Chapter 8: Combat Training

As for how to research and develop the third generation of Abomination soldiers, that was Dr. Wilson's task.

What Russell needed to do now was simply train Allen and Heather into competent fighters.

Of course, this wasn't to turn them into Hydra soldiers, but rather to increase his own chances of escaping this secret base in the future.

Being alone would always pose some difficulties.

But with other allies, escaping the Hydra base would become much easier.

Under Russell's guidance, Allen gradually stopped his wild beast-like attacks and began observing Russell's rhythm before countering.

Although Allen, in his early twenties, lacked extensive combat experience, his modified body allowed him to make instinctive, rational reactions, helping him quickly grasp combat techniques.

This trait was shared by both Allen and Heather, much like Russell himself. All three of them could rapidly learn combat skills.

However, compared to Russell, Allen and Heather did not show the same remarkable learning ability in shooting, driving, language, and hacking courses...

After blocking a few of Allen's strikes, Russell couldn't help but praise him, "Not bad, those punches are starting to look decent..."

Seemingly sensing a chance to knock Russell down, Allen's excitement got the better of him, and he reverted to his wild beast-like attacks.

His punches were powerful and imposing, but they were also riddled with openings.

"When an opportunity arises, don't throw punches like a street thug... Seize the moment and end the fight with a single blow!"

Russell exploited one of these openings, delivering a lightning-fast uppercut to Allen's chin, sending him flying and knocking him out cold.

A heavy blow to the chin can cause unconsciousness due to humanoid physiology.

So even though Allen had transformed into a green mini-Hulk, Russell's punch still knocked him out.

"Drag him away! Heather, you're up!"

Upon hearing Russell's command, the Hydra soldiers assisting with the training dragged the unconscious Allen aside, while Heather, dressed in loose combat attire reluctantly stepped forward.

Whether out of fear of ruining her looks or genuine intimidation by Russell, Heather did not exhibit the demeanor of a second-generation Abomination soldier in front of him.

As a woman in her early twenties, Heather was arguably in the prime of her life.

With her striking appearance, curvaceous figure, and flowing golden waves of hair, Heather resembled a runway model more than a genetically modified Abomination soldier.

'Her exceptional looks and hidden strength made her a potential candidate for espionage, perhaps even rivaling someone like Black Widow.'

For some reason, this thought crossed Russell's mind.

Heather stood a few meters away, her large round eyes scanning Russell, but she showed no signs of transforming into a green mini-Hulk.

"You're not going to transform?"

Russell wasn't sure what Heather was thinking, but without her transformation, the combat training would be difficult to carry out.

In her normal state, Heather's physical strength was comparable to that of a well-trained soldier, far from capable of withstanding Russell's power and speed, making proper combat training impossible.

"I don't want to transform. I hate that big, green, bulky form!"

Heather stood around 1.7 meters tall, but after transforming, she reached nearly 2 meters, with her skin turning completely green.

As a woman, it was understandable that she disliked becoming taller and 'uglier'.

But her response left Russell slightly displeased.

If this were any other place, and Heather were just an ordinary woman, her words would have been perfectly fine.

But this was a Hydra secret base, and they were all just lab rats for Hydra. In such a place, holding onto ordinary, naive thoughts was a sin.

"I'll give you three seconds. Whether you turn green or not, I'm attacking... If you don't transform, you'll die!"

Russell wasn't kidding. If she continued to cling to such childish, unrealistic ideas, it would be better for him to end her life himself rather than let her die at the hands of Hydra... at least this way, it would be less painful.

"Three, two, one!"

After the countdown, Russell charged at Heather.

The short distance of a few meters was nothing to Russell, covering it in the blink of an eye.

Just as his fist was about to strike Heather's delicate, beautiful face, her instincts finally overcame her childish reluctance, and she began to transform, turning green and growing in size.

Noticing her transformation, Russell subtly pulled back some of his strength.

As a result, Heather, still mid-transformation, was struck on the left shoulder by Russell's punch, forcing her to stagger back several steps.

"You actually hit me! I–"

She seemed to want to say more, but Russell didn't give her the chance, continuing his assault.

Faced with Russell's attacks, Heather finally began to take things seriously, using the combat techniques she had learned to fight back.

Unlike Allen, who would recklessly attack in a frenzy, Heather's strikes were more calculated and deliberate.

In a moment of carelessness, Russell was hit several times by her.

If not for Heather's lack of experience in seizing opportunities, those hits might have been enough to decide the outcome.

"You really do learn quickly. I'm impressed! So, I've decided to take you seriously!"

Now fully focused, Russell began treating Heather as a true opponent.

Against a serious Russell... Heather, though still fighting hard, found the vast gap in experience an insurmountable chasm, completely extinguishing any hope of victory.

In less than three minutes, she was knocked out by Russell's focused assault.

Once unconscious, Heather reverted from her green mini-Hulk form back to her normal state.

She didn't stay unconscious for long. Upon waking, she shot Russell a resentful glare before silently walking over to Allen and pushing him forward.

"Alright, let's continue!"

...

After Allen and Heather were repeatedly knocked down by Russell, the day's combat training finally came to an end.

Following this intense session, Allen's attitude toward Russell grew noticeably more respectful, while Heather fell completely silent, refusing to speak.

Just as Russell, Allen, and the others were about to return to their rooms, Russell overheard some Hydra soldiers whispering nearby.

"Did you hear? Iron Man, Tony Stark, was killed by the Mandarin!"