Amid the raging storm, beams of blinding light pierced the black depths of the ocean. Moments later, a massive, cylindrical fortress — like a colossal, obsidian pudding — began to rise slowly from the dark waters below. The sea churned violently as waves crashed against the structure, spray bursting dozens of meters into the air. Under the pounding rain and flashes of lightning, the impossible scene looked more like a dream than reality.
But for the Hydra soldiers aboard the two camouflaged military transport ships, there was no doubt — this was real. The legendary Raft Prison, the fortress that held some of the world's most dangerous villains, had surfaced at last.
Crossbones' eyes lit up with excitement as the structure emerged in full. "Raise the anchors!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the roar of the storm. "Full speed ahead! Head for the Raft!"
The two vessels shed their false fishing-boat façades, revealing the menacing black hulls and mounted weapons beneath. The twin ships accelerated through the violent waves, engines roaring like beasts as Hydra's soldiers readied their weapons. The gale winds slowed their progress, but their battle-hardened will burned brighter than ever.
"Hail Hydra!"
Their rallying cry echoed across the storm, swallowed by thunder.
Inside the prison, however, the scene was chaos. Guards screamed orders as the facility's automated laser turrets — hijacked by Marcus and the Winter Soldier — rained down beams of deadly blue light on them.
The newly assembled Cannon Fodder Squad had just descended the staircase when the firefight broke out. Smirking wickedly, they watched the panicking guards dive for cover.
Ross barked into his radio, clutching the detonator in one hand. "Your first mission, cannon fodder! Take down those laser turrets!"
Doctor Octopus, still bearing burns from Ross's earlier "disciplinary measures," gave him a venomous smile. "Someone's breaking us out of this place, and you expect us to fight for you?"
Ross raised the nano-bomb controller higher, his face a picture of cold arrogance. "Disobey, and I'll blow your heads off where you stand. If I die, those collars will detonate automatically. And if you try to flee the island, the same thing happens. Whoever comes to save you will find nothing left but corpses. Anyone want to test me?"
None of them did. His threat was all too believable.
Every one of them — Goblin, Octavius, Juggernaut, Lizard, and Sandman — knew there was only one way to break free: seize the controller. But whoever made the first move would be dead before they got halfway there.
They weren't heroes. They were monsters. So no one volunteered.
Instead, they turned their hatred outward.
At Ross's command, the five villains lunged toward the ceiling-mounted turrets.
Sandman, Juggernaut, and the Lizard charged first, walking directly through the barrage. The lethal beams that could melt through steel barely fazed them. Each shot only scattered a few grains of sand from Sandman's body, while Juggernaut's unbreakable skin reflected the light like armor. Even the Lizard, whose scales hissed and smoked under the heat, healed the wounds within seconds.
Once they reached the turrets, it was over. The monstrous trio tore through the defenses as if dismantling toys — bending steel, crushing metal housings, and ripping the mounts apart with monstrous ease.
Meanwhile, the Green Goblin soared through the air on his glider, weaving gracefully between the searing beams. With each sharp turn, he hurled a series of pumpkin bombs that detonated in bright orange fireballs, blasting the remaining turrets to molten scraps.
Doctor Octopus was no less deadly. Two of his mechanical arms shielded him while the other two lashed upward, clamping onto the heavy laser units and crushing them flat like tin cans.
Watching the live feed from the control center, Marcus nodded approvingly. The stronger these villains proved themselves, the more valuable they became. Each of them radiated Alpha-class combat potential — and a few, like Octavius and Connors, could be priceless for scientific research.
"Come on," Marcus said calmly. "The infiltration's over. Time for the real fight to begin."
He turned to the Winter Soldier, but his comrade was already gone — slipping back into Hydra's ranks to continue his deep-cover role.
---
"Zzzzzzzttt—CRACK!"
A sound like metal tearing under immense heat echoed from the ceiling of the central courtyard. The alloy overhead glowed red-hot, then began to melt away in a widening circle. Such reinforced metal couldn't possibly be cut by normal means — which left only two possible culprits: Marcus's bloodflame… or Killian's death ray.
A massive circular plate fell from above, crashing into the floor below. Rain and wind poured in through the opening, drenching the courtyard as ropes dropped down from the stormy sky.
One by one, Hydra commandos slid down from the cables, rifles blazing. Under Crossbones' command, the black-clad soldiers fanned out, firing into the entrenched guards' positions.
The prison had become a warzone.
Marcus stood atop the upper platform, rain whipping around his coat as lightning illuminated the destruction below. Beside him, Thunder and Killian awaited his next command, their faces hidden beneath heavy rain gear.
Below, four factions clashed in the maelstrom — Marcus's group, the Cannon Fodder Squad, Hydra's assault force, and Ross's desperate guards — all fighting for different causes. Gunfire and explosions merged with thunder, turning the Raft into a nightmare inferno of chaos and death.
Ross's voice bellowed over the din, furious and commanding:
"Cannon Fodder Squad! Eliminate those intruders!"
For all his arrogance, his survival now depended on the monsters he thought he controlled. And indeed, his "team" proved to be the strongest force in the prison. The guards, emboldened by their presence, rallied against Hydra's troops.
Juggernaut plowed through gunfire like a tank, smashing men and steel alike. Sandman engulfed squads of soldiers in waves of grit, suffocating them. The Lizard tore through armor with his claws, while Goblin rained destruction from above. Octavius skewered his prey with ruthless precision.
The battle was an orchestra of carnage.
Even Crossbones and the Winter Soldier, both formidable fighters, struggled to hold their ground, barely able to contain a single one of the supervillains between them.
Meanwhile, Ross had retreated into a sealed bunker — a panic room built to withstand even a nuclear strike. Its reinforced doors could buy him time, but Marcus knew better than to rush. Bloodflame or Killian's death ray could melt through it given enough time, and Ross wouldn't just sit idly by while they tried.
Marcus's gaze drifted downward, watching as the Cannon Fodder Squad tore through Hydra's forces like wolves among sheep. His expression darkened into something between amusement and contempt.
"Enough watching," he said at last, turning to his lieutenants. "Let's join the slaughter."
He raised a hand, and his eyes burned crimson.
"Time to paint this prison red."
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T/N:
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