* BOOOM *
A hailstorm of bullets tore through the window, aiming directly for Jiaying in the room. Yet, Val took a protective stance in front of her, shielding her from the deadly onslaught.
* BANG *
* BANG *
* BANG *
Bullets found their mark on Val while Jiaying, sheltered behind him, ensured Kora's safety. The sight of Val taking the bullets jolted Jiaying, her eyes widening in horror as she feared he wouldn't make it through.
Yet, as the onslaught of bullets ceased, Val swiveled around to meet her gaze and offered a comforting smile. He shifted his eyes towards Kora and advised, "You have to leave this place. It's no longer safe for you or your community. Hydra has arrived ahead of schedule."
Jiaying's eyes darted towards Kora, who was nestled fearfully against her chest, her small body trembling with fright. "And what about you?" she stammered, her gaze locked on Val.
Peeling off his exterior clothing, Val unveiled the gleam of Carterium armor beneath. Its dark sheen glistened under the dim light. He gestured towards his protective shell and reassured her, "Don't worry about me, I have this armor. I'll be okay." He then pointed decisively toward Jiaying and Kora, insisting, "You two, however, must leave immediately."
Jiaying, giving a quick nod of understanding, stood up with Kora clinging to her and moved towards the door. However, Val halted her to hand over a pager. Seeing the uncertainty in Jiaying's eyes as she glanced at the device, Val explained, "This is how you can reach me. If you ever find yourself in trouble, surrounded by foes, and in need of assistance, use this pager."
Tightening her grip on the pager, Jiaying gave a firm nod. She then swiftly exited the room, Kora in tow.
Val's gaze followed Jiaying and Kora as they disappeared out the door, a smile gracing his lips. He then turned back towards the window, pulling out a Carterium mask from his trouser pocket. As he fit it onto his face, the metal morphed and adjusted flawlessly to his facial contours.
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Hidden under his mask, a triumphant smile crossed his face. As he raised his fists and charged headlong through the window, a thought echoed in his mind, 'The Phantom Reaper has returned!'
...
Within a covert, high-security prison facility in the United States,
Reinhardt leisurely sipped his coffee, comfortably seated at a table littered with research papers and critical documents.
Suddenly, the piercing trill of a telephone shattered the room's silence. Startled, Reinhardt cast a wary glance at the intrusive device. Reluctantly setting his coffee aside, he reached for the phone and answered, "Hello?"
The only response from the other side was a cacophony of screaming, shouting, and the terrifying sound of bullets being discharged. This chaos persisted for a few seconds before a terrified voice stuttered from the other end, "T-The P-P-Phantom R-R-Reaper is h–urgh!"
Abruptly, the line went dead, and silence descended. Reinhardt stared at the receiver, his eyes narrowing as he muttered in German, "The Phantom Reaper!"
His gaze then shifted to the scattered documents before him, detailing his intricate plans concerning the Obelisk. He penned down 'The Phantom Reaper' on the paper, encircling it multiple times.
...
In Hunan, China,
Val obliterated the telephone before him, its former handler—a Hydra soldier—was now sprawled on the ground, his head gruesomely shattered.
Val squinted at the remains of the telephone when abruptly, a barrage of bullets erupted from behind him.
* BANG *
* BANG *
* BANG *
The hailstorm of bullets met Val's armor, ricocheting harmlessly off and leaving him undamaged.
He spun around to see the Hydra soldiers in a futile attempt to bring him down, their firepower proving ineffective against his protective gear. Val remained unscathed.
A smug smile crept under his mask. He leaped from the confines of the Hydra truck, landing on the ground outside. Upon his impactful landing, a spiderweb-like crack spread across the ground beneath him.
Val then, looked up at the Hydra soldiers and ran toward one of them. The Hydra soldier panicked seeing Val run toward him and fired a few more bullets at him. However, the bullets were deflected by Val's armour and in a second, Val stood in front of him.
Val then, grabbed the soldier's throat and lifted him off the ground effortlessly with one hand. The Hydra soldier struggled to breath underneath his helmet and clutched Val's hand which held his throat.
Without showing any mercy, Val put more strength in his grip around the soldier's throat and a sickening crack was heard.
* CRACK *
The Hydra soldier's hands let go of Val's hand and hung lifelessly down. Val then, threw the soldier's body toward the other Hydra soldiers around him.
Some of the soldiers were struck and they were thrown away when the dead Hydra soldier's body collided with theirs while some dodged and remained unscathed.
Val ran toward the Hydra soldiers who remained unscathed and in a split second, struck one soldier with a powerful blow to his chest.
* BOOM *
The Hydra soldier's armour broke apart when Val's fist connected with it and the soldier flew back and crashed heavily into a wall and fell on the ground, dead.
Val, then spun around and delivered a poweful kick to another Hydra soldier's around him sideways.
* BOOM *
The kick sent the Hydra soldier flying away and crashing into a wall and he fell on the ground with his head broken apart and brain matter and blood scattered around his body.
Val, then shifted his attention to the Hydra soldiers who were struck by him earlier and he moved toward them.
The soldiers were still on the ground, writhing in pain when they looked up and saw Val's foot coming straight at their face.
* BOOM *
One by one, Val stomped on the face of every Hydra soldier lying on the ground, killing them.
Then, Val looked around and saw that the Hydra soldiers around him were all dead.
* BOOM *
Suddenly, a blue energy beam struck his back and he was sent flying.