American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

Mark pulled up a map: "Based on historical records and modern botanical surveys, the 'Dragon's Blood Flower' most likely grows in this region on the border of Switzerland and Austria. Coincidentally, there's a private research facility nearby, owned by a company called 'Evolutionary Science,' which has invested heavily in genetic research over the past two years, but the specifics of the projects are highly confidential."

Lynn looked at the map, pondering, "This is unlikely to be a coincidence. 'Evolutionary Science' is probably a front organization of the Black Raven. We need to contact Interpol and Swiss authorities to investigate this facility. At the same time, we also need to prepare to travel to Switzerland to stake out potential 'Dragon's Blood Flower' collection sites during the full moon."

Sarah expressed some concern: "This means we need to operate on foreign territory, which involves complex jurisdictional issues."

Lynn nodded. "I know this requires Director Wilson's approval and coordination from the State Department. But if we want to stop Black Crow's plans, this might be our best chance."

As they were discussing, Lynn's phone rang. It was an encrypted text message from an unknown number. He opened the message, which contained only a few short words: "Red wine is just the beginning, Agent Hall. A new era for mutants is about to begin."

Lynn's expression turned serious: "It's electricity. He wants us to know that the wine robbery is just a small part of their plan."

Sarah looked at the text message: "He seems very confident, and doesn't even mind revealing some information to us."

Lynn put away his phone. “Because he thinks we can’t stop them. But he’s wrong. I’ll report to Director Wilson immediately and request authorization to travel to Switzerland. Meanwhile, Mark, continue your in-depth investigation of ‘Evolutionary Science’ and that research facility. I need to know everything about it: staffing, security systems, research content—the more details the better.”

Mark nodded and immediately returned to his computer to work.

In the Manhattan morning, sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting shadows on the floor of the FBI field office. Lynn Hall sat at his desk, the wrinkles on his forehead deeper than usual.

“Antique red wine, dragon's blood flower, mutants,” he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed.

Jennifer Morrison, a capable female agent in her early thirties, entered through the door. She was wearing a dark blue suit, her black hair was tied in a professional ponytail, and she was carrying two cups of coffee.

“You look like you need this,” Jennifer said, placing one of the glasses in front of Lynn Hall. “Did you stay up late again last night?”

Lynn Hall gratefully accepted the coffee, taking a deep breath of its rich aroma. "Thanks, Morrison. Yes, I've been investigating that Brooklyn lead."

"Any progress?" Jennifer sat down opposite him and took a sip of her coffee.

Lynn Hall opened a file on the computer and turned the screen to show Jennifer. “Last night I intercepted an encrypted communication between Black Crow members. They mentioned ‘Phoenix Warehouse,’ located in an abandoned industrial area of ​​Brooklyn.”

Jennifer leaned closer to the screen, her eyes quickly scanning the text. "Are you sure this has anything to do with Dragon's Blood Tears?"

“Look at this,” Lynn Hall pointed to a passage of text on the screen, “They mentioned ‘red cargo’ and ‘special effects,’ and said it had to be moved before tonight. The timing is too coincidental; it can’t be anything else.”

“Should we notify the mutant affairs department?” Jennifer asked, a hint of worry in her eyes. Since the public recognition of mutants ten years ago, the FBI has established a special unit dedicated to mutant-related crimes.

Lynn Hall shook his head, a determined glint in his grey-green eyes. “It’s not time yet. Currently, aside from our speculations, there’s no concrete evidence linking this to mutants. And if we alert them, the entire investigation will be taken over. I want to confirm the whereabouts of the wine first.”

"What are you planning to do?" Jennifer asked, her tone respectful of her partner's decision.

Lynn Hall stood up, picked up the holster from the table, fastened it to his waist, and then put on a dark gray suit jacket. This attire, both professional and understated, was a habit he had cultivated over the years. "First, scout around the Phoenix warehouse. If my intuition is correct, Black Crow is conducting some kind of transaction there."

“I’ll go with you,” Jennifer said, already packing her gear.

Lynn Hall hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Okay, but remember, this is just reconnaissance. Contact backup immediately upon target location; do not act alone."

“Yes, sir,” Jennifer said with a smile, a hint of mockery in her eyes. She knew that Lynn Hall’s “never act alone” rule usually only applied to others; he himself often did things his own way.

The two left the office and headed towards the underground parking lot. Lynn Hall chose an inconspicuous black Ford sedan, a routine they followed when carrying out covert surveillance missions.

"What are you thinking about?" Jennifer broke the silence, and the air in the car became slightly heavy with tension.

“I was wondering why Black Crow was interested in that bottle of red wine,” Lynn Hall replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “If the legends are true, and Dragon Blood Flower can influence mutant abilities, perhaps they want to use it to enhance the powers of their own members, or… control other mutants.”

Jennifer nodded thoughtfully. "That would be disastrous. Imagine if they could control mutants as powerful as Phoenix or Magneto."

“That’s right,” Lynn Hall’s voice was low and serious, “so we must find that bottle of wine before it’s misused.”

As the car entered Brooklyn, the streets gradually became narrow and dilapidated. This once-thriving industrial area has now decayed, with many factories and warehouses abandoned and becoming breeding grounds for various criminal activities.

Lynn Hall parked the car in an alley two blocks from the target warehouse. “Walk there from here. Remember, keep a low profile.”

The two changed into darker jackets more suitable for movement, ensuring their weapons were readily available without drawing attention. They walked along the dilapidated streets, the air thick with the dampness and rust. Occasionally, homeless people or suspicious-looking individuals would pass by, but no one gave them a second glance—in such places, paying too much attention to strangers could mean trouble.

Phoenix Warehouse was a massive red brick building with most of its tall windows boarded up, and a sign at the entrance read, "Private Property, Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted." The exterior walls were covered in vines and graffiti, one of which caught Lynn Hall's attention—a black raven with outstretched wings, its claws clutching a ruby.

“That’s their mark,” he whispered to Jennifer, pointing to the graffiti.

They found a good vantage point—the second floor of an abandoned office building across the street. From there, they could clearly see the warehouse's main entrance and the goods entrance on one side.

Time ticked by, and the afternoon sun gradually began to set. Lynn Hall waited patiently, his eyes never leaving his target.

“There,” Jennifer said suddenly in a low voice, pointing to the side door of the warehouse.

A black van slowly pulled up and stopped in front of the cargo entrance. Three people stepped out—two burly men and a slender redhead. Even from this distance, Lynnhall could sense the dangerous aura emanating from them. “It’s Alex Meir,” Lynnhall recognized the redhead, “codename ‘Flame,’ her ability is to control fire. She’s one of the Black Raven’s high-ranking members.”

Jennifer nodded and took out a small pair of binoculars to observe carefully. "I don't recognize the other two, but they look like ordinary bodyguards."

Lynn Hall took out his phone and snapped a few photos. "Let's see what they're doing."

After entering the password, the three entered the warehouse, and the door slowly closed behind them.

“What do we do now?” Jennifer asked. “We can’t see what’s happening inside from here.”

Lynn Hall thought for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the warehouse. “Look over there,” he said, pointing to the top of the building, “there’s a row of ventilation windows in the roof, and one of them looks open. We can go in from there.”

Jennifer frowned. "This is beyond reconnaissance range, Lynn. We should wait for backup."

“There’s no time,” Lynn Hall said firmly. “They said they need to move the wine by tonight. If we don’t act now, we might lose the lead forever.”

Jennifer sighed, knowing she couldn't persuade her stubborn partner. "Okay, but we'll just observe and not get involved. If danger arises, retreat immediately and call for backup."

The two left the observation point and went around to the back of the warehouse. A rusty fire ladder extended to the top of the building; although it looked unreliable, it should be able to support their weight.

“I’ll go first,” Lynn Hall said, and began to carefully climb the ladder. The metal structure creaked slightly, but went unnoticed. Jennifer followed closely behind.

Upon reaching the roof, they crouched low to avoid being spotted by potential observers below. As Lynn Hall had noted, one of the ventilation windows was half-open. He carefully pushed it open further, just enough for a person to pass through.

“I’ll go down and check things out,” Lynn Hall said in a low voice. “You stay here and provide backup. Keep communications open.”

Jennifer grabbed his arm. "It's too dangerous. Let me go; I'm smaller and easier to hide."

Lynn Hall hesitated for a moment, but he knew Jennifer was right. "Okay, but remember, it's just reconnaissance. Come back immediately after spotting the target."

Jennifer nodded, checked the communications equipment and weapons, then nimbly landed through the window on a metal platform inside the warehouse. The platform appeared to be a walkway used by maintenance personnel, offering a panoramic view of the entire warehouse interior.

Jennifer crouched down, using the shadows for cover, to observe the situation below. She whispered to Lynn Hall through her earpiece, "There's a makeshift lab in the center of the warehouse, with at least five people there. Flame and two other bodyguards, and two people in white coats, probably scientists."

"Can you see the red wine?" Lynn Hall's voice came through the headphones.

Jennifer observed carefully. "There's a glass case, and inside it seems to be a bottle. Wait, yes, it's that bottle of red wine! It's placed in some kind of special device, surrounded by various instruments."

"What are they doing to it?"

“It looks like they’re analyzing its components,” Jennifer replied. “One of the scientists is operating a sophisticated device, which appears to be extracting a liquid sample.”

Lynn Hall pondered his next move on the rooftop. If Black Crow had already begun examining the wine, the situation was more urgent than he had anticipated. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

Jennifer shifted slightly, trying to get closer, but remained concealed. "I could only hear snippets. They mentioned 'stabilizers' and 'enhancing effects,' and Flame said they needed a test subject."

Just then, the warehouse door opened again, and several people dragged in a person who appeared to be anesthetized. The person's hands were bound with special handcuffs, and he looked extremely weak.

“My God,” Jennifer gasped, “they brought in a mutant. It looks like he was forced.”

Lynn Hall's voice grew tense: "They want to use that man to test the wine's effects. We must stop them."

“We need backup,” Jennifer insisted. “There are only two of us, and we don’t know how many more are lying in ambush.”

Lynn Hall knew she was right, but time was of the essence. “Contact headquarters and request emergency support. Tell them it involves mutant abduction and possible human experimentation. But before support arrives, we must stop them from using the wine on that mutant.”

Jennifer quickly contacted headquarters, briefly explaining the situation and location. “Support will arrive in about 20 minutes,” she told Lynn Hall.

“It’s been too long,” Lynn Hall decided. “I’ll come down and meet you. Together we’ll figure out a way to disrupt their experiment and buy some time.”

Lynn Hall carefully entered the warehouse through the ventilation window and landed next to Jennifer. From this angle, he could see the scene below more clearly.

The mutant brought in was a young man, who appeared to be no more than twenty-five years old. He was forcibly held in a metal chair, his hands and feet restrained by specially designed straps. Scientists surrounded him, one of them holding a syringe filled with a deep red liquid—clearly extracted from the bottle of red wine.

“Prepare for the injection,” one of the scientists said, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. “This is the first human trial, and we need to record all the reactions.”

The young mutant began to struggle, but the restraints remained unmoved. "Let me go! You can't do this!" His voice was filled with fear and anger.

Flame stepped forward, her red hair gleaming unnaturally under the warehouse lights. "Don't worry, darling," she said in a sweet, cloying voice, "if the legends are true, this will only make you stronger. You should feel honored to be the first to experience the power of the Dragon's Blood Tears."

Lynn Hall and Jennifer exchanged a glance, silently reaching a consensus—they had to act immediately. (End of Chapter)