A surprise?
When Levi heard that word come out of Steve's mouth, he nearly stumbled.
Boss, can we not say that so casually? There are four fully armed Hydra soldiers up there, holed up in what's basically a steel can of a power room. If this goes loud and the alarm sounds, the three of us won't be infiltrating anything—we'll be volunteering as kill counts for the entire base.
But when he saw the confidence written all over Steve's face, that anxiety was immediately crushed.
What's there to be afraid of?
If the sky falls, the tall guy takes it first. And right now, the tallest—and hardest—guy around was standing right in front of him.
Steve didn't rush into action. Instead, he looked straight at Levi again, those blue eyes sharp even in the gloom.
"Levi, listen again. Carefully. I want exact positions. Distances between them. And tell me where the electrical noise is strongest."
Here it comes again—that feeling of being trusted with something crucial.
Levi felt ridiculously good about it.
He closed his eyes at once, pouring every bit of focus into his hearing. This time, he listened harder than ever before.
Fragments of sound streamed in, assembled, reorganized. In his mind, a clear three-dimensional map—built entirely from sound—took shape.
"Two patrols," Levi said quietly. "One moving clockwise, one counterclockwise, along the outer walkway. They're on opposite ends right now—farthest apart. About twenty meters between them."
"The stationary one is due north, about fifteen meters from the stairwell. I can hear keystrokes and switches—he's at the main control console."
"The fourth one's in the southeast corner, closest to us. Less than ten meters. He's cleaning his weapon—I can hear metal parts sliding."
He paused, then added the key point.
"The loudest electrical noise is in the center of the room. Two large transformers. If we make a move near them, the hum should mask our footsteps."
He opened his eyes, a little tense, unsure if what he'd given was enough.
Steve smiled, clearly pleased. He reached out and gave Levi's shoulder a solid pat.
"Excellent work, Levi. You're our best radar."
Then he turned to Logan, his expression sharpening.
"Logan, your job's the simplest—and the most important."
Logan snorted in acknowledgment.
"When I give the signal, I want you to hit this staircase as hard as you can," Steve continued. "Claws, fists—I don't care. Make as much noise as possible. If you can tear the stairs apart, even better. Got it?"
Logan's eyes lit up, a feral grin spreading across his face.
Smash things? His favorite pastime.
Steve then looked back at Levi, his tone growing serious.
"Levi, your target is the one cleaning his gun—the closest threat. Once we're in, he'll be the first one able to react. You take him out immediately. No hesitation. Fastest move you've got."
Levi took a deep breath and nodded hard.
Finally, Steve unhooked one of the German stick grenades they'd looted earlier. He weighed it in his hand, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"As for me," he said lightly, "I'll deliver the 'surprise.'"
The plan was simple—and insane.
Logan would create massive noise to draw all attention downward. At the same time, Steve would throw the grenade toward the transformers, using the explosion, fire, and smoke to create chaos and blind the room.
And in the instant of the blast, the three of them would surge up the stairs like demons crawling out of hell, finishing everything before the enemy's brains caught up.
"Levi, time it," Steve said coolly. "I need the moment when the two patrols cross paths on either side of the stairwell. That's when their attention is most divided and support is slowest."
"Understood."
Levi closed his eyes again.
This time, his sound-map showed four moving red points. He could see the two patrols drawing closer, step by step.
His heartbeat synced with their footsteps.
"Ten meters…"
"Five…"
"Three…"
"Crossing!"
The instant the two points overlapped and separated, Levi snapped his eyes open and barked, "Now!"
At the same moment, Steve gave Logan the signal.
"Rrragh!"
Logan let out a low, bottled-up growl. His massive body coiled like a drawn bow, then exploded with terrifying force. He didn't even bother with his claws—he slammed his fist straight into the metal support of the staircase.
CLANG—!!!
The deafening crash detonated through the confined underground space like a siege hammer striking right next to Levi's head. His ears rang, his skull buzzing.
The entire staircase shook violently, rivets screaming under the strain as if it were about to collapse.
Above them, startled German shouts erupted. Every guard upstairs was instantly focused on the noise below.
That was the moment Steve moved.
His arm snapped forward, and the stick grenade flew like a fired shell, slipping perfectly through the narrow gap at the stairwell and tracing a flawless arc toward the center of the room.
BOOM—!!!
An explosion far louder than Logan's strike thundered from above.
Blazing light flooded the stairwell, followed immediately by thick black smoke billowing downward.
"Go!"
Steve roared, grabbing the edge of the stairwell. His arm muscles surged, and he launched himself upward as if gravity didn't apply to him.
Logan followed, his beastlike body exploding upward with monstrous power, boots hammering the shaking steps.
Levi grit his teeth and charged after them.
The instant he burst out of the stairwell, the sight froze him for half a heartbeat.
Smoke filled the power room. Acrid gunpowder burned his lungs. Several ceiling lights had shattered, leaving the room flickering like a nightmare—light and darkness alternating.
No alarm.
The grenade had been perfectly placed—damaging the transformer casings, creating chaos, but leaving the core power system intact.
Levi spotted his target immediately.
The soldier who'd been cleaning his gun was crouched on the floor, clutching his ears, completely stunned—the closest one to the blast.
No hesitation.
Steve's warning echoed in Levi's mind as his blood ignited. Power surged through his limbs.
He launched forward.
Less than ten meters vanished in an instant—his movement so fast it left a faint afterimage in the air.
The soldier looked up, terror filling his eyes as they met Levi's cold stare. He tried to raise his weapon.
Too late.
Levi didn't draw his gun. Didn't use a blade.
He chose the most direct option.
A punch.
All his strength poured into his right fist as he drove it forward with unstoppable momentum—straight into the man's chest.
BAM!
A deep, dull impact echoed, even overpowering the electrical hum.
Levi felt as though he'd punched leather-wrapped steel. The recoil numbed his arm.
The Hydra soldier's expression froze.
His chest caved inward visibly, body folding like a cooked shrimp before lifting clean off the ground. He slammed into the metal wall behind him with a thunderous crash, then slid down like a sack of trash—motionless.
One punch… that was it?
Levi stared at his fist, stunned. He knew he was stronger—but not this strong.
Then—
Danger.
In the corner of his vision, one of the patrol soldiers had recovered. The man raised his rifle, the black muzzle aimed squarely at Levi's back.
"Behind you—!"
Levi's pupils shrank. Every hair on his body stood on end. He tried to move—
Too slow.
It was over.
Then a shadow flashed.
SHRK!
A wet, brutal sound.
Levi saw three metal claws burst through the soldier's chest from behind, dripping with fresh blood.
Logan.
Logan had already finished his target—and arrived at the exact critical moment. He yanked his claws free without expression, letting the corpse collapse.
"Don't space out on the battlefield, rookie," Logan muttered.
Levi's heart hammered as he nodded sharply, swallowing the thank you that nearly escaped.
He turned.
Steve was already done.
The guard at the control console and the last patrolman lay silent on the floor. Steve stood at the panel, hands moving so fast they blurred.
From breach to cleanup—less than ten seconds.
This was the true peak combat power of the Howling Commandos.
"Done," Steve said, pressing the final switch.
The constant electrical hum in the room dropped sharply.
He turned back to Levi and Logan, smiling with ease.
"Excellent. External defenses, alarms, and most of the facility lighting are now under our control."
He stepped to the comm unit, tuned to a specific frequency.
"Dugan, you there? I've turned off the lights in the 'kitchen.' Time to serve the meal."
Everything was ready. He was just about to cut power completely—
When Levi's expression suddenly changed.
"Wait."
He raised a hand sharply, face tense.
Steve and Logan both snapped their attention to him.
"What is it?" Steve asked.
Levi didn't answer immediately. He tilted his head, listening intently.
"Below us," he said slowly, unease creeping into his voice.
"Directly beneath this level… there's something."
"Another patrol?" Steve asked.
"No." Levi shook his head, brow furrowed. "Not footsteps. It's… heavy. Rhythmic."
"…Boom. Boom. Boom."
"Like a giant heart… beating."
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