The ruins of the East Corridor were silent except for the flickering embers of destruction. Eva "Black Widow" Morales lay on the ground, struggling to push herself up, her breathing ragged. Every nerve in her body screamed in pain, but she refused to stay down.
Across from her, General Viktor "Bloodfang" Kruger stood, arms crossed, watching her struggle with something almost resembling amusement. His body still smoldered with residual energy from his new transformation. His muscular form was lined with fresh scars that healed too quickly, his skin unnaturally pulsing with the virus that had reshaped him.
"You should have stayed hidden, Widow," Kruger said, his voice deeper, more guttural than before. He tilted his head, as if examining an insect pinned under his boot. "You knew this was suicide."
Eva spat blood onto the cracked concrete. "Yet, here I am."
Kruger's smirk twitched. "Bold. But foolish."
He took a step forward, and the air itself seemed to tighten. The ground beneath him cracked, each footstep carrying the weight of his monstrous strength.
Eva barely had time to roll before Kruger's fist slammed into the ground where she had been. The shockwave from the impact sent her flying, slamming her into a half-buried metal beam. Her vision blurred as pain surged through her body.
He's faster now. Stronger. More than human.
She gritted her teeth. Then neither am I.
With a sharp flick of her wrist, she triggered a hidden mechanism in her glove. A small vial cracked open, releasing a thin mist of viral suppressant into her bloodstream. The pain dulled. Her muscles burned—but now, she could move.
His glowing red eyes narrowed. "You're stalling."
Eva exhaled. "No. Just evening the odds."
With a sudden burst of speed, she lunged.
Kruger barely flinched as she slashed at him with a combat blade laced with neurotoxin. The blade scraped across his forearm, drawing blackened blood—but he didn't stop.
With inhuman reflexes, Kruger caught her wrist mid-strike and twisted. Bones popped.
Eva bit back a scream.
"Impressive," Kruger rumbled. "But pointless."
He wrenched her forward and slammed her against a wall. The concrete shattered on impact.
Eva collapsed to the ground, coughing.
Kruger loomed over her, shaking his head. "You always were persistent." He crouched, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "But persistence doesn't save the weak. It only delays the inevitable."
Eva smiled through the blood. "Then it's a good thing I'm not weak."
A beeping sound echoed between them.
Kruger's eyes flickered down—just in time to see the grenade she had activated on his belt.
The fire consumed them both.