Lord of Cinder in American Comics

"We've found Mephisto's backup plan: he cultivated a group of fallen beings on Earth. By finding them and using their actions, we can discover the weak points between Hell and Earth..."

Why did Geralt cooperate so smoothly with Hill, and why did Hill show no hostility towards Geralt?

It's not just because Geralt is powerful and trained Hill to be strong, but also because Geralt always explains things clearly before taking action and answers any questions about information.

Having understood the whole story, Hill's suspicions were reduced to a minimum.

Hill asked, "How do we find it?"

"To do despicable things in the name of saints. I have only this one prophecy..."

Seeing Hill roll her eyes, Geralt could only respond with a forced laugh.

This statement also comes from the previous Ghost Rider incident. According to the information provided by the Saints, Mephisto took the opportunity to lure a group of creatures that had escaped from Vanaheim.

Although they are too weak, if enough are trained, the fallen souls will eventually be able to open a passage to Vanaheim for him.

These corrupt individuals became Mephisto's black gloves on Earth, helping him amass wealth and resolve troubles.

If it's an individual going to hell, it's simple; just summon a demon and jump into the teleportation portal.

But the passageway needed to accommodate the sheer size of Vornius’s body and the skeletons of the entire Carthus Cemetery must withstand their power.

And now, it seems that only Mephisto can control such a large passage.

Hill muttered, "The Riddler should get out of Gotham City..."

“That’s right! That’s what I think too…”

Geralt didn't care at all that Hill was talking about him, and echoed Hill's complaints.

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In Europe, Ash is currently on a mission to provide intelligence support, observing the situation in the Ural Mountains and assisting in guiding the EU in forming its own rapid reaction force.

The Bureau's modus operandi was clear to everyone.

A powerful commander, swift equipment, and troops capable of coordinating with strong military force. This seemed to be the template for dealing with supernatural forces.

This led to Ash's trip to Europe.

On a military transport plane, Abomination, also known as Bronsky, noticed something and saw the plane on the map turn a corner, deviating from its course and flying towards Egypt.

Bronsky looked around suspiciously and whispered to Ash, "Sir, we've deviated from our course..."

He took the tablet from Bronsky, and at the same time, the roar of fighter jet engines could be heard outside.

Bronsky stood up abruptly, glaring at everyone on the plane. However, everyone else avoided him, preoccupied with their own work.

After looking at the map, Ash told Bronsky to sit down and said, "Don't worry, I know what happened. It's something a senile old man did..."

Over a desert in Egypt, the cargo door of a transport plane slowly opened, and two parachutes were lowered in front of Ash and Bronsky.

Looking at the parachute, Ash kicked it aside in disgust and said to Bronsky, "Looks like this is a show of force. Dare to jump?"

Bronsky laughed, a strange excitement in his eyes, and said, "I hope this height will injure me..."

Ash rushed out of the cabin first, followed closely by Bronsky, drawing a series of gasps from behind.

In the desert, a man wearing an observation goggles stared at the plane in the sky and reported to the person next to him: "Target has exited the cabin."

"Beacon in place."

Another report came from the side: a tall black man, holding a single-handed M320 grenade launcher, fired a smoke grenade at an open area not far away.

"Target detected beacon, they didn't deploy their parachutes? Oh no! They didn't bring any parachutes!"

Just as the observers were reporting the situation, Bronsky, which had fallen from the sky, crashed into the desert in front of them, and the sandstorm it kicked up gave them a good shower.

"General, this..."

The observer looked at the people in military uniform next to him and wondered to himself whether he should be court-martialed.

As the dust settled, Ash appeared before them.

As Ash watched these people constantly spitting out yellow sand, she summoned a gentle breeze to blow the dust off them.

"General Hawke, this is not how you treat a guest..."

Ash smiled and reached out her hands to the person in front of her. The two embraced each other, expressing their joy at their reunion.

General Hawke was someone Ash met during the joint operation at the Imperial Graveyard when he first joined the army. After that, Ash also received an invitation from Hawke, but Ross intervened and snatched it away.

Looking at the surrounding desert, Ash said, "This is the place we chose back then? You actually managed to get the funds to build a base underground in the desert?"

Hawke smiled like an old fox and said, "The EU's total annual military spending is 210 billion euros, and it can be increased multiple times. Anyway, once the report is submitted, construction will not stop once it starts..."

Hawke looked at Ash and sighed, "You were right not to come here back then, otherwise you wouldn't be the head of an independent department today. Those two old geezers, Ross and Sheffield, are really lucky!"

Hawke and Ash's conversation caused the two people standing nearby to step back a few paces; they dared not listen to the scheming and insults of the elders.

At that moment, the spot where it had just landed made another sound, and the surrounding sand and soil continued to collapse, as if something was trying to come out.

The large Black man reloaded a grenade and stood guard cautiously.

Suddenly, a large, dark green hand emerged from the sand, and the abomination slowly crawled up.

Spitting sand outwards, Abomination reverted to its original Bronsky form and said apologetically to Ash, "I fell too fast and hit a steel plate. What kind of idiot would build a military base in the desert..."

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Chapter 356: Special Forces

Upon hearing Bronsky's words, Hawke and Ash exchanged a smile, but the cold laughter sent chills down the spines of those around them.

Hawke pointed to the two men beside him and said, “This is Heavy Artillery and Blake. Heavy Artillery is the battlefield commander, responsible for frontline operations. Blake is the communications expert; thanks to him, our base can maintain uninterrupted communication underground in the desert…”

After Hawke finished speaking, he looked at Bronsky, as if waiting for Ash to introduce him.

Bronsky stepped forward and stood at attention, his posture impeccable, waiting for Ash.

However, Hawke frowned and said, "Soldier! Who told you to move forward!"

Bronsky had somehow offended the general, so he could only shout, "Report! Emil Bronsky, codename Abomination reporting for duty!"

Hawke looked at Ash, who then asked Bronsky, "Which foot did you step with when you just walked forward?"

Bronsky immediately understood Ash's idea. Ash had done this trick many times in the Control Bureau, and for a while, Anderson even hopped into Ash's office.

The two of them could only blame themselves for their own words. They not only offended their own superiors but also criticized the other side.

Bronsky made no attempt to argue, simply stating, "Report! Whichever one you say it is, that's the one!"

"Five hours of standing at attention, you should be able to make it in time for dinner..."

After saying that, Ash followed Hawke through a hidden passage to the base beneath the desert.

Looking at the bright sun in the desert sky, Chongpao took the water bottle from his waist and placed it at his feet. In this weather, an ordinary person would die of dehydration in no time.

Bronsky glanced at the heavy artillery, then kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, maintaining his standing military posture.

Upon entering the base, Ash discovered that it was built entirely to the specifications of a NBC shelter, with not only an alloy concrete protective layer but also an entire rock formation encased within it.

The base is divided into multiple areas, including urban warfare, simulated jungle, and even an underwater training center built beneath the desert in Egypt.

Hawke took Ash directly to his office, and the two of them watched the crowds coming and going outside through the office's floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ash took a box of cigars from Hawke's table, looked at the brand, and stuffed the whole box into his pocket.

Ignoring Hawke's distressed look, Ash asked, "Now you can tell me, why did you call me here? I still need to go to the Ural Mountains..."

Hawke put the last cigar on the table into the drawer and said, "The Ural Mountains have been burned to the ground by the Russians. If it weren't for your intelligence, they were originally planning to raze the entire northern foothills with nuclear weapons..."

"So, you don't need me anymore? Then I'll go back..."

After saying that, Ash made a move to walk out.

Hawke quickly waved to stop Ash, saying, "Why are you so agitated here, but get along so well with Sheffield and Ross?"

Hawke grumbled, then continued, "Alright. I've called you here today to ask you to help me with something..."

Ash was a little unhappy. Going to the Ural Mountains could be considered an official business, but being dragged along by this old guy turned it into a private job.

Doing a side job well earns you a favor, but doing it poorly leaves you with a mountain of trouble and responsibility...

Ash looked somewhat displeased, but Hawke grinned and set out two glasses, pouring one for himself and one for Ash.

"After I stepped down as commander of the front lines at the Imperial Graveyard, the Omens approved a special weapons research program that cost ten years and tens of billions of dollars, but I always felt there was something wrong with it..."

Hawke explained his views in detail. He said that the annual military expenditure of Europe was not much, but it was for the research of a single weapon.

This is a nanoweapon containing countless nanobots that can devour any metal and replicate themselves, capable of destroying a modern city in just a few hours.

Furthermore, following the previous Autobot invasion, the Omen weapons development department prioritized this weapon, since any enemy from outer space coming to Earth would need to use spacecraft, and these spacecraft would certainly be made of metal.

This weapon, designed to target metal, became Oumeng's primary force against enemies in outer space.

Today, the weapons will be officially taken over by Oumeng, and the handover process will begin in the evening.

After hearing Hawke's explanation, Ash downed her drink and said, "I'm not writing a report..."

Hearing this, Hawke understood that Ash had agreed. He poured him another glass and said, "Don't worry, I know your habits. Just sign it at the end..."

The two started talking over drinks.

Outside, Bronsky, who had been waiting for five hours, arrived inside the base. Heavy Artillery was standing in the passageway waiting for him. Originally, Heavy Artillery had prepared a medical team on standby, but after thinking about Bronsky's terrifying transformation, he canceled the arrangement.

Upon seeing Bronsky, Heavy Artillery said, "A temporary mission is about to begin, and you've been assigned to my squad..."

Bronsky laughed and said, "Are you sure? I'm a colonel now..."

Heavy Artillery looked at Bronsky and decided to abandon his previous plan. Hawke only told him to cooperate without saying anything else. Heavy Artillery just wanted to scare Bronsky and clarify the command structure of the mission.

Heavy Artillery said, "You are the third person... acting alone, supporting the battlefield according to your own will..."

After hearing the instructions, Bronsky nodded and tossed the water bottle to Heavy Cannon, who weighed it in his hand but made no change.

The operation began after Bronsky was resupplyed, and a fully functional aircraft, which had been steered astray by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjet, carried them to the designated location.

The weapons were being transported by a joint force that included elite troops from almost all of the NATO countries.

This security measure allows every participating country to monitor the situation, but it will also inevitably lead to intelligence leaks.

No one believed that this armed escort was peaceful. The handover was the easiest time for bad guys to succeed, and it was an open secret that General Hawke was there as a backup plan.

The convoy had already crossed the designated handover point by several kilometers, yet the convoy hadn't even disembarked to stand guard or report the situation? Those observing the situation couldn't help but shake their heads, expressing their dissatisfaction with the level of competence of this joint force.