Chapter 261: The Fall of the White House (6)
A Moment in Hawaii
As night quietly descended upon the eastern United States, Hawaii was still bathed in bright sunlight.
At a secluded villa, Vanessa, draped in a gray shawl, sat on the edge of the rooftop. The sea breeze gently fluttered her hair, revealing her beautiful face, but her eyes stared blankly at the constantly surging waves in the distance.
A poet once said: The tide is like life—rising and falling, an endless cycle.
Vanessa felt that statement was absolutely true. Her own life had been the same: a happy childhood with a loving father and gentle mother, where she lacked nothing. Later, after her father became President, she had to follow rigid rules, becoming the 'perfect child' to the public, though deep down, she longed for an unrestrained life. The appearance of Luke Shaw made that wish a reality.
That man had fulfilled all her fantasies for the future.
Sadly, fantasy remains fantasy.
Vanessa took a sip of red wine and looked down. She was suddenly overwhelmed by an impulse to jump.
"It's very dangerous sitting there. You should come back."
The familiar voice came from behind her. Vanessa gave a hollow laugh.
"So you still care about whether I live or die?"
Eve stated solemnly, "I truly consider you my friend."
Vanessa shook her head mockingly, refusing to discuss the matter. She changed the subject.
"Judging by the time, it must be nighttime in Washington, and your plan should have begun. Well? Did you figure out my father's identity?"
Eve nodded gravely. "You should prepare yourself."
Vanessa froze, then asked incredulously, "Is it really a demon?"
"Yes. The demon hidden inside the President is called Ghast. General Lane forced him out, and a conflict broke out with the army. His power is enormous; the soldiers were no match for him. If the FBI metahumans hadn't arrived in time, General Lane would be dead right now."
The girl fell silent, unsure whether to believe or doubt. After a moment of contemplation, she asked softly,
"Is my father... still alive?"
"Yes, his soul still exists," Eve confirmed. She paused, then added, "Luke Shaw asked me to tell you that if possible, he will preserve your father's life and reunite your family."
"Do you think I believe him?"
"Hope is always better than despair."
Vanessa picked up the bottle, poured a full glass of red wine, and drank it down.
"I don't want to hear anything about him."
The FBI's Desperate Retreat
The battle in the forest was drawing to a close. Even the fully collaborative efforts of the FBI metahumans could not withstand Joel Nash's assault. The number of black tentacles erupting from the ground was multiplying, densely covering the entire area.
The tentacles were immensely strong and could devour flesh and blood. When dozens of them rushed forward simultaneously, even the strongest fighter, Stavros, could not hold the line, let alone the others.
The situation grew increasingly critical. Stavros had no choice but to abandon the wounded soldiers who hadn't made it out of the zone and give the order to retreat.
The team fought off the tentacles while scrambling deeper into the forest.
Joel Nash pressed them relentlessly. Spotting a gap, he struck instantly, his fiery whip slashing through the air, slamming down hard on Stavros's telekinetic barrier.
Boom!
The barrier exploded into countless fragments. Stavros screamed as he flew backward, coughing up blood. A deep red whip mark, still smoking, was burned across his chest.
"Captain!"
Everyone's faces changed drastically. Locke hastily erected layer after layer of stone walls in front of them, but a streak of red light shot from afar, piercing the stone walls. To Locke's astonishment, it punched straight through his body and vanished into the distant forest.
Flames spread from the inside out, turning him into a burning man.
Locke, the earth manipulator and one of the FBI's core five agents, was dead just like that.
The others were filled with shock and dismay. Joel Nash pulled back his glowing finger, a contemptuous smirk playing on his lips.
"You weaklings think you can stand against me? Overestimating yourselves."
He then spread his wings. The flames burning throughout the forest seemed to be drawn by some guidance, rapidly converging behind him. They grew denser and more voluminous, eventually transforming into a vast, surging sea of fire.
The raging inferno cascaded toward the metahumans like a waterfall. In an instant, the entire world turned red. The firestorm was immense, surrounding them from all directions.
"It's over! It's all over!"
Costa desperately clutched his head. Their leader was wounded, Locke was dead, and Emily couldn't possibly block a firestorm of this size. Everyone would be burned to ashes.
Luke's Arrival
Just then, the sound of humming birds filled the sky.
A swarm of hummingbirds descended, shooting like arrows into the sea of fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted. The flames churned like raging seawater. The powerful sonic blasts created a chaotic vortex that carved out a momentary blank space in the firestorm.
One hummingbird landed on Emily's shoulder. Luke's voice transmitted through it.
"Run north. I'll be there in thirty seconds."
With that, the hummingbird spread its wings and flew north.
Boom!
A burst of white light and a deafening explosion tore a ten-meter-wide gap in the sea of fire.
Emily was overjoyed. She shouted,
"North! Run north! Hurry!"
The team didn't dare stop. They hoisted the wounded Stavros and rushed through the gap toward the north.
Joel Nash's brow twitched. He was about to give chase when a piercing roar sounded behind him. A sonic shockwave, almost materialized, generated a powerful vortex that violently tore at his body.
Simultaneously, a dozen hummingbirds dropped from above, flying toward him like moths to a flame.
The sonic waves were relentless, surrounding Joel Nash and creating a chaotic, powerful air vortex.
"Luke Shaw! So it is you!"
Joel Nash sneered, making his magic barrier expand outward, forcefully pushing the vortex away.
"A childish trick!"
He glanced up at the hummingbirds perched on the treetops, then paused, quickly taking off in the direction Emily and the others were fleeing.
A few hummingbirds dropped down, only to be struck and batted away by the fiery whip. Joel Nash's speed didn't slow. He fixed his target on Emily in the crowd. Since this involved Luke Shaw, he would capture the person closest to him and tear her to shreds. He wanted to see if that human boy could remain composed then.
The distance between them rapidly closed, shrinking to just a few dozen meters in the blink of an eye. Stavros, seeing the danger, suppressed his pain and gathered a burst of telekinetic force, hurling it at the demon.
Boom!
The impact exploded in front of Joel Nash, tearing through his magic barrier. He was forced to halt, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. Slowly, he opened his five fingers, then clenched his fist in the air.
"Ah!"
Stavros screamed in agony. The others also fell to their knees, clutching their chests, their faces contorted in excruciating pain.
"Fools! Did you really think you could escape my grasp?"
Joel Nash smiled cruelly, increasing the pressure with his fingers. The metahumans gasped, their bodies trembling violently. Their faces rapidly flushed with blood, but they couldn't breathe, and their necks began to turn purple.
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