Haley and Julia had been admitted to an outer hospital after being rescued from Krull Island. However, as soon as they were discharged, they rushed to Springfield.
“Where’s Victor?” Haley asked in an urgent tone.
“Miss Haley…” Maverick mumbled. He was a big fan, and her sudden appearance seemed to have shaken his composure.
“Mav, stop staring and answer her question,” Claire urged.
“Uh… Well… He is on his way to the battlefield.”
“What?” Haley exclaimed. “Even though Monolith has acquired Thanatos? Why did you let him go?”
“I am Caesar’s underling, Miss Haley. I don’t tell him what to do. Besides, the enemy had an ace up their sleeve. Their super soldiers decimated the NWO team. If Caesar doesn’t step in at this juncture, we will lose the coast.”
Haley and Julia frowned and settled into chairs. They exchanged curt greetings with the other girls.
“What are these super soldiers?” Julia asked curiously.
Maverick shrugged. “I have no idea. Just like their AM ray guns, they achieved another feat with advanced technology!”
“Actually, I have heard about this before,” Claire said. “I was meeting Angela Kaufman with Victor, and she mentioned something similar—unicellular organisms created with nanotechnology. When injected, they exponentially boost human agility, healing speed, and physical strength. The soldiers become immune to diseases and can fight for hours without rest.”
The others exchanged frightened glances.
“If that is true, we are in a lot of trouble,” Maverick said anxiously. “None of our troops could handle such an attack. Even the national army would fall.”
“What about the five-star generals?” Claire asked.
“Valeria is our strongest general, and even she is having trouble with them.”
The girls watched the live-streaming video in dismay. Val was clearly exhausted after killing a handful of super soldiers. She was moments away from being overpowered.
Even though Maverick shouted into the radio, asking Val to retreat, she was adamant. The female warrior declared she would fight to the death!
Just then, a familiar voice sounded over the speaker. The video’s spectators could also hear it. It was Victor! His armored car swerved to a stop, and he asked Val to take a knee. The female warrior bowed dutifully and retreated to the third line of defense to get medical aid.
“That was a superb entry!” Julia praised in awe.
The only soldier standing against the enemy horde was Victor. Almost a hundred super soldiers rushed at him, roaring like monsters.
Victor smirked and dived into the mob. Bash! Bam! Splurge! Whack!
Fountains of blood and explosions of viscera sprayed over the battlefield as he plowed through the super soldiers like a human shredder. Even though the enemies were agile, strong, and skilled, they faltered before Victor’s god-like strength.
“Is he even human?” Julia wondered aloud.
“Do you know anything about that, Mav?” Claire asked. “What is the source of Victor’s strength?”
“Don’t disturb me right now,” Maverick replied sharply. He was coordinating with the last line of defense and Valeria.
Within five minutes, the entire super-soldier army lay in tatters, literally.
“We won! Yay!” Claire celebrated. Even the soldiers in the third line of defense roared in triumph.
“Not yet,” Haley observed. She knew how crafty Monolith was. They wouldn’t resort to war without more powerful weapons. Her fears were confirmed shortly.
“Sir, the littoral combat ships are charging their AM ray guns again!” Maverick warned over the radio. “You need to take the red pill!”
Victor nodded, fished into his pocket, and tore a sachet open. He ingested the red pill that dropped out. Within seconds, his body had a monstrous transition and then reverted to its original form.
“What did he take?” Carol asked curiously.
“We call it the red pill,” Haley explained. “Victor has locked away most of his powers for the safety of others. He needs to take that formulation to unlock them.”
“Whoa, are you saying he is much stronger than this?” Julia asked with awe.
“You have no idea, lady,” Maverick said coldly. “But Miss Haley, I would appreciate it if you don’t go around sharing Caesar’s secrets with everyone. The present company has already betrayed them once.”
Everyone else cast side glances at Carol, who lowered her eyes in guilt.
Zing! Zing! Their attention went to the video again when the LCFs began firing. They were close enough to the coast to shoot at land units.
Boom! Boom! The AM rays collided with Victor, sprouting clouds of sand and smoke. However, the man moved forward effortlessly. The AM attacks were like water sprinklers to his inherent defenses.
“Whoa! The antimatter rays that could sink destroyer ships are worthless against Victor!” Claire exclaimed in joy.
Maverick looked concerned, and he blared into the radio. “Sir! The LCFs are close enough to target our third line of defense! I know you intend to destroy the ships individually, but it would take over fifteen minutes. By then, General Drew’s team would be decimated along with Lance’s army!”
Victor nodded. He dropped his tattered coat and spoke into the radio in a frigid tone.
“Drew. Is it here already?” The girls could barely recognize his voice. It was eerily devoid of emotion and humanity.
Drew Archibald, Victor’s third Five-star General, responded immediately. “Yes, sir. I am just waiting for your orders.”
“Alright. Bring me my weapon! Bring me Starfall!”