Intercepted Communications, Fury's Last Struggle
Lynn tilted his head back and downed the rest of the red wine in his glass. The cold liquid slid down his throat, washing away the acrid smell of Ozone in the air. The holographic radar's eerie blue light shone on his sharply defined profile, and three glaring red dots were crossing the state line at an alarming speed, heading straight for Manhattan.
"Sir." Natasha's breathing was heavier than before through the miniature earpiece. The cold air in the basement Supercomputer Center seemed unable to suppress the fervor in her voice. "Besides the Sentry's Source Code, I also intercepted another extremely secretive frequency band. The encryption level is S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 10, using frequency-hopping technology from the old Soviet Union."
"Release it." Lynn casually placed the empty wine glass on the mahogany table with a dull thud.
A faint buzzing sound came from the speakers. Then, Nick Fury's distinctive deep voice echoed in the empty hall.
"That idiot Stryker has completely lost control. Cut off all physical connections between the Pentagon and him, erase all funding from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Blind Spot Program." Fury's voice carried the coldness of someone accustomed to high office, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "From this moment on, William Stryker is a traitor. His actions are none of our concern."
Another slightly panicked male voice came through the audio, sounding like a high-ranking official at S.H.I.E.L.D..: "But Director, Stryker has activated the Sentry Prototype! His target is Manhattan! If we don't intercept it, civilian casualties will be..."
"Shut up!" Fury rudely interrupted him. "You think I want those piles of metal shells in New York? That's a test! The woman next to Lynn has shown power beyond the realm of physics; we need data! The Sentry are the ultimate weapon developed to target Mutants Genes; let them probe Lynn's weaknesses. If the Sentry can force out his vulnerabilities, we still have a chance to turn the tide. If the Sentry are destroyed... then Stryker will take the blame."
The audio abruptly ends here.
Lynn leaned back in her chair, her fingertips gently stroking her chin, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
The old fox is indeed an old fox. Stryker was so scared in the underground Rat Hole that he wet his pants, while Fury hid in the shadows, using his former ally as a pebble to test the waters.
This kind of calculated thinking that he had everything under control was nothing more than a clown's performance in a transparent glass tank in the face of Lynn's omniscient and omnipotent intelligence network. He could even imagine Fury sitting in some dark Safe House right now, his only remaining eye fixed on the screen, hoping that the Sentry would bring him some surprise.
"Sir, should I package this audio and send it to the Pentagon?" Natasha spoke rapidly, her keyboard clattering like a torrential downpour. "Once it's sent, Fury will instantly become the military's most wanted criminal. Or, I can hack into the Sentry ' navigation system and make them turn around and smash Fury's Safe House."
"No need." Lynn raised his hand and made a pressing motion in mid-air. "Stomping on a spider weaving its web is too boring. Since Director Fury is so eager to see a show, we'll put on a big one for him."
The air pressure in the hall had dropped to freezing point as that audio clip played.
Wanda lifted her cheek, which had been resting on Lynn's knee, her dark red hair moving without wind. The Scarlet light in her eyes almost solidified, and Chaos Particles spilling from her fingertips landed on the expensive carpet, instantly burning several charred holes in it.
"A few piles of scrap metal, you dare use them to test you?" Wanda's voice was so soft it sent chills down your spine. She slowly stood up, her gaze fixed on the red dot on the radar. "I'll take them apart, then unscrew that one-eyed black man's head and hang it on the spire of this building."
"No, this kind of rough work isn't suitable for you." Susan took half a step forward, and a visible ripple of twisting blue Force Field formed around her.
Eager to prove her worth to Lynn, her tone brimming with undisguised ambition. "Sentry are products of Trask Industries, representing the pinnacle of military technology. Master, let me go. I'll crush them into a sheet of paper with my Force Field, and show the world who truly reigns supreme in the realm of technology!"
Wanda turned her head, her Scarlet eyes coldly glaring at Susan. "Technology? Your crappy Force Field, which can't even protect a load-bearing wall, dares to call itself technology?" She mercilessly reopened the wound of the building's near collapse. "Only my Chaos Magic can guarantee the master's safety. You'd better stay in the basement and not embarrass yourself."
"You!" Susan's face flushed crimson, her fists clenching tightly. She took a step forward, her high heels leaving a deep dent in the carpet. "My Force Field is already bound to the Negative Zone Matrix! You crazy Sokovia country bumpkin have no idea what infinite energy is! If Master gives the order, I can pull down a satellite from outer space and crush those Sentry right now!"
"Want to try?" Wanda sneered, and the red light at her fingertips instantly surged, turning the hall into a scene resembling purgatory.
Just as the two were arguing, a very faint metallic scraping sound came from the ceiling vent.
Although there wasn't a soul in sight, Lynn's Spider-Sense clearly detected that Gwen Stacy was on the verge of exploding with taut muscles. With just a glance from Lynn, the ghost lurking in the shadows would transform into the deadliest assassin, severing the enemy's vital arteries inch by inch.
Three terrifying killing intents, powerful enough to tear the earth apart, intertwined in the sky above Manhattan.
If it were anyone else, they would probably be trembling with fear at the sight of this group of Yandere who might blow up the earth at any moment in their fight for favor. But Lynn wasn't.
He smelled the increasingly strong gunpowder in the air and felt the extremely twisted possessiveness of these women towards him, which gave him an unprecedented sense of control.
That's enough.
Lynn's voice wasn't loud, but it was as if he had pressed the pause button. The imposing aura emanating from him caused the murderous intent in the hall to momentarily freeze.
Wanda bit her lower lip, a hint of grievance flashing in her eyes. Susan immediately withdrew her Force Field, lowering her head and not daring to look Lynn in the eye.
"Natasha, put down what you're doing and come up here," Lynn whispered into the Communicator.
Less than half a minute later, the elevator doors opened with a "ding".
Natasha strode out of the elevator. Her abdomen was still wrapped in blood-stained bandages, and her face was pale from blood loss, but her green eyes burned with a morbid fanaticism. Ignoring Wanda and Susan's murderous glares, she walked straight to the side behind Lynn's seat and stood there like a loyal hound.
"Sir, I've arrived." Natasha bowed slightly and handed Lynn an encrypted tablet with both hands. "The Sentry ' real-time flight paths, and the underground structure map of Stryker Base, are all here."
Lynn didn't take the tablet. He stood up and slowly smoothed out the wrinkles on his suit.
He looked at the four women.
Wanda, Skyfather-level master of Chaos Magic, possesses an outrageously strong possessiveness. Susan, Force Field queen wielding infinite energy, is eager to prove her status as the queen. Gwen Stacy, a ghostly assassin lurking in the shadows, is obsessively fanatical. Natasha, S.H.I.E.L.D..'s sharpest blade, has now become his most fervent follower.
Any one of these four women, if released, would be enough to make the dark forces of the entire planet tremble. But now, they are like pets waiting for their master's commands, even their breathing is cautious.
Lynn strode over to the luxurious Dining Room area on the other side of the hall.
On the long solid wood table, Susan's carefully prepared dinner from not long ago was laid out. The silver cutlery gleamed under the Crystal chandelier. The aroma of roasted meat mingled with the scent of rosemary, filling the air.
"A few machines, is it really worth all this fuss?" Lynn pulled out the chair in the main seat and sat down calmly.
He crossed his hands and rested them on his chin, his deep black eyes slowly sweeping over the women.
A crazy and wicked plan quickly took shape in his mind. Since these women had so much energy and were fighting tooth and nail for a spot next to him, why not turn this crisis into a legitimate "hunting competition"?
He wanted Fury to see firsthand how his prized ultimate weapon would become a toy for these Yandere women to fight over.
"Since the guests are almost at the door, someone has to go and greet them." Lynn looked at Wanda, Susan, Natasha, and Gwen Stacy, who was slowly emerging from the shadows, and a dangerously cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Let's play a game."