DC Apostle in the Marvel Universe

Perhaps because he was no longer under constant surveillance and threat, Russell's vigilance had significantly decreased since leaving the base.

This was the main reason he had fallen into Kingpin's trap earlier.

Although Kingpin's plan had seemed well thought out, if Russell had been even slightly more cautious, he wouldn't have walked into the trap and nearly lost his life.

After the recent events, he no longer had any thoughts of underestimating his enemies.

Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit.

And Kingpin was no helpless rabbit.

Using the stealth techniques he had learned at the Hydra base, he moved like a ghost toward the snipers' ambush points.

Now, Russell no longer saw these snipers as insignificant threats. Instead, he treated them as opponents who could genuinely endanger his life.

As he moved stealthily, he frequently used his super vision to scan the surroundings, ensuring no surprises awaited him.

The remaining nine snipers were still at their posts, unaware that death was creeping toward them.

Controlling his strength, Russell reached one of the rooftops without making a sound. Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, he approached the sniper lying beneath a water tank.

The sniper's full attention was on his scope, completely oblivious to Russell's presence.

Without any unnecessary movements, he swiftly grabbed the sniper's neck and, with a slight twist, snapped it.

"First one down..."

After taking out the first target, Russell used his super vision to check on Allen's progress.

Although Allen usually came across as careless and scatterbrained, he was surprisingly reliable when it mattered.

By the time Russell had dealt with his first target, Allen had also silently taken out his own.

Based on distance, the duo had divided the nine snipers into two groups.

Four were assigned to Allen, while Russell handled the remaining five.

Against a focused Russell and Allen, the snipers stood no chance. By the time he took out the last sniper, none of them had noticed anything amiss.

With the snipers dealt with, the duo returned to the alley where they had started. They then drove off in the remaining two vehicles with the eight injured soldiers.

Kingpin's ambush hadn't caused any casualties, but it had certainly created complications.

Russell had been forced to use the 'Dionesium Factor', and the eight injured soldiers had disrupted his original plans.

Initially, he had planned to take over the territory he had secured two days ago.

These eight soldiers were supposed to be the guards for that territory.

But now, before they could even claim the territory, their guard force was already injured.

For Russell who had a limited number of soldiers, this was a frustrating setback.

Only 21 soldiers had chosen to leave Hydra with him.

And now, just days after leaving the base, nearly half of them were injured.

Despite his anger, Russell forced himself to stay calm.

He wasn't dealing with ordinary gang members anymore. He was up against the Kingpin, the underground ruler who had forcibly subdued all of New York's gangs.

In a one-on-one fight, Russell had over a hundred ways to kill the Kingpin.

But this wasn't a one-on-one battle.

He had to consider the people who had followed him. He had a responsibility to protect them.

As a leader, if he couldn't even protect his own people, he would become a laughingstock.

Perhaps confident in his plan, Kingpin didn't set up any further ambushes after the initial one.

This allowed Russell and his team to reach their destination without further trouble.

Their destination was a sprawling, abandoned office building, 20 stories tall with hundreds of rooms.

It was also close to a major transportation route, making it convenient for moving goods and, if necessary, escaping.

Locations like this were always popular with underground gangs.

If Russell and Allen hadn't stormed the place two days ago and thoroughly dismantled the gang stationed here, they wouldn't have given up such a prime location.

Russell couldn't remember the name of the gang that had been here.

The only thing he vaguely recalled was that it was a Vietnamese gang.

But that didn't matter anymore. After confirming that the building was completely empty, he officially claimed it as his prize.

The eight injured soldiers were temporarily out of commission, and Russell wasn't comfortable leaving them to guard the place alone.

So, he adjusted his plans slightly, taking on the responsibility himself along with Allen. He also notified Dr. Wilson at the farm.

Upon receiving Russell's message, Dr. Wilson immediately gathered his team and rushed over.

Aside from the six soldiers left behind to guard the Quinjet and the Humvees, Dr. Wilson brought everyone else, along with the bags of cash Russell had requested.

Driving military Humvees into New York wasn't a wise decision, so Dr. Wilson only brought the five trucks.

After inspecting the office building that would become their new base, Dr. Wilson had no objections.

For him, as long as he could continue his research, he didn't care where Russell set up the base.

Once Dr. Wilson arrived, Russell handed over the remaining tasks to him, including organizing the office building and handling the necessary permits and paperwork.

After briefing Dr. Wilson, he grabbed a bag of cash and went to find Heather.

Heather didn't have much to do at the moment.

She couldn't contribute to the research, and Russell preferred taking Allen along for combat missions.

Since leaving the base, she had been in a state of idle boredom.

Although she didn't know the specifics of Russell's plans or his long-term goals, it didn't matter to her.

As long as her distant cousin, Allen, was alive, and Russell hadn't disappeared, that was enough.

Everything else could wait.

When Russell showed up with a bag of cash and explained the task to her, she was stunned.

Russell's request was simple: deliver the money to the owner of the apartment whose ceiling he had destroyed.

What surprised Heather wasn't the task itself, but the fact that she had discovered another side of Russell.

He had destroyed someone's roof in a fight, left a note to warn the owner, and was now sending her to compensate for the damages.

"Okay, no problem!"

Although she didn't fully understand Russell's unique way of thinking, Heather agreed without hesitation.

She couldn't help but find the man standing before her oddly endearing...