American comics: Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who worry about their fathers!.

Chapter 1143 The Death of the Kid Lightning
Emily forgot to cry; her heart pounded uncontrollably, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Emily!"

Mr. Hansen and his wife caught up, panting.

The two men looked surprised when they saw Machima supporting their daughter.

"Mr. Hansen, Mrs. Hansen."

Machima released her grip, gracefully took a half-step back, and smiled at the two, saying, "I am Machima Padrick, Peter Padrick's daughter. I just saw Emily fall, so..."

Hansen naturally knew Peter Patrick, the mysterious neighbor who was the subject of many legends and was awe-inspiring in the small town of Smallville.

He had heard that Peter had adopted many children, but the girl in front of him, with her red hair, golden eyes, unique temperament, and even more unique name, still surprised Hansen.

"So you're a child from the Patrick family. Thank you for helping Emily."

Mr. Hansen quickly expressed his gratitude.

He glanced at his daughter, then at Machima, hesitated for a moment, and then extended an invitation: "Um...would you like to come over to our house for a bit? Have a glass of juice?"

Although he was somewhat intimidated by the daughter of the Padric family in front of him, he still extended an invitation out of politeness.

"No, thank you for your kindness."

Machima shook her head gently, her smile still warm, and said, "My father told me to go back early, so I apologize for disturbing you."

After nodding slightly to the two of them, Machima turned to leave.

Her "spy," Raven, saw her father and Azu return to the farm from the Talon Club, and she knew she had to prepare to go back too.

"and many more!"

Emily called out hastily.

Watching Machima's retreating figure, Emily ran a few steps to catch up and asked the girl, who looked to be about her age, "Machima... can I... can I come to play with you sometime?"

For some reason, she felt a strong liking for Machima and unconsciously wanted to get closer to her.

Machima stopped and turned around. The sunlight shone on her red hair, as if it were coated with a halo.

Looking into Emily's expectant yet anxious eyes, Machima smiled and said, "Of course, Emily."

Machima said to her in a clear voice, "You're welcome anytime."

After saying that, she didn't linger, turned around and walked along the path towards Patrick Farm.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Kansas, the town of Riverwood has been transformed into a massive, tightly sealed military exclusion zone.

Tall, barbed wire fences and temporary concrete blocks completely isolated the town from the outside world.

Soldiers in nuclear, biological, and chemical protective suits, armed with live ammunition, patrolled behind the cordon. Tanks and armored vehicles guarded every intersection like steel behemoths, while armed helicopters circled overhead continuously, emitting a dull roar.

The air was filled with the smells of disinfectant, burning residue, and nauseating stench of decay.

Peter's car was stopped at the outermost checkpoint.

Peter, his brow furrowed, led Azu and Hiri out of the car.

Azu's sharp eyes swept over the imposing formation, and his brows furrowed just like Peter's.

Beside her, Ciri wore leather armor that allowed for easy movement, her long silver-gray hair tied back, and her strange, cat-like vertical pupils surveyed everything around her.

"It looks more serious than we thought, sir."

Ciri whispered to Peter, her voice tinged with wariness, "I can smell these dead things right now."

"Yes, according to the information Victor sent, there is no sign of life in this place anymore."

Peter said with a serious expression.

Through Cyborg, he had a general understanding of the tragedy that had occurred in Riverwood, as well as the news of Lex Luthor's involvement and disappearance.

Peter pondered this as he looked up at the town's interior.

The town was deathly silent, with only the mournful sound of the wind blowing through the ruins.

After a tedious process of identity verification and security briefings, Peter and his two companions were led by a serious-looking officer through several heavily guarded checkpoints to a temporary command center located behind the blockade line.

The area is filled with tents and communication antennas, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Outside the largest tent in the command center, the three met with the person in charge of the area.

The other person was a middle-aged woman wearing a sharp suit and skirt, with her hair neatly styled and sharp eyes.

“Mr. Peter Patrick”.

The woman extended her hand and shook hands with Peter. "I am Amanda Waller, the head of the Sky Eye Society. I have heard a lot about your name and have always hoped to have the opportunity to talk to you in person. Now I can finally meet you."

Peter shook her hand and said calmly, "Ms. Waller, I've heard of you too."

His gaze swept over the live feed of Riverwood on the screen inside the tent. "Looks like we finally have a chance, albeit in this unfortunate situation."

He was naturally familiar with the name Amanda Waller.

Harley Quinn previously mentioned during the Metal Gear event that she had become a member of the Suicide Squad.

The leader of the suicide squad is the slender black woman in front of us.

And Peter had heard of this guy's name in his previous life.

This woman is not only a commander in charge from the rear, but also a super agent.

When superpowered individuals were just emerging, the military decided to form a special squad, Squad Seven.

Amanda Waller was originally a super agent in Squad 7, even though she was just an ordinary person.

Although her combat abilities remain top-notch, Amanda Waller realizes that the Seventh Squad is already obsolete.

She volunteered to request the formation of a new squad from higher-ups; the deaths of her comrades made her determined that no more brave soldiers would sacrifice themselves.
She decided to fight violence with violence and evil with evil, letting the real villains play their part, and thus the X-Force plan was born.

This woman has no bottom line, is ruthless, and is willing to sacrifice everything for victory.

Amanda, unaware that Peter was recalling her message, twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing an expression that could hardly be called a smile.

"I never expected to meet you here, Mr. Patrick, but life is unpredictable, isn't it?"

Her gaze passed over Peter and landed on Azu and Ciri behind him, especially on Ciri's unusual eye color and conspicuous longsword, where it lingered for a moment, her interest growing stronger.

Seeing that the other party seemed interested in Ciri, Peter coughed and said, "I heard that Ms. Waller has formed a task force?"

Amanda did not deny it, shifting her gaze from Ciri and saying, "Yes."

“Harley Quinn, Floyd Lawton, Chatto Santana… they are all dangerous scum, incorrigible villains.”

Amanda looked at Peter and said in a serious tone, "But Mr. Patrick, I believe that even the dirtiest mud has its value; the key is how to control it and how to guide it."

She took a step forward and said in a forceful tone, "Use violence to fight violence, evil to fight evil, let the real villains deal with the worse and more inhuman things, let them consume themselves in the process of playing their role, and purify this world. That is my philosophy."

She pointed in the direction of Riverwood: "And everything that happened here, as well as the events that occurred before, proves that the world needs more flexible means to deal with crises. Therefore, the 'Task Force X' program was born."

As she spoke, her gaze fell again on Azu and Hiri, "Mr. Patrick, I've heard that your children are all extraordinary."

Upon hearing the other person's words, the calm on Peter's face vanished instantly, replaced by an oppressive aura like a volcano about to erupt.

He sensed that this woman was after his children.

Does this woman really not know how to write the word "death"?

Peter stared coldly at her. "Ms. Waller."

The moment Peter uttered those words, Amanda felt as if the air around her had frozen.

"You're comparing my child to those scumbags and villains you're talking about."

Peter stared sharply at her. "I hope this is the first and the last time."

"They are not candidates for your crazy plan. You'd better get rid of them."

Amanda's facial muscles twitched slightly. She met Peter's gaze, and after a few seconds, slowly exhaled, revealing a formulaic smile:

"Of course, Mr. Patrick, you misunderstand. I was just... expressing my appreciation."

Knowing Peter's strength, she dared not show any dissatisfaction despite being reprimanded in public.

After all, it's said that Peter and his children defeated those dark monsters in the previous Metal Event.

Peter, whose strength is unfathomable, is someone I can't afford to mess with right now.

As the tense atmosphere eased slightly, a soldier rushed over and reported to Amanda: "Sir, the third cleanup team has discovered an abnormal energy gathering point near the town center square, and there are a large number of active individuals gathered there." "Let's go check it out."

Amanda immediately turned around.

Peter, Hiri, and Azu exchanged glances and then followed.

The group boarded the command vehicle and, through a high-definition remote monitor, saw the scene in the town center square.

In the town center, hundreds of zombies were densely packed together.

The zombies were no longer as slow-moving as they had been in the early stages. Many of them had abnormal bluish-black keratinized skin, moved more swiftly, and seemed to have greatly increased their strength.

These zombies wandered aimlessly, occasionally letting out low, beast-like roars.

Ciri stared at the screen. Her Witcher senses and innate spatial abilities allowed her to perceive the anomalies on the scene more acutely than ordinary people.

"Sir, I can sense a spatial energy being transmitted over here."

She whispered to Peter, her brow furrowed, "There seem to be traces of spatial fluctuations."

"You mean"

Peter frowned slightly. "Was it a spatial teleportation?"

Could these zombies, or the outbreak of the zombie virus, have come from another world?
the other side.

As night deepened, it became evening.

The forest on the edge of Riverwood looked particularly eerie under the pale moonlight.

Bart, like a phantom blending into the night, moved through the trees at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people, leaving only the swaying branches behind him.

With his speedster abilities, Bart had already thoroughly explored the outskirts of the town, which had almost become a ghost town.

The dilapidated houses, abandoned vehicles, dried bloodstains, and the occasional wandering, slow-moving ordinary zombies... these images made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

After searching the town without success, Bart turned his attention to the outskirts.

A few minutes later, he stopped at the chaotic crash site.

The wreckage of the helicopter was scattered in a clearing in the woods, the charred metal parts twisted and contorted, some still emitting wisps of smoke.

The air was thick with the smell of aviation fuel, burnt plastic, and a nauseating odor of burnt protein.

Bart frowned, slowed down, and cautiously approached the helicopter.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot, whose body had been pierced by deformed metal and was already dead, lay at an unnatural angle, his face frozen with the terror of the crash.

Near the wreckage of the passenger cabin, there were several bodies of bodyguards dressed in black suits, with varying manners of death; some of them had clearly perished before the crash.

Bart suppressed his discomfort and quickly examined the bodies.

The fact that Lex Luthor wasn't among the victims gave him a slight sense of relief; at least the mission target might still be alive.

He then took out an encrypted communicator, preparing to report the initial situation to Machima.

The reason he's here is entirely because he was sent by Machima.

Machima already knows what happened in the zombie town. Her father, Azu, and Ciri went to the town. Machima couldn't come herself, so she sent Bart instead.

Just as Bart pressed the call button, he caught a glimpse of a relatively intact corner of the cabin: a silver-gray, angular suitcase, half-hidden under a twisted seat and clutter.

The case appears to be made of a special alloy, and it was not seriously damaged even in the crash, with only some scratches on the edges and corners. The locks on the case are flashing red indicator lights that indicate the encryption status.

Bart's mind raced, and he quickly ended the brief communication.

He walked over and carefully pulled the suitcase out of the rubble.

The box was heavier than he had expected, and it was clearly filled with something very dense.

After obtaining the box, Bart dared not linger there, for who knew what other strange things might be lurking in the nearby woods.

He tucked the suitcase tightly under his arm, and his body crackled with electricity once more, intending to leave this place of trouble as quickly as possible.

Bart chose to return along an abandoned old road that would pass a long-abandoned church on the edge of town.

Just as he was moving at high speed, about to pass the church that lay prostrate like a dark behemoth, a subtle sense of unease pierced the back of his neck.

Someone... or rather, something is following him!
These are not the ordinary zombies that are slow-moving and rely on their sense of smell and hearing.

This "thing" moves extremely fast and its presence is extremely elusive, as if it can blend into the shadows or even into the air.

Bart abruptly stopped, his shoes screeching against the rough pavement and kicking up a cloud of dust.

He turned around abruptly, his eyes scanning the empty road behind him and the shadowy trees on either side in the darkness.

There was deathly silence all around.

Even the occasional distant roars of zombies that could be heard before had disappeared.

"Who is there?"

Bart hissed, his muscles tensing, ready to react at any moment.

The next second, a sudden change occurred!

The shadow to his left seemed to come alive; a dark shape, almost blending into its surroundings, lunged at him with incredible speed.

Bart's pupils contracted sharply upon witnessing this.

What a great speed!

Without time to think, relying on his extraordinary reflexes, Bart's body reacted and made an evasive maneuver before his brain could process it.

A flash of electricity appeared beneath his feet, and Bart moved several meters to the right like a ghost.

"Whoosh!"

The dark figure brushed past him, the chilling air it brought raising goosebumps on Bart's exposed skin.

He could barely make out that it seemed to be a human figure dressed in tattered, dark clothing, but the body was in an abnormal semi-transparent state, as if it might dissipate into the air at any moment.

A ghost?
Before Bart could regain his footing, the black shadow that had missed its target vanished into thin air a short distance ahead, like an ink droplet merging into water.

No trace was left behind, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

But the lingering air currents and the chill that hadn't yet faded from the back of his neck told Bart that it was no illusion.

"Where?!"

Bart's alarm bells rang in his mind, and he quickly looked around, trying to catch any signs of energy fluctuations or spatial distortions.

Is this a zombie?
Or is it some kind of monster?!
Just as he was concentrating on sensing what was in front of him and to his sides.

A sense of danger pierced him from behind.

Behind him, the previously empty air instantly materialized as if it had emerged from another dimension.

The shadowy figure revealed a bluish-gray hand, gripping a rusty dagger, which, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, swiftly stabbed towards Bart's back.

Bart could even feel the coldness of the dagger tip touching the fabric of his coat.

"Pfft!"

The dull thud of a sharp weapon piercing flesh was exceptionally clear in the silent night sky.

Bart's astonishment froze instantly.

He looked down, staring incredulously at the dagger protruding from his left chest.

The excruciating pain, like a belated tide, instantly swept over his entire body, overwhelming his senses.

The silver-gray briefcase in Bart's hand fell to the ground with a clatter.

The power drained from my body rapidly like the receding tide, and my vision began to blur and darken.

He tried to muster his last bit of strength, even if it was just to create some distance, but the tearing sensation in his heart robbed him of all his power.

Bart opened his mouth, but no sound came out; only blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

His body swayed, and finally, Bart collapsed forward, falling heavily onto the cold, hard ground.

The ghostly zombie stood silently beside Bart's fallen body, glancing down at the blood-stained dagger and then at the suitcase lying on the ground, its rotting face seemingly devoid of any expression.

A moment later, it bent down and reached out its bluish-gray hand to grab the metal box.

(End of this chapter)