The Failure of the Elimination
Hector was undoubtedly powerful, but when faced with such a "thick" pillar of light, he could only retreat to dissipate the heat and momentum carried by the laser.
This retreat carried him for several kilometers. His body was swept away by the laser, flying into the night sky and disappearing.
Hammond swallowed, feeling his tongue dry.
"That gun..."
"It's alien technology, modified into a human-operable semi-finished product by the Department of Defense. It can only fire once."
"What about that monster? Is he dead?"
Amanda shook her head, placing the scorching metal gun back into the box. Then, without looking back, she headed for the car. She had done everything she could; the rest was up to chance.
The members of the Elimination Squad were carefully selected special operations soldiers who had executed many secret missions against metahumans without ever failing—until now.
Amanda admitted that she had underestimated Hector's power. In a sense, their deaths were her fault.
But she didn't see it that way. Everything in the world has value, and only things of value deserve to survive. Entering the domain of survival of the fittest, the deaths of the Elimination Squad were worth the price; they used their lives to verify Hector's power.
Next time, someone even stronger would come.
No matter the cost, Hector Hammond had to be eliminated.
Amanda walked quickly, with Senator Hammond following close behind. The two drove away, but before they could reach the main road, the car floated up, seemingly lifted into the air by an invisible force.
A creaking sound came from the vehicle body. The roof dented inward, the glass cracked, and then bang!—it exploded into countless shards. Yet, the shards didn't fall to the ground but hovered eerily in mid-air.
Seeing this, Amanda did not hesitate. She kicked open the car door and jumped out.
She didn't land either, lifted into the air by an invisible, colossal hand, floating up towards the sky along with Senator Hammond.
Under the silver moonlight, Hector Hammond floated in mid-air, with the huge, millstone-sized full moon directly above his head. In this moment, he looked like a god.
Seeing his long-lost son, Senator Hammond instinctively shouted an admonishment.
"You're insane! Look what you've done!"
Hector's expression darkened. "You always wanted me to live like a man. Now I've done it." As he spoke, he spread his arms, and the surrounding air churned, making a sound like distant thunder. "Such formidable power, who else possesses it? I haven't just become a man; I've become the most powerful man in the world."
"You bastard!"
Hammond cursed. "I told you to be a man, not a killer! Look at you now—what do you look like? You're a freak!"
Hector narrowed his eyes. "You said I'm a freak?"
"Aren't you?"
The enraged Hammond seemed to have forgotten his previous fear, or perhaps his subconscious was at play. He had always used this method to discipline his son, and he was doing the same now.
"Look at yourself. What part of you looks human? You..."
"Senator!"
Amanda coughed. "Stop talking."
Hammond instantly sobered up. Seeing the ferocity in his "son's" eyes, his face drained of color, becoming deathly pale. His "son" had changed. He was no longer the meek, weak-willed doormat he used to be, but a cold-blooded beast.
One must maintain reverence when speaking to a beast!
Hector laughed strangely, reaching out to pat his "father's" face twice.
"Don't be afraid, Father. I won't kill you. I want you to watch with your own eyes as I devour Coast City and become number one in the world. As for you, Ms. Waller..."
His dark-yellow eyes turned to Amanda on the side. She clenched her jaw and said defiantly,
"Just kill me. Spare the extra chatter."
"No! I won't kill you."
Hector shook his head. "I should thank you. You gave me the opportunity to touch the alien. You let me find the key to becoming a powerhouse. All of this is thanks to you."
"As repayment, I will let you go."
Amanda inexplicably felt a wave of relief. The next second, however, Hector added,
"But as punishment for attacking me, you will have to pay a small price."
Amanda's face turned ashen. Before she could speak, her body suddenly felt light and began to plummet. She was twenty meters above the ground; a fall like that would certainly kill her or leave her crippled.
The Aftermath
After disposing of the troublesome people, Hector's mood seemed much improved. He even made a joke.
"Soon, I'll be on television."
"Then, the whole world will know what a brilliant son the great Senator Adam Hammond has."
...
"The situation is out of control."
This was the last thought Amanda had before she lost consciousness. When she woke up, her surroundings had changed to the medical room of the underground base. Her body had suffered massive trauma; she was paralyzed from the waist down, with injuries to her chest and back. Only her right arm was relatively intact.
Cody, whose left arm was bandaged, sat nearby. He had run the fastest when the shockwave hit and suffered the lightest injuries. Even so, he had lost an eye and a useless arm.
The remaining members of the Elimination Squad were even worse off. Out of twenty-three soldiers, only five survived, and two of those were in the intensive care unit, their prognosis uncertain.
Amanda vaguely opened her eyes and began to assess her condition. Upon realizing she was likely permanently disabled, she showed no sign of the despair, confusion, or hysteria common to most people. She was utterly calm. Her eyes scanned the room, finally resting on Cody. She asked in a raspy voice,
"Casualties?"
"Two critically wounded, three lightly wounded."
Twenty-three men, only five cripples remaining. The Elimination Squad was effectively decimated, much like the former Task Force X. As a survivor of Task Force X, Amanda understood Cody's feelings, but she said nothing, not a single word of comfort, only giving calm commands.
After a series of specific instructions were issued, the base resumed its operations.
Lying in the hospital bed, Amanda video-called Vice President Dick Cheney, reporting the details and outcome of the operation, as well as the terrifying power the target exhibited.
Finally, she delivered a conclusive summary: Hector Hammond was no longer human but a demon with immense power who fed on humans. The more people he ate, the stronger he would become. He had to be eliminated quickly and at all costs. He could not be allowed to grow.
Dick Cheney had been severely questioning Amanda's competence due to the failed operation, but seeing her current devastated state, he couldn't bring himself to voice his dissatisfaction. He remained silent for a moment, then asked symbolically,
"Do you have any recommendations?"
"Luke Shaw, the grandson of former Hongmen leader Changlin Shaw and the mob boss of Coast City. He can help us eliminate Hector Hammond and minimize the impact of this incident."
"Understood."
Dick Cheney offered a few words of consolation, telling her to rest well, then ended the call. As for Luke Shaw, he didn't even mention the name.
Amanda sensed the dismissal. The impact of this failure was too great; the higher-ups were questioning her abilities. What was the next step? What would they do next? Would they discard the useless, just like they had done before?
Amanda clenched her fist, her expression as cold as ice.
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