Marvel: The Villain

Chapter 310 Stay

Steve was stunned!

He spun around to see a pair of massive, black wings sprouting from Alex’s back, beating powerfully against the air.

This... this wasn’t in the intel!

"You can fly?" Steve asked.

"Heh, just a little trick," Alex said. With a mid-air snap-kick, he sent Steve hurtling back toward the ground.

Steve hit the earth back-first but scrambled to his feet instantly, dropping into a defensive stance. "You said you wanted to play a game. What the hell do you want?"

Hovering in mid-air, Alex smiled. "It’s just a game! I’ll give you one minute. If you can defeat me within that time, the lady agent lives. If not... she dies a miserable death. What do you think? Fun game, right?"

A look of pure disgust crossed Steve’s face. "You call wagering human lives fun?" He roared, raising both arms to fire a dual repulsor blast.

Alex raised his left arm, his flesh instantly shifting into the shape of a shield.

BOOM!

When the explosion cleared, Alex was untouched. Steve gritted his teeth, realizing this bastard was becoming increasingly difficult to handle.

Alex sneered and pointed to the side. "Look! Our stakes have arrived!"

Steve turned his head. There stood A-Train outside the barrier, smirking. At his feet lay Natasha—battered, bloodied, and barely clinging to life.

She didn’t make it out.

Mixed with his regret, a surge of fury rose in Steve. "You people..." He wanted to scream. But he caught himself; screaming to them was a waste of breath. These lunatics didn’t care about anything.

"Hahaha..." Alex laughed triumphantly. "Now, it seems you have no choice but to play along."

Steve’s expression darkened. He was in turmoil. The Joker Organization had zero credibility. Even if he played this sick game, how could he guarantee Alex would keep his word?

"When has a man like you ever kept his word?" Steve questioned. "If you lose and get pissed off, what’s to stop you from tearing up the deal?"

He was referring to that day a year ago. Back then, they had promised to spare Peggy and Sharon if he didn’t resist. And yet...

Hearing this, Alex replied with shameless confidence. "Last time, the game was just between the two of us; I could change the rules whenever I wanted. But this time, my friend is watching. I won’t go back on my word, or I’d be the laughingstock of the organization for the rest of my life."

Steve glanced between the two of them, weighing the truth of that statement. According to SHIELD records, the Joker Organization wasn’t a monolith; there was significant infighting and factionalism among the top executives. If Alex reneged in front of a peer, it would be a permanent stain his rivals could use against him. The logic, at least, held up.

Steve hated the idea of this game, but with Natasha’s life in their hands, he had no choice.

"Fine! I’ll do it!"

"Excellent!" Alex grinned. He turned to A-Train. "One minute. Start the clock!"

A-Train tapped the comms unit on his wrist. "OK. Countdown ready!"

Alex and Steve cleared their minds, entering a state of total combat focus.

"Three! Two! One! GO!"

The moment the words left A-Train’s mouth, they both lunged. Alex fused two forms together; his hammer-like fists sprouted three razor-sharp claws as he dove from above. Steve ignited his boot thrusters to meet him, raising his shield with his left arm while charging a repulsor in his right.

CLANG!

Fist met shield in mid-air, a shower of sparks erupting between them. Alex’s strength far exceeded Steve’s; after a brief stalemate, the claws began to overpower the shield. Steve couldn’t hold the weight with a single arm, and the three claws slashed into his shoulder armor.

Alex brought his wicked face close to Steve’s, mocking him. "The armor gives you firepower and flight, but it limits your strength and agility. Trading the forest for a single tree, aren’t we?"

With a grunt, Alex drove the claws another ten centimeters deep, tearing through skin and muscle until they wedged into Steve’s shoulder blade.

"Ugh..." Steve’s face contorted in pain. He wrenched his right arm up, aiming his palm directly at Alex. A massive, overcharged repulsor blast fired point-blank.

"Saw that coming!" Alex laughed maniacally, his other hand shifting into a shield.

BOOM!

The blast left a deep scorch mark on the biomass shield, but it failed to penetrate.

"Hahaha! I take it back—your firepower isn’t actually that—"

Before Alex could finish, Steve’s palm snapped into a fist.

ZZZT!

A searing red laser beam sliced downward across the shield. Seconds later, the shield was sheared in half, and Alex’s left arm was severed from his body.

"Is this firepower enough for you?" Steve snarled through gritted teeth, firing another repulsor blast that punched a hole straight through Alex’s chest.

"Agh!" Alex gasped, coughing up a mouthful of blood. The sheer agony caused his body to seize up, and the grip of his right claw weakened.

Steve seized the opening, ripped his left arm free, and aimed.

WHAM!

The shield launched like a missile, decapitating Alex. His head and body flew in different directions.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!"

Feeling a surge of pure catharsis, Steve followed up with a barrage of repulsor shots, blasting Alex’s body into the electrical barrier.

BZZZZZZT!

The terrifying sound of high-voltage current filled the air as Alex was scorched into a blackened husk before falling to the ground. Steve clutched his bleeding shoulder, chest heaving, staring with bloodshot eyes at the charred lump of coal.

Outside the barrier, A-Train and Natasha were stunned. One move had decided the outcome—was the gap in power really that large?

After the initial shock, Natasha was filled with joy. "We won! Let me go!"

A-Train let out a disdainful snort. "Let you go? It’s far too early for that."

"You gave your word!" Natasha glared.

A-Train said with a touch of pride, "Don’t worry, my words are fine. But if you want to beat Alex, you’d better make sure you destroy every single cell in his body."

CRACK!

Fractures appeared on the surface of the charred husk.

Steve moved fast—an EMP wave was already streaking toward the remains. At that moment, a strand of flesh whipped out from the severed head on the ground. It latched onto the charred body and yanked it back with violent force.

BOOM!

The EMP hit the empty ground, blasting a massive crater. By then, the charred shell had shattered completely, and Alex Mercer stood up, perfectly whole.

He picked up his head, snapped it back onto his neck, and gave a mock thumbs-up. "Impressive. That firepower is no joke! What kind of special relationship do you have with Stark for him to give you a custom suit with such insane output?"

Steve didn’t answer. He just stared, his face grim. As he had feared, Alex was a nightmare to deal with. Strong, fast, an expert fighter—and most importantly, he just wouldn’t stay dead.

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You can read advance Chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.

pat reon.com/GreenBlue17

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