NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Predator Unleashed
Tony was fiddling on the holographic interface as explosions echoed through the Malibu cliffs. The estate's defense systems lit up in synchronized bursts, targeting the advancing mercenaries. Panels glowed with energy readings, threat levels, and heat signatures.
"JARVIS, talk to me. Status update," Tony commanded, his voice sharp.
"Enemy forces are being pushed back, sir," the AI replied in a mechanical tone. "Twenty-two hostiles neutralized, nine incapacitated. The remaining forces are retreating through the south ravine. Structural integrity of the mansion remains at 84%."
Tony exhaled. "Well, how bout that," Tony smirked. "Nice job, JARVIS. Have you been target practicing behind my back?"
"With all due respect, sir," JARVIS replied, "only 18% of the confirmed kills were executed by automated defense. The attackers came well-prepared."
Tony turned to the screen, narrowing his eyes. "Then who the hell is cleaning the house out there?"
"Alexander Kane."
Tony's smirk vanished. He turned sharply toward the central feed. "Say what now?"
The main display shifted to drone surveillance. Onscreen, Alex tore through the battlefield like a phantom, dancing between gunfire and explosions. He didn't just dodge bullets, he was gone before they were fired. His body was faster than anyone could lock onto him; each movement flowed into the next, perfectly placed and surgically executed.
An attacker lunged from behind. Alex spun and sidestepped, dropping the man with a clean shot to the knee, then a knockout blow to the temple. Another aimed a gun at him and fired, but Alex twisted, dodging the bullet with uncanny timing. In a blink, he closed the gap, swiftly disarming and neutralizing the shooter with a brutal takedown.
Tony stared, eyes narrowing, "...sh*t, who the f*ck is this guy?"
"Biometric analysis confirms elevated adrenaline, muscular density, and reaction speed," JARVIS added, "Correlations suggest exposure to enhancement protocols. Some patterns are consistent with early Super Soldier Serum data."
"You're saying Kane's running on some kind of drug?"
"I'm suggesting the presence of a modified enhancement compound. The original Super Soldier Serum was developed in the early 1940s by Howard Stark and Dr. Erskine. Kane's biomety, however, exhibits an unfamiliar modification."
Tony muttered," Perfect. A super-powered mystery man right in my living room."
A distant explosion rocked the east wing.
"JARVIS, garage sector__ report."
"Hostiles breached the vehicle bay. They've deployed repulsor-based cutting gear. Their trajectory suggests they're heading toward your research sector."
Tony's face twisted into a scowl. "Are they after the Arc Reactor tech? Dammit... I really need to get started on Mark II faster."
"Kane is en route, sir. ETA in one minute."
Onscreen, Alex was already halfway through a collapsing hallway, a rifle at his side, handgun raised. His body moved like a storm __controlled, unrelenting. Sparks flew around him, by he never slowed.
In the safe room, Pepper clutched a tablet, her knuckles white. Surveillance footage flickered across the screen. "Is he even human?"
Tony entered the room, his expression grim. He stood beside her, eyes fixed on the feed. "Well, he is something."
He pulled up another tactical overlay. "They're boxed in. JARVIS, initiate lockdown on the lower hallways and redirect defense drones to sectors A6 and B3."
"Confirmed, sir."
Tony turned to Pepper. "Here is not safe for you. You need to get to the secure vault. Now."
"What about you?" she asked, panic rising, though her eyes remained glued to the security feed where Alex was still fighting like a god of death.
"I'll handle the defense network and support him remotely." He paused, then glanced toward the screen. "And arm myself."
Without another word, Tony pulled a compact firearm from the wall panel and headed out.
---
Dust and fire choked the air. Alex moved like a ghost through the dust. His Spider Sense pulsed constantly__warning, guiding his reflexes into something otherworldly. Each enemy was sketched before they acted. He was always one step ahead.
Suddenly, a mercenary broke from cover, lifting a high-powered RPG fitted with Stark-grade targeting stabilizers. The missile blasted off its launcher.
Time slowed.
Alex turned his gaze towards the incoming missile, his face was expressionless. His left hand rose, fingers spreading as an unseen force enveloped the rocket. It slammed to a halt in mid-air, shuddering wildly as the telekinetic grip seized it, momentum dying in a shower of fiery discharge.
'As I thought, it's really hard, Alex felt strained. His focus narrowed to a singular point. Sweat beaded across his brow as he diverted the missile's momentum. Then, with a flicker of thought and motion, he redirected it...toward a nearby mercs hidden behind a pillar.
The warhead struck.
The explosion erupted with a deafening force, flames engulfing the mercs. Shockwave shattered nearby walls. The air itself trembled.
But Alex was already moving.
Through smoke and shrapnel, he sprinted forward, firing precise shots with his sidearm. A mercenary charged, raising his weapon__Alex dipped beneath the barrel and slammed his elbow into the man's jaw. Another drew down on him; Alex spun and fired a single round between his eyes. Even as a blood graze along his shoulder, the wound healed before it could slow him, his enhanced healing already at work, leaving only torn fabric as proof.
Gunfire chased him, but never caught him. Bullets whizzed past, ricocheting off walls and steel. Every action was deliberate. Brutal. Perfectly executed.
Then came silence.
Alex lowered his weapon. The glow of his eyes dimmed slightly.
---
Outside the mansion, black SUVs rolled to a halt beneath the rising smoke. Their engines cut out, doors opened in perfect sync.
A Caucasian man in a black suit stepped out first. He adjusted his tie with a glance at the scorched terrain. His eyes swept across the downed drones, burned-out walls, and slumped attackers.
Without a word, he pulled out a slim communicator and lifted it to his ear.
"Sir, it's Coulson. I've reached the scene. We have a situation."
His gaze remained fixed on the shattered mansion.
"I think we just found our wildcard."