I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 726

"Ha, I didn't expect a show of strength like this all of a sudden...!"

One.

"I'm jealous of the rookie and Olivia, watching from a distance... damn it!"

Two.

The ominous sound came from the fuel line wrapped around the front wheels of the MQ-20 Avenger. Due to the immense tension applied by the mutant's strength, the line emitted a sound as though it might snap at any moment.

They tore open the hangar door, half broken, and wrapped a nearby hose around the wheels, pulling it with all their might. Miraculously, the aircraft started rolling forward.

Even a strongman, capable of dragging a truck or plane without brakes, couldn’t compare to the Alpha-class mutants who could perform feats beyond human capabilities. With immense power, the unmanned attack aircraft, weighing tons, was effortlessly pulled by the mutants.

"Well, this is easier than I thought. I’ll move it to the designated location. I hope you’re ready for takeoff once we get there," Logan said.

• "Already on standby. Once aligned on the runway, we’ll take off immediately toward Griffith Air Force Base," came the reply.

"Moving one of these will take about three minutes. I'll try to move as many as I can, but we need to stall Artemis for as long as possible," Logan continued.

• "We will do our best," the response came.

It wasn’t a definite answer but an effort. Logan and Laurentina knew exactly what that subtle difference meant. The task ahead wouldn’t be easy. They had to be careful with the strength they applied; the front wheels might break if they used too much force.

Step by step, the aircraft began moving, and as they exited the hangar, Logan and Laurentina adjusted their strength with precision, speeding up the aircraft’s movement.

The runway was about a kilometer away, and the two mutants moved like slow-motion humans running a marathon.

Once they picked up speed, they ran, and soon two Avengers were aligned on the runway.

• "Takeoff preparations complete! The runway is cleared! From here, the control will be handled by the Central Park TOC!" came the message.

"Alright, let's move on," Logan said.

The roar of the engine could be heard as the MQ-20 Avenger took off. Unlike the MQ-9, the Avenger used turbo-fan engines instead of propellers, and the noise and wind pressure were intense as the aircraft began its ascent.

Logan and Laurentina started moving back toward the hangar. But it wasn’t just the mutants moving the aircraft—everyone on the Dagger Team was doing the same.

In five minutes, four Avengers had taken to the skies. The process was made possible by the shape of the runway, which allowed for multiple takeoffs.

However, five minutes wasn’t necessarily a short amount of time.

Suddenly, Dagger Team looked up at the sky, where what seemed like fireworks were erupting.

"What’s going on up there?" Logan asked.

• "Artemis has begun deploying surface-to-air missiles in full force. We’re doing everything we can to disable and evade them, but unfortunately, we’ll have to allow some enemy mechanized infantry to get closer," the report came.

"Looks like Olivia and the rookie over there are going to have to earn their pay," Logan remarked.

• "Understood."

Indeed, Dagger Team had multiple obstacles in their way. The first was the EMP being investigated by the aircraft hovering above them, and the second was Olivia and Eugene, waiting southwest of Syracuse.

While picking off enemies one by one wouldn't be efficient, things would change if they brought an armored vehicle. A railgun, capable of piercing even tanks under the right conditions, could easily take out infantry combat vehicles.

The Dagger Team couldn’t prevent every enemy from advancing, but it was almost certain that the two of them could hold back more than just a few soldiers.

Meanwhile, in the sky, something more significant than fireworks was unfolding.

Several missiles were launched after a craft speeding through the night sky, but they failed to catch up. It wasn’t because of a lack of speed; it was because the missiles weren’t hypersonic S-500s.

The aircraft maintained a speed of Mach 8, easily dodging most mid-range missiles and damaging those that got too close with EMP pulses that destroyed their sensors.

The surface-to-air missiles, losing their guidance, flew erratically, quickly leaving the Syracuse area before crashing into abandoned buildings or forests, exploding as they went.

But the gap left by the SAMs (Surface-to-Air Missiles) gave Artemis' mechanized infantry a chance to approach, and before long, they were spotted by the reconnaissance drones operated by Olivia and Eugene.

"Ah, identified mechanized infantry. Locking them down now. Distance: 4.22 km, bullet reach in 1.2 seconds, speed 3502 m/s. I’ve identified multiple infantry and Artemis combat vehicles entering Line X-ray, at least 20 units. Locking them down," Olivia reported.

"More than 20? That’s a lot," Logan remarked.

"Looks like they’re having some fun over there. Don’t worry, just keep doing your job," Olivia added.

Of course, Eagle Team would handle the rest.

While the nine-man assault team used Icarus Gear to transport the remaining drones, the UI displayed the shared view of the reconnaissance drone. The pale line cutting across Syracuse was soon followed by projectiles, traveling at speeds that far exceeded the normal range.

The bullets, moving at an unimaginable speed, pierced infantry combat vehicles and armored transports without resistance. Even EMP damage couldn’t fix the devastation caused by these high-speed projectiles.

On the six-lane asphalt road, vehicles began to stop, incapacitated by the penetrating rounds.

Even smoke charges couldn’t hide the armored vehicles, and the road was soon completely blocked.

The 20mm chain gun could handle some of the threats, but even the most powerful grenade launchers couldn’t reach the Dagger Team at such a distance. Mortars were equally ineffective.

Artemis, now thrown into chaos, struggled to react, and Olivia couldn’t help but enjoy watching the spectacle.

"Nothing’s more fun than breaking the legs of those who can’t fight back," Olivia remarked.

• "Seven Avengers have taken off from Hancock Field Air Force Base. The Predator B from Griffith Air Force Base is on standby. We can provide air support within five minutes if you want, Eagle 1."

"Good. Time to grind Artemis into dust. Just remember, we might lose one of them," Logan replied.

• "I’ll make sure the TOC is informed about that level of loss," came the response.

The communication was cut off, but preparations were complete.

As the digital sniper threads in Icarus Gear pinpointed the enemy’s location kilometers away, vehicles, though seemingly undamaged, began to come to a halt, as if pinned in place.

The highway was completely blocked by the wrecked armored vehicles, and attempts to take detours were futile due to the damaged guardrails and soft dirt beyond.

Despite their efforts, Eagle Team couldn’t completely block out the sky. The enemy, now with at least a battalion of forces, started moving desperately to find another route and even launched additional attacks from a distance.

• "Drone swarm detected."

"Did we dodge all the missiles?" Logan asked.

• "The frequency of surface-to-air missile attacks has decreased. The UAVs will reach your location in 1 minute 20 seconds. It’s best to deploy EMP shields."

"Got it."

It was expected.

Olivia saw a strange craft moving in the sky, seemingly sewing its path through the air. It then turned around and began accelerating toward Eagle Team at full speed.

From the opposite side, something started to fly toward them. Eugene could feel the air vibrating uncontrollably, and Olivia saw thousands of bomb drones, each slightly larger than her palm, coming from a distance.

Artemis was likely preparing for a large-scale loss, but that wasn’t important. Dagger Team’s role was to crush any desperate attempts.

Olivia and Eugene deployed their defensive shields, and after a short time, a buzzing sound similar to a swarm of hornets filled the air.

And then—

With a sharp crackle, the high-output pulse from Icarus Gear poured over the area near Destiny Mall, and the swarm of bomb drones fell from the sky like leaves, crashing into the ground before they could reach the rooftops.

The deafening silence that followed was broken only by explosions, as thousands of drones, packing explosive power far beyond grenades, tore through the parking lot before even reaching their targets.

Watching it all, Olivia added, "Looks like we’ll be home sooner than expected. I’ll have some nice presents to take with me."

"Yeah, looks like it," Logan agreed.

In just three hours since the abduction of Carlton, Dagger Team had used all their strength to land a decisive blow on Artemis. The timing and destructive force of their strike had been nothing short of extraordinary.

Soon, the time to return home would come.

"How did this happen?" Artemis muttered, watching everything crumble.

Artemis' grand plan had already begun to collapse from the start.