Faced with this formidable opponent, even Captain America's shield seemed ineffective. He decided to toss it aside, clenching his fists and gearing up for a direct fight.
Captain America launched a punch, and the two immediately engaged in close combat. As the fight progressed, Captain America noticed something unsettling—the man's fighting techniques felt eerily familiar, as if he had seen them before, but he couldn't recall where.
While the man's left arm exhibited immense strength, his overall physical power couldn't surpass Captain America's. The battle between them remained evenly matched for some time.
The other Avengers, noticing Captain America's intense duel, fought harder to clear out the remaining lizardmen.
Hawkeye pulled out an arrow from his quiver but suddenly put it back, using his bow to knock a lizardman away instead. Panting heavily, he and Black Widow stood back-to-back, fending off the relentless attackers.
"These lizardmen just keep coming," Black Widow said, breathing hard. "At this rate, I'm going to collapse from exhaustion before they stop."
Suddenly, Tony's voice crackled through their earpieces.
"Listen carefully. When I say duck, you duck."
Without further explanation, Tony landed heavily in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by a swarm of lizardmen. A special device rose from his shoulder as he barked, "Duck!"
A searing laser beam shot out from the suit, slicing through the lizardmen in a wide arc. Everyone crouched low as Tony rotated his suit, cutting down every enemy within range.
As the smoke cleared, Black Widow stood and tapped Tony's armor with her gun.
"If you had that, why didn't you use it earlier?"
Tony sighed. "It's a one-time thing."
The devastating laser had drastically reduced the number of lizardmen, lightening the team's burden significantly. It seemed Hydra's supply of lizardmen was nearly exhausted.
Renewed with confidence, the Avengers threw themselves back into the fight.
"We can't let a single one of these creatures escape the base," Tony said, taking to the skies. From above, he monitored the battlefield and targeted any lizardman that tried to flee with energy blasts.
Meanwhile, Captain America and the mysterious man continued their brutal brawl. They exchanged blow after blow, relying solely on hand-to-hand combat with no weapons. Captain America was astonished by the man's strength—his mechanical arm alone was extraordinary. Coupled with his exceptional combat skills, the man was nearly on par with Captain America.
Yet the human body has its limits. Unlike Captain America, whose enhanced physique and relentless combat experience gave him an edge, the man began to falter. Captain America seized the opportunity, delivering a powerful punch that sent the man sprawling to the ground.
Just as Captain America reached out to remove the man's gas mask, he noticed the mechanical arm grabbing a nearby rock.
Raising his forearm defensively, Captain America blocked the incoming strike. The rock shattered on impact, but the man managed to slip away in the chaos.
---
By now, the battle against the lizardmen had come to an end. The Avengers had wiped out the last of the creatures. Seeing Captain America still engaged in a fierce fight, Hawkeye finally decided to use the arrow he had saved.
With precise aim, Hawkeye's arrow struck true, knocking the man's gas mask off and revealing a rugged face. Though half of the man's face was still covered by a partial mask, the exposed half was enough for Captain America to recognize him.
It was a face Captain America knew better than any other. His pupils dilated in shock, his expression one of disbelief.
"Bucky?"
His voice, transmitted through the comms, reached every team member. All of them turned toward the scene.
Bucky stared at Captain America with vacant, emotionless eyes, as if looking at a complete stranger.
...
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