Chapter Forty-Five: The Three

At Lynn's prompt, Kara had already descended into the New York sewer system. Compared to the combatants around her, her figure appeared quite frail, yet this did not hinder her from keeping pace with them. Kara could feel that she was growing increasingly close to her parasite.

The vanguard troops should be just ahead, though they appeared to have engaged in some form of combat, as the neural responses of several combatants had vanished entirely.

"The signal has vanished; it appears they have suffered some casualties."

Kara's parasite was capable of rapidly assessing the status of the operatives under her control. Now that the sensory link to her parasite had vanished, it meant those operatives were most likely dead. Kara did not believe anyone in these sewers could successfully excise her parasite.

The combatants surrounding her clearly recognized the sudden demise of their colleagues, sharing a degree of telepathic resonance among themselves due to the nature of the parasite.

"Advance. Do not waste time here."

Kara's voice echoed directly within the minds of the vampires. Issuing commands without the need for spoken words, she drove the operatives forward at a swift pace. Soon enough, they caught sight of scattered equipment littering the sewer floor, bearing clear witness to a fierce skirmish that had taken place here.

Sanguclus quickly squatted down, inspecting the damaged sections of the discarded uniforms.

"Madam, it appears they were brought down by gunfire."

"Gunfire?"

It was evidently impossible for Samuel to be armed, and there were no other corpses in the vicinity. This suggested someone was assisting in his escape. Yet who could possibly know about Samuel Sterns? Or rather, who would aid a gamma-mutated entity in fleeing?

Could someone have known in advance that he would mutate?

However, Kara quickly dismissed the thought. Even if someone were helping Samuel escape, they could hardly possess prescience.

"Someone has been monitoring this situation from the shadows. General Ross's high-profile operation seems to have attracted the gaze of quite a few parties. I suspect he will face no small amount of impeachment after today."

In her perception, the pursuit squad suddenly halted, appearing to have re-engaged in firefight. This was clearly an opportune moment to catch up to them. Leading the reinforcements, Kara accelerated their pace. Although the ground in the underground sewers was treacherous to navigate, they quickly closed the distance to the vanguard's position.

Down ahead, a squad of unidentified soldiers was firing frantically around a corner of the sewer. Clearly, however, the vampire combatants had learned their lesson; they did not suffer further casualties from this ambush, and the Gregore-type had already surged forward.

The stopping power and penetration of those anti-personnel weapons posed no threat whatsoever to the thick hides of the Gregore-type; the ammunition could not even impede their advance. In moments, the soldiers of unknown affiliation were torn to shreds by the Gregore-type, though this marked the first time they had left corpses behind.

From Kara's perspective, this development was far from optimistic. It implied that the target they were meant to escort had most likely escaped, and by extension, that their mission had failed.

"The Doctor may not look favorably upon this. Continue the pursuit; do not let them get away."

Stepping over the remains of the soldiers, Kara led her squad further onward, bypassing several subterranean sewage treatment facilities. Along the way, they encountered further interceptions by suicidal loyalists. These individuals fought without retreating until torn apart by the Gregore-types, and every assault bought Kara precious time.

Moreover, these individuals left virtually no live captives. The moment they were captured, a burning scent emanated directly from their skulls, suggesting that high-voltage currents had instantly fried their brains. Their eyeballs were nearly scorched, while a pool of charred blood bubbled from their nasal cavities.

Kara had a Gregore-type pry open the skull of one unfortunate soul, only to discover that the brain matter had been entirely destroyed. Loyalists of this caliber did not appear easy to cultivate.

"Madam, it seems we can no longer match their pace. While the obstructions posed by these people presented no real threat, they have severely slowed our movement."

"I am well aware. Continue forward. Even if that creature escapes, we must secure something of value. See if you can capture a live one."

"During the next assault, strike directly. Ensure you sever a complete head with maximum speed; the Doctor may find a use for it."

"Understood, Madam."

"Move out. We have already wasted too much time here."

Passing through several more sewage treatment and recycled water facilities, Kara and her subordinates finally tracked their way to an exit of the underground sewer.

Fresh tire tracks lingered at the scene, indicating that someone had indeed intercepted and rescued Samuel Sterns midway.

"Madam Kara, how shall we report this to the Doctor?"

Sanguclus, much like Jack-Tool, had his psyche and memories completely dismantled and reshaped by Lynn. Now restored to his original form, he posed the question to Kara with a mixture of vexation and helplessness tinged within his emotions.

Kara extended a hand toward one of the nearby combatants, commanding telepathically, "Bring me their weapons."

Moments later, an assault rifle was presented to Kara. The construction of this weapon differed entirely from the standard-issue gear of the modern Marine Corps and National Guard; the bullet caliber and magazine design were completely distinct. For now, Kara could extract no useful intelligence from the firearm.

This indicated that the opposing faction was deeply entrenched and practically never exposed themselves to the public.

---

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Kara frowned as she stared at the bizarre weapon in her hand.

Just as she was running out of ideas, Kara suddenly sensed something. Handing the weapon back to the combatant, she bowed slightly toward the front and spoke aloud.

"We failed to secure the target, Doctor. He appears to have been whisked away by an unknown faction. It seems we are not the only ones paying attention to this place; others are watching closely."

Lynn's figure materialized amidst a swirl of purple mist, listening quietly to Kara's report.

"Any clues?"

"Only their weapons, but nothing more substantial. When their soldiers were defeated, a type of sensor bomb embedded in their skulls detonated, instantly destroying their brains."

"Furthermore, those bombs possessed multiple sensors, apparently capable of more than just manual activation. Even when I had Sanguclus sever their neural connections directly during combat, it was of no use. The electrical charges still triggered, detonating their brains."

Listening to Kara's account, Lynn took one of the unknown faction's weapons and inspected it. There were no trademarks, registration numbers, or production batch serial numbers anywhere on the firearm.

"It would appear this weapon hails from some secret manufacturing facility. Their counter-surveillance awareness is exceptionally high."

While the weapon itself lacked advanced technological complexity, it utilized a 9x39mm bullet caliber, which was exceedingly rare in America. Lynn also noticed that some of the ammunition had undergone specialized modifications to counter vampires.

Still, Lynn harbored two primary hypotheses, though he kept them to himself, turning the thoughts over in his mind.

"Hydra, or A.I.M.?"

"Doctor?"

Kara's voice briefly interrupted Lynn's train of thought. Tossing the weapon into a nearby stinking drain, Lynn instructed, "Gather their weapons. How are our other assault teams progressing?"

The soldier beside him hastily contacted their distant colleagues via radio, receiving a swift reply.

"Doctor, they are currently engaging the final gamma beast. Frontline reconnaissance reported that unusual individuals were lingering near the other gamma monsters, so upon your orders, they withdrew directly."

"Jack-Tool is nearly finished with his battle. If we hurry over now, we can still make it."

"Retreat by the original route, and collect the enemy's weapons along the way."

---

The chaos on the surface had been brought under control after some time. The NYPD established perimeters to calm terrified civilians, while reinforcements from the National Guard and the Army finally arrived, successfully subduing the majority of the gamma beasts.

After all, having mutated, those gamma monsters had completely lost their sanity, lacking even the most basic cognitive faculties—with the sole exception of Abomination.

Meanwhile, Jack-Tool hovered in the skies, his bio-thermal ray cannon continuously discharging high-energy thermal beams. The immense heat and kinetic force pinned the gamma monster firmly to the ground, rendering it completely immobile.

Without even needing to engage in close-quarters combat, Jack-Tool effortlessly suppressed this final gamma beast.

The mutation of this particular gamma creature was relatively mild; it managed to retain a semblance of human form, though bone spurs and coarse hair sprouted across its body—the latter of which had already been carbonized by the bio-thermal rays.

Following a barrage of attacks, Jack-Tool descended from the heavens, driving a heel straight into the frail-looking gamma monster and embedding it deep into the pavement tiles of the walkway.

He glanced back at the combatants holding restraint devices.

"Step up and secure him. The Doctor said he prefers them alive."

Promptly, the operatives stepped forward to bind the gamma monster. Concurrently, armored vehicles of the Army reappeared at the chaotic street corner.

Without requiring the combatants to deploy conventional weaponry, Jack-Tool casually fired a bio-thermal ray, instantly detonating the Stryker armored vehicle that had just rounded the corner. The blast frightened the trailing army units into retreating to the end of the street, not daring to launch any further attacks.

Jack-Tool harbored zero interest in these ordinary mortals. His mind contained only Lynn's commands, unaffected by extraneous distractions—precisely how Lynn had designed his personality to function.

Very soon, the final unmanaged gamma beast was loaded onto a transport and driven away. The vicinities of the other gamma monsters were already heavily occupied by military forces or S.H.I.E.L.D. strike teams.

Under Jack-Tool's suppression, the speed at which these gamma beasts were dealt with had been exceptionally high. Even so, only one was killed while three were captured alive, with the remaining gamma monsters currently under the control of the military, S.H.I.E.L.D., or other managing parties.

Among them, the most notable was naturally Tony Stark. His speed in handling the gamma monsters surpassed even that of the military. As Iron Man, his armor integrated a vast array of weaponry.

From repulsor rays to micro-swarm missiles mounted on his back, supported by the highly intelligent AI embedded within the suit, Iron Man faced the gamma beasts with virtually effortless ease.

He used his repulsor rays to suppress and enrage a gamma beast, followed by tactical recommendations from J.A.R.V.I.S. Once the creature's weakness was identified, he deployed lethal weaponry to secure a swift victory.

The entire procedure appeared remarkably efficient.

Elsewhere, Peter had webbed a gamma monster flat against the ground. The creature before him had undergone severe mutation, its entire physique shifting toward a reptilian morphology that burst forth with gouts of green blood whenever struck.

While this green blood lacked corrosive properties, the sensation it induced was decidedly unpleasant—all the more so given the chaotic, bristling bristles covering the creature's body and its flesh, which retained an eerie human texture...

Indescribably repulsive.

"I have to say, you are truly the ugliest thing I've ever laid eyes on. Way more disgusting than those deep-sea fish."

"Hey Spider, how are we supposed to take this thing down? Honestly, it's making my skin crawl. Should we just call it a day and leave?"

The speaker was White Tiger, who appeared to be operating alongside Spider-Man. Whether they had encountered each other midway or were already acquainted through routine patrols remained unclear.

"We can't just leave, can we? To be honest, this thing slipped right out of my webbing earlier. I have a hunch it might try again. How about we hold our ground here and wait for someone else to show up?"

"Because of your rambling, you chased off a bunch of guys who looked like they were here to deal with this ugly mess. I'm wondering if anyone else is even going to show up after that."

"What do you mean, my rambling scared them off? White Tiger, they retreated because they had guilty consciences, if you ask me. Maybe they were just—"

"Wait, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Something's off. Move, let's get up to the roof and wait. I've got a bad feeling. Lately, the only time I get this feeling is right before the pizza I ordered drops face down on the floor."

"I reckon this is what you call danger... a sudden tingling sensation."

As he spoke, Peter shot a web, sweeping Ava into his arms and leaping up to a nearby building. Clinging to the edge of the rooftop, they looked down at the gamma monster thrashing on the street below.

Just as he predicted, around the next corner, military vehicles rolled into view accompanied by a massive contingent of soldiers. They appeared thoroughly astonished to find the gamma monster already immobilized right where it stood.

"How did you know the army was coming?"

"Huh? Some sort of intuition? A sixth sense? You know what, let's call it Spider-Sense. Sounds pretty cool."

At that moment, Lynn had already appeared beside Jack-Tool. He had reverted to his human form, and upon receiving Lynn's orders, Kara began directing the combatants to leave their equipment behind in the sector where the fighting had been most intense.

It had taken considerable effort to take down the gamma monster here, and the creature had even wounded quite a few of the beast-soldiers in the process.

"Doctor, the gamma organisms on the surface have basically been dealt with. Most of the combatants have withdrawn."

"Mm, well done. Did you encounter any obstacles while dealing with the surface targets?"

"I purposely avoided Iron Man. Aside from that, there were no issues, Doctor."

"Did you encounter attacks from any other factions?"

"None."

"Is that so?"

It seemed they were remaining quite cautious, choosing never to show themselves unless strictly necessary, Lynn mused silently to himself.