SHIELD Headquarters.
Pierce was evidently cornered. After learning that various bases had been destroyed, he furiously decided to make a last stand.
"Urgent Alert! Symbol of Peace, Kyle, has infiltrated SHIELD Headquarters with the intent to assassinate Director Pierce and destroy Project Insight. All field agents, proceed immediately to the stairwell to intercept. Authorized to use any weapons and emergency measures to counteract!!"
"Repeating the message, the target enemy is Symbol of Peace, Kyle!"
The alarm resounded abruptly throughout the headquarters building, echoing loudly in every corner, reaching the ears of everyone inside.
Technicians and Elite Agents were astonished and they dropped their work to listen. Some even questioned whether they had heard correctly.
This was madness! Truly insane!!
SHIELD's primary enemy this time was none other than Symbol of Peace...
It felt like a son wanting to fight his father; many felt that their minds were insufficient, unable to comprehend the situation.
"What are you waiting for? Can't you hear the order?"
"Move quickly, grab your weapons, follow me!"
Some agents, however, didn't hesitate too much. They promptly equipped themselves with their weapons, raising the atmosphere and rushing towards the stairs following the alarm's instructions.
"To deal with Symbol of Peace? Are they kidding?"
A female agent muttered to herself as she observed the quick actions of her fellow agents. She couldn't help but grip her own firearm tightly.
SHIELD's schism with Captain America had already raised suspicions among many agents. Now, SHIELD was mobilizing against Symbol of Peace, completely waking up another fraction of its members.
It was time to pick a side. Should they continue to trust the agency and its hierarchy, or should they trust Symbol of Peace?
However, this choice, although seemingly absurd and comical, had already been made by the citizens of New York a long time ago.
...
The elevator's main circuit had been tampered with, making it unusable.
Kyle didn't mind. He opted to take the stairwell, descending one floor after another from the nearly topmost 36th floor.
The wails from the Director's office still echoed in his ears as he approached a noisy hub of footsteps at the stairwell entrance.
"Everyone move up!"
"We must kill Symbol of Peace!"
A group of armed agents poured out from the floors and encircled the stairwell. When they saw Kyle, they opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets from their rifles.
Intermittently, smoke grenades, flashbangs, and high-explosive grenades were mixed in.
*Boom, Boom, Boom!*
SHIELD Headquarters seemed as if it was facing demolition, with the entire building shaking violently. Near the top floor, an eruptive force sent doors and floor-to-ceiling windows flying apart.
Hydra had lost its real bases, so these Hydra spies disguised as SHIELD agents had red eyes nd they were determined to kill Kyle on the spot, regardless of the extent of the damage to SHIELD Headquarters.
They were determined to use extreme measures, even if it meant disregarding their own safety and that of their teammates.
The effects were naturally striking.
The stairwell, which was once accessible, was blown away, and thick smoke filled the top floor's internal space. Ashes, symbols of death, fell heavily from the sky.
The surviving agents who initiated the assault all donned protective helmets, feeling anxious, and used infrared sights attached to their firearms to scan the area.
"The target... is gone."
"Dead?"
"How is that possible, he's..."
Their exchange came to an abrupt halt as a dark and towering figure gradually materialized in the corridor veiled in thick black smoke.
Narrow, crimson eyes radiated a sinister and ominous gleam and they were filled with emotions that were far from human - there was brutality, slaughter, an eerie coldness in his eyes with an unbridled wildness.
This was Kyle in his Venom-covered state.
"A bunch of trash now thinks that they can kill me like this?"
The dark demon emitted a hoarse voice, grinning slyly. He took a giant stride forward, the towering and bestial figure sending a profound shockwave through the room.
The agents gasped in shock, their spines chilling, their gun-wielding hands trembling relentlessly.
"Demon, it's the demon..." One of the agents muttered in terror.
Hydra's archives contained descriptions of the reason for their defeat in World War II, focusing on Kyle, their top adversary.
During nightfall in their encounters, this man would transform into a black demon with undying capabilities, wings, superhuman strength, and speed far beyond that of ordinary people - a monster they had no choice but to surrender to!
"Monster, meet your death!"
Amid the fog of fear, one agent couldn't contain himself and shouted. He then forcefully pulled the pin of a high-explosive grenade and hurled it at the face of the dark demon.
Kyle didn't dodge, instead, he opened his mouth with a sinister grin on his face. Incredulously, he bit down on the incoming high-explosive grenade!
*Boom!!*
The tremendous explosion erupted inside his mouth and Kyle emerged unscathed, releasing several rings of black smoke from his mouth.
"Monster, a true monster..."
The agents who witnessed this scene lost all hope, and, driven by fear, they dropped their firearms and turned to flee downstairs.
"Where do you think you're going? Everyone stay here!" Kyle grinned wickedly, and a surge of pressure burst out from him, bearing down on the agents.
Within a ten-meter radius, the agents' legs grew heavy as lead, and they staggered forward, unable to raise their heads once they lowered them.
"Die." Kyle advanced, and from his massive and powerful body, several dark and resilient tendrils shot out like bullets.
The tendrils instantly pierced through the agents' heads, connecting their lifeless bodies together.
Kyle pulled the tendrils, dragging the corpses as he descended the broken stairs, leaving behind a row of bloodstained steps.
On every floor of the thirty-six-story building, there were nearly localized battles, but they all came to an abrupt end within a short period of time.
Until he reached the bottom!
The first-floor lobby was eerily silent. As Kyle stepped out of the stairwell, he gazed upon nearly a hundred agents who stood there.
These agents showed no intention of fighting. Instead, upon seeing Kyle in his Venom full-covered state, they hastily bowed and saluted respectfully, offering greetings with deference, "Hello, Director!"
Director?
Kyle was briefly taken aback, suddenly recalling that during World War II and in the early days of SHIELD, he had created the title of "SHIELD Director" to avoid trouble.
"At least you reacted quickly; otherwise, I would've taken you for Hydra spies and killed you all."
Kyle scanned the entire hall. His fierce gaze struck fear into the agents, who dared not raise their heads.
"I'll leave these to you to handle. I'm going to pursue Hydra's Alexander Pierce."
Kyle issued his orders, then swung his left hand forward. The end of the tendrils dragged a pile of corpses from the stairwell.
Similarly, nearly a hundred agents in battle attire had their chests and heads pierced, their wounds still dripping fresh blood.
(End of this chapter)