"Noah? Did you find Samuel Sterns?" Banner stepped out of the portal, still slightly disoriented. He held a phone in his hand, which he had apparently just been using to talk to his girlfriend.
"Yes, he's right ahead." Noah stood on a slight rise, observing several dark figures in the distance – the Leader and the agents. Of course, Banner couldn't see anything in the darkness.
After transporting Banner to the location, Noah shot a small device that attached itself to Bruce's wrist.
"What's this?" Banner touched the cold metal object, feeling it adhere tightly to his skin.
"It's a protective energy field. If you don't want to transform, you can just stay here and observe. This device will ensure your safety," Noah explained, preparing to lift Banner with magic and transport him closer to the Leader.
"Oh, thanks. Then I'll... Aaah!" Before he could finish, he felt himself lifted into the air. The ground rapidly receded below, but to his surprise, he didn't feel the pressure that usually accompanied rapid movement.
A few seconds later, Noah and Banner stood before the Leader and his group, startling them considerably. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had just been moving to a safer location to meet with their contact when they heard a loud noise, like an explosion. Then, the Storm Swordsman and a man hovering beside him appeared before them.
The Leader's face contorted in frustration. His worst fear had come true: the Storm Swordsman and Banner had found him, and now he had to find a way to escape again.
The heavily armed Hydra agents quickly assumed combat readiness, aiming their weapons at the newcomers.
"Stop! Don't move! We're FBI, conducting an important operation. Leave this place immediately!" one of the agents commanded, unable to hide his nervousness. Recognizing the Storm Swordsman, he felt a knot forming in his stomach. Even within their organization, this man was considered dangerous.
Internally cursing their luck, the Hydra agents realized their situation had just worsened. First, they were threatened by the target of their mission, and now they faced the Storm Swordsman – a man capable of tearing them to shreds with his laser blade. They could only hope he would show some respect for the FBI badge they had just displayed.
But Noah didn't care about the FBI or any other organization. S.H.I.E.L.D. also liked to hide behind such facades. He himself had a fake FBI ID from Coulson. But he didn't know who exactly was before him – S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra agents. He would deal with that later; for now, he needed to eliminate the Leader.
He ignored their warning and continued to approach. Banner, glancing at him, decided to follow – the bracelet on his wrist did indeed instill confidence.
Seeing that their warning had no effect, the agents exchanged bewildered glances. One of them couldn't take it anymore and, deciding to scare the uninvited guests, prepared to open fire.
"Whoosh~"
The very second he intended to pull the trigger, his weapon was ripped from his hands by an unseen force and crashed against a boulder. The others were also instantly disarmed, their weapons shattering into pieces that scattered across the ground.
"Bang!"
Noah merely extended a finger, and all the agents collapsed face-down, as if under immense pressure. They strained with all their might, but couldn't even move, only barely managing to turn their heads to avoid suffocating.
The Leader looked dejected. Noah and Banner approached him, stopping ten meters away.
"Dr. Sterns! Why are you doing this? You know how dangerous the Hulk's power is! How unstable it is!" Banner asked the Leader angrily.
For him, before Noah revealed the truth, Samuel Sterns had been a friend who had helped him a great deal. He would never have thought that Sterns would use the Hulk's blood for his gruesome experiments. The image of the pit filled with corpses was still fresh in his mind, and from that moment on, he was determined to find Sterns and stop his villainy.
"Dr. Banner, you are too naive and weak. Possessing such power, you don't even know how to use it. All you do is run from it," the Leader raised his hand, his voice gaining strength and confidence.
"The Hulk's power holds countless possibilities. We could use this power to create hundreds of cures, rid humanity of diseases. All incurable illnesses could be conquered; humanity could achieve purification and incredible physical might!"
"But all I see is you senselessly killing innocent people, creating these horrific bio-monsters! Stop justifying your desires!" Banner interrupted the Leader.
"Haha, these are just necessary sacrifices. I'm sure they would understand," the Leader replied with a cynical smile.
Banner was about to lose his temper, but Noah raised a hand, stopping him.
"Enough, Banner. Don't waste your breath on him; he's just stalling for time."
During their conversation, Noah sensed a mental energy emanating from their target. The mutants hiding in the forest began to slowly approach. The Leader was apparently giving them orders.
As soon as he fell silent, the mutants lurking in the shadows immediately rushed towards them. Their faces were contorted with rage, green saliva dripping from their mouths.
Banner didn't have time to react; his attention was drawn to the sounds surrounding them. And Noah seemed to vanish for an instant, and when he reappeared, a white sword gleamed in his hand, which he casually wiped clean.
The mutants froze mid-air, their expressions also frozen, as if time had stopped for them. In the next moment, cracks appeared on their faces. Simultaneously, the force that sliced through their bodies rushed towards the trees and boulders behind them, like a sword storm, destroying everything in its path, leaving deep furrows in the ground.
Witnessing this gruesome scene, the Leader recoiled, trembling with terror. Banner was stunned by the unexpected sight; he gulped, realizing that even the Hulk wasn't capable of such a feat.
Noah wiped his sword and looked at his target.
"No, wait, I still have..." the Leader tried to say something, realizing that Noah was about to attack, but his words were cut short. A powerful surge of sword energy engulfed him, and when everything subsided, only emptiness remained where he had stood.
The Hydra agents, sprawled on the ground, were drenched in sweat and covered in dust. They hadn't seen what happened, but the deafening noise was terrifying enough. Now they could only hope that Noah would spare them.
"What?! Lee! How could you?!" Banner exclaimed, shocked that Noah had killed the Leader without hesitation.
"Banner, this man has committed numerous atrocities. If we don't finish him now and he escapes, it will be much harder to catch him next time. Think about those he has already killed. You don't want more innocent people to suffer, do you?" Noah sheathed his sword, looking at Banner and understanding what he wanted to say.
"Yes... you're right. We can't let him continue," Banner nodded after a moment of silence. Recalling all of Sterns's crimes, he understood that he deserved death. But seeing his former friend die before his eyes wasn't easy.
[Mission Complete]
Noah glanced at the notification that appeared before him and felt a sense of satisfaction. Finally, the mission that had lingered for so long was complete.
"Well, now it's your turn," Noah turned to those still lying on the ground.