Chapter 260: The Fall of the White House (5)
Joel Nash was overwhelmingly vicious, fighting against superior numbers and slaughtering nearly a hundred people in the blink of an eye.
The downed plane, the ruined tanks, and the vast area of forest reduced to ashes, all illuminated by the massive firelight, made the scene look like the apocalypse had arrived.
His sheer power completely subdued the onlookers. The men, even the rigorously trained Special Forces soldiers, despairingly lowered their heads, stripped of any will to fight.
Sam Lane wiped the blood from his face. In this moment, he suddenly recalled Amanda's words: The times have changed. Supernatural incidents will increase. Powerful enemies should be fought by powerful individuals, not by sacrificing ordinary people. Instead of building an army, you should be building an alliance of metahumans.
In the past, he had scoffed at this idea. He believed human affairs should be resolved by humans, not by relying on so-called super-powered beings, whose prominence would only cause greater trouble.
Many in the Senate and the Department of Defense shared his view. But starting now, he realized he needed to fundamentally change his perspective.
Joel Nash watched Sam Lane with disdain. Seeing the old man hanging his head, the demon laughed.
"The weak remain weak. Utterly laughable."
The fiery whip tore through the air, aimed directly at Sam Lane's head.
The feeling of imminent death washed over the General, yet he stood motionless, paralyzed by shock. Just as everyone thought he would be whipped into dust, an invisible barrier materialized.
Bang!
The long whip struck the barrier, which immediately exploded. Seizing the momentary gap, a figure shot forward with incredible speed, tackling Sam Lane and pulling him out of the whip's range of attack at unimaginable velocity.
Concurrently, several figures emerged from the forest. Leading the group was Stavros, the FBI's ace agent. Behind him were Maeve, also from the FBI's core team; Locke, the earth manipulator; Marlin, who could control sunlight; and the short man, Costa, who could turn into a giant. Three other unfamiliar metahumans, including Emily, completed the group.
The speedster metahuman who saved Sam Lane deposited him at the edge of the forest and flashed back to Stavros's side. He spoke with deep concern.
"Boss, are we really going to fight him? We might not be strong enough."
Locke, the earth manipulator, shouted angrily, "Don't jinx us by saying we can't win before we even start!"
Stavros spoke grimly.
"The demon possessing the President is called Ghast. The Director died by his hand."
At this revelation, the others frowned in unison.
"Is that true?"
Maeve nodded. "We fought him in the Swamp Forest. The Director and Emily were both there. His power is beyond imagination. Even all of us together might not be enough."
"Then why are we here?"
Emily stepped forward. "To rescue people. To stall for time and get the survivors out. Someone else is coming to deal with him."
Stavros asked,
"When will he arrive?"
"He's on his way. He should be here soon."
Locke questioned, "Who is this 'he' you keep talking about?"
The others were also curious. They knew bits and pieces about the Swamp Forest incident—that the Director's team survived only because a mysterious, immensely powerful individual stepped in to defeat the leader of the Serpent Society.
Emily shook her head, offering no explanation. Stavros and Maeve also remained silent. Luke had made them promise not to reveal his name. Only a handful of people knew he was involved in the Swamp Forest case, primarily high-ranking FBI and White House officials.
The sudden appearance of the group drew Joel Nash's attention. Seeing the demon flying toward them, Stavros quickly gave the order, and the team scattered like birds.
Stavros, Maeve, Emily, Locke, and Costa faced the enemy head-on, while the others went to tend to the wounded and evacuate the survivors.
With the arrival of the metahumans, the ice-cold morale among the surviving troops was slightly restored.
Sam Lane, supported by a soldier, walked to the periphery of the battle zone. Looking at the scattered corpses and the smoking wreckage of tanks and helicopters, sorrow welled up, making his body tremble.
The cost was too heavy. These were his meticulously trained soldiers, fearless warriors, yet they were slaughtered like ants. It was unbearable.
"General, we must leave now. The Senate and the Department of Defense need your full report."
Sam Lane smiled bitterly and shook his head. "What is there to report? With the power we currently command, we are no match for Ghast the demon. Amanda was right. The times have changed."
The old General clenched his fist, a profound decision forming in his heart. (Likely signaling a shift toward Project Cadmus or other metahuman deterrence programs that he would later become deeply associated with).
The Metahuman Standoff
Perhaps feeling confident in his imminent victory, Joel Nash was in no hurry to engage, instead observing the FBI team with interest.
"I remember you. You were participants in the operation to eliminate the Serpent Society. And you..." His gaze pierced the group, landing on Emily.
"If I recall correctly, you are Luke Shaw's girlfriend."
Stavros and Maeve's expressions changed slightly, and they moved forward to shield Emily.
Joel Nash hissed, laughing.
"Since you've come, then stay!"
He raised his hand, and the fiery whip tore toward them. Locke roared, and numerous rocks shot out of the ground, blocking the whip's path. The short Costa ripped his shirt, his body rapidly expanding into a three-meter-tall Giant. He grabbed a boulder and hurled it into the sky.
The rock whistled through the air, but three meters from Joel Nash, it stopped inexplicably, then flew back at an even faster speed.
Stavros clenched his right fist, launching a full-power strike. His telekinetic force manifested as an invisible shockwave that shattered the rock and whistled toward the demon in the sky.
Bang!
The air exploded. Joel Nash staggered back two steps, a flicker of surprise in his crimson eyes.
"The ace of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I see. But that is all you are."
He waved his hand, and three colossal fireballs appeared above his head.
Boom!
The fireballs exploded sequentially, turning into dozens of deep red streaks of flame that shot toward the team from all directions like a terrifying meteor shower.
From a distance, the fiery streaks looked like a destructive cascade of falling stars.
The heat was intense, and even before the fire reached them, they felt searing pain on their skin. Maeve glanced back. Emily nodded solemnly, opening her hands to form a strange energy field. The flames in mid-air seemed to be constrained by an invisible force, stopping abruptly and hovering strangely.
Sweat poured from Emily's forehead. Gritting her teeth, she unleashed her full power. A continuous roaring sound followed as the fire streaks exploded one after another, like a spectacular but lethal fireworks display.
"Elemental Control!"
Astonishment flashed across Joel Nash's face. "Humans truly are bizarre. So weak, yet capable of awakening such incredible powers. Pity, your ability is too faint."
He quickly muttered an incantation. The earth suddenly shook, and the ground split open, spewing out massive black tentacles. Some were a few meters long, others reached dozens of meters.
The tips of the tentacles split open, revealing tooth-filled maws of terrifying appearance.
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