240 Chapter 238. Dying
"It's a UV grenade, basically sunlight exposure for vampires."
Looking at the destruction created by the grenade before him, Bucky couldn't help but wonder, "Looks like Howard really is a genius."
"Would have been better if he wasn't so... eccentric."
Howard wasn't an easy person to get along with. His arrogance, coupled with his status as an arms dealer and developer, had given him a very special place in the US military. He was involved in a number of government projects.
"Geniuses always have their quirks, let alone a very rich one."
Steve spoke up in defense. He had a good relationship with Howard, who had been involved in the design and construction of Captain America's uniform and shield.
As his eyes swept over the charred corpses in front of him, Steve's vision suddenly snapped, followed by a sudden change in his expression, "No, Dio isn't dead!"
"What?!"
Hearing Steve's words, Bucky also revealed a look of astonishment.
Click!
In a trance, he saw a figure appear at his side. In an instant, Bucky was sent flying backward with a kick that made him spit out some blood.
[Reputation points from Bucky Barnes +910]
[Reputation points from Captain America +1185]
"Dio!"
Looking at the figure that suddenly appeared, Steve shouted with a strained expression.
Dio's condition didn't look very good, at least on the surface. Although the ice from the Vaporization Freezing Technique had helped him dodge the UV rays, the rays still burned his body and caused injuries that were difficult to heal.
"Hoo~"
Breathing out an icy mist condensed by the cold, Dio looked at Steve with a ferocious smile, "Almost. You almost got me Steve, but victory still belongs to me!" Maniacally laughing, Dio's figure flickered, his nails closing in on Steve like two sharp claws.
The flying stabs made Dio's arms look like a constant stream of phantom strikes aiming at Steve.
With the shield in his hand, Steve tried to resist Dio's attack.
However, the torrential rain of attacks had obviously gone beyond the shield's defense range, leaving Steve exhausted.
In no time, Steve's body was full of wounds and covered in blood.
Looking at the crumbling Steve, Dio stopped his attack, stuck out his tongue, and licked the blood on his hands.
Narrowing his eyes, Dio grinned, the bruises on his face from the UV blast gradually healing, "I have to say, your blood tastes good, Steve, better than any blood I've tasted before. Even the blood of a newborn isn't as brimming with life as yours."
Dio's vampiric powers came from the system's cards and didn't really require blood to maintain. The reason why he behaved this way was purely to stay true to his persona.
"Cough cough ..."
Leaning against the wall, Bucky gritted his teeth as he struggled to move his body. One of his arms had been severed by the kick he had received, and several bones in his chest had been broken.
The excruciating pain from the severed limb caused Bucky to burst into a cold sweat, yet he forced himself to endure it, struggling to move his intact arm towards something around his waist.
Bucky's movements, although concealed, obviously couldn't escape Dio's attention.
However, even if he had noticed Bucky's threat, Dio continued to act oblivious and spoke to Steve, "I suddenly thought of a good idea. I won't kill you. Instead, I'll grant you eternal life, just like me. I wonder what people would say if, Captain America, the symbol of America's hope, became the legendary evil vampire!"
"I won't submit to you, Dio!"
"It's not up to you, Steve."
Swinging his arm, he knocked the shield out of Steve's hand and off to the side. Dio reached out, grabbed Steve's neck and lifted him up, and grinned with a malevolent smile, "Now, taste the wonders of eternal life!"
As Dio's voice fell, his fingers suddenly pierced Steve's neck.
"Ahhh!"
With Dio's finger in his vein, Steve's blood felt like it was boiling inside him, and his consciousness began to fade.
Of course, Dio wouldn't really turn Steve into a vampire.
Although the idea of turning Captain America into a vampire was creative, the thought of doing so would not only bring Ancient One to him but would also change the direction of the future. Ryan still had to be cautious. The power he currently wielded was nowhere near enough to warrant doing whatever he wanted.
So, Steve's appearance looked miserable, but in fact, Dio only used his vampiric powers to control the blood in his body, not convert him into a vampire.
While pretending to hold onto Steve, Dio's attention was on Bucky behind him.
"Dio!"
Sure enough, at the sound of Steve's scream, Bucky gave up on the idea of hiding, gritted his teeth, and pulled out the UV grenade he had on him. He bit down on the safety pin, gripped the handle, and shouted.
"What?!"
A look of shock spread across Dio's face as he looked at the UV grenade in Bucky's hand. However, it then turned into a vicious grin as he turned his hand to hold Steve in front of him and told Bucky, "If you throw that thing, I'm not the only one who will die, Steve will come with me. So, Bucky, are you going to kill us both?"
"..."
Dio's question obviously caught Bucky's weak point. His fingers turned pale as he gripped the grenade, but he couldn't make up his mind.
"Looks like it's my win!"
Seeing Bucky's wavering appearance, Dio started to laugh.
Pa!
However, just then, Steve, whose consciousness was blurred by the boiling blood in his body, suddenly raised his hand and grabbed Dio's arm, which was squeezing his neck. Struggling to turn his head, he shouted at Bucky, who was hesitating, "Bucky, do it!"
"Damn it!"
Feeling the power of Steve's grip on his arm, Dio's expression suddenly changed, "So you want to die, Steve?"
"I'll see you in hell, Dio."
Tugging at the corners of his mouth with a pale smile, Steve looked at the panicked Dio in front of him and weakly replied.
"Steve, you have to live! "
Looking at Steve's eyes and feeling his resolve, Bucky gritted his teeth and forced himself to throw the UV grenade.
At that moment, the harsh white light flashed one more time, accompanied by Dio's piercing cry.
"Ah ~~~"
