The bunker shook as Kruger's snarl echoed through the ruined structure. Dust rained from the ceiling, metal groaned under the pressure of his fury. His veins pulsed, black tendrils slithering beneath his skin like something unnatural was trying to break free.
Sergeant Rook braced himself, still feeling the brutal force of Kruger's last attack. Eva "Black Widow" Morales crouched beside him, gripping her side where she had landed hard.
Kruger stood before them, towering, his breathing heavy. His evolution was accelerating.
Rook wiped the blood from his mouth and glared up at his former commander. "You're losing it, General."
Kruger tilted his head. "Am I?" His voice had changed—deeper, layered, like something else spoke alongside him. "I feel more powerful than ever."
Eva gritted her teeth. "Yeah? You look more like a corpse than a leader."
Kruger moved in a blur. One second, he was across the room—the next, his fist was an inch from Eva's face. She barely dodged, rolling to the side as the sheer force of his strike dented the steel wall behind her.
Rook opened fire, his bullets tearing into Kruger's chest—but the wounds sealed instantly.
The Overlord grinned.
"You're trying to fight a god, Rook."
Rook pulled out an incendiary grenade, yanking the pin with his teeth. "You're not a god, Kruger."
The grenade exploded in a fiery blast, flames washing over Kruger's body. His uniform burned away, revealing charred, regenerating flesh. But he didn't scream. He didn't fall.
Kruger's hand wrapped around Rook's throat, lifting him off the ground. Rook's vision blurred as his air was cut off.
Eva charged, her combat knife gleaming—she plunged it into Kruger's ribs, twisting with all her strength.
Kruger didn't even flinch.
Instead, his free hand grabbed her by the wrist, squeezing until bones cracked.
Eva let out a gasp of pain, dropping the knife.
Kruger's smile faded. "I have wasted enough time."
He threw Rook like a ragdoll, sending him crashing through a pile of debris. Eva barely had time to react before he lifted her by the collar, slamming her against the wall.
"You should've stayed dead, Morales."
Kruger staggered, his head snapping to the side.
From the entrance of the bunker, a shadow stood.
A figure in a long, tattered coat, a sniper rifle still smoking in his hands.
"That's enough, Kruger."
Kruger's glowing eyes narrowed.
The assassin lowered his rifle, stepping forward. "You've become something… unnatural."
Kruger wiped the trickle of blackened blood from his temple. "Took you long enough."
Reaper loaded another round. "Let's finish this."