บท 55: Winter Soldier
Apart from Iron Monger, this was definitely the most forceful blow Blake had ever received.
To put it simply, the strength of this blow far exceeded anything Blake had faced before drinking the improved Hulk serum.
In the past, even if he had managed to dodge the hail of bullets, this blow would have completely stunned him.
But now...
"Bang!"
Blake's palm met the assailant's wrist with a dull metallic sound.
A metal arm, disheveled hair, and a black metal mask covering the mouth and nose.
It was none other than Captain America's close friend, the Hydra killing machine, Winter Soldier - Bucky.
Bucky showed no surprise at his full-strength side sweep being easily blocked. Even after witnessing Blake withstand the Gatling gun's bullets up close, this brainwashed killing machine remained unfazed.
His mind was solely focused on completing his mission.
While Blake was contemplating whether to knock Bucky out or what else to do, Bucky's metal arm made a slight movement.
His hand relaxed, and a faint mechanical click sounded.
Blake then noticed a grenade-like object in Bucky's hand.
Before Blake could react, the grenade-like object emitted a blinding white light.
A flashbang!
Blake wasn't afraid of grenades. An explosion in his hand wouldn't harm him much now.
But no matter how strong his body was, his eyes were just as sensitive to brightness as any normal person's.
Being flashed by the grenade at such close range felt like staring at a mini sun.
His eyes burned with pain, and he cried out, instinctively releasing his grip to cover his tear-filled eyes.
"Blake, what happened?"
Hearing Blake's cry of pain, Tony and Black Widow's voices rang out simultaneously.
"A flashbang, damn it! My eyes feel like they're blind! Get in here and chase him, but be careful. There's a guy with a metal arm whose strength and speed surpass normal human limits."
"Is it him?"
Black Widow, who was about to head over for support, froze, recalling the scar left by the killing machine.
While she hesitated, Tony, controlling his suit, had already dived into the tunnel.
He soon reached Blake.
"How are you? Are you okay?"
Fearing that Blake might lash out blindly, Tony spoke before reaching out to shield him.
"I'm fine, but my vision is all white. I can't see anything!" Blake reported honestly.
"Don't worry. Your metabolism is much faster than normal. You should recover quickly. I believe you'll see again soon!"
A flashbang can cause significant eye damage. A regular person might be in pain for days, but Blake's body should recover much faster.
"As long as I'm not blind. After I got flashed, I heard two sets of footsteps, one ahead of the other. I believe the guy with the metal arm and someone else ran off in different directions!"
"I'll search inside the building. You handle the outside!"
Before Blake could finish his sentence, Hawkeye's voice came through.
Tony wasted no time and zoomed ahead, fully unleashing his firepower in the tunnel.
Barely ten seconds later, a sudden explosion echoed, causing the metal tunnel to buzz.
The sound seemed to come from the direction Tony was pursuing.
Just as Blake was about to ask what happened, he heard approaching footsteps.
A fragrant breeze followed, and his arm tightened as a familiar soft sensation pressed against him.
It was Black Widow, who had entered the tunnel and now supported Blake.
Tony's voice finally came through the earpiece.
"This Mexican drug lord just exploded in front of me. There are fragments of a timer at the scene, indicating it was a timed bomb. Someone likely killed him to cover their tracks. Things are more complicated than we thought. Clint, have you seen the metal-armed guy?"
Tony's analysis was spot on; there was no need for a timed bomb if it was a suicide.
"We've been tricked, guys. There are several interconnected tunnels here. This is the real escape route! I can't determine which tunnel they used. There's no trace left!"
"Forget it, don't chase him, Clint. That was probably the Winter Soldier. I've fought him before. He's not someone we can easily handle." Black Widow spoke into the earpiece.
Given the situation, there wasn't much else they could do. Although the drug lord was dead and their base was destroyed, overall, their first operation could be considered a failure.
"Alright, it's over now. Are you okay? Are your eyes still hurting?"
Black Widow finally had a moment to comfort Blake.
Feeling the concern in her words, smelling the faint scent of her perfume, and with his arm pressing against her ample chest, the sensation was even more tantalizing than when he could see.
"Hey! Are you okay?" Seeing Blake remain silent, Black Widow shook his arm.
Blake snapped back to reality, looking aggrieved.
"I'm not okay! My eyes are blinded, my head is spinning, and I can barely stand. Oh no!"
With an exaggerated cry, Blake collapsed into Black Widow's chest, rubbing his head into her soft bosom a few times before finally relaxing and pretending to faint.
"Bang!"
Black Widow, not so easily fooled, saw through Blake's act. Seeing him unscathed and playing tricks, she shoved him against the wall, letting him fall to the ground.
"So heartless!"
Blake pouted, standing up and dusting himself off, then started shouting into the earpiece.
"Damn it, Tony, where are you? Come and get me out of here! I saved you several times; now it's your turn to repay me!"
...
The remaining matters were left for others to handle. However, the appearance of the Winter Soldier added an air of conspiracy to the whole situation.
Black Widow and the others speculated that Selesto was a money-laundering tool for the organization behind the Winter Soldier. Only Blake knew that this major drug lord was likely a part of Hydra's funding network.
But whether Bucky's presence was a coincidence or a deliberate move to prevent Selesto from falling into their hands was anyone's guess.
The mission wasn't entirely without gains. Although Selesto was dead, Tony managed to find a login record for a Zurich bank on his personal computer.
The computer wasn't specially protected, allowing Tony to easily retrieve the account and password from the usage traces.
The account held five hundred million dollars. While this was a drop in the bucket compared to Selesto's stature, it was enough to fund their operations for a long time.
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