Steel Storm

Whoosh!!

The energy gathering in Davis's palm became a deadly beam, shooting straight at Miles!

But just before the beam could reach Miles, an icy blue blast of cold air erupted from the side and collided violently with the scorching energy.

It was Mona, the Black little girl who had just escaped! She possessed the same ability as Bobby, the former X-Man known as Iceman!

The cold air and heat energy clashed fiercely, producing a sharp sizzling sound as white steam instantly filled the area. But in just a moment, Mona's cheeks had flushed red, and beads of sweat formed at her temples. She was clearly about to reach her limit.

The scorching beam quickly broke through the cold barrier and continued pressing slowly toward them.

At the same time, silver light flashed in Delia's eyes as she stretched out both hands. Davis, hovering in midair, suddenly felt an invisible force seize his arm and forcibly twist it aside!

With the movement of his arm, the energy beam grazed past the group and carved a charred trench through the distant ground.

"We need to drag him out of the sky!" Richter shouted at the others. "Otherwise, we're at too much of a disadvantage!"

Among those present, few had abilities that could effectively deal with airborne targets. Richter, Laura, Rebecca, and the others all needed to fight on the ground!

Before Richter had even finished speaking, Miles spoke from his wheelchair.

"Leave it to me."

The moment he finished, the launch ports of two anti-aircraft missile towers in the distance abruptly turned. Amid the hum of machinery, they locked onto Davis in the sky with pinpoint precision!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two missiles trailing long plumes of flame tore through the air with piercing shrieks and shot straight into the sky!

At the same time, Logan, who had been holding off the military's heavy firepower, rose once more from the smoke and dust of another bombardment.

He shook his dazed head. His ears were still ringing continuously. Though this heavy firepower could not pose any real threat to him, the relentless bombardment had made it difficult for him to break free for the moment.

Just as Logan was considering which direction to break through, he suddenly noticed that the entire battlefield had grown much quieter. The expected next barrage did not come.

The bombardment had weakened.

The tanks and armored vehicles that had been keeping him pinned down now seemed to have received new orders. Ignoring the terrified shouts and futile controls of the soldiers inside, they slowly turned around and left in a synchronized rhythm so uniform it was chilling.

The automated sentry guns on the walls also stopped firing and turned mechanically.

The weapons systems across more than half the base seemed to have submitted to some unknown consciousness, all aiming at the same target in the sky!

Then, over a hundred drones buzzed in from every corner of the base, forming a black metallic swarm in the air as they surged in the same direction!

Watching this unbelievable scene, Logan froze for a moment before quietly asking Aurora through his communicator, "Aurora, did you pull it off?"

"No..." Aurora replied. "It was Miles... He's back!"

Logan paused, then grinned. "Looks like those kids did a pretty good job!"

Then his gaze swept toward the soldiers gathered nearby. They watched helplessly as their side's heavy weapons lost control one after another, their expressions changing from shock to fear.

Logan looked at them and rolled his shoulders, his bones cracking loudly.

"Looks like I need to hurry up over here too..."

In the sky, Davis stared blankly at the dozens of turrets and machine gun barrels locked onto him, his face slowly changing from deathly pale to livid.

On the ground, Miles lightly touched his temple, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"I'm starting to understand General Lake a little now..." he murmured. "My ability really is dangerous."

The teenagers beside him instinctively glanced at the boy in the wheelchair, unable to stop a chill from running down their spines. In an environment like a military base, Miles's ability was simply too terrifying!

"I was right..." Caliban muttered to himself. "He is the new hope!"

"Fire," Miles whispered soundlessly, and the command was issued.

The steel creations throughout the base seemed to come alive, unleashing an earth-shaking roar! Countless weapons opened fire like a furious thunderstorm, pouring everything they had onto Davis!

There was no shrieking prelude from missiles. The first to rain down were dense autocannon rounds, suffocating in their sheer number!

"Damn it..." Davis transformed into a red streak and dodged wildly through the autocannon fire. At the same time, several tracer streams descended rapidly, weaving into a massive net of light in the sky that completely sealed off every route of escape!

Before Davis could catch his breath, dozens of short-range missiles trailing pale white flames came shrieking in from different angles!

This was no longer a battle. It was a war!

Davis spun and darted at high speed, roaring as he released scorching beams that detonated several missiles in midair!

Boom boom boom...!!!

For a moment, all they could see were endless explosions and firelight. The scorching air became a wild gale, whipping Miles's messy hair into the wind.

Yet his gaze remained cold from beginning to end, without the slightest trace of warmth.

Aaaah!!

At last, Davis, blasted into utter misery amid the deadly barrage, let out an inhuman roar! Instead of climbing higher, he suddenly folded his body and dove downward at an unimaginable angle!

He actually used the shockwaves from the explosions as cover and propulsion, slipping through the gaps between shells and flames so fast that only an afterimage remained! His target was perfectly clear—the damn brat in the wheelchair!

The gale rushed toward them as Davis tore through the air, charging straight at the group... especially Miles!

Delia was just about to act again when she realized he was moving too fast. She could not lock onto him in time!

"Watch out!" Mona cried.

"Laura," Miles said.

Laura immediately understood. With a roar, she charged directly at Davis!

Davis's expression hardened. With a sudden spin, he flung Laura aside, but at the same time, as he drew closer, the others moved as well!

"Get down here!!"

The silver glow in Delia's eyes intensified. An invisible telekinetic field, like countless tough spiderwebs, seized Davis's body and dragged him down with vicious force! Davis felt as if he had plunged headfirst into a swamp of thick mud, his body slowing uncontrollably!

Mona seized the opportunity, opening her mouth and blasting him with cold air again. It poured over his body, causing an unhealthy flush to appear on his skin!

"Aaaah!!"

Davis screamed and had no choice but to forcefully change direction, dodging to the side as he instinctively prepared to land.

But the moment his feet touched the ground, the earth beneath him suddenly collapsed! Richter had created a pit several meters deep directly where he landed!

"Hold him!" Richter shouted to Rebecca beside him as he continued using his ability.

Just as Davis was about to take off again, weeds and vines growing wildly from the walls of the pit wrapped tightly around his legs!

"Aaaah!!" The chubby Bobby let out a strange cry and released a burst of electricity into Davis.

The current surged through his entire body. Davis convulsed violently, his scream caught in his throat as his face twisted in agony.

"Damn it!!"

Humiliation and searing pain drove Davis completely berserk. Veins bulged across his neck as he let out an inhuman roar, and terrifying heat energy erupted from inside his body!

A scorching shockwave burst outward. The vines around him instantly turned to charcoal, while the hard walls of the pit were burned black by the heat!

"Careful, he's going all out!"

Richter, Bobby, and the others were blasted backward by the wave of air, nearly losing their footing.

Davis broke free of his restraints, his feet leaving the ground as he prepared to take to the sky again...

Bzzzz...

But at that moment, a dense buzzing sound approached from afar and rapidly grew louder. Dozens of camouflage-painted machine-gun drones had already arrived above the battlefield. Their dark gun barrels locked onto Davis the moment he emerged, unleashing a deadly storm of bullets without hesitation!

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!

Bullets poured down like a torrential rain, kicking up a dense cloud of dust across the ground.

"Fuck!!"

Davis cursed, no longer able to spare any attention for counterattacking. He twisted away in panic and ducked behind a guard tower at low altitude. In the next instant, the concrete wall was shredded by bullets, fragments flying everywhere!

"I can't... I need backup..." Davis clutched the wound he had suffered while fleeing in haste, finally realizing that he truly could not defeat this group of mutants alone... More precisely, as long as Miles could still control the base's defensive firepower, Davis could never win!

Leaning against the wall, he panted heavily and pulled out a communicator now covered in dust with trembling hands, trying to contact General Lake.

"Sir! This is bad! X-0 has joined up with those mutants..."

But before he could finish, Miles's teasing voice came through the communicator.

"Sorry, the commander you have dialed is currently out of service. Please call again after you die..."

"Fuck!!!"

Davis threw the ruined communicator away. He panted violently, his chest heaving with rage and fear. As an elite soldier, he had never imagined that a child in a wheelchair could drive him into such a desperate situation.

But now... he had to run, or he would truly die here!

Having made his decision, Davis looked around and locked his gaze onto a section of wall with relatively weak defenses. Then, his leg muscles tensed as he prepared to turn into a streak of red light and break through... But at that moment, a terrifying shriek tearing through the air came from overhead.

The completely black Blackbird spiraled down at an astonishing angle. Its enormous shadow instantly covered the ground as it charged straight at Davis!

At the sight of this, the desire to survive that had just risen in Davis's heart turned completely into despair.

The Blackbird did not slow down at all. The aircraft-mounted machine gun beneath its nose began to spin, spitting fire! Its target was none other than Davis!

"No!!"

Davis let out a desperate roar and threw himself frantically to the side.

Almost at the same instant, a series of deafening rapid-fire blasts rang out. A chain of Vulcan rounds lashed viciously across the ground, sending dirt and rubble flying as it plowed a deep trench through the spot where he had just been standing!

Davis groaned as he rolled. A sharp pain erupted from his left arm. Looking down, he saw that the entire arm had been torn apart by bullets, hanging from his shoulder like rotten flesh. Blood instantly soaked his sleeve, and the intense agony nearly made him pass out!

He had no time to tend to his wound. Struggling to his feet, he staggered toward another direction, trying to escape. But the moment he looked up, he saw the dark mass of drones blocking every possible retreat!

More than a hundred drones hovered silently in the air, filling every inch of his vision. A cold red indicator light gleamed on each body as they descended from every direction, completely cutting off all his escape routes!

Davis finally fell into complete despair.

His bloodied head looked at the "dark cloud" made of steel and weapons, then turned back toward the boy sitting quietly in the wheelchair in the distance.

Miles seemed to sense his gaze. He raised a hand from afar and gave him a gentle wave, seemingly saying something.

Davis barely understood the shape of that word on his lips.

"Goodbye."

The next moment, as though receiving the signal for the final assault, the drones' buzzing instantly mingled with flashing firelight!

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat...

A hail of bullets poured in from every direction, completely swallowing Davis's figure.

The battle ended. The Blackbird slowly landed before them, and its hatch opened, casting out a deep blue interior glow. The remaining smoke and smell of engine oil were quickly diluted by the clean air inside the cabin.

"Miles, I'm glad to see that you're okay." Aurora's voice came through the cabin speakers.

"At first, I wanted to ask what happened," Miles said with a smile. "But when I saw Logan tearing through the battlefield on the base's surveillance network just now, I more or less understood... Aurora, you really are impressive."

"Are you making fun of me, Miles?" Aurora asked softly.

"No, I'm just reflecting..." Miles shook his head. "Aurora, you've changed so much. To bring Logan back to that state, you must have put in a lot of effort."

Aurora fell silent for a moment before replying, "To survive."

"Haha, all right, all right, to survive..." Miles could not help laughing. "Anyway, enough about that. Let's go pick up Logan first. Don't keep him waiting too long... Oh, and there's also..."

As Miles spoke, he slowly turned to look at the corpse whose lower body had been almost completely melted away, his tone gradually sinking.

"Help me... bring my friend back. I want him to have a better rest."

"Damn it, it turned out exactly like this!"

The military truck sped wildly down the bumpy dirt road, every jolt making General Lake's heart tighten.

Behind them, the once impregnable base was now engulfed in flames. The alarms of malfunctioning weapons systems could still be faintly heard, harsh, chaotic, and despairing.

The moment he discovered that the entire base's weapons systems were beginning to malfunction, he knew the situation was beyond saving. Under the protection of a squad of personal guards, he decisively fled the base in an old military truck.

After something like this happened, he could barely imagine what would await him when he returned to military headquarters...

Thinking of that, he gripped the handrail inside the truck tightly. Sweat soaked the collar of his crisp uniform, and his face was pale.

But at least... at least he had escaped.

As the outline of the base gradually shrank in the rearview mirror, the panic that had been constantly pressing on his nerves finally eased somewhat. General Lake let out a long breath and straightened his disheveled collar, trying to recover some of the dignity expected of a commander.

At that moment, Bob, the Fire Giant beside him, suddenly said in a muffled voice, "Sir, I want to fight Wolverine. I think... I can beat him..."

"You are not going anywhere!" General Lake roared. "Your duty is to protect me, understand?!"

"...Yes, sir." Bob nodded obediently and sat back down.

General Lake took several breaths, then slumped against the seat and closed his eyes weakly.

But not long afterward, when the truck had traveled only a few hundred meters, a massive shadow suddenly descended without warning.

A completely black fighter jet was silently flying ahead of the truck. It did not fire, nor did it make any unnecessary move. It simply remained there, like a silent Grim Reaper.

General Lake's pupils suddenly contracted. The relief he had just felt leaped back into his throat. Almost instinctively, he shoved aside the guard beside him and turned to jump from the other side of the truck.

But at that moment, an iron grip seized his arm.

"Sir... where are you going?"

Bob asked General Lake in a stiff, eerie voice.

The next instant, flames erupted.

Boom!!!

As the military truck on the ground was swallowed by the exploding firelight, Miles slowly lowered his hand inside the Blackbird and let out a long breath.

"That's done. Let's go."

Richter looked at Logan, then glanced at Miles and could not help asking, "Logan, is it really okay for him to kill people so casually?"

Logan glanced at Miles and answered casually, "Charles isn't here. No one can stop him."

"You were the one who told us, 'Don't kill unless necessary,'" Richter said irritably.

"I said that for Charles," Logan replied dismissively.

At the same time, the chubby Bobby looked at the dozens of military drones piled up in the corner of the aircraft and asked Miles, "Miles, can you control all these drones?"

"Yeah, that's right." Miles replied, "I thought they'd be useful, so I brought some back. Too bad time was tight... Otherwise, there were quite a few more interesting things in that base..."

"Then when we get back, can you give me one?" Bobby asked hopefully.

"Of course." Miles said without concern. "These things are just prototype units I brought back to study the technology... Once I improve them, I can give you an even cooler one."

"Cool!!!"

The Blackbird entered stealth mode and completely blended into the clear sky. With a shriek that split the air, it soared into the heavens, flying toward Westchester beneath the scorching sun.