The entire area went dead quiet.
So quiet that every breath became audible—harsh, ragged, and trembling.
Everyone at the scene was frozen in place, eyes wide in absolute horror as they stared at Alex, as if they'd just seen a ghost.
They gasped for breath, cold sweat soaking their clothes.
Some were even visibly shaking from head to toe.
Impossible.
This was impossible.
Shrugging off bullets was already freakish enough—but to tank a rocket launcher blast without so much as a scratch?
How could a flesh-and-blood body reach this level of invincibility?!
No one could keep calm.
Everyone on the scene—without exception—was terrified out of their minds by Alex's overwhelming physical resistance.
---
"This… can't be real, right?"
Even the Pyro Girl herself was stunned, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.
A biological human—taking a direct hit from a rocket and walking away unscathed?
She'd never imagined a mutant could be this strong.
---
"I'll count to three."
Alex's voice echoed through the deadly silence, calm and cold.
His gaze swept over the surviving, scattered soldiers.
"If any of you want to live, now's the time to show some wisdom."
---
"Me!"
"I'll do it!"
Before he even finished his sentence, two soldiers immediately shouted in panic, practically tripping over each other to raise their hands.
God knew how much Alex's display had shattered their mental defenses.
They were no longer thinking like soldiers.
They were thinking like survivors.
---
BOOM!
A sonic boom cracked the air.
And in the blink of an eye, a blurred shadow streaked past.
When the two soldiers opened their eyes again, every other armed man had collapsed to the ground—dead.
---
Gulp.
The two soldiers instinctively swallowed hard, legs trembling uncontrollably.
They didn't need to guess—they knew.
They had been one heartbeat away from ending up exactly like the others.
---
"Get started."
Alex gave the order with a faint smile.
The two soldiers, drenched in cold sweat, immediately began emergency first aid on the injured Pyro Girl.
---
"Hang on. You'll be okay soon."
In the eyes of the soldiers, Alex was a literal demon—a devil incarnate.
And yet, when he turned to Pyro Girl, he offered a warm, comforting smile.
---
"Thank you… thank you for everything."
She looked up at Alex, eyes filled with sincerity.
---
"It's nothing. We're all mutants."
Alex waved a hand, brushing it off like it was no big deal.
---
---
Elsewhere — a few blocks away.
At a temporary command post, a man in civilian clothes sat in front of a communication terminal.
He wore a sleek black mask, hiding his entire face, and was furiously calling into a radio transmitter:
"Colonel Katz! Colonel Katz! Do you read?"
"Respond, Colonel Katz!"
---
But no matter how many times he repeated it, it was like shouting into a void.
No answer.
No signal.
---
"Give it up, Skullface."
A cocky voice piped up from the side.
It came from a laid-back young man in a tank top and overalls, slouched in a chair, one leg casually propped over the other.
He yawned and waved dismissively.
"If he could respond, he would've already. No answer means one thing: something happened."
---
Behind the mask, Skullface's brow furrowed, but he lowered the radio.
He knew the cocky bastard was probably right.
The comms were loud enough—if Katz was still functioning, he'd have answered by now.
Something had gone wrong.
---
"Hawkeye," Skullface snapped, turning to the laid-back youth.
"Why the hell are you just sitting there? Check the scene—now."
---
Hawkeye didn't move at first, still slouching lazily.
"Relax, Skullface. Katz can't die that easily."
"As long as his brain and heart aren't destroyed simultaneously, he'll regenerate. Full recovery. So chill."
---
"I couldn't care less if Katz lives or dies!" Skullface snarled.
"What I care about is what happened! You know how much the Master values Liz!"
"If this operation fails, are you ready to face the Master's wrath?"
---
That finally wiped the smirk off Hawkeye's face.
He sat upright, cracking his neck and stretching.
"Fine, fine."
With that, he rubbed the corners of his eyes—and then suddenly, his gaze sharpened.
His vision extended, scanning past buildings and walls like some kind of super-powered X-ray telescope.
Within seconds, he saw everything happening at the fountain plaza.
His face twitched in surprise.
---
"Who the hell is that?"
He narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like we've got an unexpected player on the field."
---
"An interloper?" Skullface echoed, raising an eyebrow beneath the mask.
---
"Kid looks about sixteen or seventeen."
Hawkeye zoomed in.
"That's the one who killed our guys. He's also the reason Katz isn't responding."
"Even worse—he's got Katz's men helping him treat Liz."
---
"Wait, what? Why is Liz that badly injured?"
Hawkeye's eyes darted around, piecing the scene together.
"Shit. Did Katz use a rocket launcher?"
"The Master specifically said to bring her back alive. Sure, Liz has a healing factor—but what if he'd blown her to bits?"
"Guy's a reckless moron. Honestly, good riddance. He was gonna get himself killed eventually."
---
Hawkeye was now narrating everything in real time, serving as Skullface's personal commentator.
---
"Sixteen, seventeen… so he's a mutant?"
Skullface said, a conclusion quickly forming in his mind.
---
"Obviously a mutant. And yeah, they're popping up like weeds lately."
Hawkeye suddenly turned reverent.
"But the Master… he saw this day coming. Long ago. Man's a visionary."
From irreverent punk to devout follower—the shift was instant, almost unsettling.
Whatever this "Master" was, Hawkeye worshipped him.
---
"So, Skullface," he asked, voice casual again,
"Another mutant. What now?"
---
**"The Master's orders were clear—bring back Liz."
"Anyone who gets in the way—eliminate them. Mutant or not."
Skullface didn't hesitate.
He picked up the radio again and began issuing commands:
---
"Units B277, B278, B279—report your position."
"This is B279. We're already at Fountain Plaza. Awaiting orders."
"A third-party has entered the scene. Eliminate them."
"Understood."
For 60 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
https://patreon.com/Twilight_scribe1