CHAPTER 18

I opened the door and walked outside real slow.

I counted 12 patrolling guards as I walked them by giving me varying looks as the wasn't the first time I left Ernst's lab covered in blood.

I had almost made it the first turn when I heard one of them said something and started walking to the office.

I counted the seconds, my brain working in overdrive as I made ready the scalpels hidden in my sleeves, three in each.

2 seconds… 3 seconds… 5 seconds… 7 seconds.

The moment I heard his shouts of panic I acted.

With a slight tug of my wrists, six scalpels rested on my palms, three in each.

The second they reacted in confusion and reached for their guns I threw two scalpels to the last two guards in front of me and then I turned and threw the three in my left hand to the immediate guards beside me and the last on my right hand went for the door as it opened to revealed the guard who went inside before lodging inside his throat.

The others were stunned seeing 6 men drop down dead while I used the opportunity to grab one of the guns of the fallen.

The moment they saw me reaching for it they immediately sprung into action as I grabbed the gun and made the turn before being riddled with the incoming bullets.

I really hope the explosives in my underwear don't fall or go off because I could practically feel one of them in my ass crack.

The sounds of gunshots must've alerted the nearby guards because I could hear their shouts and sounds of their incoming.

I ran down the hall and as soon as I saw the first soldier, hell let loose.

With but a flex of a finger, I switched from semi to auto and opened rapidly fire on my assailant. I turned left and pressed my finger against the trigger and pumped lead, riddling the body on any who came across my sights while jerking from the recoil like an Easter bunny on sugar rush.

I threw the gun away as the mag went empty and switched for a gun lying around, making me feel like I was playing a VR Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 with all the bodies, blood and guns.

Very soon the alarms blared as I reviewed the maps in my head making turns that would get me to the basement quicker. The numbers of guards coming for me wasn't making it any easier.

"Fuck!" I ducked as a bullet pierced my leg and turned to deliver a shot to my shooters' left lungs, increasing his blood flow from shock and drowning his respiratory systems in blood.

"Fuck, damn it!" I screamed as I dug my fingers into the bullet wounds to remove the bullets because leaving it there would delay the healing duration.

My regen wasn't dope enough yet to spit out the bullets running its fade.

I was on the 4th floor down to the basement and the I've already killed almost 40 soldiers.

… Correction 34 soldiers.

The 7th floor down to the basement were the restricted areas I saw on the map with reinforced walls so hopefully the number of soldiers there would be lesser.

I couldn't take the elevator there because it could, and would be, compromised.

If they turned off the electricity while I was inside, which they would, it would be an instant game over.

….

[Octavian Bloom POV]

Complications.

Two things I hated.

Inconsistency and complications.

Then again, if Pierce had proved anything during these past decades it was that.

How can you be a Councilman of S.H.I.E.L.D and can't prevent your agents from snooping on HYDRA's business, he didn't know.

"How many were we able to steal?" I directed the question to Jurgen Floch, the leader in charge of the movers team.

"Two crates sir."

"Two crates?" I asked rhetorically as the numbers didn't match estimations at all.

TWO crates! This was Stark's and Trask's weapons. Trask was into splicing the X-gene and Stark was THE Merchant of Death. His weapons were at least a decade ahead of what was in the market.

"How many?" I asked again but this time I could see the two men in front of me ground their teeth.

"2 movers, 3 from mine and 2 from Olav's."

5 soldiers.

5 elite soldiers, 2 of which were drafted to be a part of Project Destroyer of Worlds plus their respective team leaders.

Coupled with the adaptability of the Draugr, the project has had immense breakthrough due to Ernst's research and the most optimal soldiers were being chosen.

But now they lost two of their best soldiers.

If they had at least gotten the files and blueprints in that warehouse, then maybe I would have being able to convince myself that their sacrifice was worth it. But they didn't.

We couldn't raid Stark Industries and definitely not Anthony Stark's house as not only the entire US government military would be on our neck, but also the CIA, FBI, DoD and S.H.I.E.L.D would invest themselves in the case.

Obadiah Stane was a greedy man that would sell even his soul to the highest bidder, making him an unreliable avenue.

I hate complications.

Before I could ask how the Draugr performed, the entire base's alarm blared a code: Red.

What in the Fuhrer's name was this.

I immediately linked my communication to the control room.

"What is going on?" I inquired immediately they picked up the comms.

"Sir, the Draugr has been compromised. I repeat the Draugr has been compromised!" Came in the frantic report.

At that information, the whole room went silent not knowing how to process what they heard.

"Excuse me? Repeat that again." This time it was Floch who asked and everybody listened with rapt attention just for the miniscule chance that they misheard the first time.

"The Draugr has been compromised. He killed Dr. Ernst and over 40 men and is currently making his way to the basement as we speak."

At that proclamation, the once quiet room chilled even further and remained like that before an enraged bang on the table heated the atmosphere to opposing polarities.

The entire room looked at the seething Olav and they once more understood what what they heard meant.

"Where is he now?" Growled out Olav. The look on his face suggesting that only this piece of information was keeping him from running out of the room.

"He's currently on the fifth floor making his way to the restricted floors." At that clearance, I frowned.

If he did kill Ernst, he was supposed to know we would find out the soonest and try to force his way out, so him going to the restricted floor serves him no advantage except making him cornered, which would be stupid considering what he's done.

It just didn't make sense.

"The basement!" This imbecilic ingrate is going for the plants.

He must have known there was no way he could escape through the gate so he's going for double kamikaze.

"He's trying to blow the whole base up! Stop him!" I yelled as they all rushed out of the room.

I hate complications.

…

[Olav POV]

That little bitch just gone and done it.

I had been looking for a way to kick his ass and beat him to an inch of his life like the good ol'days.

So as soon as I heard he was rampaging and killing our men the, the excitement coursing through my body couldn't be suppressed unless I spilled his blood and make him scream.

I immediately made my way for the elevator to take me to the seventh floor to wait for him.

What kind of reunion doesn't have a surprise?

I will help him remember what it feels like too experience pain.

I ran my hand over my eyepatch as I thought of pain. I still have thanked him for this gift he gave me.

The moment I left the elevator, the coldness of this floor welcomed me. I knew just what I wanted from the storages here, something original, to remind him of our bonds.

Hurry up kid. This itch isn't gonna scratch itself.

…

[Draul St. Cross POV]

Fuck!

Who the hell throws a grenade indoors, huh? Well HYDRA soldiers apparently do.

If it wasn't for my instant reaction of batting that bundle of agony back to its sender with my gun then I would have been trapped in a stairway with a bomb.

Speaking of stairways, this bases' was way too long, which had me currently jumping off from edge to edge, from column to column.

"Over here!"

Damn these guys are persistent. Can't a man go to his apartments basement anymore in peace. Why all this hate?

I could see these guys pouring out of rooms fully armed with their sights aimed at me as I hanged off a ledge ready for my next downward jump.

I was at least 23ft from the seventh floor. Who the hell drew this building's plan.

If this was a normal building complex, it would have at least 20 stories.

"What do you think you are doing, Mr. Cross?" This guy voice reminds me of Olav's boss. It could be.

"Would you believe me if I said I was looking for the bathroom?" I answered but was only greeted with silence, tough crowd.

"No? In my defense I thought that would work, it always did in movies… Did it? I don't know, it's been so long now since I saw a good flick." I mused and froze. I haven't watched a movie in over a year… These ANIMALS!

"I see you retained your sense of sarcasm… and wit. Would you mind clarifying for us what else you retained?" The voice once again questioned, but this time with sincere curiosity.

"Can I get a raincheck on that date? How about 11pm,Saturday of never gonna happen." Damn now I'm surrounded.

"I see. Well, no matters. We will find out what we want when you are back in your cell…" He said with a calm voice, "… or better yet strapped to a table."

What I find admirable about these guys is how they always remain calm even when someone decides to run their fade. Even if their death is guaranteed. Yikes.

Guess its now or never.

"Neutralize him." The voice commanded.

Immediately I threw the ticking grenade in my hands to the crowd above me and jumped down the  ledge straight down with hail of bullets cheering me on.

This was the highest I've ever jumped and… I nailed it. Noice.

Guess I better get going.

Reloading my gun and unhinging a grenade, I waited for three seconds before I kicked open the door and threw it away and took defense behind the walls as bullets welcomed my entrance with lead-cased embrace.

Booo-

"-ooom."

The moment the explosion went off I entered the room and immediately knew the explosion this time was much stronger. Why was that?

Relying on my acute senses and eyesight, I made perfect shots to the destabilized mobs. I was no Hawkeye but my eyesight was definitely enhanced. Like a canary maybe.

The people on this floor were fewer which was something I was thankful for since the fastest way to this floor was the elevator and it couldn't carry much people.

I need to hurry because any minute now the elevator will spawn new mobs. This felt like I was playing Survival mode with Veteran difficulty with a GTA V mod and cheat code.

I hadn't taking more than two steps before I heard a sound next to me.

I turned around to donate a charitable amount of metal pebbles to the fortunate-but-not-for-long metal-lacking HYDRA mob but before I could get an image of him I was tackled to the ground.

I dropped my gun and delivered an elbow to the head of this barbaric brawler and use the little lease he gave me to roll away and stand up to get a good look at my attack.

"Fuck!" I groaned out as I saw an eye patched elder man with an ever present scowl on his face.

Two guesses who it was.

"I've been waiting here for you." He said while looking at me as we both maintained a measured distance apart from each other.

"You should have told me that from the start so I would have thrown more bombs in here." I replied with a snarly tone.

"I see you've got a mouth. Didn't know you talk with it."

OK, now he's just pissing me off.

"I got something for you. You know, to celebrate such a wondrous occasion." Saying that, he pulled out a rod that was strapped to his side.

This motherfucker.

A barbed poker that had… dried blood stains on it.

"You like it? This one produced your most melodious scream so I kept it. For you." He told me with that disgusting smile on his face.

"You sick bastard." I spat out in a low voice.

He just gave a small laugh at that.

"You know, I still owe you for this," he pointed at the eyepatch, "so I've been thinking of how to repay you." With that the smile left his face and a ferocious look enveloped it.

Well ain't he an angel.

"An eye for an eye." With that he rushed at me.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Olav 'the psychopath'.