The Perfect Answer

"We have just over ten minutes left. Even if those intruders come back, we can hold out until reinforcements arrive. There's nothing to worry about."

Natasha said indifferently. 

Although she didn't know why the well-equipped invaders had inexplicably retreated, she wasn't concerned that they would return.

Unless that guy disguised as Captain America came back too.

Otherwise, there was nothing to worry about.

Seeing Natasha's nonchalant expression, Barton didn't say anything more. He watched as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents around him began cleaning up the chaotic laboratory.

After the gunfire and explosions ceased in the base, Bakshi had initially intended to lead his group, including Bucky, into the base immediately.

But after some consideration, he decided to wait for Russell's return.

Although Bakshi had no idea about the current situation of the symbiotes in the base, his common sense told him not to mess with them while Russell was absent.

They weren't Russell; they didn't have his ability to tear symbiote agents apart.

While Natasha and Barton awaited S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support, Bakshi and his group waited for Russell's return.

However, neither side got to see the person they were waiting for.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reinforcements didn't arrive, and Russell hadn't returned either.

Speeding through the distant sky came a black dragon-like figure, the size of a small hill.

The Symbiote Dragon, Grendel, had returned!

Bakshi and his group were the first to spot Grendel.

Seeing Grendel's figure in the distant sky, Bakshi didn't hesitate. He immediately issued the retreat order.

At the moment the order was given, Bakshi decisively activated the low-altitude ejection flight function of his Zaku battle armor.

Although Hydra had attempted to modify the Zaku battle armor to give it genuine flight capabilities, the idea was promising, but reality was harsh.

Equipping the Zaku battle armor with small flight engines wasn't the issue; the problem was that conventional power sources couldn't provide enough flight power.

When Russell had downsized the Zaku battle armor, he had considered this.

As a result, he had removed the miniature ark reactor from the core of the armor, replacing it with a more conventional energy storage system.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have priced the Zaku battle armor at 120 million dollars.

Miniature ark reactor!

This was truly a revolutionary product.

If this technology spread, its impact on the human world would be as significant as the Second Industrial Revolution that led humanity into the "Electric Age."

Bakshi's "leading by example" quickly motivated the rest of the Hydra soldiers.

Without needing any further communication, all the Hydra soldiers on the scene began a rapid retreat.

Grendel had no idea what Bakshi was thinking.

However, seeing Bakshi and the others beginning to retreat, Grendel didn't hesitate and started accelerating.

Whether Bakshi and the others left or not was of no concern to him.

But if Bakshi and the others took the three symbiotes away, it would be different.

This was the first task Russell had assigned him.

Although Russell wasn't present, Grendel remained committed to executing Russell's orders fully, bringing back all the symbiotes.

No one could stop him from completing this task!

Grendel had to submit a perfect answer!

Initially, Bakshi thought Grendel had returned for revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D., considering that they had treated him like a lab rat.

However, he quickly realized he was overthinking things.

Grendel flew directly past the S.H.I.E.L.D. base and headed straight toward them at high speed.

In less than a minute, the hill-sized Grendel caught up with them.

Boom!

Grendel landed forcefully in the forest, blocking Bakshi and his group's path. It opened its massive jaws and roared loudly at them.

Seeing Grendel's actions, Bakshi and his group didn't hesitate. They raised their weapons and opened fire.

Hundreds of bullets and missiles flew toward the hill-sized Grendel in a storm of firepower.

Amidst the storm of bullets, there were also missiles of various sizes.

Unfazed, Grendel stood its ground, allowing the bullets and missiles to strike it.

While Grendel might have been bullied like a recently weaned kitten in front of Russell, it appeared as a formidable evil dragon of myth and legend before Bakshi's group.

Grendel ignored the attacks from Bakshi's group and swiftly scanned the area, locating the boxes containing the imprisoned symbiotes that Russell had mentioned.

Without hesitation, Grendel's body produced hundreds of short black tendrils.

From Grendel's perspective, the tendrils were indeed short, not even as long as its teeth.

However, from a human's perspective, these 34-centimeter-long tendrils weren't short at all.

These tendrils quickly solidified once they emerged from Grendel's body.

In the blink of an eye, these black tendrils transformed into sharp black blades.

Without hesitation, Grendel launched these black blades from its body.

The dagger-like black blades shot toward Bakshi and his group like arrows.

Swoosh!

The Hydra soldiers attacking Grendel never anticipated that Grendel, who looked like a dragon, would use an attack similar to a porcupine's.

Caught off guard, several of them were struck by the black blades.

In a single round of volleys, over ten Hydra soldiers lost their lives.

After swiftly clearing the area with the black blades, Grendel then commenced the dragon-like attacks that suited its form.

Its massive claws struck at the Zaku battle armor with tremendous force.

Its powerful tail, akin to a high-speed train, crashed into the Hydra soldiers.

Although Grendel couldn't breathe fire, it compensated with its symbiote abilities.

Numerous tentacle-like black tendrils sprouted from its body and shot toward Bakshi and his group like lightning.

Fully armed, Bakshi's group couldn't hold out even for a minute before Grendel overwhelmed them.

If Grendel's current goal wasn't to kill them, they would have been able to join hands and surrender to Mephisto.

After smashing the box containing the symbiotes, Grendel bound the second-generation symbiotes, who couldn't move freely without hosts, to its body.

Then, flapping its massive wings, it flew toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.

Once Grendel's figure completely vanished, Bakshi and Bucky slowly got up from the ground.

It wasn't just the two of them who chose to play dead; when they got up, over ten Hydra soldiers also rose from the ground.

Glancing at the bodies around them, Bakshis group didn't say a word. They left without looking back.

Meanwhile, Natasha and Barton, who were waiting for S.H.I.E.L.D. reinforcements, saw Grendel return to the base.

"Your intuition was right!"

Natasha looked at Barton and sighed.

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