บท 8: Chapter 8
Two years flew by in the blink of an eye.
In a secluded base nestled in the mountains of Eastern Siberia, the night was quiet under a light rain. The darkness was punctuated only by the high spotlights on the guard towers, which swept the area back and forth. Armed guards, looking stern and vigilant, were on high alert, as if expecting trouble.
Despite the calm appearance of the night, disaster was already on the horizon. Suddenly, a loud explosion shattered the silence.
BOOM!
An explosion roared through the sky like thunder, making the soldiers guarding and patrolling the base instinctively look up. They saw a blinding golden light, reminiscent of a meteorite falling from the heavens with immense grandeur. It struck the center of the base with overwhelming force.
BOOM!
The ground shook violently from the impact. The powerful blast sent a shockwave sweeping in all directions, hurling nearby soldiers several meters away and leaving them unconscious. Smoke and dust filled the air, and a long, piercing siren blared through the base.
~Woohu~Woohu~
The rhythmic siren echoed, alerting everyone within the base. Hundreds of fully armed soldiers rushed out, forming a perimeter around the area. Weapons were raised and pointed at the swirling dust and smoke, fingers poised on triggers. On the sentry towers, guards prepared their anti-aircraft machine guns.
As the light rain began to clear the dust and smoke, and the high spotlights illuminated the scene, a tall, imposing figure began to emerge from the haze. The base leader and several deputies watched anxiously, their eyes fixed on the figure whose face was slowly revealed under the intense spotlight.
He stood about 1.8 meters tall, with short black hair fluttering in the wind. His outfit consisted of a red leather jacket with black and white cross stripes, black tights, and white sneakers, accessorized with a necklace hanging around his neck. His facial features were sharp and extremely well-defined.
"Damn it, that monster is really here," the leader muttered under his breath, his pupils narrowing as he took in the sight of the intruder.
As the commander of the Hydra base, he was well-acquainted with many secrets.
Two years ago, a child had suddenly awakened extraordinary abilities and managed to penetrate their base, escaping with a dozen other children. Baron Strucker, then overjoyed, launched a massive search effort, but after a year and a half of fruitless searching, his satisfaction turned to frustration.
Half a year ago, the child reappeared and attacked one of their bases with near-invincible power. During that raid, the boy displayed a force nearly akin to a natural disaster. He moved like a streak of light, eluding capture with ease. His golden particle rays could easily demolish buildings, and each of his attack was comparable to that of a TNT bomb.
The base was utterly obliterated by Leon's unmatched strength.
Baron Strucker's rage intensified upon witnessing the boy's growth. The fact that Leon had become so powerful in such a short time drove Baron to mobilize all of Eastern Europe's Hydra forces in a desperate hunt. Yet, despite his efforts, Leon remained elusive, disappearing immediately after the raid.
They were unable to discover one sign of him in all of Eastern Europe.
In the past six months, three Hydra bases had been raided and destroyed. Baron Strucker got caught in one such raid, and this left him not just injured but nearly incapacitated, with broken bones and severe damage.
As a result, all Hydra bases in Eastern Europe had bolstered their defenses, including close-in artillery and comprehensive security systems. They spent whatever budget they had in fortifying the bases.
However, no one expected the intruder to strike with such force tonight. The entire Hydra base was in disarray. Rumors that Baron had even fled his primary base out of fear had already begun circulating.
The base leader, both angry and frustrated, cursed under his breath. If he did that loud, he was afraid he might die from the bullet of another Hydra member rather than the light beam of Leon.
The monster who had breached their defenses proved that ordinary weapons were ineffective against him. With this in mind, the leader watched as Leon, now fifteen and noticeably taller and more mature than he was two years ago, addressed the situation with calm confidence. His demeanor had shifted from that of a young boy to someone who exuded confidence and maturity.
"Excuse me, folks," Leon said, his voice carrying over the chaos. "If you'd be so kind, please put down your weapons and surrender. We can skip the part where I have to deal with you forcefully."
As Leon faced the dense gunfire with calm assurance, it was clear he had complete faith in his own strength. It would be foolish to come unprepared when trying to deal against Hydra after all.
Observing the cold-faced Hydra soldiers, he couldn't help but think that Hydra's brainwashing techniques were godly—far surpassing even those of multi-level marketing schemes. They were, indeed, masters in their field.
After scanning the area, Leon's gaze settled on the base leader, who stood out due to his distinctive attire at the back of the group of soldiers.
"It seems you're the leader of this Hydra base," Leon said, his voice cutting through the tension.
"Yes, Number 37. You know you are quite impressive," the commander called out, trying to reason with Leon. "But you should be grateful to us."
Leon merely sneered at the commander's attempt at whatever he was trying. Realizing his approach was futile, the commander shifted tactics. He clenched a remote control in his hand and aimed to intimidate Leon.
"No one in Hydra fears death," the commander declared. "If necessary, we'll die together. With this remote, I can trigger an explosion that will destroy the base—and you with it."
Leon shrugged nonchalantly. "The key is whether you can actually do it."
WHOOSH!
With a flash of golden light, the darkness was abruptly pierced. The commander instinctively closed his eyes against the sudden brightness but quickly refocused and pressed the red button on the remote with determination.
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