Chapter 74: Frozen Vatican (1)

Frank didn't disclose the true identity of the thief who infiltrated the Vatican to X-agent Alex Haicheng and the rest of the mercenary group. The thief clearly preferred anonymity. A flicker of disappointment crossed Alex's eyes, but he knew better than to pursue it. No one in their right mind wanted to be on the Holy See's radar.

For the X-agent mercenaries, their job was simple: deliver the goods outside Vatican City. No one in the group had to risk sneaking inside.

"Prepare yourselves. I'll update you on the situation within the hour," Frank said before exiting the room, leaving the five mercenaries in silence.

Religious affairs weren't something mercenaries usually meddled in, but the price the Vlad family had offered was too high to refuse. Their influence stretched across the globe, and through the U.S. government, they could shake nations. In their world, mercenaries walked a dangerous path, always in debt to powerful players like the Vlad family.

"Captain, I want to kill that Chinese kid," Mary Jello snarled, her face contorted with malice. Though she was the youngest in the group, she was by far the most vicious.

Alex Haicheng nodded silently. Ethan Hayes had rubbed him the wrong way from the start. The kid was too unpredictable, and that made him dangerous. Suppressing his temper earlier had taken all his self-control.

"Sister Mary, you've always had an eye for picking targets," teased Sandy Brandenburg, her smile seductive as always.

Mary's face darkened. "Sandy, are you into him?"

Sandy winked. "Alex is already taken by Inez, and the Master of Imitation is too mysterious. As for you, I'm not into girls. So yes, I wouldn't mind the handsome Chinese kid."

Mary sneered. "I'll rip out his heart and hand it to you. Let's see how much he likes you after that."

Sandy let out a mock sigh. "Such a waste."

Alex interrupted their banter. "We need to focus. Our biggest obstacle will likely come from the Holy See—their Paladins and ascetic monks. We don't have much time."

His plan was straightforward. "We'll split into two teams. One will stay behind to delay any pursuit, while the other escorts the cargo to the plane and takes it back to New York immediately. No waiting. Once given the signal, the rear team will disengage and escape."

The mercenaries nodded, but it was the Master of Imitation who spoke up. "So, who's on the blocking team?"

Alex didn't hesitate. "You, me, and Mary. We'll need her abilities."

Mary grinned. "Fine by me, but I want the Chinese boy before I leave."

"You'd better be careful. He's unpredictable," Alex warned, but Mary didn't seem to care.

"Check your gear," Alex ordered, and the group began inspecting their weapons and equipment.

Meanwhile, Ethan Hayes rested in another room, a smirk on his lips. The mercenaries, except for the two women, had left him with a bad impression. As he glanced over the Destined Encounter mission, he noted he'd completed it three times already, with Gwen, Natasha Romanoff, and Mystique.

Jessica Jones was more of a friend—a useful one—but their heat had cooled over time. It was natural. Men often move on from old flames, and Ethan wasn't the exception.

A short rest restored his strength, and by the time the mercenaries left the presidential suite, Ethan wasn't in any rush. His task was simple: deliver the Blood Coffin to New York. Let the mercenaries deal with the Vatican's forces. If they wanted to charge into the fray on his behalf, all the better.

"Our thief has delivered the goods," Frank said with a smile, as the team gathered around the truck. Inez the Outlaw and Sandy Brandenburg scanned the cargo with flashlights, checking the details before nodding to Alex.

"Escort team, you're up," Alex ordered.

Sandy and Inez climbed into the truck while the rest followed in a Humvee, keeping a close watch on their surroundings. As they drove, Sandy teased Frank, "You rejected the family's golden goose. Won't that cause trouble?"

Frank smirked. "Don't worry. That 'golden goose' will attract all the firepower to himself. The thief has already led the enemies to his hotel."

Inez let out a loud laugh. "What a joke! You really sold that kid out, huh?"

Sandy smiled. "Frank, that wasn't very nice."

Unfazed, Frank replied, "The Osborn Group just acquired Tesla Lighting Energy today, and Osborn didn't spend a single penny. You think that was easy? Our boss wanted Ethan to do all the hard work and get the heat off our backs."

"Wait a minute, that kid took Tesla Lighting Energy without spending anything?" Inez asked, her temper flaring.

"Yeah, and it's worth over 18 billion dollars," Frank added.

Sandy's eyes gleamed. "So that little brother owns Tesla Lighting Energy now? I can't believe he's risking his neck doing mercenary work with us when he's got that kind of cash!"

Frank didn't reveal the full scope of their plan. The Vlad family had plotted to use Ethan as a pawn, leading the Vatican's forces to him. If he died, they could reclaim Tesla Lighting Energy and gain control of the Osborn Group. If he survived, it wouldn't matter. Either way, they wouldn't lose.

As the conversation continued, Frank's face remained playful. He enjoyed watching the mercenaries stew over Ethan's unexpected success.

Back at the hotel, Ethan stood face-to-face with Nightcrawler, the blue-skinned Mutant thief.

"So you're the thief Frank mentioned," Ethan said with a grin. "With your abilities, there aren't many places you couldn't break into."

Nightcrawler chuckled, tossing a black silver box toward Ethan. "Here's the cargo. My job's done."

Opening the box, Ethan found a medieval goblet, stained with ancient blood. Dark energy radiated from it.

Nightcrawler added, "That's the Holy Grail of the Blood Ancestor. Legend says it carries the blood of the original vampire, Dracula. Whoever drinks from it inherits the Blood Ancestor's powers."

Ethan glanced out the window, shaking his head. "I just wanted a simple job, but now you've dragged me into something way bigger."

Nightcrawler shrugged. "Good luck, sir," he said before vanishing.

As Ethan surveyed his surroundings, he sensed many powerful presences closing in on the hotel. "Why do people always insist on rushing toward death?" he muttered, picking up the silver box.

Just then, a deep voice echoed from outside the door. "Where is the Blood Coffin?"

A bald priest, holding a Bible, entered the room, his cold gaze fixed on Ethan. His eyes lingered on the Holy Grail in Ethan's hands, but his goal was clear: retrieve the Blood Coffin and reseal the ancient evil within.

"You've got the wrong guy," Ethan said, spreading his hands. "I'm just a tourist. A thief broke in and handed me this thing."

The priest's expression remained unreadable. "Do you know what darkness you've unleashed? The Blood Coffin holds unspeakable evil. If released into the human world, it would bring catastrophe."

Ethan smiled. "So why not just destroy it?"

"It cannot be destroyed."

"That's ridiculous. You could just launch the thing into the sun. I'm sure your 'darkness' won't survive a star's heat."

The priest fell silent, seemingly taken aback by the practicality of Ethan's suggestion.

"You're eyeing the Blood Ancestor's power, aren't you?" Ethan remarked, noting the abnormal energy coursing through the priest's body.

"You said you were innocent," the priest growled, his aura swelling with menace.

"And I am," Ethan said, his smile widening. "But if I were going to take the Blood Coffin, I'd stroll right into the Vatican and walk out with it. No sneaking required."

"Kill him!" came the command, as a monk with Mutant abilities lunged from the shadows.

Ethan caught the monk with a single hand, his grip crushing. "Such a waste of power," he muttered, squeezing until the monk went limp.

The priest's sleeve slipped back, revealing a strange mark, but before he could act, Ethan stood calmly, ready to face whatever came next.

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