When Robert spotted a tight group of armed soldiers gathered near the recycling station, he couldn't resist.
This was the moment.
He grinned like a kid in a candy store. After all, when else would you use grenades if not now?
It was like a jungler passing by a tower and seeing two waves of minions stacked up—how could anyone walk away from such an opportunity?
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Several grenades arced through the air, landing perfectly among the clustered guards. A series of violent explosions ripped through the group.
Francis and Gina, who had been calmly waiting for Wade to show up, were caught completely off guard by the surprise attack. The shockwaves knocked them flat.
Thanks to their position near Vanessa, Robert had intentionally tossed the grenades to avoid harming her. While the soldiers around them were shredded into pieces, Francis and Gina only suffered minor concussive blows.
By the time the smoke cleared, the ground was littered with mangled corpses and wounded men groaning in agony. The only guards still standing were those who'd been posted farther out, lucky enough to escape the blast radius.
Francis lifted his head, groggy from the impact—only to see Robert and Wade standing confidently before him.
"You... you're alive?" Francis stared at Robert, stunned.
In his mind, Robert had long since burned to ash in the explosion that consumed the research facility. He should've been buried under tons of rubble.
Francis' lips curled into a cold sneer as he pieced it together. "Looks like you activated a mutant gene too. Just like that clown. I'm really curious now... what exactly is your Ability—?"
BANG!
Before he could finish, Robert fired.
A bullet spun through the air toward Francis, while Wade simultaneously raised both submachine guns and unleashed a hail of lead.
"Eat lead, shampoo salesman! The Undead Duo is here to wipe you off the map!" Wade shouted gleefully.
Gina stepped in front of Francis like a human wall. The bullets clanged harmlessly against her skin. But one bullet curved around her—fired by Robert with that same impossible marksmanship—and nearly struck Francis. Only his lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to block it with his tactical axe at the last second.
"A curved bullet?!" Francis's eyes widened. This wasn't just mutant power. This was a problem.
He turned to Gina. "Don't worry about the red one. Focus on the Asian. Kill him first—don't give him a chance to shoot!"
"Understood."
Without hesitation, Gina turned toward Robert and charged like a tank, her body a blur of raw muscle and speed.
"Yeah, sure, take her," Wade said, backing up immediately and shamelessly leaving Robert to deal with the incoming human battering ram.
As Gina rushed forward, Robert's heart rate shot up. Bullet time—activated.
With adrenaline pumping through his veins, his senses sharpened. Time slowed. His gear, once cumbersome, now moved with him like a second skin.
As Gina lunged, Robert twisted to the side, dodging her charge with a burst of speed more than twice his normal limit.
In a flash, he holstered the pistol and drew two large-caliber revolvers from his belt.
BANG! BANG!
Both bullets hit Gina square in the head. Her skull jerked slightly, but she didn't even flinch. It was like firing a BB gun at a tank.
Gina turned back, unbothered, and grinned. "You again?" Her voice dripped with mockery. "You didn't learn the first time, huh?"
Last time, she had broken his ribs with a single punch. She'd nearly caved in his chest. That someone she considered dead was now alive and back for round two just made her more amused.
"I hope you brought more than just toys," she smirked. "I'm curious to see how fast you die this time."
Robert narrowed his eyes and answered with two more shots.
She didn't even bother to dodge, letting the bullets hit her face as she laughed.
But then—
FOOM!
Both bullets exploded on contact, igniting twin bursts of fire across her face.
Gina screamed.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Wade was busy exchanging blows with Francis, while dodging incoming fire from the remaining guards.
"Let's dance, bubble bath salesman!" Wade grinned as he charged in.
He raised both submachine guns, but just as he was about to fire—click, click, click. Out of ammo.
He paused. "Well. That's awkward."
Francis seized the moment. With a furious roar, he lunged and slammed Wade with his axe, sending him flying. A hail of gunfire followed, peppering Wade's body and shredding his suit. He dropped like a rock.
But moments later, his wounds began to regenerate.
Francis narrowed his eyes, watching Wade's healing factor in action. "Incredible. Your Self-healing Ability... it's stronger than I thought."
He tilted his head with a dark glint in his eyes. "You remind me of another Mutant. One whose DNA we never fully cracked."
Now, greed replaced anger. If he could extract Wade's regenerative cells, he'd have something even more valuable than the Weapon X program. Immortality, even.
Too bad Wade was busy flipping him off.
Wade stood, drawing his twin katanas. "When I'm done with you, I'll carve out that stupid smug grin and use it as a welcome mat!"
The two clashed again.
---
And then it happened.
A high-pitched, blood-curdling scream cut through the air.
Francis and Wade both froze mid-strike, turning toward the source.
It was Gina.
She stumbled forward, clutching her face. The flames from Robert's explosive rounds had left blackened burns across her skin. For the first time, her seemingly invincible body was visibly damaged.
She was hurt. Badly.
----------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Samurai492