Site-19 was one of the Foundation's most important facilities. Located in New York, it sat at the center of countless future events that the O5 Council had already begun preparing for years in advance. While Julius remained with me discussing SHIELD, Infinity Stones, and future operations, another member of the Council was currently traveling through the city.
O5-11 Lincoln.
The Ambassador.
The Senator.
The President.
One of the Foundation's most politically influential individuals.
Unlike many Overseers, Lincoln spent a significant amount of time operating in public. He maintained connections with governments, intelligence agencies, military leaders, and corporate executives. If the Foundation needed access to a country, funding from a government, or influence over legislation, Lincoln was usually the person making it happen.
Because of that, Lincoln possessed something every Overseer had.
A Red Right Hand.
Each O5 member maintained their own elite protection force specifically loyal to them. While all Red Right Hands shared common Foundation training, every Overseer customized their force according to their own preferences.
Lincoln's Red Right Hand was modeled after the Coruscant Guard from Star Wars.
Elite security personnel.
Bodyguards.
Investigators.
Shock troops.
The men responsible for protecting the Foundation's diplomats, politicians, and most valuable assets.
Leading them was Commander Fox.
Commander Fox was one of Lincoln's most trusted subordinates and the commander of his entire Red Right Hand. Alongside him were three other notable officers.
Sergeant Hound, an expert tracker capable of hunting targets across entire cities.
Jek, a veteran combat officer.
Rys, a highly specialized reconnaissance operative.
Together they formed the leadership core of Lincoln's personal military force.
Commander Fox had recently entered Site-19 to deliver intelligence Lincoln had requested. After reviewing the information, Lincoln departed shortly afterward.
That turned out to be unfortunate timing.
Lincoln sat quietly inside the rear seat of a heavily armored Foundation vehicle while reviewing documents. His driver, Thomas, guided the car through New York traffic.
Commander Fox occupied the vehicle ahead.
Several additional security vehicles surrounded the convoy.
Everything appeared normal.
Then a gunshot rang out.
CRACK!
A high-caliber round slammed into the armored glass directly beside Lincoln's head.
The bullet failed to penetrate.
But a visible crack appeared.
Lincoln slowly lowered the document he had been reading.
"...Impressive."
That glass was designed to withstand military-grade weaponry.
The attacker had clearly come prepared.
The second shot came less than a second later.
The convoy immediately erupted into action.
Commander Fox's voice exploded through communications.
"AMBUSH! PROTECT THE OVERSEER!"
Several police cars suddenly accelerated from nearby streets.
They crashed directly into the convoy.
Metal twisted.
Glass shattered.
Vehicles spun across the road.
The attack had clearly been planned well in advance.
Lincoln sighed.
"Wonderful."
A translucent magical barrier instantly formed around him.
One of the defensive talismans created by Foundation thaumaturgists activated automatically.
Dozens of bullets struck the shield.
None got through.
Outside, Commander Fox and the Coruscant Guard had already dismounted.
Unlike their normal combat operations, they weren't wearing clone armor.
Public exposure remained unacceptable.
Instead they wore civilian tactical equipment while carrying conventional firearms.
No plasma rifles.
No Foundation laser weapons.
No anomalous equipment visible to civilians.
The Foundation preferred remaining invisible.
Gunfire erupted across the street.
Fox calmly advanced through the hail of bullets.
His men moved with flawless coordination.
Every member of the Red Right Hand was a superhuman.
Every member had received Foundation enhancement treatments.
Every member had been trained since childhood.
Even the least skilled among them would be considered a nightmare by modern military standards.
Lincoln meanwhile stepped from his vehicle.
Bullets bounced harmlessly from his magical shield.
His eyes narrowed.
He was annoyed.
Very annoyed.
A massive nodachi suddenly materialized in his hand.
Monohoshizao.
The legendary sword of Sasaki Kojirou.
The moment the blade appeared, Lincoln vanished.
A blur crossed the battlefield.
One attacker never even realized Lincoln had moved.
His head simply separated from his shoulders.
The body collapsed moments later.
The next attacker attempted to fire.
Lincoln appeared behind him.
Another strike.
Another death.
The battlefield transformed into chaos.
Lincoln's swordsmanship had long surpassed human limitations.
His instincts guided every movement.
His Eye of the Mind allowed him to predict danger before it occurred.
His Vitrification ensured his mind remained perfectly calm.
His Knowledge of Respect and Harmony made his technique impossible to fully analyze.
No matter how many times an opponent watched him fight, they could never truly predict his next attack.
The assassins quickly discovered something horrifying.
They weren't fighting a politician.
They were fighting an Overseer.
One of the thirteen most dangerous individuals on Earth.
Lincoln moved through the battlefield like a living storm.
Every swing claimed another target.
Every step positioned him perfectly.
Every attack landed exactly where it needed to.
Commander Fox and the Coruscant Guard secured the perimeter while Lincoln dismantled the enemy leadership.
Several attackers attempted to flee.
Sergeant Hound and his tracking teams immediately pursued them.
Others surrendered.
Those were the lucky ones.
The Foundation preferred answers.
And dead men rarely answered questions.
Within minutes the battle ended.
Bodies littered the street.
Several survivors had been captured alive.
Commander Fox approached Lincoln.
"The area is secure, sir."
Lincoln cleaned the blood from his blade.
"Excellent."
His expression darkened.
"Find out who sent them."
Fox nodded immediately.
"It will be done."
Lincoln looked toward the prisoners being loaded into transport vehicles.
Someone had just attempted to assassinate an O5 Overseer.
Someone had declared war on the Foundation.
And soon enough, the Foundation would learn exactly who that someone was.