Kagura Hitomi pointed her weapon at the transport truck's driver, attempting to force him to pull over.
Under normal circumstances, when a criminal or thug has a gun aimed at their head, they usually surrender.
After all, no matter what they're involved in, risking their own life is rarely worth it.
However, these armed guards, brainwashed by Loki, were beyond mere "unquestioning obedience."
They were unwaveringly loyal to him, willing to sacrifice themselves without hesitation.
The driver hesitated for only a moment before flooring the gas pedal, jerking the steering wheel hard, and—without warning—kicking open the door.
Kagura Hitomi was caught off guard.
'Whoa! Seriously?'
The driver's sudden counterattack actually worked, successfully forcing her out of the truck's cabin.
At the same time, from an armored jeep ahead, a guard leaned out of the window, hoisting a portable rocket launcher.
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
'FWOOOSH—'
The rocket left a blazing trail as it hurtled toward Kagura Hitomi.
[Standard high-explosive rocket detected.]
[Threat level: Medium.]
[Probability of penetrating White Moon: 2.87%.]
[Warning: High temperatures and shockwaves may cause internal injuries.]
[Avoid impact.]
"Whoa!"
Without hesitation, Kagura let go of the swinging truck door, retracting her weapon.
She activated her energy shield from the orange ring on the back of her left hand.
A translucent, honeycomb-patterned blue shield rapidly expanded around her.
"You guys seriously don't listen, huh?!"
Shielding herself with the energy barrier, she simultaneously deployed her flight wings, gaining altitude to avoid collateral damage from the explosion.
'BOOM—!'
The rocket struck her shield, detonating with a fiery explosion, sending a massive fireball billowing into the sky above the highway.
"Well, that's on you."
Emerging from the smoke, Kagura's eyes flashed.
Enough with the diplomacy. Time to get serious.
The transport convoy continued along the highway, entering an overpass section.
With multiple highway exits behind them, traffic had thinned out considerably.
Natasha, who had previously been blocked by the congestion, finally broke free and accelerated in pursuit.
The traffic control measures on the New York Ring Road had taken effect.
For about ten kilometers ahead, there were no other civilian vehicles in sight.
Kagura flipped downward, weaving through the hail of bullets with agility.
She soared over the convoy before diving under the overpass, staying out of sight.
It was clear now—non-lethal methods weren't going to cut it.
These guards were too fanatical. It was time to make a bigger statement.
At that moment, the driver of the lead armored jeep widened his eyes in shock.
A lone figure had suddenly appeared on the road ahead.
A man clad in a high-tech composite armor suit was strolling leisurely down the highway.
His left arm was entirely mechanical, its matte-black plating reflecting a faint metallic sheen under the lights.
"WTF? Who the hell is that?!"
The driver panicked. "What do we do? There's someone on the road!"
"Are you an idiot? Just run him over!"
The guard in the passenger seat smacked the driver on the back of the head.
"How many people have we killed already? One more won't matter! Protecting Lord Loki's cargo is what's important!"
Bucky Barnes remained unfazed, calmly standing in the middle of the road.
His mechanical left arm shifted, revealing a weapon compartment. With a flick, he launched a small, disc-shaped device toward the approaching jeep.
The disc lit up with glowing blue patterns as it skimmed along the asphalt, emitting a faint humming sound.
'Click—!'
It slid under the jeep, sticking firmly to its undercarriage.
'Beep, beep, beep—BOOM!'
Before the guards could react, the explosive detonated, flipping the armored jeep into the air.
The heavy vehicle somersaulted mid-air before crashing onto its roof, skidding down the highway as little more than a hunk of scorched metal.
This was a modified magnetic mine, originally developed by Rhodes Island Industries for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Two years ago, during a mission to intercept a Vibranium transport, Kagura and Natasha had encountered Bucky and his prototype version of this device.
After that battle, Kagura had refined the design—making it smaller, increasing its explosive force, and optimizing it to easily flip military-grade armored vehicles.
Bucky casually retracted his mechanical arm's weapon systems, stepping aside as the wrecked jeep skidded past him.
The explosion's afterglow illuminated his dark hair.
His sleek, black tactical visor bore the striking emblem of a ghostly white wolf, giving him a fearsome and commanding presence.
As he and the burning wreckage crossed paths, Bucky retrieved a high-powered grenade—disguised as a lighter—from his belt.
With a flick, he casually tossed it into the overturned jeep's cabin.
'BOOM—!'
A burst of flames. Silence followed.
With the lead vehicle eliminated, chaos erupted within the transport convoy.
Only three vehicles remained:
—A transport truck carrying the Tesseract, guarded by a dual-linked alien-tech energy turret.
—Two armored jeeps, one in front, one behind, acting as escorts.
The jeep in front swerved wildly, trying to avoid the burning wreckage and Bucky Barnes himself.
Its guards leaned out of the windows, unloading their rifles in a desperate attempt to fight back.
"Mr. Barnes, step back a bit."
Kagura's voice crackled through his earpiece. "I don't want you caught in the blast."
Bucky nodded, ceasing his attack.
He took a few steps back, as if making way, then glanced up with an expression that seemed to say, 'It's all yours.'
The guards in the jeep exchanged confused looks.
This man—who had just annihilated one of their vehicles with ruthless efficiency—was… backing off?
This didn't make any sense.
The convoy was clearly at a disadvantage!
The driver and the gunner, both now sweating bullets, stared blankly at each other. What the hell was going on?!
'BOOM—!'
Their answer arrived in the form of a devastating electrical eruption.
A torrent of electromagnetic energy surged from the ground, cutting through the overpass like a plasma fountain.
The sheer force of the blast split the highway in half.
[Directed High-Energy Electromagnetic Pulse: Activated.]
A dazzling blue pillar of light swallowed the jeep whole, its merciless force vaporizing the front half of the vehicle into molten metal.
What was left of the jeep crashed back down—a smoldering, lifeless husk.
"Holy shit! What just happened?!"
The driver of the last remaining jeep—positioned behind the transport truck—screamed in panic.
"Where did the road go?!"
Their panic was cut short by another explosion.
'BOOM—!'
Natasha Romanoff's energy pulse cannon fired again, striking the jeep's rear and igniting its fuel tank.
The entire vehicle erupted into flames, obliterated in an instant.
Triple kill!
One target per person—clean, efficient, and absolute.
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