"Captain America!"
Rock Python and the others were all stunned when they heard Ophelia's words.
After the Battle of New York, news about Captain America was no longer a secret.
As members of Hydra, Rock Python and his men knew better than anyone what that name meant to them.
"It's good that you know," Ophelia said coldly. "Whoever can kill Captain America will take command of the New York branch from now on."
Her words instantly lit a fire in their eyes.
They might've enjoyed a degree of freedom, but in Hydra's eyes, they were still just high-level cannon fodder.
Becoming a mid-level leader, however—that was a whole different story. Power, influence, freedom—everything they wanted.
Ophelia looked at their eager faces, her expression still as icy as ever.
"Captain America and his team will arrive soon. You have half an hour to take him down. Once the time's up, I'll destroy this place myself."
Clearly, in Ophelia's eyes, these people were already expendable.
Rock Python and the others exchanged looks, then shouted in unison:
"Hail Hydra!"
As Ophelia left, the Viper Gang began moving, preparing for the coming battle.
Meanwhile, Kai and his two teammates had already arrived in Hell's Kitchen.
"Looks like the Viper Gang's making a move," Natasha's voice came through the comms. "Seems like our plan's been compromised."
Steve didn't respond, but his tense expression said enough. Even if this wasn't a top-secret mission, very few people knew about it.
"Everyone, stay sharp," Steve warned. "Something's not right."
Chirp!
Just as Steve finished, a piercing whistle cut through the night.
A missile shot from the distance—straight toward the car carrying Natasha and Kai.
Boom!
"Direct hit!" someone shouted.
"What Avengers? Go to hell!"
Several Viper Gang members on the rooftop watched the explosion with glee.
"Oh my... how scary."
A teasing voice came from behind them, making every one of them freeze.
"If I hadn't dodged that, you might've actually pulled it off."
Startled, one of them dropped the rocket launcher from his shoulder with a clang.
"It's Flash!"
"Wasn't he in the car?!"
"How the hell did he dodge that missile?!"
They turned—and saw Kai, completely unharmed.
"Correct answer," Kai said with a smirk. "But no reward."
A bright flash of light gathered at his fingertips, and a second later—
Pew!
A laser beam pierced straight through their chests.
"I've handled things here," Kai reported calmly through the comms.
When the missile hit, both he and Natasha had already reacted.
Kai had elementalized instantly and flown toward the missile's origin, while Natasha dove out of the car before it blew.
Meanwhile, Steve Rogers—riding his motorcycle solo—was suddenly rammed by a giant figure.
"Captain America, you old fossil who should've stayed dead seventy years ago!" bellowed Moccasin, muscles bulging like steel cables.
Steve was thrown from his bike, but in mid-air he whipped his shield from his back and hurled it.
Clang!
The vibranium edge struck Moccasin's chest, producing a sharp metallic ring.
"My body's infused with adamantium alloy," Moccasin sneered. "Your attacks can't even scratch me!"
He swung his arm—and it suddenly extended like a whip, slashing toward Captain America.
Bang!
Steve braced his shield and blocked the hit, sliding back a few feet before charging forward again, using his shield as cover to close the distance.
On the rooftops, Kai faced a flood of Viper Gang members pouring out from every direction, armed with guns and Molotovs.
"Tch… guess I'll have to get my hands dirty," he muttered.
Crossing his forearms, light began gathering rapidly in his palms.
The dazzling glow made everyone below freeze in panic.
"It's Flash from the Avengers!"
"Damn it, how's he here?!"
"Run!"
In an instant, their courage evaporated. They turned tail, bolting down the alleyways.
After all, Kai had shown power far beyond any normal human during the Battle of New York.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
With that, countless brilliant light bullets burst from his palms, raining down on the fleeing gang.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions tore through the streets below, fire lighting up the night sky.
Within seconds, more than half the Viper Gang members were down—
—and that was Kai holding back his power. If he hadn't, they'd be nothing but ash.
"Damn it!" Rock Python cursed as he watched the chaos below.
These gang members weren't true Hydra operatives—they had no discipline, no loyalty.
After that devastating barrage, their morale was completely shattered.
"Bushmaster, come with me. We'll handle that bastard ourselves!"
He charged toward Kai, with Bushmaster close behind—his mechanical snake tail coiling around a building to launch himself upward.
Kai noticed them coming and descended from the sky with a grin.
"The rest's up to Natasha and Cap," he said. "I'm not slacking—just low on energy."
He met their attacks head-on, easily countering their moves without even needing to use his full power.
In the distance, Steve was still trading blows with Moccasin, who had teamed up with the remaining Viper Gang thugs.
But even together, their attacks couldn't breach the Captain's defense.
Meanwhile, Natasha had taken down several enemies herself. One unlucky thug caught her Widow's Bite and collapsed, twitching on the ground.
"That guy's slacking again," she muttered, glancing at Kai as he toyed with his opponents midair.
Still, she couldn't deny it—if Kai hadn't acted when he did, they'd all be in serious trouble.
Kai didn't notice her glare; he was too focused on the system notifications chiming in his ear.
[Borsalino Role-play Degree + 0.1%]
[Borsalino Role-play Degree + 0.1%]
[Borsalino Role-play Degree + 0.1%]