"Enemy attack from the western side of the camp!"
Within seconds, the entire camp was thrown into chaos. Smoke and flames rose from the western side as alarms blared throughout Camp Lehigh. Soldiers rushed toward the burning area while officers shouted orders, trying to organize the defense.
"Who's attacking?" Emma asked.
"Friday, switch to the nanobots already in that area. Show me what's happening."
Emma and Morgan, who had just reached the detention block where Mercer was being held, quickly stepped aside as dozens of soldiers rushed past them. Hidden by the Iron Man suit's camouflage, they let the soldiers run by without noticing them.
Friday immediately switched to the nearby nanobots already hidden around the camp.
A live feed appeared before them.
A man completely covered from head to toe in black armor was rampaging through the western side of the camp. His face was hidden beneath a helmet, making it impossible to identify him. Bullets bounced harmlessly off his armor as he tore through the soldiers with overwhelming strength. Every few moments, he grabbed grenades from nearby supply crates and threw them into the burning buildings, causing the fire to spread even further and forcing more soldiers to rush toward the west side.
Emma frowned.
"He looks like some kind of Super Soldier. Those soldiers can't stop him. We have to help."
Morgan didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes remained fixed on the live feed.
"...No."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Something feels wrong."
"Friday, check the detention block. I want every nanobot near Mercer's cell online."
Emma immediately understood what Morgan meant.
"...You think this is a distraction?"
Friday immediately switched to the nanobots already hidden around the detention block. A second live feed appeared.
Both girls' expressions changed.
Inside what looked like an ordinary storage room, two black-armored figures had somehow slipped in without being detected. One was carefully placing several explosives on the floor while the other silently stood guard near the entrance.
Morgan's eyes narrowed.
"Three attackers..."
"The one outside isn't the real objective."
"They're after Mercer."
"How did they get inside that storage room without Friday's nearby nanobots spotting them? They should've been detected the moment they entered..." Morgan frowned.
She kept the question in the back of her mind, but there was no time to think about it now.
"Emma, stop the attacker outside. I'll handle Mercer's side. And give me your storage bracelet. If you're late, I'll do what we planned," Morgan said.
Hearing that, Emma separated from the Iron Man suit and transformed into XLR8.
She removed the storage bracelet from her wrist and tossed it to Morgan.
"You worry too much," Emma said with a confident grin. "Relax. I'll be back before you know it.Don't use it unless you have to."
With that, she disappeared in a blue blur.
As Emma left, Morgan's Iron Man suit lost Upgrade's enhancements. Its stealth system remained active, but its camouflage was no longer perfect. Electronic devices could now detect it, and anyone paying close attention might notice the slight distortion in the air as she flew down the hallway toward the hidden detention cell.
The soldiers guarding the detention block suddenly felt a gust of wind rush past them.
One soldier instinctively turned and raised his rifle.
"Sir... I think something just rushed past us."
The officer quickly looked around but saw nothing.
"Stay focused," the officer ordered sharply. "Our job is to guard the prisoner. The west side already has enough men responding."
The guards tightened their grip on their rifles and remained at their posts.
The distant explosions echoed through the detention block, causing dust to drift from the ceiling.
Howard's eyes immediately locked onto Mercer.
"This is your doing, isn't it? Call it off, Mercer!" Howard said, instantly recalling Mercer's strange countdown before the attack.
Mercer looked at him helplessly and raised his restrained hands.
"Me? Don't be ridiculous, Howard. How could I possibly cause any of this while I'm sitting here in cuffs, surrounded by your soldiers?"
BOOM! BOOM!
The explosives hidden inside the storage room detonated.
The floor above the detention cell collapsed, followed by part of the upper wall, sending concrete, smoke, and dust crashing into the room.
"Enemy inside!" one of the guards shouted.
The two soldiers stationed outside immediately rushed into the cell with their rifles raised, but the thick smoke reduced visibility to only a few feet.
"Sir!"
They quickly moved toward Howard, who had been thrown to the floor by the blast.
Watching everything through the one-way mirror, everyone in the observation room froze.
"Howard, get out of there!" Peggy shouted through the earpiece as she grabbed her pistol and sprinted toward the detention room.
"Cough... cough..."
Mercer, who had also been knocked to the floor by the explosion, slowly got back onto one knee before glaring at the two black-armored figures who had just dropped through the opening.
"Did either of you idiots think about what would've happened if that blast buried me too?"
Neither of them answered.
Mercer clicked his tongue in annoyance before turning toward Howard, who was scrambling toward the doorway.
"Capture him."
One of the black-armored figures immediately lunged toward Howard with inhuman speed.
"Sir, run!" the two soldiers shouted as they opened fire.
Bullets bounced harmlessly off the black armor.
With a single punch, one soldier was sent flying into the wall. The second barely had time to react before another punch smashed into his head. The sickening crunch echoed through the room, causing Howard to freeze for a split second.
Before the armored man could reach him—
BOOM!
An energy beam tore through the side wall, slamming into one of the black-armored men and sending him crashing through the damaged wall.
Howard froze for only a moment before instinct took over.
He turned and ran toward the doorway.
Behind him, another explosion echoed through the smoke.
"Attack whatever it is!" Mercer shouted.
Heavy impacts echoed through the smoke as metal slammed against concrete. Another explosion shook the detention block, but Howard never looked back.
"Howard!" Peggy shouted as she reached the hallway, pulling him behind the waiting soldiers.
"Surround the building!" Colonel Phillips ordered. "No one gets out!"
More soldiers rushed into position, rifles aimed at the smoke-filled cell.
From inside, the sounds of fighting continued for several more seconds.
BOOM!
CRASH!
The entire detention block shook one final time.
Then...
Everything went silent.
"Move in!" Phillips ordered.
The soldiers advanced carefully through the settling dust.
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
As the smoke finally thinned, everyone stared in disbelief.
The room...
was empty.
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