Badass in Disguise Chapter 275

Wraith moved swiftly through the dimly lit underground tunnel, his mechanical arm casting long shadows against the rough stone walls. The passageway was ancient—or masterfully designed to appear so—and riddled with deadly traps. But every trap had already been triggered.

Pressure plates lay depressed, poison darts embedded in the walls rather than his flesh, and trip wires hung limply, cut or broken. Someone had passed through recently—and survived. It had to be Jade.

He crouched down, examining a small blood smear on the stone floor. The warmth still lingering told him she couldn't be far ahead. Despite the speed of his pursuit, the distance between them remained stubbornly constant.

The tunnel took a sharp turn, and Wraith followed, his senses heightened for any sign of danger. More sprung traps, more evidence of Jade's passage. A faint light appeared ahead, growing stronger with each step. Wraith accelerated, his breath steady despite the exertion.

The tunnel ended abruptly, opening onto a tropical landscape bathed in natural sunlight. The sudden brightness forced him to shield his eyes momentarily. After spending so long in the darkness, the adjustment was painful. When his vision cleared, he found himself several miles from the fortress core, near the coastline. Dense tropical vegetation surrounded him, and in the distance, thick plumes of smoke rose from the direction of the facility—evidence of Ethan's aerial bombardment.

Wraith scanned the ground, quickly finding Jade's trail leading into the jungle. Without hesitation, he followed, moving with the practiced silence of a trained killer.

The sounds of combat reached him before he saw them. Jade was engaged in fierce battle with two Shadow Organization elite operatives. Her movements were fluid and deadly, but even she couldn't maintain this pace forever. One operative already lay motionless on the ground, but the remaining two were pushing her to her limits.

Wraith stepped from the foliage, his mechanical arm whirring softly as he prepared for combat. "I'll handle this," he said.

She advanced quickly through the dense vegetation until they reached a cliff edge overlooking the churning ocean below. A helicopter sat on a small clearing, its rotors already spinning. SPECTER stood nearby, clearly preparing for evacuation.

"How did you know about the secret passage?" SPECTER demanded when he spotted Jade, his mismatched eyes narrowing.

Jade's expression remained cold and detached. "When you're dead, I'll tell you the answer."

SPECTER's lips curved into a contemptuous smile. "Just you alone?"

"Not just her," Wraith appeared.

SPECTER's smile twisted into something more sinister. "Good, another one for the slaughter." He turned to the armed men positioned around the helicopter. "Open fire. Kill them both."

The operatives raised their weapons, but when they pulled their triggers, nothing happened. No gunfire, no explosions—just the impotent clicking of jammed mechanisms. Jade and Wraith had been prepared to dive for cover, but now they stood, momentarily confused by the unexpected malfunction.

"Nice work," Jade said to Wraith, assuming he'd somehow sabotaged the weapons.

"This wasn't me," Wraith replied, equally surprised.

SPECTER's face contorted with rage. "What are you waiting for? Attack them!" he shouted.

The operatives abandoned their useless firearms and charged forward. Despite their injuries from the earlier fights, Jade and Wraith were still formidable opponents. Bodies began to fall as the two former Shadow Organization assassins demonstrated why they had been among the organization's elite.

Amid the chaos, Milo Murphy stood slightly behind SPECTER, his face a careful mask hiding the storm of emotions within. His eyes tracked SPECTER's movements with the precision of a predator. Slowly, he drew a tactical knife from his belt.

"Help them," SPECTER commanded without turning around.

"Yes," Milo replied softly, his voice barely audible over the sounds of combat. His eyes darkened with hatred and thirst for revenge as he stepped forward, his entire being consumed by the desire for retribution.

His previously expressionless face contorted with rage as he lunged, driving his knife toward SPECTER's lower back with all his strength. But instead of the expected give of flesh, the blade struck something solid with a metallic clang.

Before Milo could process what had happened, SPECTER whirled around and delivered a devastating blow that sent him flying backward. Milo crashed to the ground, coughing blood, staring up at SPECTER's unharmed form.

"Shit," he gasped, realization dawning. "Body armor."

SPECTER looked down at him with cold contempt. "You're asking for death."

Despite his broken ribs, Milo struggled to his feet. "You're the one who should die!"

"I see you know everything now," SPECTER said with a smirk. "About killing your own brother, about Dusk being your brother."

Milo's face twisted with grief and rage as he watched SPECTER's satisfied expression.

"I almost forgot," SPECTER continued, twisting the knife deeper, "about your mother too—who killed herself because of what you did."

"Fratricide and matricide," SPECTER taunted. "You're quite the family man."

"Shut up!" Milo roared, veins bulging at his temples.

SPECTER sneered. "The person you should be most grateful to is me. I gave a 'failure' like you the chance to experience a mother's love."

"How did it feel to be loved by your mother? Too bad you'll never feel it again!"

With a primal scream, Milo charged at SPECTER. "I'll kill you!"

His attack was desperate and uncoordinated, fueled by raw emotion rather than technique. SPECTER countered with brutal efficiency, breaking bones with each precise strike. The sound of fracturing bones echoed across the clearing as SPECTER systematically destroyed Milo's body.

Within minutes, Milo lay on the ground, unable to move, blood pooling beneath him.

SPECTER calmly pulled out an expensive handkerchief and methodically wiped the blood from his hands. "It's a pity your brother died so early. I would have enjoyed watching you tear each other apart."

He glanced down at Milo, who was struggling to breathe through the pain. "Your brother's clone was destroyed too. Otherwise, I could have staged a brotherly death match today. Would have been quite entertaining."

His words continued to stab at Milo, driving him to attempt one final, futile charge. Predictably, SPECTER countered, twisting Milo's arm until it snapped with a sickening crack. Milo's agonized scream tore through the air.

"Since you're prepared to die anyway, let me be kind and send you to join your short-lived family!" SPECTER raised the knife, poised to end Milo's life.

Just as the blade descended toward Milo's chest, a throwing knife flashed through the air, knocking the weapon from SPECTER's hand.

SPECTER looked up to see Jade standing there, her arm still extended from the throw.

His expression darkened. He pointed at Jade, speaking to Milo: "She's the one you should kill. Your brother died for her. She killed your brother's clone."

"If not for her, the organization wouldn't have needed you to kill your brother and drive your mother to suicide."

SPECTER grabbed a vial from his pocket and forced its contents down Milo's throat. He then seized Milo by the hair, forcing him to look directly into his eyes.

A pocket watch dangled from SPECTER's hand, swinging rhythmically back and forth...

Jade turned to dodge an attack from behind, ready to counter, only to discover her attacker was Milo. She immediately pulled back her strike, noticing his vacant pupils. The hypnosis was immediate and effective.

SPECTER observed from a distance, drawing his sidearm with methodical calm. He aimed at Jade, who was occupied with the mindless assault from Milo.

"Goodbye," he said with a smile, and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot cracked through the air.

A blur of movement intercepted the bullet's path. Metal struck metal with a sharp ping as the bullet hit Wraith's mechanical arm.

Wraith extended his arm, targeting his final explosive round.

SPECTER ducked away instantly.

But Wraith had adjusted his aim—the projectile wasn't meant for SPECTER at all.

It streaked toward the helicopter on the cliff edge.

The explosion tore through the aircraft's rotors, destroying them instantly.

With his escape route obliterated, SPECTER's face darkened with fury. "Damn it!"

He emptied his gun at Wraith, who dodged and weaved, but couldn't entirely avoid the barrage. A bullet caught him in the thigh, though thankfully not hitting any arteries.

Out of ammunition, SPECTER discarded the empty weapon and strode toward the trio, removing his restrictive jacket. His fists clenched, radiating murderous intent and a terrifying aura.

Wraith leaned against a waist-high boulder, blood streaming from his thigh wound. He'd barely caught his breath when SPECTER appeared at his side with frightening speed.

Wraith's pupils contracted in alarm. He made a desperate roll, narrowly avoiding SPECTER's lethal kick.

SPECTER's attacks came without pause. Before Wraith could regain his footing, SPECTER's foot connected with his chest, sending him flying through the air.

He crashed to the ground, the world spinning around him. Before his vision could clear, excruciating pain shot through his injured thigh, bringing momentary clarity through agony.

SPECTER stood above him, his foot grinding directly into Wraith's bullet wound. Blood gushed from the reopened injury.

The pain was so intense that Wraith nearly lost consciousness, his body drenched in cold sweat as though he'd been submerged in ice water and pulled out again.