Inside the Hydra base control center, when Baron Strucker learned that Kurogai had released all the prisoners, his face twisted with rage.
"Damn it! You let all those test subjects go! I'll tear you apart myself!"
Strucker roared furiously. Those prisoners were crucial for his next round of experiments — especially a pair of twins with exceptional potential. Having them escape was a disaster, and it drove him to the edge of madness.
"What are you waiting for? Deploy every soldier, recover those test subjects immediately!" Strucker shouted at his subordinates.
"Sir, what about the intruders?" a subordinate asked hesitantly. Their orders had been to stop those two infiltrators. If all troops were chasing the escaped prisoners, who would deal with them?
"They're mine," Strucker said coldly, his voice like a knife.
Originally, he had planned to watch from the shadows and study Kurogai's abilities. But now, his patience was gone. He'd handle this personally before the situation spiraled further out of control.
At his order, Hydra's personnel scrambled into motion.
---
Deep within the base, Kurogai led the Winter Soldier deeper into Hydra's underground stronghold. As they advanced, he noticed something unusual — fewer and fewer soldiers came to stop them.
A knowing smirk tugged at the corner of Kurogai's lips.
"Looks like Strucker's making his move."
He realized ordinary soldiers were useless against them, and Strucker had stopped wasting manpower. Which meant what came next would be far deadlier.
Boom! Boom!
Right on cue, the ceiling above them caved in under a tremendous impact, chunks of concrete and steel raining down toward Kurogai and Winter Soldier.
The entire structure quaked with the force of the blow.
"That probably hurt," a cold voice sneered from above. "But I know it won't be enough to kill you. Show yourselves."
A figure dropped down from the wreckage, his mechanical right arm gleaming ominously — Baron Strucker himself.
He hadn't expected the strike to finish them, but it would flush them out.
Just as he landed, a nearby pile of debris cracked apart, and a shimmering magic barrier dissipated, revealing Kurogai and Winter Soldier, completely unharmed.
When the attack hit, Kurogai had already conjured a protective light shield, shielding them both from harm.
"A mechanical arm? So you're Baron Strucker," Kurogai said, his gaze cold.
He'd assumed Strucker would send one of his lieutenants, but apparently, he'd rattled the Hydra leader badly enough to draw him out in person.
"I am," Strucker answered icily. "But what I don't know is who the hell you are — and why you've come here to tear my operation apart!"
"Who I am doesn't matter," Kurogai replied indifferently. "But the reason I'm here… well, you Hydra bastards crossed the line. First Whitehall, then Pierce — your people keep poking at me. So I decided it's time to uproot Hydra, branch and root."
His voice was sharp as steel.
"That so?" Strucker sneered. "Then die!"
Without hesitation, Baron Strucker charged, his enhanced mechanical right arm — known as the Claw of Satan — driving toward Kurogai with lethal force.
"Winter Soldier!"
Kurogai's command rang out, and Winter Soldier moved instantly, raising his own cybernetic left arm to meet the blow.
The two mechanical limbs collided with a deafening clang, the force of the impact distorting the air around them. But despite his strength, Winter Soldier was pushed back slightly.
His physical enhancements, while formidable, still fell short of Strucker's monstrous strength.
After all, Strucker was no ordinary soldier. Infected with the Death Spore Virus, his body possessed near-immortality, rapid regeneration, and durability beyond bullets and blades. Compared to him, Winter Soldier was still a product of imperfect experiments.
"Tch. Winter Soldier," Strucker spat. "Zola's little experiment. Seems you turned out to be a disappointment."
He surged forward, the Claw of Satan crackling with electric energy. A powerful surge lashed into Winter Soldier's body, causing him to seize up, his muscles momentarily paralyzed. Strucker took the chance and hurled him against the wall, shattering the concrete on impact.
Cracks splintered across the wall from the sheer force.
"Did you forget about me?"
A cold voice sliced through the air, and a razor-sharp wind blade materialized, whistling toward Strucker's head. The wind pressure alone made his skin crawl.
While Winter Soldier kept Strucker busy, Kurogai had already begun weaving an incantation, summoning deadly magic.
The spell struck fast and precise — a concentrated wind blade aimed straight for Strucker's skull.
The real fight had just begun.
---
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