A fleet of hummingbird shuttlecraft appeared in the distant sky, numbering at least fifty from the looks of it.
Hummingbird shuttles weren't large; each could only transport around twenty soldiers and didn't boast strong firepower. However, they were equipped with electromagnetic cannons.
The destructive power of electromagnetic cannons wasn't formidable, but the shockwaves they emitted could affect the instruments of mechs, rendering them paralyzed, making them somewhat of a mech killer. Coupled with some anti-mech infantry cannons, they were enough to destroy a mech squad.
The appearance of this shuttle fleet, rotating in firing electromagnetic cannons, was enough to keep Stark pinned to the ground without taking a step.
"Stark, execute Plan B and leave immediately!" Reno shouted to Stark upon seeing the approaching fleet of shuttles.
"Plan B?" Stark hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure? Perhaps we can try to eliminate them, using that..."
"No, it's not the time yet. I command you to retreat immediately!" Reno replied firmly.
"...Alright, I got it. Damn it, these guys came really fast!" Stark replied reluctantly.
The once formidable fiery mech swiftly turned and ran behind a building.
Arriving behind the building, Stark quickly manipulated the console, then called out, "AI, take over the battle, execute the escape program!"
"Firegod Six, understood. Taking over the battle, searching for targets, executing combat orders..."
As the mechanized electronic voice of the mech's AI echoed, a stream of data flowed from the mech's observation screen.
At the same time, Stark's position began to descend, entering an ejection pod.
A cold iron coffin enveloped Stark, ejecting him from the mech like a cannonball, flying towards the direction of the hospital with a bang, crashing heavily onto the hospital grounds.
The ejection pod opened, and Stark emerged from inside.
"Hey, buddy!" Tekos rushed over and gave Stark an excited bear hug.
"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's leave here quickly," Reno ordered loudly.
Just then, a person flew over from a distance.
Running and shouting, "Johnny Reno, you untrustworthy bastard! You can't ditch me and leave on your own."
"Hill?" Reno looked surprised at the approaching figure; it was Mr. Hill, the starship investigator.
He was riding a possibly stolen airship, flying over all the way, angrily yelling at Reno.
Reno glanced at Stark. "I remember telling you to find a hotel to accommodate him."
Stark shrugged. "I did, but I forgot to throw in a punch to make his sleep more sound."
"..." Reno was speechless.
Except for combat, Stark wasn't reliable in anything else.
Russell Hill charged over aggressively, but before he could get close, Stark knocked him down with a punch—he finally made up for the punch he forgot.
"What should we do with this guy, boss?" Stark asked.
"We can't leave him here; it's too dangerous. Take him with us," Reno sighed.
"Got it!" Stark already had Hill in the car.
"Everyone, leave here immediately!" With Reno's final shout, the remaining soldiers quickly boarded the flying vehicles, which soared into the distance.
Meanwhile, Firegod Six had also dashed out from behind the building, bravely rushing towards the fleet of shuttles, engaging in a fiery battle.
Electromagnetic flashes descended from the sky onto the mech.
Wave after wave of electromagnetic shocks almost completely paralyzed Firegod Six, rendering it immobile.
This was why mechs, despite having AI, still needed humans to control them—not only because humans distrusted AI, but also because AI control had too many natural enemies that could be counteracted, electromagnetic waves being one of them.
Under the electromagnetic shocks, the AI program began to malfunction, causing it to randomly launch missiles and spew flames without purpose.
Although futile, it forced the shuttle fleet to not approach easily.
But this was also the mech's final madness.
As more and more missiles flew, violent explosions erupted from the mech.
It staggered, fell, no longer the formidable force it once was.
Boom!
A missile hit its leg, and the mech's left leg, long subjected to the bombardment of thunderous cannons, finally broke.
Firegod Six fell to its knees.
The emotionless voice of the AI came through: "Energy shield completely damaged... Left leg transmission device severely damaged... Automatic repair system failure... Magnetic... Sensor system failure... Energy leakage, continuously decreasing... Magnetic..."
In the midst of the magnetic crackling, the AI's voice became increasingly noisy.
The sound was transmitted to everyone's ears through the communicator.
They listened silently.
Sitting in the car, Stark watched the towering flames in the distance and said softly, "Farewell, old buddy."
"Don't be sad, Fortress," Reno's magnetic voice came over: "I promise you, you will definitely have a new mech in the future."
"But it won't be Firegod Six anymore," Stark said leisurely. "What's lost is lost, it'll never come back."
Reno hesitated and said, "I'm sorry, Stark."
"No, it's not your fault; it's all the damn government's fault... Everything was forced by them," Stark replied in a gloomy tone.
The flying car whizzed into the distance. Behind them, the mech was still bravely fighting.
Even with a destined fate, it still didn't give up, fighting relentlessly until a heavy artillery from afar tore it into pieces, and it finally collapsed on the ground.
Shuttles hovered in the air, descending.
A young military officer with a hawkish nose, dressed in military police uniform, walked out of the shuttlecraft. It was Matthew.
Taking off his white gloves, Matthew looked around leisurely. He waved his hand, and some fully armed military police rushed out, carefully searching the wreckage of the mech.
Soon, the military police reported, "Sir, there's no one inside the mech."
"I knew it would be like this." Matthew snorted. "Report to the higher-ups that Johnny Reno and his people have already escaped. Send more people to search the hospital and see if there's anything to discover."
A cautious military policeman reminded, "But sir, our mission is to provide support nearby. Searching the hospital is not within our jurisdiction, nor is it authorized by higher-ups..."
"Shut up!" Matthew turned around and shouted, "Just do as you're told. I'll take responsibility for any consequences!"
"Yes!" The military policeman hurried away.
The search for Reno was still ongoing, but the military police searching the hospital had an unexpected discovery.
"What did you say? There are three hundred soldiers in the basement? All of them are from the Abrody-class?" Matthew asked.
"Yes, sir." The responsible captain of the military police replied, "We have already awakened some of them. After confirmation, they voluntarily surrendered and entered the cryogenic freezer. We obtained some information from them."
The captain said a few words to Matthew's ear.
Matthew's pupils suddenly dilated, and he lowered his voice to ask, "Are you sure?"
The captain replied, "It has been verified. The Dawn Plan is indeed real."
"Oh my God!" Matthew whispered.
He finally understood why the people from the Abrody-class were detained in this hospital, and why Reno suddenly betrayed.
Everything that was once unclear suddenly became clear, and with the shock past, Matthew quickly regained his composure.
After thinking seriously for a while, he said, "You said they voluntarily surrendered?"
"Yes, sir."
Matthew paced in place for a few steps, then said, "These people are all soldiers with special abilities. Whoever owns them possesses great power. Perhaps we should find a way to keep some of them with us."
"You mean..."
"Take them all away for questioning and testing, ask if they're willing to join the military police. Those who are willing can stay."
"What about those who are not willing?"
Matthew put on his white gloves again and said leisurely, "They were originally experiments of the Academy of Sciences. Since they don't want to be human, they might as well continue to be experiments."
"But sir, this might offend some people."
"On the contrary, it won't offend anyone." Matthew replied. "The Dawn Plan never existed, and the Edward Research Hospital never had any secret experiments, right? Those above don't even know that some soldiers chose to stay... There's too much room for manipulation in this matter. And even if someone finds out, just give them some benefits, right? These soldiers are all valuable assets, whoever gets them will strike it rich!"
"But didn't Johnny Reno strike the biggest fortune?"
"Yes, but he's destined not to have the opportunity to enjoy it." Matthew snorted coldly. "He can't escape, he can't even leave the Earth!"