"Gululu…"
Inside Coville Manor, a hideous monster appeared in front of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Its bone claws squirmed like maggots, and pale larvae began crawling across the agent's body.
"Fk! Fk! Get off me!!"
The sensation of maggots crawling under his clothes made the agent's skin crawl. The itching and the sight of the grotesque creature right in front of him finally broke his nerves. Panicked, he fired wildly while screaming.
He wasn't the only one. Across the estate, every agent was surrounded by disgusting monsters, each one worse than the last. These elite operatives, hardened by training, were rapidly breaking down under the horror of it all.
"…This ability… it's terrifying."
Outside the manor, inside a black Mercedes-Benz, Hodgson Barnett stared at the screen in front of him. The monitors clearly showed the scene within the illusion—monsters tearing at S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, clawing, howling. Even as a former HYDRA operative, Barnett felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
"All as expected," said Allens, calmly opening his eyes. "As the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., of course Peggy Carter would be guarded."
With his illusion, Allens could see every soul trapped within its reach, every thought, every move.
"Hodgson," he said quietly, "begin the operation."
Raising his hand, five bullets floated into the air above his palm. With a flick of his fingers, they shot forward like sniper rounds.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Five agents—already ensnared by the monsters—were each struck cleanly between the eyes. They collapsed to the ground without a sound.
The bullets didn't stop. Controlled by Allens' psychokinesis, they curved in midair and began circling through the manor like vultures.
"Move in," Hodgson ordered, voice tight. His fear of Allens grew sharper with every passing second, but he still keyed the radio. "Commence attack!"
Engines roared. A truck crashed through the front gates of Coville Manor, its back doors flying open as heavily armed soldiers poured out.
"Finally showing your hand?" Colonel Horton, watching from a nearby command post, bared his teeth in a savage grin. "Second unit—surround the manor. Kill them all!"
His men moved into formation, encircling the grounds.
"Open fire!"
Gunfire erupted. Agents already reeling from Allens' illusions fired desperately at the HYDRA soldiers storming in. Bullets tore through both sides, cutting down lives instantly.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two grenades exploded at the manor's west wing, tearing through a squad of HYDRA operatives. Out of the smoke strode a dark-skinned man in combat gear, wielding twin pistols with lethal precision.
"Nick Fury?!"
Allens cursed aloud in disbelief as he watched through the monitors. The man was the spitting image of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director himself.
"Wait—what?!" Hodgson blurted. "That's Fury! But he should be running S.H.I.E.L.D., not here on the battlefield!"
"No," Allens said coldly. "That isn't the Nick Fury. Look closer."
Even as they spoke, the Fury-double's eyes burned with a ruthless fury. His twin pistols spat fire, cutting down HYDRA soldiers in seconds. A dozen men dropped before they could even pull their triggers. Some were shredded into pieces.
"Flank him!" Hodgson barked, regaining command. HYDRA soldiers spread out, trying to surround the Fury operative from both sides.
Whsshh!
Arrows cut through the air. Soldiers dropped, each one pierced clean through the chest.
On the manor's rooftop stood a man in black tactical gear, a quiver strapped across his back. Short-haired, sharp-eyed, compound bow in hand—his presence was unmistakable.
Clint Barton. Hawkeye.
Allens actually smiled. "So even Hawkeye was assigned to protect Peggy Carter. Interesting…"
But his smile faded as he muttered, "Too bad they don't realize Peggy herself isn't what matters. The real prize lies in what she's guarding."
With Rogers away, time was running short. The decision had to be made quickly.
Allens opened the car door and rose into the air, lifted by sheer psychokinetic force. He adjusted his posture and flew toward Coville Manor at terrifying speed.
"What the hell—he's flying?!"
On the rooftop, Hawkeye's cold expression finally cracked in shock. He drew an arrow, nocked it, and loosed it in one smooth motion. The shaft glowed red.
BOOM!
The arrow exploded five meters short of Allens, a miniature bomb bursting in midair. But Allens blasted through the flames unharmed and landed heavily on the roof.
"Da-da-da-da!"
The Fury-double rolled across the rooftop, raising both pistols and unleashing a storm of bullets at him.
"Psychokinetic Barrier."
Allens raised his hand, and an invisible wall shimmered to life. The bullets halted midair and clattered harmlessly to the ground.
"Split Arrow!"
Hawkeye fired again. The arrow split mid-flight into dozens of smaller shafts, each streaking toward Allens.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Every arrow froze three meters short of its target, hanging in midair as though suspended by an unseen hand.
Hawkeye's eyes widened in shock.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
Patreon.com/PhoeniXcel
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 30+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.