258. The Unfinished Battle.

On the outskirts of New Babylon, Old Barton and his group, who had finally escaped with their lives, found a relatively quiet spot to land the hover car.

After all, a car is still a car. Even if it's modified to become a flying hovercraft, it doesn't change its basic function—cars are meant to drive on the ground.

The entire city of New Babylon was engulfed in flames of war. Not only was Times Square under siege, but Hydra soldiers in various districts had also mobilized in an orderly manner to resist the attacks from the mercenaries. Although they were still at a disadvantage and retreating, the mercenaries couldn't easily crush them either.

The battle was a sticky affair, with various forces tangled together like a massive meat grinder, constantly reaping lives. In such circumstances, no one could easily escape the battlefield.

In this situation, if the Old Punisher continued flying the hover car in plain sight toward the city outskirts, they would undoubtedly become a target for everyone, even with Kara by their side.

"Frank, I thought you..."

When the sound of gunfire and explosions around them finally subsided a bit, Old Barton relaxed slightly. He patted the back of the driver's seat, his tone filled with restrained excitement.

"Thought I what, died?"

The Punisher rubbed his abdomen and squinted slightly. "That was indeed a perfect hunt, at least for Kraven. It took SHIELD's backup team half a month to snatch me back from death, but as you can see, I'm not what I used to be."

"I don't agree with that. I just saw you wreak havoc, and it really got my blood pumping!" Old Barton laughed heartily.

"If you weren't blind, I might actually believe your nonsense." The Punisher's lips curled slightly, as if he wanted to smile, but the stiff muscles in his face made it difficult to control.

Hearing this, Old Barton gradually quieted down. He gently stroked the hard edges of the seat, then asked, "Why did you come here? Or rather, Frank, what's your reason for being here? In your current condition, you're in no shape to fight."

"We're both old, Clint."

Frank sighed, his murky eyes filled with endless sorrow.

"Time has robbed me of my fighting skills. It's also taken my memory. My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. If I was once a knife, now I'm more like a rusty sieve—I've forgotten so much."

"Alzheimer's?"

"Something like that. It's only in the early stages, but I can feel my memory slipping away," Frank answered calmly.

"One day, Clint, I'll forget how to fight. I won't remember your names. I'll lose all memories of my wife and children... That's something I can't accept. Maybe when it happens, I'll be like a fool, but for now, I can't accept that fate."

"So, you're asking why I came here. The answer is simple: this world doesn't need relics like us anymore. The future belongs to the young. And by that, I don't mean those scoundrels who stole my name, but real heroes."

As Frank spoke, he turned to look at Jason Todd, still sound asleep in the passenger seat like a baby.

"We failed to protect the future. We've ruined this generation's world. Our failure means they live in constant suffering—that's our responsibility."

"I can't stand by and watch kids die in front of me while I do nothing. Clint, you know this—children are the hope. Even if there's a one-in-ten-thousand chance, if there's a sliver of hope that we can change this wretched world, I will never give up."

The atmosphere inside the car grew heavy under the weight of the Punisher's profound words. These relics of a bygone era carried burdens too heavy to bear, making it difficult for them to breathe. They remained silent for the rest of the journey.

It wasn't until Kara, leading the way, stopped in front of some ruins that Frank found a spot to park the car.

"What about the kid?" After getting out, Frank frowned as he looked at the still-unconscious Jason Todd. "How hard did that guy in red hit him? He's not dead, is he?"

"He's still breathing, though faintly," Old Barton said, slinging Jason over his shoulder without hesitation.

Kara walked over, using her X-ray vision to scan Jason's body. Muscles bruised and battered, internal injuries, and countless scars on his skin became visible to her.

"His body is in bad shape. He must have suffered quite a bit at the hands of Red Skull. It's unlikely he'll wake up anytime soon. Let him rest for now. We should head inside."

"Who are we looking for? What about the Justice League at Times Square?" Frank asked, eyeing Kara curiously.

Before Kara could answer, Old Barton lightly patted Frank's shoulder. "It's a long story, old friend. Let's head inside, and I'll explain everything."

They followed a dark path through the ruins and finally lifted a hidden door leading to an underground wine cellar that had been sealed for some time.

"Well done."

Alex had already sensed their presence when they approached. Seeing them enter, he greeted them. "Lay Jason down on the straw over there. It's not much, but it'll have to do. Though, there's plenty of good wine here."

"Frank the Punisher, I believe you know him. Frank, this is Alex, also known as the Raven, a hero from another world," Old Barton introduced.

Frank stared intently at Alex for a while, and Alex nodded slightly in return. It was their first meeting, so they didn't have much to talk about—just a brief exchange of glances.

"What's our next move?" Kara asked, casually sitting on a large wine barrel.

"No rush. The battle isn't over yet," Alex replied offhandedly. He then walked over to Jason, checking his injuries and physical condition. "As far as I know, there's another world on the brink of collapse waiting for us to save it."

"Another world..." Everyone's gaze shifted to Jason.

"His world," Alex murmured.

The bad news was that, given Jason's current condition, it would take at least one or two years for him to recover his full strength.

The good news was that Old Barton's group had a degraded version of the Super Soldier Serum. Though it carried the risk of death, with some magical purification, they could turn Jason into a mini-Winter Soldier.

The Bat family usually despised using serums or enhancements, as their fragile mental states made them vulnerable to outside influences that could lead them into darkness. But Jason was different. He had already crawled out of the abyss once. Alex believed Jason had the experience to control this newfound power.

"I'm going to check on Pietro."

Kara, after resting for a while, prepared to head out to support Pietro and the others, knowing that the chaos outside was far from over.

"Wait—"

Suddenly, Alex called out to Kara.

She stopped, turning back with a puzzled look, wondering why Alex had stopped her. Alex, still crouched over Jason, using healing magic to tend to his injuries, calmly said without turning his head, "No rush."

.....

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259. The Death of Black Canary!

260. Wrath of the Gods!

261. Bullseye's Log - Final Chapter.

262. After the Storm.

263. Worries.