As Dragon Chi doubled his physical capabilities, Jason pushed his Compound Eyes ability to its maximum potential.
Among the six attacking blades converging on him, he instantly identified the optimal escape route and the safest position to evade—a position that simultaneously offered the best opportunity for counterattack.
His arm left a blur of motion as the silver-white dagger carved a perfect arc through the air, aimed directly at Murakami's exposed throat.
The attack came with lightning speed!
Murakami stared at the approaching blade with widening eyes, cold terror washing through him. He roared internally, desperately channeling the ancient power dormant within his body.
At the last possible moment, his form shifted slightly.
Thunk!
The dagger buried itself in his collarbone rather than his throat.
Murakami's howl of pain echoed through the parking garage, momentarily startling the other attackers and causing their coordinated assault to falter.
Kingpin's eyes narrowed with cold calculation. "Speed Demon," he commanded the uniformed man behind him, "your turn. Engage immediately."
The man in the red and blue costume responded with casual disdain. "Tsk, tsk. I thought these losers could handle him without me."
Speed Demon stretched his limbs with theatrical flair, leaning forward into a sprinter's starting position. "Ready, set—here comes your hundred-meter champion!"
Whoosh!
Jason, who had been closing in on the wounded Murakami, caught only a peripheral flash of movement. He had just enough time to drive a savage kick into Murakami's lower back before a fist materialized directly in front of his face.
BOOM!
The impact struck his chest with incredible force, sending him staggering backward three steps.
Disbelief flashed in Jason's eyes. This bastard is unbelievably fast!
According to his system, Jason's speed attribute currently exceeded 100 with Dragon Chi active, yet Speed Demon moved with velocity that surpassed even that enhanced state.
The costumed speedster launched into a relentless series of attacks. Fortunately for Jason, Speed Demon wasn't a master-level fighter—his technique was merely average. This allowed Jason to protect his vital from serious damage, but he couldn't avoid taking hits elsewhere.
Despite his protective uniform absorbing some of the impact, injuries began accumulating across his body. Each blow landed with humiliating effectiveness.
The legendary martial arts master was right, Jason thought grimly. In the world of combat, superior speed trumps all other advantages.
While Dragon Chi could be activated in rapid bursts multiple times in quick succession, it couldn't sustain continuous operation indefinitely.
Need to change the situation—now!
As Speed Demon continued his assault, the other fighters stood back, content to watch. Jason's gaze briefly lingered on two of them before another hit sent him reeling backward. Using the momentum of the blow, Jason spun around and sprinted away.
"Hahahaha!" Kingpin's mocking laughter filled the underground facility. "Hell's Butcher, this parking garage may be spacious, but do you honestly believe you can escape?"
Jason harbored no illusions about escaping. He knew the exits would be blocked, and outrunning Speed Demon was impossible.
His apparent retreat was merely tactical misdirection.
He made directly for the stairwell entrance. During his initial exploration of the parking garage, he'd found no one present—which meant Kingpin, his gunmen, and the assembled killers must have descended via those stairs. Logic dictated the stairwell was the only viable exit.
Kingpin recognized his intention immediately. "You're more intelligent than I anticipated," he observed with grudging respect. "But what advantage does reaching the upper floors offer you? My people control the entire building."
Jason ignored the taunt as he approached the iron stairwell door. His enhanced vision remained fixed on the entrance. That sonic weapon should still be waiting behind this door.
He hesitated fractionally before opening it.
Observing this momentary pause, Kingpin's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
With Speed Demon closing fast, Jason had limited options. He pushed the door open slightly, immediately spotting the large speaker with its warning light suddenly illuminating.
What no one else noticed was the subtle smile that appeared at the corner of Jason's mouth.
He shoved the door fully open and stepped aside.
Although the concussive wave propagated too rapidly for complete evasion, Jason managed to create sufficient space between himself and the approaching Speed Demon.
The red-and-blue blur charged forward at incredible velocity, then reversed direction equally fast, leaving only a distorted shout in his wake: "F—k!"
After discharging, the sonic weapon entered its recharging cycle. Jason glanced at it briefly but didn't enter the stairwell. Instead, he closed the door and sprinted toward another section of the parking garage.
The maneuver left everyone bewildered. After finally triggering the trap and absorbing a partial hit, why wouldn't he proceed through the opened door?
The confident smile gradually faded from Kingpin's face.
Earlier, when he'd boasted that Hell's Butcher couldn't escape the parking garage, he'd been implying that all exits were under his control.
Any intelligent person would immediately identify the stairwell—the passage through which Kingpin and his forces had entered—as the logical escape route.
What Kingpin hadn't revealed was that the stairwell itself was also blocked.
Had Hell's Butcher entered, he would have found himself trapped in a confined space with no options but surrender or death.
Unfortunately, his adversary had proven more perceptive than anticipated.
Still, what difference would it make? Though the parking garage offered temporary concealment, locating him was merely a matter of time.
Kingpin glanced at the few droplets of blood Jason had left near the stairwell entrance. "He appears to be seriously wounded," he informed his team with calm authority. "Find him and bring him to me."
Meanwhile, Jason had taken cover behind a massive concrete pillar.
His communication with David remained severed, his body accumulated injuries, and enemies methodically converged on his position. The situation appeared dire.
Yet his expression displayed remarkably little concern.
Glancing around the pillar, he noticed that Wade—not yet the fully-formed Deadpool—was the nearest pursuer. The mercenary held his twin swords loosely, skipping along while humming a cheerful tune.
"La la la, complete this mission, get my money, have some hope. La la la, half goes to Vanessa, half for medical bills and dope. La la la, my little lungs, they've got to..."
"Wade, I'll pay you twice what Kingpin's offering," Jason interrupted, his voice low and measured.
The mercenary froze mid-step, then turned toward the concrete pillar where Jason concealed himself. After checking that his teammates weren't watching, Wade slipped behind the column as well.
The two men stood in close proximity, separated only by Wade's twin katanas and Jason's daggers.
"I'm a mercenary," Wade stated with exaggerated seriousness. "Professional ethics are paramount in our line of work!"
"Three times the rate," Jason countered.
Wade glanced at his advancing teammates. "There are too many of them."
"Four times."
"Damn~" Wade's resistance visibly crumbled. "You've successfully captured my attention. Can you pay upfront?"
"Haha, I don't trust you that much," Jason replied with a soft laugh.
"How could you not? I'm the most professional mercenary in the business!"
Jason barely resisted rolling his eyes. Would Deadpool actually adhere to professional ethics? I'd sooner believe Captain America works for HYDRA! Though admittedly, this isn't yet the Deadpool we know...
"I have a treatment that can cure your advanced lung cancer," Jason said quietly. "Interested?"
"What? How did you know I—wait, did I sing about that just now?"
Wade frowned in confusion. "No, then how could you possibly..."
"I can also make sure Vanessa is taken care of while you're recovering."
"What the actual hell? Who are you?"
Jason's voice dropped to a mesmerizing whisper. "You've seen what I'm capable of. I'm deadly serious about this offer."
He leaned closer. "Are you willing to die like this? To leave Vanessa alone in this world, eventually finding comfort in another man's arms? Is that what you want?"
Fierce intensity flashed in Wade's eyes. "You'd better not be lying to me. Otherwise, I'll haunt you even after I'm dead!"
Jason solemnly raised three fingers toward the ceiling. "I swear on the name of Iron Man! If I'm lying to you, may I be hit by a missile while sitting in a car, have a giant hole blown through my chest, somehow survive, and then be tortured in a cave!"
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