The Winter Soldier's face remained icy and emotionless as he carried the heavy Iron Man Gatling gun, ignoring the significant recoil and unleashing a relentless barrage of bullets.
The adamantium shield blocked every round!
Steve closed the distance between them and breaking through the hail of bullets. As he got close, the Winter Soldier swung the Gatling gun down from above towards Steve's head.
**Crackle!**
The shield was raised, diverting the Gatling gun aside.
However, this exposed Steve's unguarded abdomen.
With a fierce look in his eye, the Winter Soldier seized the opportunity and his mechanical arm unleashed an inhuman burst of force as his fist came down like a cannonball.
This attack was quick, precise, and merciless!
Steve grunted in pain as he was hit in the abdomen. He was sent flying backward with both his body and shield, rolling and skidding about ten meters away.
The Winter Soldier's body had been extensively enhanced, with physical abilities matching those of a Super-Soldier. The most important asset was his mechanical left arm, capable of delivering several tons of force. Even Captain America, if caught off guard, could be killed with a single punch.
Although Steve managed to avoid a lethal blow, his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He clutched his aching abdomen with one hand and held his shield with the other, trying to get back on his feet.
But when the Winter Soldier took action, he did not hold back.
A whistling sound echoed in Steve's ears and without showing any hesitation, he rolled away from the attack and tumbled backward.
The Winter Soldier landed with a leap, his leather boot stomping hard in the spot where Steve had been just moments ago. In the sunlight, his mechanical left arm gleamed with a frigid light as he clenched his fist, preparing to strike down.
**Bang!**
Steve kept rolling to evade the impending attack, and the Winter Soldier's fist slammed into the solid cement ground, creating a one-meter-wide spiderweb of cracks.
"That was close," Steve muttered through gritted teeth as he continued to roll, putting some distance between them, before throwing his circular shield once more.
The shield whizzed through the air, slicing it as it sped towards the Winter Soldier's neck.
The Winter Soldier coldly raised an eyebrow. Just before the shield was about to strike, he swiftly raised his mechanical left arm, which reacted faster than anyone else. He deflected the shield that had been aimed at his neck.
The shield hummed briefly. This time, it didn't return to Steve. Instead, it veered off its original path and embedded itself into the side of an abandoned bus.
Steve lost his shield but finally had a moment to catch his breath. He pushed himself up off the ground, grimacing in pain from his injuries. His shield was meters away, embedded in the bus.
He didn't back down, and, despite the pain, he prepared to engage the Winter Soldier in hand-to-hand combat. He stood ready to fight up close, declaring boldly, "You know, I can do this all day."
Hearing these words, the Winter Soldier hesitated for half a second, and a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes, only to quickly disappear as he returned to his usual cold, ruthless demeanor.
"Bucky, come on! I'll make you remember who I am!" Steve called out, his voice filled with determination. He approached the Winter Soldier, who was five meters away and threw a left hook in his direction.
Without saying a word, the Winter Soldier shook his head. As if following his silent command, a freshly loaded submachine gun was tossed to him by one of his comrades from behind.
"You've really changed, haven't you? Is this how you want to play?" Steve smiled wryly but dared not stay. He turned and ran toward nearby cover. After dashing several meters, bullets whizzed past him, chasing and strafing him.
"Could you lend a hand over here?" Natasha shouted loudly nearby. She was engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand fight with four or five armed soldiers. Her vibrant red hair moved like flames, and her agile and fierce movements were both graceful and powerful.
"I am a little busy at the moment!" Steve replied helplessly. He was backed up against an abandoned yellow car, and the bullets had turned the car's other side into a sieve.
"Captain, more armed vehicles are headed this way, and we have less than half a minute!" Falcon Sam circled above in the low skies, watching the two struggling figures below. He noticed the heavily armed convoy speeding down the road from a distance and shouted a warning.
"This is getting complicated!" Steve murmured. He glanced up at the Helicarrier rising higher into the sky and gave the order, "Don't worry about us; head to the Helicarrier first. Natasha and I will catch up."
"Alright!" Sam nodded, and his mechanical wings shivered slightly as he soared upwards like an eagle, quickly making his way toward the Helicarrier several miles away.
His departure marked the moment when Steve and Natasha found themselves in a dire situation, akin to cornered beasts. Bullets continued to suppress them, and the enemy's vehicles were drawing closer.
Steve leaned against a vehicle, his mind racing to devise a plan. In the end, he sighed in frustration and said, "We might not be able to escape."
Their current predicament offered no room for a turnaround.
"Are you giving up, Captain?" Suddenly, a mechanical voice came from beside him.
"Of course not..." Steve began to respond instinctively but paused when he saw a small mechanical figure sitting in the back seat of a car.
Steve asked curiously, "Who are you?"
"I'm Vis." The mechanical figure grinned, revealing a row of steel teeth. "I was sent by Kyle to lend you a hand. I'm the extra gear you needed."
"Vis? Extra gear?" Steve was a little baffled. Still, when he heard that it was sent by Kyle, his face lit up with joy and relief. Kyle's interventions were always reliable.
"As there's no time to explain so quickly get in the car!" Vis said curtly, pulling Steve by the arm.
"Get in the car?" Steve blinked, eyeing the bullet-riddled abandoned yellow car. Reluctantly, he opened the door and sat in the driver's seat.
"Please fasten your seatbelt," Vis instructed, snapping his fingers in an imitation of Kyle's mannerisms. His movements and tone were strikingly similar to Kyle's.
Feeling like he had just gotten into a getaway vehicle, Steve obediently fastened his seatbelt.
From somewhere, Vis pulled out a Kryon Core, clutched it in his hands, and chewed it like a piece of gum, crunching it down. "Great. Power is ready, transformation mode is prepped!"
Vis then hopped onto the passenger seat. His body began emitting vibrant electric sparks, and he extended his mechanical hands, which doubled as control interfaces, into the vehicle's dashboard.
"Mechanical Assimilation! Transform and Roll Out!"
Outside the abandoned vehicle, the Winter Soldier tossed away his empty magazine, his gun barrel red hot. He was about to signal his comrades to switch to Rocket launchers when he heard the sound of approaching armored vehicles from the road behind him.
"Stop! Hands-on your heads, and get down!" Several teams of agents quickly dismounted from the vehicles, their guns pointed at Natasha, who had just managed to incapacitate a few armed individuals.
With a cold huff, Natasha reluctantly surrendered, lowering herself to the ground under the aim of a dozen barrels.
Almost ten armored vehicles arrived and surrounded the abandoned yellow car. Scores of elite agents swarmed out of the vehicles, their firearms trained on the car.
The head agent, Captain, warned sternly, "Exit the vehicle. If you don't, we'll open fire."
However, there was no response; the scene remained eerily silent.
When Captain couldn't bear the tension any longer, the abandoned vehicle began to vibrate slightly. The intact taillights illuminated, and from within came a piece of upbeat electronic music, energizing the atmosphere.
At this crucial moment, music started playing!
Several dozen elite agents, Hydra members, and even the Winter Soldier were all left in shock, their brains momentarily shutting down.
"Open fire!" The Captain shouted angrily.
(End of this chapter)