"Alright, alright, I was just kidding," Zack said, shaking his head to dismiss the thought. Then, in a deeper tone, he added, "Call Lillian over. I’ve got a mission for her."

  "Yes, Sir," Ego firmed without hesitation. A short while ter, Lilliaered the room, her sleek bbat armor. Her presence was as sharp as the bde she wielded. "Master, you called for me?" she said, kneeling on one knee in respect.

  Zack gave a small nod and handed her a photograph. "This is your target," he said. "Eliminate him."

  Lillian took the photo, quickly sing the image of Kahe current leader of the Washington DC base. "Kane?" she muttered, instantly reizing the round-faced man in the picture.

  "You know him?" Zack asked casually.

  "Yes," Lillian replied, her voice calm. "I crossed paths with him during my days in business. He was one of my petitors, and his methods were… underhao say the least."

  Zack leaned back slightly, her. "He’s now in charge of the Washington DC base, surrounded by heavy security, including mutants. you ha?"

  "Guaranteed," Lillian replied without hesitation. Before she became Zack’s most formidable warrior, Lillian had dealt with tless men like Kane. Now, with her abilities enhanced far beyond human limits, this mission was almost trivial. Her reinforced body could withstand incredible damage, arength and speed surpassed even Zack’s enhatributes. bined with her energy-based onry that could slice through nearly anything, Lillian was an unstoppable force.

  "Take the Phoenix," Zastructed. "It’s prepped and ready for you."

  The Phoenix, a modified aircraft built from a Avalon ptform, had been enhanced specifically fh-risk missions. The name Phoenix came from a mythology, symbolizing indomitable strength—an aspiration Zack had when designing it. "Uood," Lillian replied. Without another word, she turned and headed toward the unch pad.

  The Phoenix, rger and more imposing than standard transports, featured detachable modules that could transform into auxiliary bat units. It was a flying fortress desigo adapt to any situation. As the transport lifted off vertically and surged northward, Ego’s voice broke the silence. "Sir, while I uand you don’t like to listen to me, I feel obligated to mention… the Titan modules have not undergone proper testing. Using them in bat isn’t advisable."

  Zack smirked. "Ego, let’s not have this versation again. I kly what yoing to say."

  "Of course, sir," Ego replied dryly. "At this point, you’d usually remihat we should learn to run before we learn to walk."

  Zack chuckled. "You know me too well, old friend."

  After a brief moment of levity, Zack’s face turned serious. "Alright, it’s time to move out. Annie and the others will hold the base, and with the meical units ihere shouldn’t be any issues."

  Zack suited up in the Apex exosuit. As the thrusters roared to life, he shot into the sky, breaking the sound barrier almost instantly.

  Ihe mansion, Aood by the window, watg him disappear into the horizon. She pouted. "Sister Sophia, my brother is so unfair! He akes me along."

  Sophia, sitting nearby with a book, g her with mild amusement. "You’ve been out once. I’ve only been out twice. Quit pining."

  "But Sis, it’s not fair!" Annie whined, flopping onto the couch dramatically. "I’ve got the reactor installed, and I fly just like you! But he still won’t let me join. He even took Erza this time a me behind!"

  Sophia sighed, setting her book down. "Your brother has his reasons. Besides, he said you and Erza are mutants, so iing you with enhas could cause uable side effects. For now, it’s better to stay safe."

  Annie perked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Sophia. "But Sister Sophia, your skin is so perfeow. I want that too!"

  Sophia preteo push her away with a look of mock disgust but then pulled her into a warm hug. "Alright, alright, stop being so dramatic. You go guard the best, it’s also very important task!" Sophia said with a serious expression, leaning back slightly in her chair. Her mind wandered back to the pre-apocalypse days when she and her friends used to py games. One friend would head out to battle while Sophia stayed behind, guarding their base.

  "Really?" Ailted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. Then, as if making a vow, she decred, "Alright then, I’ll guard the base perfectly!" She paused, grinning mischievously. "I’m putting on Tarantu!"

  Before Sophia could stop her, Annie had already skipped out of the room, her footsteps eg dowairs. "This girl…" Sophia muttered, shaking her head with a soft smile. Watg Annie’s eic departure was like a ray of light in the darkness of their world. In these grim times, having someone so lively around was a blessing.

  Onnie was gohe smile faded from Sophia’s face. She walked over to the window, leaned her head against the gss, and stared northward. Zack hadn’t told them the exact scale of the zombie horde, but based on his demeanor and the fact that he had dispatched over twenty Avalons, she could tell it wasn’t just a minor threat. "The battle on Capital isn’t as simple as he made it sound," Sophia murmured to herself. She csped her hands together tightly. "Zack, you have to e back safely. You’re the only family I have left."

  Far to the north, a transport pne roared across the pre-apocalypse border, entering us airspad heading straight for NYC City. Its purpose was unknown. Ihe pne, a group e, burly men sat in silence. Some were soldiers armed to the teeth, while others were mutants.

  The Kamchatka Tundra region had the highest tration of shapeshifting mutants in the world. Uypical mutants, shapeshifters didn’t require years of training to harheir abilities. Their bat potential was immense from the moment they awakehis particur transport carried ten shapeshifters: six hulking bears, one Siberian tiger, and three wolves. Alongside them were heavily armed soldiers outfitted in crude exoskeleton armor, desigo enhaheir strength and endurance.

  While Zack’s advanced suits of armor were decades ahead of these ky exoskeletons, the bear-meed their gear like precious treasures. For them, even this rudimentary teology was a game-ger. "Vish, where are we now?" Ahe Siberian tiger shapeshifter and leader of the group, asked in a booming voice that echoed through the .

  The pilot, Vish, gnced baervously. "Chief Andre, we’re approag Washington, there’s a rge base there. They might have anti-aircraft defenses. Should we take a detour?"

  Andre frowned, his brow furrowing. "Take the detour. Without satellite support, we ’t risk a misunication leading to our pne being shot down."

  "Uood," Vish replied, adjusting their course slightly.

  One of the younger wolf shapeshifters approached Andre hesitantly. "Chief, do you think this mission will work?" he asked, his voice shaky. Before the apocalypse, he’d been a college student. Now, the idea of a real bat mission made him nervous.

  Andre pced a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. We’ve studied NYC City carefully. Based on satellite intel before we lost them, the base relies heavily on maes. They have fewer than ten super soldiers, and only one person with notable abilities—a woman who trols fire."