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

“My sensory abilities are very useful here,” Sarah said. “I can locate him in advance and sense whether he’s using mind control.”

“This is important,” Marcus nodded. “Mind control is one of the most dangerous abilities, and we need to avoid being affected by it.”

“We’re all equipped with neural stabilizers,” Carmen said, “but if Sarah could have given us an earlier warning, we could have been better prepared.”

“There’s another problem,” Lynn pondered, “There might be other superhumans inside the building. We need to develop strategies to deal with different abilities.”

They began to plan in detail: entry routes, contingency plans for various scenarios, communication protocols, evacuation plans, and so on. Sarah's involvement made the plan even more comprehensive; her perception abilities could provide crucial information in many aspects.

“I have a suggestion,” Sarah proposed. “I can conduct a full scan before the operation begins to determine the location and status of all superhumans within the building. This way, you’ll know what kind of enemies you’ll be facing.”

“That’s a great idea,” Lynn agreed. “Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.”

By evening, all tactical planning was basically complete. Each of the four groups had detailed task assignments and action plans.

"The operation will begin at 5:00 AM tomorrow," Deputy Director Stone announced finally. "All personnel should get plenty of rest tonight and be in peak condition."

At dinner, Lynn, Marcus, Carmen, and Sarah sat together to get to know each other better.

"Can you tell us how you acquired this ability?" Carmen asked Sarah curiously.

Sarah smiled and said, "I've had this ability since I was a child, but I didn't realize until my teenage years that not everyone can sense these things. At first, I thought I had mental problems, until I met other people with superpowers."

“How did you decide to assist law enforcement?” Marcus asked.

“Because I’ve seen too many cases of superpowers being abused,” Sarah’s expression turned serious. “Some people, after gaining power, think they are superior and can do whatever they want. But with great power comes great responsibility. We should use our abilities to help society, not harm it.”

"Have you participated in similar operations before?" Lynn asked.

“This is my first official collaboration with the FBI,” Sarah replied, “but I’ve helped the police with cases involving superpowered individuals before. When I heard about what the League of Shadows was doing, I knew I had to act.”

"Are you worried about tomorrow's operation?" Carmen asked with concern.

“Of course I’m worried,” Sarah answered honestly, “but fear shouldn’t stop us from doing the right thing. And,” she looked at the three FBI agents, “I have faith in our teamwork.”

“We believe in you too,” Lynn said sincerely. “Tomorrow we will fight together to protect the innocent.”

At 4:30 a.m., in the darkness outside Philadelphia, four figures moved silently through the wilderness. Lynn, Marcus, Carmen, and Sarah, dressed in advanced night combat gear, were approaching the outer outpost of the Shadow Alliance.

“Eight hundred meters to target,” Lynn confirmed the location via a low-voice radio. “Sarah, do you sense anything?”

Sarah closed her eyes and focused her attention; information began to appear within her psychic perception range. "An unusual energy fluctuation six hundred meters ahead; it should be a mutant. There are also signs of life in four ordinary humans, distributed in different locations."

"Can you determine the type of mutant's ability?" Marcus asked in a low voice.

“An electromagnetic type of ability,” Sarah opened her eyes. “The energy fluctuations are very stable; it might be some kind of sensing or monitoring ability.”

Lynn observed the terrain ahead through his night-vision goggles. According to intelligence, this outpost was a crucial node in the Shadow Alliance's outer defenses, responsible for monitoring the main road leading to the main base. The outpost was located inside an abandoned gas station, a strategically advantageous location.

“Proceed according to plan,” Lynn confirmed the tactical arrangements. “Sarah and I will approach from the front and handle the mutants. Marcus will flank from the left, and Carmen from the right. Remember, our objective is a silent elimination; we cannot alert the main base.”

The four began to split up. Lynn and Sarah advanced along a dry riverbed, where the terrain was low and provided natural cover. Marcus used a grove of trees on the left for cover, while Carmen approached stealthily using the shadows of abandoned buildings on the right.

"The target building is in sight," Lynn reported through her headset.

The abandoned gas station appeared as a green outline in the night vision goggles. It was a typical highway gas station, with a main building, a refueling area, and a small convenience store. But Lynn noticed some unusual details: the windows were reinforced, there were extra antennas on the roof, and there were devices around that looked like surveillance equipment.

“Left wing, in position,” Marcus’s voice came through. “I see a sentry patrolling the north side of the building.”

"Right flank in position," Carmen reported. "There's a figure at the east window; it's likely a sniper's position."

“Sarah, update me on the enemy situation,” Lynn requested more detailed information.

Sarah focused her senses again. "The mutants are in the center of the building, probably inside the main building. Four ordinary people are: one patrolling the north perimeter, one behind an east window, one inside the building, and one underground, possibly in a basement or tunnel."

This information is important. The presence of an enemy underground means that this outpost may be more complex than it appears on the surface.

“A slight adjustment to the plan,” Lynn quickly decided. “Marcus, you handle the sentries patrolling the perimeter first. Carmen, take care of the snipers immediately after Marcus makes his move. Sarah and I will handle the main building.”

"receive."

"clear."

Marcus began his operation. Using the cover of darkness and the trees, he silently approached the patrolling sentry. The sentry was clearly untrained; his patrol route was predictable, and his attention was not focused.

Marcus waited for the perfect moment, and as the sentry turned his back to him, he swiftly approached from behind. A standard chokehold was executed, and the sentry lost consciousness within seconds, the entire process utterly silent.

“Target cleared on the north side,” Marcus reported.

Carmen immediately began her operation. The sniper position at the east window was on the second floor, which would test her climbing and infiltration skills. She located a drainpipe on the side of the building and began to silently climb upwards.

When she reached the second-floor window, she could see an armed man crouching behind the windowsill, holding a sniper rifle. Carmen pulled out a tranquilizer dart, a device specifically designed for silent attacks.

She waited a few seconds to confirm the target's position and posture, then quickly opened the window and struck the sniper in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. The tranquilizer took effect quickly, and the sniper fell silently to the ground.

“Target cleared on the east side,” Carmen reported quietly.

Now it's Lynn and Sarah's turn to deal with the most difficult part: the mutants and other enemies inside the main building.

They cautiously approached the building's main entrance. Lynn noticed an electronic lock on the door, but that wasn't a problem for them—their equipment included electronic hacking capabilities.

“Sarah, how are the mutants doing?” Lynn asked.

“He seems very alert, and the energy fluctuations are increasing,” Sarah sensed the anomaly. “I think he might have noticed something.”

Just then, red alarm lights flashed inside the building, accompanied by a piercing siren. "We've been detected!" Lynn immediately warned everyone through his headset. "There might be other sensors."

A commotion was coming from inside the building, indicating that the enemy was preparing for battle.

"Plan changed, launch a full-scale attack!" Lynn ordered.

He quickly unlocked the electronic lock with an electronic hacking device, and then he and Sarah rushed into the building. There was indeed someone operating some kind of electronic device in the main room; it looked like the mutant.

As Lynn entered the room, the mutant turned around. He was a white man in his thirties with sharp eyes and faint arcs of electricity flickering around his hands.

“FBI! Don’t move!” Lynn raised the tranquilizer gun.

But the mutant showed no sign of cooperating. He raised his hands, and a powerful electromagnetic pulse shot towards Lynn. Lynn's EMF shield activated immediately, blocking most of the attack, but the impact still forced him back a few steps.

"His abilities are stronger than expected!" Lynn shouted to Sarah.

Sarah was sensing her surroundings. "Watch out, someone's coming up from the basement, and there's a mutant I hadn't detected before!"

Sure enough, footsteps came from the stairs at the back of the building, and two armed men rushed up, one of them emitting eerie black smoke from his hands.

“Shadow Manipulator!” Sarah warned.

The second mutant is "Shadow," mentioned in the League of Shadows' files, who can manipulate darkness and shadows. This ability is particularly dangerous in dimly lit indoor environments.

Black smoke began to spread throughout the room, rapidly reducing visibility. The electromagnetic manipulator continued to fire arc attacks, while the shadow manipulator's darkness began to take on tentacle-like attack forms.

“Marcus, Carmen, immediate backup!” Lynn called for reinforcements.

“On my way!” Marcus replied.

Lynn struggles to aim in the dark, but his equipment includes thermal imaging. Switching to thermal mode allows him to see the outlines of enemy heat sources in the dark.

He aimed at the electromagnetic manipulator and fired an EMF chaff round. Upon impact, the round released a powerful electromagnetic pulse, temporarily disrupting the target's abilities. The electromagnetic manipulator's attack was noticeably weakened.

But the shadow manipulator's attacks intensified. Black tentacles lashed out at Lynn with incredible speed. Lynn rolled to dodge, but one of the tentacles struck his shoulder, the force sending him crashing into the wall.

“Lynn!” Sarah called out anxiously, at the same time noticing something crucial. “The Shadow Manipulator’s weakness is light! He needs darkness to function!”

Lynn immediately pulled a flashbang from his equipment and hurled it forcefully into the center of the room. The intense white light instantly dispelled all the darkness, and the Shadow Manipulator let out a painful scream as his abilities immediately ceased to function.

Just then, Marcus burst in through the front door. Seeing Lynn under attack, he immediately raised his tranquilizer gun and aimed it at the Shadow Manipulator. Under the intense light, the Shadow Manipulator lost its protective abilities, and Marcus's tranquilizer dart struck its target accurately.

Carmen jumped out of the second-floor window and fired at the electromagnetic manipulator the moment she landed. Her movements were fluid, and the tranquilizer dart struck the man in the chest.

But the battle was not over. Another militant rushed up from the basement, wielding an automatic rifle and began firing.

"Cover!" Lynn shouted.

The four men quickly sought cover. The furniture and equipment in the room provided some protection, but the automatic rifle fire was intense.

Carmen used her agility to flank the militants and find their blind spot. Using a specially designed stun gun, she successfully subdued the last enemy.

“Area cleared!” Carmen reported.

But Sarah suddenly warned, "Wait, there's still movement underground!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than an explosion came from the basement, and the entire building began to shake.

"They're destroying evidence!" Lynn realized the gravity of the situation. "We have to go down and check!"

The four men rushed towards the basement. The staircase was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. Lynn led the way, carrying a tactical flashlight and a tranquilizer gun.

The basement was larger than I had imagined, and the equipment was very advanced. There were multiple computers, communication devices, an armory, and even some things that looked like experimental equipment.

But many devices were burning, so the explosion was obviously meant to destroy important data.

"Quickly check the computer and see if there's any data that can be salvaged!" Lynn ordered.

Marcus and Carmen began examining the equipment that hadn't been completely destroyed, while Sarah continued to sense if there were any remaining threats.

“There’s a secret passage!” Carmen discovered a hidden exit. “It looks like it leads somewhere else.”

“It’s very likely a secret passage to the main base,” Lynn analyzed. “This outpost isn’t just a monitoring point, but also a transit station.”

Sarah suddenly tensed up. "Very strong energy fluctuations are approaching, about 300 meters away, and there's more than one!"

"Reinforcements from the main base have arrived," Lynn immediately assessed. "We must retreat at once."

"Wait, I've found some important information!" Marcus discovered valuable data on a still-running computer. "It looks like their communication records and a partial personnel list."

“Copy it quickly,” Lynn urged. “We don’t have much time.”

Marcus quickly copied the important data to a portable device. Meanwhile, Sarah reported that reinforcements were approaching.

“Two mutants, and at least six ordinary armed men,” Sarah sensed in detail. “One of the mutants is very powerful, possibly a high-level one.”

“Escape route?” Carmen asked.

Lynn surveyed the terrain. "Retreat through the back door, using abandoned vehicles for cover. Sarah, continue monitoring enemy positions."

The four began their orderly retreat. Lynn brought up the rear, ensuring no important equipment was left behind or the retreat route was exposed. (End of Chapter)