At the base of the prison, crowds of inmates surged from every exit, following Aleksei as they made a break for it.
Inside Deepwell Prison, alarms began to blare. Armed guards swarmed into position, taking up defensive stances. Even the prison's heavy weaponry systems were activated and raised into place.
As the guards took control of the high ground, they opened fire on the escaping prisoners below.
Smith Doyle flew straight to Aleksei, grabbing him with one hand.
The other inmates following Aleksei spotted the flying man and immediately realized he was affiliated with the Red Sentinels. They rushed over, hoping he'd rescue them as well.
Smith Doyle frowned and barked,
"Back off. Get your asses back to your cells."
Apart from Aleksei—who had been locked up over political scapegoating—the rest were far from innocent. He had no intention of saving them.
But the prisoners weren't intimidated. Instead, they reached out toward Aleksei, trying to cling to their only perceived chance of escape.
Knowing full well Smith Doyle was there to rescue him, and having seen his flight ability firsthand, Aleksei shouted,
"Come on, man, get me outta here! I've had enough of this place!"
At that moment, the guards also noticed the group and opened fire in warning. Several wielding stun batons began rounding up inmates attempting to flee.
Against the fully armed guards, the rioting inmates were no match.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT
Bullets flew toward Smith Doyle. His distinct gear made it clear to the guards—he wasn't one of theirs.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The bullets struck Smith Doyle's body, bouncing off with the sound of metal-on-metal and falling to the ground in squashed lumps.
The guards stared in disbelief. Not even Red Sentinels were known to shrug off rifle fire like that.
Aleksei gasped in awe.
"There are people that strong out here now…?"
While Smith Doyle remained untouched and Aleksei stayed safely behind him, the other inmates weren't so lucky. Stray bullets that missed their main target tore into the crowd.
"Aaaahhh! AARGH!"
Prisoners screamed in agony. The smarter ones started scattering, realizing they were on their own. But a few still clung to Smith Doyle as their only hope.
Smith Doyle raised his hand and fired two blasts of energy, launching the attacking guards off their feet.
BOOM!
BOOM!
With the immediate threat cleared, Smith Doyle conjured another glowing energy orb and warned the crowd,
"Turn around. Go back to your cells."
But now that they'd tasted a sliver of hope, the inmates refused to back down, frozen in place.
Smith Doyle shook his head.
"If you're not going back… then you're not going anywhere."
BOOM!
He tossed the energy orb into the cluster of inmates, blowing them off their feet. It was unclear how many died instantly.
Aleksei stood to the side, silent. The remaining prisoners finally snapped out of it, scattering in every direction. A few fled back into the prison.
Meanwhile, guards spotted the armed helicopter overhead and immediately opened fire.
RAT-A-TAT-TAT
Bullets slammed into the cockpit glass, making John Wick and Natasha duck and quickly adjust altitude.
Several guards with stun batons charged in. Smith Doyle zipped forward in a blur, sending them flying like bowling pins.
A nearby pillbox raised a heavy machine gun and started laying down fire at the chopper.
Smith Doyle hurled an energy blast at the pillbox—
BOOM!
The structure exploded. But the series of blasts triggered an avalanche.
Seeing the chaos below, Smith Doyle muttered,
"Idiots…"
He grabbed Aleksei and soared toward the helicopter. Natasha yanked the side door open and shouted,
"The avalanche is coming—get in, now!"
The snow roared down the mountainside. Smith Doyle glanced back at the panicked inmates and guards scrambling toward the prison.
He shook his head. He couldn't exactly blast away the whole mountain just to stop the avalanche.
Once onboard, he let go of Aleksei.
"Got him. Let's get out of here."
From the doorway, Aleksei looked back at the chaos below and shouted,
"Later, suckers!"
Then he slammed the helicopter door shut.
Watching the massive wave of snow rushing down the slope, Natasha muttered,
"In front of nature, humans are just so… small."
Smith Doyle shook his head.
"That's because you're weak. A natural disaster like this couldn't even scratch me if I stood in its path."
"Stopping it wouldn't be hard—but the collateral damage to the landscape wouldn't be worth it."
"Not for them."
Natasha blinked at him. If what he said was true… just how terrifying was this man's strength?
Aleksei spoke up,
"Sir, thank you—truly. I'm grateful you came for me."
He turned to Natasha.
"I didn't think you'd remember me. It means a lot. That you'd come for me—it matters more than you know."
"And to think the world's changed so much… with people like him walking around."
He turned and gave Smith Doyle a big thumbs-up.
Natasha introduced him.
"This is Mr. Smith Doyle. He's probably the most powerful being in the world right now."
"You could even call him… God."
"He's the one who told me where you were being held."
Hearing that name caught Aleksei off guard. It sounded arrogant—but after what he'd witnessed, it somehow didn't feel wrong. In the Middle Ages, someone like Smith Doyle would've been worshipped as a deity.
Aleksei extended his hand.
"Thank you again for saving me, Mr. Smith."
Smith Doyle shook it and said flatly,
"I had my reasons."
Aleksei gave him a curious look. Natasha continued,
"Have you heard of the Red Room?"
Aleksei's eyes widened.
"Huh?"
He smirked.
"Damn, you really are in deep."
But Natasha was dead serious.
"Believe me—this isn't a joke."
······
—End of chapter—
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