Chapter 424: Security
"Danger Alarm—"
"Danger Alarm—"
As the Headquarters of the Tang Group on Earth, Raccoon City housed the Family Members of hundreds of thousands of mid-level Tang Group employees, making Security naturally the utmost priority.
Aside from the Iron Soldiers on daily patrol, there was also a complete Defense Mechanism stationed Underground in Raccoon City year-round. The Security Personnel permanently stationed here numbered several hundred. Although their daily work consisted of going to the Office, drinking Coffee, and watching Surveillance footage, once Raccoon City faced a Crisis, these Security Personnel could immediately coordinate the entire Armed Forces of Raccoon City to annihilate the invading Enemy.
The moment the piercing Alarm Sound echoed in the Security Base located a hundred meters Underground, the seemingly languid office staff within the Base immediately entered a state of emergency with well-trained efficiency.
"Skynet Alarm confirmed. Danger Source: Four individuals. Target locked. Energy Detection and Danger Detection activated. Overall assessment: Danger Level Alpha! Emergency situation. Recommended evacuation of all Raccoon City Residents!"
In the Monitoring Room, which was as spacious as a basketball court, silver-white walls projected Monitor Screens displaying Surveillance footage from various locations within Raccoon City.
These constantly refreshing Screens showed real-time scenes of most of Raccoon City, excluding private Mansions.
This Monitoring Room was connected to ninety percent of Raccoon City's Cameras. Surveillance Cameras at Intersections, Surveillance Cameras at Supermarket entrances, and even Vehicle Monitoring systems in moving vehicles and Phone Cameras of pedestrians were all invaded instantly. Dozens of top Hackers sat in front of Computers, their fingers flying across Keyboards, working with the Skynet System to lock onto the Intruder's Position and Appearance.
Soon, under the all-pervasive Cameras, several suspected Targets were locked! In the various Sewers of Raccoon City, Iron Soldiers with vegetable leaves on their heads moved manhole covers and climbed out from Underground. Unlike their Kindred directing Traffic on the surface, these Iron Soldiers carried heavy Firearms. At Sewer entrances and Mall Secret Doors closer to the Target individuals, Sentinel Robots integrated with Mystique's Mutant Gene transformed themselves into Ordinary Person and approached the Target individuals.
In the Security Center, Light Screens descended—
Horn, dressed in a sharp Suit, stood straight like a pine, scrutinizing the Figures on the Light Screens. Horn's original name was Hornstorff von Kastner. As his name suggested, he was a German, and his ancestors were Junker Nobles.
He had once served in the Dark Demon Special Forces under the Codename Fox. Unlike other Dark Demon Special Forces soldiers who excelled at offense, the meticulous Horn had always specialized in reconnaissance and defensive combat. Skilled at finding details, he was now the Superintendent General of Tang Security Company and also oversaw the Security Work of Raccoon City.
From receiving the Skynet Alarm to identifying these suspicious Targets, Horn took only one minute and twenty seconds. His Speed could not be said to be slow, but Horn was still not satisfied with this work efficiency. One minute and twenty seconds was enough time for Raccoon City to be destroyed dozens of times, considering the Weapons inventory in the Armory of the Security Company under the Tang Group. For Horn himself, such slow work efficiency was undoubtedly a dereliction of duty!
"Report, Hive Laboratory sealed!"
"Lake Heart Island Manor Security deployment complete!"
"All personnel in the Headquarters Building have been evacuated, Laser Protective Net activated—"
Listening to his Subordinates' Reports, Horn narrowed his Eyes as he looked at the Figures on the Light Screens, like a desert Fox preparing to hunt. "How is the personnel evacuation in Raccoon City progressing?"
"Boss, the Exercise Alarm has covered 89%. 43% of Inner District personnel have been evacuated. It is estimated that all Inner District personnel will be evacuated to the Underground Air-Raid Shelter in 20 minutes!"
As a Security Personnel member replied, several Light Screens descended. The Screens showed scenes of Inner District personnel opening their home Safety Passages one by one and entering the Air-raid Shelter Passages according to Exercise regulations. Iron Soldiers orderly directed them, and since this Exercise was not the first time it had been conducted, there was no sign of any disturbance.
"Too slow. Mobilize another five hundred Iron Soldiers from the Outer District!"
In the Inner District of Raccoon City, inside a Two-story Building hidden among trees, an Ant-sized figure suddenly appeared inside the Room.
Ant-Man Scott Lang climbed onto the Window Sill and jumped up and down, looking Outside. It was the Raccoon City he was familiar with.
Because Tang Song had previously funded the Avengers with Pym Particles, Scott Lang had visited Raccoon City multiple times to retrieve Pym Particles, so he was not unfamiliar with this Small Town.
However, Scott Lang couldn't understand why they had become Enemies with Tang. Just because of a possibility? Shouldn't they be focusing on solving the Parallel Universe Thanos and obtaining the Infinity Stone to save their Universe right now?! Scott Lang looked at the elderly couple snuggled together on the Sofa, watching Television and dozing off, his Eyes dimming slightly. He thought of Hope. Although there was an identical Hope in this Universe, she was ultimately not *his* Hope.
Just as Scott Lang was feeling downcast, a red exclamation mark suddenly appeared on the Television Screen in the Living Room, which was playing a TV series. A piercing Alarm Sound instantly echoed in the Room.
The two drowsy Elder on the Sofa were instantly woken by the Alarm Sound. The two Elder looked at the Alarm on the Television, muttering something softly in dissatisfaction, but they skillfully turned off the Television and helped each other walk into a Room next to the Living Room.
Two minutes later, Scott Lang walked into that Room with some curiosity. The empty Room was completely bare; even the two Elder who had just entered the Room were gone.
"Hey, Mate, we're in Trouble!"
Before becoming Ant-Man, Scott Lang had also hung around on the streets, and his Mind could be said to be quite sharp. Looking at the empty Room and connecting it to the recent Alarm, he immediately realized something was wrong.
Through the Communicator on his Ant-Man Suit, he immediately explained the situation to the others in Raccoon City.
"I have some problems here too!"
Diana, tall and wearing a Red Dress, stood below the Tang Group Headquarters Building, watching the many visitors being escorted out. Under the gaze of several Security Personnel, she walked to the side.
"Just now, the Target Building entered a state of alert. I suspect we've been exposed!"
Diana's Gaze swept warily over the passing crowd. As a Demigod, she immediately Identified several Sentinel Robots mixed in with the crowd!
The silver Bracelet on her Wrist began to flash with Radiance. "Since they are evacuating Ordinary Person, that saves us the Trouble. Mr. Wayne, do you have Tony's Whereabouts?"
Inside a Coffee Shop in Raccoon City, Captain America, wearing an Ant-Man Suit, was crouched by the corner of a table, avoiding the shoes that occasionally stepped near him. He asked on the Communication Channel.
"The Information Encryption Technology in this Small Town far surpasses that of our World. I can't decipher it in a short time. It's a pity Cyborg isn't here, but Clark Kent is currently searching for Mr. Stark's Whereabouts. With his Super Vision, he should be able to find Mr. Stark soon!"
Inside the Bat-jet hidden in the Cloud Layer, Bruce Wayne, wearing the Batsuit, continued trying to crack and infiltrate the Network within the Small Town while responding to Captain America on the Communication Channel.
This time, after receiving Tony Stark's Seeking Aid, the Justice League did not arrive in full force. Only he, Superman, and Wonder Woman followed the Avengers to this Universe.
They didn't wear Ant-Man Suits this time either, but instead traveled through a Micro Quantum Channel via a Quantum Shuttle modified by the Avengers. To save Tony, most of the Avengers' Battle Power came this time: Captain America, Dr. Banner, Ant-Man, Thor.
"Mr. Superman, do you have any leads on Mr. Stark now?" Scott Lang asked Clark Kent cautiously on the Communication Channel, feeling strange inside. His daughter loved Superman in the Comic Books when she was little.
He never thought he would fight side-by-side with Superman one day. If his daughter were still young, she would be very happy if he brought back a Group Photo with Superman.
But five years had passed, and as a Father, he didn't even know what his daughter liked anymore. Damn Thanos!
"I'm still looking. There's Interference in the Small Town below, blocking my Vision, but you're right, a large number of Robots are gathering in the center of the Small Town. You'd best be careful!"
Superman Clark Kent still wore that cool face, his hands clasped across his chest, his head slightly lowered, his Gaze sweeping over the Small Town below.
The Avengers and Justice League members were completely unaware that their conversation was being Eavesdropped on by the Skynet Network spread across Earth. To improve Red Queen's functionality and computing efficiency, the Tang Group's Funds spent solely on purchasing Alien Main Brains were enough to equip a Tier 2 Fleet. It could be said that as long as Tang Song wanted to know, there were no Secrets anywhere on the entire Earth where a Network and Satellite existed.
In the Security Center, listening to the conversation of the several "Intruders," the Security Personnel looked at each other.
"Superman?"
"Wayne?"
These two words appearing together couldn't help but make them associate.
Especially the Man suspended in mid-air on the Light Screen, could the Intruders really be Superman and Batman?!
"Alright! I understand, Boss! Yes, yes, okay, I understand. I'll execute it now!"
Horn hung up the Phone Number, looked at Superman on the Light Screen, and ordered, "Skynet System, Aiming at Target One, Godslayer Cannon salvo!"
"Boss, the Force of the Godslayer Cannon might cause Destruction to Raccoon City! Should we use a different Attack method?" a Security Personnel member said to Horn with hesitation.
"Execute the Order!" Horn gave him a cold look, then added, "The Big Boss is in Raccoon City. There won't be any problems here!"
Upon hearing Horn mention that the Big Boss was in Raccoon City, the serious atmosphere in the entire Security Center instantly vanished.
Within the Tang Group, the longer one was employed and the more one understood, the more they revered the Big Boss as a God. In front of a God, they believed that even if the real Superman came, he wouldn't be able to cause any harm to Raccoon City.
"Boss, should we try the Great Five Elements God Punishing Spike?"
"Or how about the Rod of God? I remember Superman's Physical Quality is quite tough. I'm worried the Godslayer Cannon won't cause him fatal damage."
After learning that Tang Song was in Raccoon City, the people in the Security Command Center were even eager to try out their upgraded Weapon System on the legendary Superman.
In Outer Space Orbit around Earth, a Satellite directly above Raccoon City suddenly turned. The Solar Energy panels on its body retracted to the sides, and from the center of the Satellite, a silver-gray Gun Port covered in Runes extended.
After slightly adjusting its Direction, the Gun Port aimed directly downwards.
It was high noon, and the huge Fireball in the Sky had just reached its zenith! Clark Kent, who was looking down searching for Tony Stark's whereabouts, suddenly felt his Mind tremble. A Danger Sense originating from the Kryptonian Gene Inside the Body made him suddenly look up.
He saw that above the thick Cloud Layer, all the Landscape instantly changed color. The entire Horizon was a fiery red, blindingly bright.
From an infinite distance, a rumbling thunder seemed to roar continuously. At the end of the High Altitude, directly facing the Sun, a golden-red Light Pillar, dozens of meters thick, sweeping everything before it, seemed to tear open a giant Black Hole directly at the Void Top. In an instant, the Radiance of that Light Pillar obscured all other colors, and it whistled down from the Sun's surface, plunging into the Atmosphere in one go.
It was smashing directly towards him!
"As expected of an Evil God, completely disregarding the Lives of hundreds of thousands of people below!"
With Clark Kent's Speed, which was not inferior to The Flash's, he could completely avoid this Light Pillar before it struck. But once he dodged, the Small Town below would suffer. The Lives of hundreds of thousands of people were now in his hands.
Clark Kent's Gaze sharpened. He straightened his Arms and went straight up to meet the Light Pillar above his head. Clark Kent, who had placed all his attention on the Light Pillar above his head, completely failed to notice a Figure appearing with his hands clasped behind his back at the Position where he had just been suspended. And beneath his Feet, from all directions, surged vast waves of clear water.
This expanse of water, connecting to the Sky, seemed to be rooted in the Cloud Layer of the entire Sky. It was boundless and incredibly agile. An Ocean seemed to appear above Raccoon City.
Strangely, this Ocean seemed invisible to everyone. Sunlight passed directly through this expanse of water and shone upon Raccoon City. Pedestrians who occasionally looked up saw only a clear sky for miles, and it was as if even that Light Pillar had never appeared.
Within Raccoon City, only a few people truly saw this Scene, including Bruce Wayne, who was piloting the Bat-jet, hidden in the Cloud Layer.
Through the Bat-jet's Windshield, looking at the Target individual just meters away, separated only by a layer of clouds, Bruce Wayne, the battle-hardened Batman, lightly pressed his hand on the Bat-jet's Weapon launch button, ready to empty the Ammunition bay at any moment! The Target individual named Tang Song, standing on the Cloud Top with his hands clasped behind his back, didn't look particularly strong, but Bruce Wayne felt all the hairs on his Body stand on end. The moment Tang Song appeared, to avoid being detected, he immediately turned off his Communication Device and even deliberately lowered his Breathing Rate.
Tang Song stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching Clark Kent's Figure collide with the Light Pillar Condensed from Solar Essence Fire fired by the Godslayer Cannon. He watched as scattered golden sparks splashed onto the vast expanse of waves formed by the One Origin True Water. The indescribable Firepower instantly boiled a section of the clear water, evaporating into a large amount of Water Vapor and mist.
Tang Song muttered to himself, "Is this what a hero is? Killed outright by someone, yet after being resurrected, they don't hold grudges and are willing to risk protecting the weak. They are indeed worthy of the Appellation God Among Men! Unlike some people, who, under the banner of not killing, indulge Crime."
At this moment, Inside the Bat-jet, less than a few meters away from Tang Song, Bruce Wayne clearly heard Tang Song's words and had the illusion of being directly scolded.
Clark Kent, flying upwards, collided fiercely with the Light Pillar above his head. As a Kryptonian, relying on his Body of Steel, almost no Weapon on Earth could harm him, except for Kryptonite.
As for the time he died at the hands of Doomsday, aside from being affected by Kryptonite Weapons, Doomsday, this ultimate Bio-weapon, was to a certain extent not a product of Earth; he also came from Krypton.
Clark Kent even felt that his Physical Body could withstand a Nuclear Blast Attack, though he had never tried it. But when the confident Superman collided with the Light Pillar above his head, the High Temperature of tens of millions of degrees almost roasted him unconscious.
Within the compressed Flame Light Pillar, dozens of meters thick, countless transparent crystal-like Flames danced, like ten thousand fireworks exploding. Among them, nine clusters of Firelight seemed like Living Being, fluttering up and down, faintly forming the shape of nine three-legged Fire Birds covered in golden Flames, flapping their wings and flying rapidly. The temperature of these Fire Birds was even more outrageous; Clark Kent even felt that the temperature of the Solar Core was not as high as the temperature of these Fire Birds.
Under this High Temperature, he could feel his Armor and Cloak beginning to Melt, and a smell of burning Body Hair even came from his Body surface. Fortunately, his Speed was extremely fast, surpassing the Speed at which those Fire Birds rushed towards him. The Air Blast caused by his high Speed, combined with the Frost Breath he exhaled, directly dispersed this Flame Light Pillar into countless sparks.
(end of chapter)