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

“This is much more serious than we imagined,” Marcus said. “An organized superpowered crime syndicate—it’s like something out of a science fiction movie.”

“But that’s reality,” Carmen responded, “and the threat seems very real.”

"What are you planning to do?" Lynn asked his teammates for their thoughts.

“I will participate,” Marcus said without hesitation. “That’s why we become FBI agents—to protect innocent people.”

“I will participate too,” Carmen nodded. “It’s dangerous, but it’s our duty.”

Lynn nodded in agreement. "The three of us will participate together. After these few days of training, I believe we are capable of completing this task."

“Moreover,” Marcus added, “if we don’t stop them, who knows how many more innocent people will be harmed.”

At six o'clock the next morning, the assembly alarm sounded again at the base. But this time the atmosphere was clearly different from before—this was no longer the start of training, but the initiation of a real mission.

Lynn quickly packed his belongings and donned his combat uniform. After a night of contemplation, he felt both nervous and excited about the challenge ahead. In the dining hall, he saw that all twelve agents had chosen to participate in the mission; not a single one had backed down.

“It seems everyone has made the same choice,” Marcus said, walking over. “I knew no one would back down at a time like this.”

“That’s why we became FBI agents,” Carmen joined the conversation, “to protect innocent people and maintain social safety.”

Colonel Reynolds and Deputy Director Stone appeared in the restaurant, followed by several technicians in charge of equipment.

“Agents, it’s great to see that you’ve all chosen to participate in this mission,” Deputy Director Stone began. “Today we will travel to the forward command post near Philadelphia, where you will meet up with the other units involved in the operation.”

"In addition to you twelve specially trained agents, this operation will also involve agents from the Philadelphia field office, the local SWAT team, and some special support personnel," Colonel Reynolds added.

"Special assistants?" Lynn asked.

“Some superpowered individuals have volunteered to assist law enforcement,” Deputy Director Stone explained. “They have all undergone rigorous background checks and loyalty tests, and their abilities will be a valuable resource in the fight against a threat like the Shadow Alliance.”

This news surprised all the agents. Although they already knew that there were many people with superpowers in the world, this was the first time they had cooperated with them as allies.

"Equipment distribution time," the technician announced.

Each agent received a complete set of combat gear: the latest protective suits, communication equipment, various weapons, tactical vests, night vision equipment, and so on. All the equipment was more advanced than what was used during training.

"This equipment is worth over $100,000," the technician explained. "It integrates the latest anti-superpower technologies, including an EMF shield, an energy absorption layer, and vital sign monitoring."

Lynn carefully inspected the equipment and found it to be far more complex than what he had used during training. The protective suit was equipped with numerous sensors and small devices, the helmet had a built-in advanced display system, and even the boots had special shock-absorbing and stabilizing mechanisms.

At nine o'clock in the morning, three black SUVs pulled up at the base entrance. The agents split into groups and got into the cars, with Lynn, Marcus, and Carmen sitting in the first vehicle.

"The destination is an abandoned military base outside Philadelphia," the driver explained. "It'll be about a four-hour drive."

On the way, Lynn checked more information about the Shadow Alliance through the car's computer system. The information on this organization was more detailed than what he had seen yesterday, including photos of known members, descriptions of their abilities, and activity records.

“Look at this,” Marcus pointed to a photo on the screen, “this guy called ‘Shadow’ can manipulate darkness, which will be dangerous in nighttime battles.”

“This ‘clock’ is even more terrifying,” Carmen said, pointing to another person’s file, “It can slow down the flow of time; our bullets might be like slow motion in front of it.”

“And then there’s this leader, Viktor Sadov,” Lynn said, studying the organization’s head’s file, “mind control abilities, the ability to influence the thoughts and actions of others. This ability is extremely dangerous when commanding operations.”

The convoy arrived at its destination at 1 p.m. It was a military base that did look long abandoned, but Lynn noticed a number of inconspicuous security measures: hidden cameras, disguised sentries, and some communication equipment that was clearly newly installed.

“Welcome to forward command,” a middle-aged man in civilian clothes greeted them. “I am Detective Inspector James Parker of the Philadelphia Division, in charge of ground coordination for this operation.”

Detective Parker led them inside the base. The interior was a stark contrast to the exterior—it was a well-equipped, modern command center with large displays, advanced communication equipment, tactical planning tables, and other facilities.

"Currently, forty FBI agents and twenty local SWAT team members are on site," Detective Parker explained, "along with technical and helicopter support from the military."

“What about special assistance personnel?” Deputy Director Stone inquired.

“They’re in another area,” Detective Parker replied. “For security and secrecy reasons, we’ve separated them from the regular troops.”

Lynn looked around the command center and saw many familiar faces—veteran agents from various branch offices. This was indeed a large-scale joint operation.

At 3 p.m., all personnel involved in the operation gathered in the main conference room. In addition to FBI agents and SWAT team members, Lynn saw several officers in military uniforms, indicating that the military was also deeply involved in the operation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will now introduce the overall plan of the operation," Deputy Director Stone began speaking in front of the big screen.

The screen displayed a detailed satellite image of the Shadow Alliance headquarters. It was a vast industrial park, including numerous buildings, walls, guard towers, and other facilities.

"According to the latest intelligence, the Shadow Alliance's main facilities include: a main office building, an armory, training grounds, laboratories, and an underground tunnel system," Deputy Director Stone explained in detail. "It is estimated that there are between one hundred and one hundred and fifty armed personnel inside, including ten to fifteen superhumans."

“The operation is divided into three phases,” Deputy Director Stone continued, “Phase one: perimeter clearing, eliminating security forces; Phase two: main assault, capturing key buildings; Phase three: search and clearing, arresting target personnel.”

“Our twelve specially trained agents will be divided into four three-person teams,” Colonel Reynolds continued, “each team will be responsible for a different key objective. Captain Hall’s team will be responsible for the most difficult mission: storming the main office building and capturing or subduing Victor Sadov.” Hearing this assignment, Lynn felt both honored and nervous. Going against the organization’s leader meant facing the strongest enemy yet.

“Now, let’s go meet our special ally,” Detective Parker said.

They were taken to another area of ​​the base, where security was even tighter. After passing through two security doors, they entered a place that resembled a high-level conference room.

There were five people waiting in the room. They were of different ages and appearances, but they all had a special quality—they were the superpowered individuals who would assist in the operation.

“Let me introduce our allies,” Detective Parker began.

The first was a tall, slender Black woman in her thirties with sharp eyes. "This is Sarah Williams, codename 'Radar.' She has the ability to sense other superhumans and can detect any superpowered activity within a one-kilometer radius."

Sarah stood up and nodded to everyone. "It's a pleasure to cooperate with the FBI. My abilities can help you detect enemy superpowered individuals in advance, preventing surprise attacks."

The second was an Asian man who looked to be in his early twenties, thin but in excellent spirits. "This is Chen Kai, codenamed 'Ghost Step.' He has short-range teleportation abilities, capable of teleporting up to fifty meters, making him an ideal expert for reconnaissance and infiltration."

Chen Kai smiled and said, "I can help you access difficult-to-reach places, or facilitate a quick evacuation in dangerous situations."

The third was a woman in her forties who looked like a doctor. "This is Dr. Emily Johnson, codename 'Light of Life.' She has healing abilities, can accelerate wound healing, and provides medical support in combat."

Dr. Emily said gently, "I hope I won't need to use my abilities, but if anyone is injured, I will do my best to help."

The fourth was a young white male, about twenty-five years old, wearing glasses and looking quite scholarly. "This is Michael Brown, codenamed 'Circuit.' He has the ability to control electronic devices, including hacking security systems and interfering with communications."

Michael adjusted his glasses and said, "Most modern security systems are electronic; I can help you bypass these obstacles."

The last one was a Latino man in his thirties, muscular but with a calm expression. "This is Carlos Rodriguez, codename 'Shield.' He can create energy barriers to protect the team from attacks."

Carlos stated succinctly, "My barrier can block most physical and energy attacks, and its duration depends on the intensity of the attack."

“They all volunteered for this operation,” Detective Inspector Parker added, “underwent rigorous background checks and psychological evaluations.”

“The problem now is how to allocate resources,” Deputy Director Stone said. “Given the complexity of the mission, I suggest that one of our superpowered allies join our special training team.”

“I want to join Captain Hall’s group,” Sarah Williams volunteered. “Their missions are the most dangerous, and my sensory abilities can provide early warnings.”

Lynn considered for a moment, “Ms. Williams, your abilities are indeed very useful. But I need to know more details. How wide is your perception range? Are you able to distinguish between different types of abilities?”

“Within a one-kilometer radius, I can sense any supernatural activity,” Sarah answered in detail, “and I can roughly determine the type and intensity of the ability. For example, I can currently sense Chen Kai’s teleportation ability, Emily’s life energy, Michael’s electromagnetic field anomaly, and Carlos’s energy barrier in standby mode.”

“This is indeed very valuable,” Marcus commented, “being able to know the enemy’s location and ability type in advance.”

“Another advantage,” Sarah added, “is that my perception is passive and cannot be detected by the enemy. This means we can gather intelligence without revealing ourselves.”

“Then it’s decided,” Lynn nodded in agreement. “Ms. Williams will be joining our group.”

Next came the ability demonstration segment. To help FBI agents better understand their ally's abilities, each superpowered individual gave a brief demonstration.

Chen Kai's teleportation ability is very practical; he can move instantly within a fifty-meter range and land almost silently. "Teleportation requires me to be able to see the target's location," he explained, "and continuous use consumes a lot of stamina."

Dr. Emily demonstrated her healing abilities. When a SWAT team member deliberately cut his arm, she placed her hand on the wound, and it healed visibly. "Small cuts heal in seconds, large cuts take longer," she explained.

Michael's electronic control skills are impressive. He can operate the electronic devices in the conference room without touching them: dimming or brightening the lights, displaying different content on the screens, and even changing the temperature of the air conditioning system.

“I can feel the ‘presence’ of all electronic devices,” Michael explained, “as naturally as you would see an object.”

Carlos's energy barrier looked like a translucent blue wall, completely blocking a pistol shot (using rubber bullets) fired by an agent. "The strength and duration of the barrier depend on my stamina and the intensity of the attack," he said.

Finally, Sarah demonstrated her sensory abilities. She closed her eyes and began to describe the location and status of the superpowered individuals around her.

"Chen Kai is ten meters to my right front, his teleportation ability is on standby, and he has plenty of stamina. Emily is eight meters to my left, her life energy is stable, and she is not using her abilities. Michael is five meters behind me; I can sense a weak connection between him and the surrounding electronic devices."

She opened her eyes. "This is my ability. In battle, I can tell you the location and status of enemy superpowered individuals in real time, and what abilities they are preparing to use."

“This is practically a living radar,” Carmen exclaimed.

“Not only that,” Sarah added, “I can also sense the emotional state of superpowered individuals. Fear, anger, fatigue, and other emotions can all affect the effectiveness of their abilities, allowing me to assess an enemy's combat readiness.”

After an hour of discussion and demonstrations, the FBI agents gained a comprehensive understanding of these allies. While there were initial concerns about the complexities of working with superhumans, everyone now recognized the value of their abilities.

“Now let’s develop specific tactics,” Deputy Director Stone announced. “Captain Hall, your four-man team’s mission is the most critical and requires detailed planning.”

Lynn, Marcus, Carmen, and Sarah sat around the tactical table and began studying the detailed layout of the main office building.

“According to the architectural plans, the main office building has six floors,” Lynn analyzed. “Victor Sadov’s office is on the top floor, but he probably won’t be waiting for us there.” (End of Chapter)