A Hero in His Twilight

"I’ll carve those words onto your tombstone!"

Hydra Captain gave a savage grin, then raised the shield in his hand and brought it crashing straight down at Hawkeye’s head.

Like Captain America’s shield, after Hydra occupied Wakanda, they had acquired enough Vibranium to manufacture all kinds of powerful weapons. A Vibranium shield was naturally no exception.

But a Vibranium shield was more than just a hard shield that absorbed vibrations. Its edges were incredibly hard and sharp, and with enough force behind it, its slashes could even cut through a human body.

As an old Avenger, Hawkeye knew this well. He hurriedly retreated, narrowly evading the deadly blow.

But before he could make another move, Hydra Captain attacked again. There was simply too vast a gap in their physical strength; they were on entirely different levels. Hawkeye had barely regained his footing before he was sent flying once more.

Facing Hydra Captain’s backhanded slash, Hawkeye only had time to block with the compound bow in his hand. The next moment, he was slammed heavily onto the ground.

"What a pity. Looks like you’ll have to find yourself a new old man, Melissa. I bet this old bastard won’t even last five minutes. It’s time to end this."

Avalanche watched the scene with a cold sneer, while remaining on guard against Songbird’s counterattack.

As superpowered individuals who both wielded sonic vibrations, Avalanche and Melissa could not determine a victor in a short time. Moreover, since this was Hydra’s base, Avalanche could not unleash his powers fully, or the entire place would be destroyed.

Melissa clearly had no such concerns. Seeing Hawkeye in danger, she immediately stopped holding back and unleashed a piercing shriek at full force. Countless sound waves transformed into pink blades, launching indiscriminate attacks in every direction.

"You’d better calm down, ma’am." Avalanche raised a hand and shattered the incoming sonic blades, but his expression darkened at once when he saw the Hydra soldiers killed by the sudden attack around him.

Songbird’s attack gave Hawkeye a moment to react. Seeing Hydra Captain use his shield to block those blades, Old Hawkeye’s mind immediately began racing.

The Vibranium shield damaged my bow.

Hawkeye rolled over and picked up the scattered quiver from the ground. His gaze swept across the battlefield. Though he could not see very clearly, it was enough for someone with his extensive combat experience.

If I fire another arrow, the compound bow might break.

Drawing the bow and nocking an arrow, Hawkeye’s expression was resolute.

I have only one chance at most.

He took a deep breath.

So…

Old Hawkeye glanced at Hydra Captain, then immediately spun around and aimed at Avalanche.

I’d better…

The arrow lined up with the compound bow’s sight, pointing directly at Avalanche.

Make it count.

Snap!

As Hawkeye released the bowstring with two fingers of his right hand, the arrow shot forth like lightning. At the same time, the compound bow shattered with a crisp crack.

But Hawkeye’s expression did not change in the slightest, because this was his confidence as an Avenger.

Hawkeye never missed!

Perfect!

The arrow plunged into Avalanche’s face, piercing straight through his exposed cheek. Avalanche, who had been wholly focused on suppressing Melissa, had never expected Hawkeye to ambush him.

"Arghhhhh!"

Excruciating pain shot through his face. Avalanche felt as though his face were burning in flames, and his mind was affected as well.

"Old man, you’re courting death!" Hydra Captain flew into a rage at the sight.

Hydra’s internal hierarchy was extremely strict. As the second-in-command of this base, Avalanche’s status was second only to Baron Zemo’s.

Yet Avalanche had actually been ambushed by his opponent. To Hydra Captain, this was an outright humiliation. He did not even dare imagine what punishment awaited him.

In his fury, Hydra Captain seized Old Hawkeye by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

The immense strength instantly made it difficult for Hawkeye to breathe. His eyes bulged, while blood flooded into his pupils under the overwhelming pressure.

"Urgh…"

"I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you in the cruelest way possible!" Hydra Captain suddenly raised his shield, intending to use its sharp edge to sever Hawkeye’s head.

"Let go of my friend!" Songbird took a step forward. Pink radiant wings spread behind her as she rushed behind Hydra Captain at incredible speed and kicked at his head.

However, Hydra Captain’s reaction speed was not slow either. He raised his shield to block the strike, then swung his arm and hurled Hawkeye toward Songbird.

Worried about accidentally injuring Hawkeye, Songbird could only abandon her continued attack and catch his body instead. But the instant she made contact, the tremendous force drove her backward.

They retreated all the way to the edge of the room before slowly coming to a stop. But before either of them could catch their breath, Songbird kicked Hawkeye away and used the recoil to dart to the other side.

The next instant, the incoming Vibranium shield smashed directly into the spot where they had just stood. It ricocheted off the ceiling before returning to Hydra Captain’s hand.

"I admit I underestimated you, but that won’t change the outcome of this battle." Hydra Captain stared murderously at the two elderly people before him.

"Is that so? In a two-against-one fight, I think we have the advantage." Hawkeye staggered to his feet. Without his bow and arrows, he could only use his longsword again—the weapon he had used during his Ronin days.

"Two against one?" Hydra Captain seemed to have heard the greatest joke in the world. "You’re on Hydra territory now. Countless Hydra elites are stationed here. Of course, I don’t need a numerical advantage. I alone am enough to deal with the two of you."

"Stop talking and finish them already!" Baron Zemo’s somewhat angry voice rang out.

Although he had always wanted to maintain an aloof and powerful image, seeing matters develop to this point left Baron Zemo feeling slightly flustered as well.

Hearing Baron Zemo’s urging, Hydra Captain shuddered. He no longer hesitated, raising his shield and preparing to launch another surprise attack.

However, at that moment, a strand of web shot over and tightly bound Hydra Captain’s arm.

The tremendous force forcibly held Hydra Captain’s arm in midair, leaving him unable to carry out his next move.

The sudden webbing and overwhelming strength made Hydra Captain pause in shock. Since injecting the Super Soldier Serum, this was the first time someone had suppressed him in terms of strength.

The rapidly shifting situation immediately drew everyone’s attention on the battlefield. The three of them turned toward the direction the web had come from almost simultaneously.

They saw a petite girl slowly approaching, step by step, leaving bloody footprints behind her.

A few splattered droplets of blood still remained on her face.

"Big guy, if you want to fight, I think you should find a stronger opponent."