The roaring of the fierce wind echoed through the hall, sending shivers down the spines of all the researchers present.
Before they could even comprehend what was happening, a searing agony engulfed their bodies, propelling them forcefully into the equipment and shattering the glass walls.
In the blink of an eye, Carl had already shattered bones and ruptured organs, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Within moments, the once orderly laboratory devolved into chaos, strewn with toppled equipment and lifeless bodies, blood staining every surface.
Electric sparks flickered from damaged wires, casting eerie shadows across the carnage.
In the aftermath, only one female researcher remained, her gaze filled with horror as she beheld the young man before her, her lips trembling with fear. "Y-you... you're all monsters, monsters!"
A faint smirk curved Carl's lips as he replied, "Perhaps, a monster, indeed."
Dispatching the armed men with a mere two punches earlier had left Carl feeling oddly detached, desensitized to the act of taking lives.
In his eyes, those who toyed with human lives were nothing more than beasts, devoid of humanity.
And if they were beasts, then they deserved to be treated as such.
"Now, hand over the research data, and maybe I'll consider sparing your life."
"R-really?" Hope flickered in the woman's eyes, her desperation momentarily overshadowed by a glimmer of possibility.
Carl's tone remained casual as he asserted, "You only have my word. Either surrender the data or meet your end."
As a mere weakling, the woman held no bargaining power in this exchange.
Faced with Carl's lethal ultimatum, she acquiesced, maneuvering to the central computer and initiating the transfer of the research data.
But Carl had no patience to wait, instructing her to save the data onto a hard drive instead.
As the transfer commenced, Carl swiftly delivered a decisive blow to the woman's chest.
"You, for... for..." The woman's voice faded into a weak whisper as she collapsed, blood pooling at her lips, a look of disbelief etched on her face.
Carl's response was cool and final, "I merely said I would consider it. I never promised you would live."
And with that, the woman breathed her last, a casualty of her own choices.
When Logan and the others arrived, they were met with a grim sight: corpses strewn across the area.
In the midst of this, a Mutant child, whom Carl had rescued, pointed at a deceased woman in terror. "Big brother, she, she…"
The fear in her eyes was palpable, evoking sympathy. Shadowcat swiftly embraced her, offering solace. "It's alright, Wendy, it's alright. She's gone now."
Carl asked gently, "Wendy, did this woman harm you in any way?"
"She... they took me to a room every day, tied me to a chair, and electrocuted me. It hurt so much…" Wendy sobbed, recalling her ordeal.
The other Mutant children also showed signs of distress, evidently recollecting their own traumatic experiences.
"It seems these people deserved their fate," Carl remarked, nodding in agreement.
"Don't cry, Wendy. Big brother has taken care of them all. You'll be safe now," he assured, comforting the frightened children.
Once the Mutant children were reassured, the group prepared to depart from the third floor. Before leaving, Carl retrieved a hard drive, setting it ablaze to bury the evidence of their sins.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted on the second underground floor as Wolverine swiftly dispatched an armed man, causing panic among the remaining guards.
As they ascended, the sound of explosions from above grew louder. The defenders on the second and first underground floors had been drawn away to repel the invaders, leaving the way clear for Carl and his team to advance.
As they approached the first underground floor, a grenade rolled into their path, prompting Logan to issue a warning.
"Be careful!"
In an instant, Carl vanished and reappeared in front of the grenade, swiftly kicking it away before it detonated.
The resulting explosion claimed two more lives, but the group encountered no further resistance as they made their way to the basement. What had once been a disguised parking lot now lay in ruins, with scattered debris, overturned vehicles, and amidst it all, stood Cyclops, a beacon of determination among the chaos.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Not far away, Colossus, in his steel form, engaged in combat with a formidable enemy.
The opponent was a mutant, towering over three meters tall with a body of gray stone. His abilities resembled Colossus', but he had transformed into a stone behemoth tougher than ordinary steel.
With each movement, the stone behemoth unleashed explosive power, clashing relentlessly with Colossus. Their skirmish left a trail of destruction—cars were hurled, cement shattered, and the sheer primal force of their clash reverberated through the area.
A closer inspection revealed Colossus maintaining the upper hand.
The Thing's blows barely left a mark on Colossus, merely tossing him aside momentarily. Conversely, Colossus's strikes chipped away at the stone behemoth with each impact, focusing on the vulnerable left thigh.
Gradually, a sizable cavity formed in the stone behemoth's left thigh until, with a scream, it was blown off, causing the behemoth to stagger and fall.
Boom!
In the distance, Scott's eyes gleamed as a fiery laser beam shot forth, striking the stone behemoth's head with precision.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under the searing laser, the stone mutant emitted a piercing shriek until, finally, with a resounding bang, its head exploded.
Scott showed no mercy to mutants who aligned with oppressors; he dispatched them swiftly.
With the opponent defeated, Colossus let out a sigh, then glanced at Carl and the others approaching from afar.
As for the enemy who had nearly emerged victorious, it mattered little.
Through many battles, they understood that survival in life-or-death conflicts didn't hinge on personal heroism but on defeating the enemy at hand.
****
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