Chapter 117: The Hydra (Fourth update, dedicated to the helmsman 'Drinking Panda')

Inside his armor, Tony wore a look of utter bewilderment. He had understood every word the other party said, but when strung together, they made absolutely no sense.

"Do you know what's going on?" he asked, looking toward Luke.

"The man has been brainwashed," Luke replied, his small face crinkling into a scowl. He gave a cold snort, then turned and began walking out of the hotel.

Just then, Tony suddenly lunged forward, stepping in front of Luke.

With a loud clatter, Tony raised his arm, using the side of his suit to block a bullet flying toward them. However, a Nen-barrier had already materialized just a split second earlier.

Tony lowered his arm and said in a deep voice, "There are more gunmen outside."

Luke’s expression was slightly peculiar; he hadn't expected Tony to shield him. He had already noticed that guy outside long ago, and Christina had already mapped out dozens of ways for him to die, leaving him to choose his fate.

Luke shrugged, showing no sign of having just been shot at, and remarked nonchalantly, "The night isn't over yet. Another group has arrived; it seems they aren't giving up..."

Tony walked over to pick up Pepper Potts, intending to get her to a safe place before returning. He turned to Luke and said, "Once we handle these people, you and I need to have a serious talk."

Luke nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

Meanwhile, the sniper outside had already had his neck cruelly snapped by Anaka. How dare he fire a shot at the Great General she worshipped? It was a death wish.

Out on the street, the Black Roses and Spider-Man were locked in a fierce battle against a newly arrived group of masked thugs. Some of these gunmen had switched to submachine guns, displaying fierce aggression as they numbered over twenty.

However, they were up against four Black Roses, one Spider-Man, one Iron Man, and a seething, silent Luke.

"I knew Hydra wouldn't sit still after I unveiled the nuclear fusion technology, but I didn't expect them to jump out this quickly. You want to capture me? How unfortunate—the prey has now become the hunter." Luke stared out the window, waiting quietly at the entrance of the hotel lobby.

Boom!

Suddenly, a massive sound erupted. A large section of the ground in front of him cracked open in a strange and eerie fashion, as if crushed by something of immense weight, leaving a deep, sunken silhouette in the earth.

The next moment, the spectacular, six-meter-tall frame of the Warlord slowly materialized like a small mountain. The cockpit door opened to reveal the air-combat mech, Gale. Luke stepped inside and settled into the pilot’s seat.

As the hatch closed, a "zing" echoed through the air. The Warlord’s eyes suddenly lit up, and its massive frame began to move.

After dropping off Pepper and returning, Tony raised his hand and blasted a gunman to pieces. Seeing the Warlord emerge, he was left speechless. The Apostle always insisted on making things more complicated than necessary; his Mark VI suit could have handled these gunmen easily—why bring out this giant?

Compared to everyone else on the scene, the G-0 Warlord was a true behemoth. Standing taller than two stories, its every step caused the ground to rumble and tremble. Cars parked along the route were heedlessly crushed into flat iron pancakes.

Two fearless thugs raised their submachine guns and fired upward at the passing Warlord. Bullets pinged against the mech's chassis in a continuous, spark-filled rhythm.

The Warlord didn't even look down; it simply backhanded them, smashing the two men directly into a wall. As the Warlord continued its advance, their mangled remains were left plastered against the brickwork.

The thugs were stunned.

Their mission was to capture a seven-year-old genius, not to fight such a monster. At someone’s shout, they immediately began to retreat.

Inside the cockpit, Luke narrowed his eyes and curled his lips into a cold sneer. "Trying to leave?"

He ordered the Black Roses and Spider-Man to fall back. Then, rows of brand-new missile launchers deployed from multiple sections of the Warlord’s body.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*

The sound of projectiles piercing the air was relentless.

Dozens of "Ex-Wife" missiles streaked through the night, leaving bright trails of fire behind them, before descending like a rain of light from the heavens.

Iron Man, who was in the middle of a pursuit, slammed on his aerial brakes and shot upward, gaining a dozen meters of altitude.

He had almost been caught in the crossfire again. How many times had this been now?

"The brat seems to have a poor grasp of the definition of coordinated combat," Tony muttered to himself in his suit, feeling a sense of helpless frustration.

Looking down from above, he watched as a continuous series of deafening explosions erupted, the firelight suddenly turning Fifth Avenue as bright as day.

Dozens of Ex-Wife missiles carpeted the ten-meter-wide road...

Tonight, Fifth Avenue had experienced a spectacle rivaling the Battle of New York.

The group of fleeing, masked thugs didn't even have a chance to struggle; they were sent off to meet God in one neat sweep.

When the fire and smoke finally cleared, Fifth Avenue in Manhattan looked like it would need extensive repairs for quite some time. The ground was riddled with craters and scorched earth, with a dozen bodies scattered messily across the road.

Luke was making a statement—a warning to Hydra, and a declaration of his own fury. Someone would have to answer to him for tonight’s events.

Even if Lotus wasn't here, the glory of the Apostles was not something anyone could trample upon. Especially not a group of cowards who, in Luke's eyes, hadn't been able to stand in the light for half a century and knew only how to skulk in the shadows.

If they hadn't provoked him, it would have been fine. But since they had, whether it was Baron Strucker or that bunch hiding within S.H.I.E.L.D., they could forget about having another peaceful day from tonight on. He was a man who held a grudge. If they didn't believe him, they could ask Tony.

Half the street was already deserted, with dense traffic clogging up in the distance on its own accord. Drivers in the rear honked their horns frantically, cursing, unaware of what had just happened ahead.

The spectacle on Fifth Avenue had been reported to 911 by countless people, yet the NYPD was nowhere to be found.

The first to arrive were the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

A fleet of Chevrolets raced in from the perimeter of Fifth Avenue, nearly being blown to bits by Luke, who had mistaken them for Hydra reinforcements, before they frantically made contact to identify themselves.

Squads of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents armed with live ammunition cordoned off the scene.

Aside from Luke’s group and Tony, there was almost no one left alive on the street, save for a few civilians who had luckily survived but were left maimed. The casualty count for the night would likely reach triple digits. The New York media outlets would have plenty to busy themselves with tomorrow morning.

The arrival was a S.H.I.E.L.D. rapid-response special forces unit.

Led by a sharp-looking man with short hair, the team stepped out of their vehicles and quickly ran over to wave at the Warlord. After negotiating with Luke, he informed Luke and Tony that S.H.I.E.L.D. was taking over, and they were free to leave.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were well-trained; it was clear this unit often handled such difficult "clean-up" jobs, such as locking down highly congested areas during prime time, obfuscating the truth, and turning black into white—whether people believed them or not.

A moment later, several agents approached the short-haired man to report, "Captain Rumlow, the road is sealed. Please have the Apostle and Iron Man clear the scene as soon as possible."

"I understand," Rumlow nodded. He ran over again, waving his hands to communicate with Luke. Standing at over 1.9 meters tall, he looked utterly insignificant beneath the six-meter-tall Warlord.