"It's time to make these guys pay."
Facing the battlefield, old Barton felt his vision blur. At this point, he could no longer see anything clearly; he was only a step away from complete blindness due to his glaucoma. However, the loss of his sight heightened his other five senses (along with his sixth sense).
The cold wind blew through, and the merciless flames of war had turned the peaceful New Era Square into a hellish scene. Closing his eyes, old Barton could hear only the fierce clashes, the roars, and the wails of the warriors. The sound of swords clashing and the booming artillery made his body tremble uncontrollably.
In the darkness of his vision, flashes of images appeared. In a trance, old Barton 'saw' his comrades fighting bloodily on the battlefield. Gradually, old Barton's steps became more resolute, and his stride grew ever larger.
A Hydra elite soldier on the outskirts spotted Barton and immediately raised his laser gun. His duty was to control all the spectators, and whatever was happening inside the square, without orders from Red Skull, was none of his concern.
His sole command was to ensure no one approached New Era Square. He and the other Hydra elites knew that many factions were hidden among the spectators, and their main task was to keep these people in check.
"Hey! Old man, step back!"
Swish—
Drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, the Hydra elite had no time to react before his throat was pierced by a sharp arrow.
"Step back?"
Barton chuckled heartily and pulled out three more arrows.
"Not this time!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The sharp arrows shot out, heading straight for the faces of the surrounding Hydra elites.
Barton never thought that losing his sight would limit his combat abilities. He was an Avenger, he was Hawkeye, and even if he was blind, he could still hit his target every time. That was his confidence!
Two arrows struck the eyes of the Hydra elites, piercing right through, while the third was dodged by one who reacted in time, tilting his head to the side.
"You missed, old man."
The Hydra elite looked back at the arrow embedded in the ground, then turned to Barton, laughing mockingly. "I thought you looked familiar. Isn't this the legendary Hawkeye?"
Unbothered by the death of his three comrades, this elite, seemingly a captain, focused all his attention on Barton.
"Yes, I know you. I saw your file in the archives. When I joined the elite squad, the first thing we studied was intel on you Avengers. I thought I'd never get the chance to face a hero like you, but here you are, walking right into my hands."
The Hydra captain's voice quickly caught the attention of those nearby. This section had been reserved for reporters from various media outlets, and these journalists from all over the world immediately recognized what the name 'Hawkeye' meant.
"That's Hawkeye!"
"Oh my God, I thought he was long dead!"
"That's the real deal, an actual Avenger! A true superhero! I can't believe he's still alive!"
"Dear God, I knew it, I knew heroes still existed!"
"Justice has arrived."
In an instant, the crowd broke into a frenzy. Reporters, regardless of age or gender, were all filled with excitement. Seeing Hawkeye alive before their eyes was even more thrilling than the arrival of the Justice League.
Just like the citizens who prayed every day for the return of heroes, everyone standing here had grown up hearing tales of superheroes.
As journalists, no one understood better than they did how far the world had fallen since supervillains took control. And now, seeing an old hero reappear, what could be more exciting?
Unlike the others, the middle-aged editor remained calm. In fact, he was calmer than anyone else—or rather, at the moment he realized what was happening, his entire body broke out in goosebumps.
He clenched his teeth, holding back the urge to shout. No one could understand the emotions he was feeling. Even as an editor, he couldn't fully express what was in his heart.
Heroes never died.
They just got old.
On the other side, the commotion among the reporters didn't distract Barton or the Hydra captain. Looking at the aging Barton, the Hydra captain sneered.
"Did you know, Barton, I've killed you countless times—in virtual combat, of course. Honestly, killing you is much easier than defeating Captain America. I mean, the younger you."
"Is that so? It seems like the only place you can taste victory is in the virtual world because you're about to face the harsh reality of failure." Old Barton wasn't angered by his words.
"Reality of failure? Like what you're facing? You're old, Hawkeye. When I heard you killed Baron Zemo, I was excited. But now that you're in front of me, forgive me, but I'm utterly disappointed."
The Hydra captain stood directly in front of old Barton, while behind him, dozens of Hydra elites aimed their laser guns at Barton's vital points. From the moment Barton drew his bow, they had never shifted their aim.
"Look at you now, weak and frail. Hawkeye, do you still plan on using a bow and arrow in a gunfight?"
"What guns?"
Hearing this, old Barton merely smirked, responding softly while pressing a button on the handle of his bow.
In the next moment, the green signal light on the arrow that had missed its mark turned blue. Instantly, in the puzzled eyes of everyone around, an electromagnetic wave swept across a 50-meter radius.
The Hydra elites only saw a blue wave of energy coming toward them. Then, their laser guns sparked, and the scalding hot barrels forced them to drop their weapons to avoid an explosion.
The Hydra captain was one of them. The moment he realized his weapon was overheating, he immediately threw it away and turned to face Barton, only to see the old Avenger smirking at him. He felt nothing but mockery.
"Your little tricks won't change the outcome, old man."
"I know." Before the Hydra captain could finish speaking, old Barton interrupted him. "That's why I brought backup."
"What—"
Hearing this, the Hydra elites froze, their battle-hardened instincts sending alarms through their brains. All of them were suddenly enveloped in a sense of impending danger.
Suddenly, the Hydra captain realized something and quickly covered his ears, shouting.
"Watch out for a sonic attack!"
Before he could finish, a pink energy blast, accompanied by a deafening roar, swept down from the sky.
Under the stunned gazes of everyone, it tore through the entire Hydra elite squad in front of Barton, opening a straight path to the battlefield.
.....
📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
248. Batman's Combat Power!
249. Unparalleled Art of War!
250. Defeating the Super-Skrull!
251. Switching to the Main Account.
252. Still Six More.