdomen.
"Damn it!"
The impact hit.
Pain exploded through his body as the round tore into him, ripping past muscle and armor. A raw shout tore from his throat, but he forced himself to move.
Stopping meant death.
Ignoring the agony, he surged forward again. Ahead of him stood a large office building, its ground-floor lobby framed by massive glass panels.
"Now!"
Two shots rang out from his gun, shattering the glass just as he reached it.
"CRASH!"
Shards exploded outward as he crashed through, momentum carrying him inside. He landed hard behind the marble reception desk, sliding into cover as gunfire followed him in.
Bullets slammed into the desk's surface, chipping marble into fragments that scattered across the floor. The structure held, absorbing the impact just enough to keep him alive.
For the first time since the ambush began, he had a moment.
Through infrared vision, he tracked movement outside. Several gunmen rushed toward the entrance, trying to push inside.
He didn't hesitate.
Shots fired in rapid succession, each one precise. The attackers dropped one after another before they could even cross the threshold.
Finally, a breath.
"Knight! Status?" David's voice cut through the chaos, tight with urgency.
Rex let out a low groan, pressing a hand briefly against his wounded side. "Still alive. Barely."
David exhaled audibly. "Good. Because I've got more news."
Rex let his head fall back for half a second. "You've got to be kidding me. What now—did Captain America come back from the dead just to arrest me?"
"No," David said quickly. "Your plan worked. The NYPD just shifted their priority from capturing you to rescue operations at the explosion sites. The police around you are starting to pull back."
Rex blinked, processing that. "That sounds like good news."
A pause.
"Are you sure?" David replied carefully. "Because if the police leave, you lose your chance to surrender. And everyone left out there? They want you dead. Turning yourself in might've been your best shot at surviving."
Rex let out a dry laugh despite the situation. "Wow. Thanks for the concern."
"No problem," David shot back. "But listen—gang gunmen are pulling out too. Hell's Kitchen is feeling the pressure."
He hesitated.
"But… two targets are moving toward you. Fast."
Rex's gaze sharpened. Through infrared, he spotted them immediately—two distinct heat signatures cutting through the chaos, closing in with purpose.
One moved with explosive leg strength, vaulting over obstacles effortlessly, every motion precise and controlled. The other wore a bulky suit with scattered heat sources across it, suggesting built-in systems or weaponry.
Rex's mind clicked.
Hunting team.
The two figures burst through the lobby entrance almost simultaneously, flanking from both sides.
Before Rex could react—
"Bang!"
Gunfire shattered the remaining glass as they charged in, using the debris as cover. A flashbang flew through the air, bouncing once before detonating.
"BOOM!"
Blinding white light filled the space.
But Rex had already moved.
As the light burst, one of the attackers—Bartok—closed his eyes in preparation, rushing forward to capitalize on the disorientation.
He never saw Rex coming.
A dark blur lunged from the side, far faster than expected. Before Bartok could react, a cold blade drove straight into his throat.
His eyes widened in shock as blood flooded his vision. Strength drained instantly, his body collapsing as he dropped to his knees, life slipping away in seconds.
Scorpion barely had time to register what happened before the dagger came flying toward him.
He jerked his head aside, narrowly avoiding the strike—but the next hit came instantly.
A brutal force slammed into his waist, knocking the air from his lungs. Even with his combat suit absorbing part of the impact, pain ripped through his body as his organs churned violently.
Before he could recover, massive arms wrapped around him, locking tight like constricting steel.
Bones creaked under pressure.
"Ghh—!"
Pain exploded through him.
Only then did the sniper's shot arrive—but Rex had already rolled, dragging Scorpion with him behind the reception desk, breaking line of sight.
"Damn it!"
From afar, Mr. X lowered his rifle slightly, stunned.
That speed… that reaction… it didn't make sense.
Is he even human?
In a distant building, Maya Lopez slammed her fist against the floor, fury flashing across her face. It had only been a single exchange—and half her team was already down.
"Scorpion! Status! Are you still alive?" she demanded into the comms.
There was a pause.
Then, a strained, uneven voice came through.
"Heh… still breathing…"
Another voice followed, calm and mocking.
"As for your Scorpion? That suit of his is impressive. Took a bit of effort to crush him."
Silence hung heavy for several seconds.
Then Maya's voice returned, cold and sharp.
"You're not seriously injured. This was your trap."
Rex let out a quiet chuckle, his grip tightening slightly.
"Want the answer?" he said softly. "Then come ask me yourself."
His tone hardened.
"Or run back home and tell your oversized boss I've got him on my list."
"you wanna die!"
....
Join my P@treon FOR FREE and get 5 advanced chapters.
Paid members can get upto 60+ chapters ahead of the public release.
Link : [email protected]/thebookaddict