American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“There’s someone inside,” he whispered to the person behind him.

They continued to approach, using abandoned agricultural machinery and bushes for cover. When they reached a position fifty meters from the farmhouse, Lynn signaled for the group to stop.

"Second group in position," a deep voice came through the walkie-talkie.

"Third group in position."

“Alright,” Lynn said, “prepare to move out. I’ll count to three, and we’ll all enter at the same time. One, two.”

His words were interrupted by a scream.

It was a woman's scream coming from the farmhouse, filled with fear and despair.

"Action!" Lynn shouted, rushing toward the farmhouse.

He kicked open the front door and rushed into the house.

The farmhouse was just as dilapidated inside as it was outside—the wallpaper was peeling off the walls, the furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the air was thick with the smell of mildew and decay. But in the center of the living room, there was a scene that made Lynn's heart skip a beat.

A young woman was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged, her eyes filled with tears of terror. It was Samantha White—Lynn recognized her from a police file photo.

Standing behind her was a young man.

Alexander Green.

He looked much more haggard than in the photos—his cheeks were sunken, he had deep dark circles under his eyes, he was unshaven, and his hair was disheveled. He was wearing a wrinkled jacket and jeans, and he held a knife in his hand, the tip of which was pressed against Samantha's neck.

"Don't move!" Alexander shouted, his voice hoarse and frantic. "Anyone who dares to take a step closer, I'll kill her!"

Lynn raised his hands, signaling the people behind him to stop. "Alexander, calm down. We can talk."

"What are we talking about?" Alexander sneered. "How did you drive my brother to his death?"

“Matthew committed suicide,” Lynn said, trying to keep his voice calm. “No one forced him.”

“Nonsense!” Alexander’s eyes burned with fury. “If it weren’t for those people—Jason, David, Michael—if they hadn’t bullied Matthew, stolen his opportunities, and left him with nothing, how could he have become like that? They are the real murderers!”

"So you killed them for Matthew?"

“They deserve to die!” Alexander roared. “Every single one of them deserves to die! Matthew was just too kind; he didn’t dare take revenge himself, so I did it for him. I’m his brother; it’s my responsibility to protect him!”

“But Matthew didn’t want you to do that,” Lynn said. “He said in his suicide note that he loved you and didn’t want you to ruin your life for him.”

Alexander's body trembled, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. "How...how did you know?"

“We found his suicide note and diary,” Lynn said. “I know he was in pain, I know he was struggling with those voices and hallucinations. But Alexander, in the end, chose to end his own life rather than let you continue killing. He wanted to stop it all.”

“Shut up!” Alexander’s hand trembled as the tip of the knife drew a shallow line of blood on Samantha’s neck, and Samantha let out a whimper.

“Alexander, put down the knife,” Lynn said. “Samantha has nothing to do with this; she’s innocent. You don’t want to hurt her, do you?”

“She…” Alexander’s voice faltered. “She promised to help me. She said she would stay with me. But she called the police. She betrayed me.”

“She didn’t betray you,” Lynn said. “We found this place by tracking her cell phone signal, not because she called the police. She’s always wanted to help you, Alexander. Let her go, okay?”

Alexander stared at Lynn for several seconds, his eyes flashing with contradiction and struggle. Then, he suddenly made an unexpected move.

He threw the knife on the ground, covered his head with his hands, and squatted down.

“I don’t know what to do,” he murmured, his voice filled with despair. “Matthew is dead. I’ve lost everything. I don’t know what to do.”

Lynn moved forward slowly, his hand already reaching for the handcuffs at his waist. "Alexander, come with us. It's all over."

He was only three meters away from Alexander. Two meters. One meter.
Suddenly, Alexander's body began to emit a strange light—a faint blue light emanated from beneath his skin, like luminous liquid flowing in his veins.

"No!" he shouted, and then he fell backward—into the wall behind him.

His body passed through the solid wall as if it were water, disappearing on the other side.

"He's gone!" Kevin shouted.

"Chase him!" Lynn rushed towards the door. "Second group, he's coming out from behind! Stop him!"

He rushed out of the farmhouse and saw Alexander running towards the woods behind it. He was moving quickly, but his steps were unsteady, clearly indicating that using his powers had taken a toll on his stamina.

"Stop!" Lynn shouted, drawing his gun and aiming.

Alexander didn't stop. He continued running into the woods, about to disappear among the trees.

Lynn pulled the trigger, but not to Alexander's body; instead, he fired at the ground in front of him. The bullet exploded on the snow, sending up a spray of snowflakes and forcing Alexander to change direction.

The second group of officers flanked him from the side, attempting to cut off his escape route. Seeing himself surrounded, Alexander reactivated his ability—his body glowed blue—and charged towards the nearest large tree.

His body passed through the tree trunk and emerged from the other side, continuing his escape.

“Damn it,” Lynn cursed, “he can pass through any solid matter!”

“Then how do we catch him?” Kevin followed behind, panting.

“Exhaust him,” Lynn said. “His abilities can’t be used indefinitely. Keep chasing!”

The chase continued through the woods. Alexander continued to use his abilities to move through the trees and bushes, but Lynn noticed that his speed was gradually decreasing, and the light after each use of his abilities was becoming dimmer.

“He’s running out of strength,” Lynn shouted. “Keep pushing him!”

They chased them into a denser forest. The trees here were tall and thick, blocking out most of the sunlight, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves and snow. The air was filled with a damp and rotten smell, and the occasional cawing of crows could be heard from afar.

Alexander stopped in front of a fallen tree, panting heavily. His face was pale, and his body was trembling; he was clearly nearing his limit.

“Give up, Alexander,” Lynn said, slowly approaching him with his gun raised. “You can’t escape.”

“You don’t understand,” Alexander said breathlessly, “I can’t get caught. I promised Matthew I would make those people pay, everyone.”

“Those people are dead,” Lynn said. “You’ve avenged Matthew. Now, let’s end this.”

Alexander shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "No, not yet. There are others. Those who mocked him, ostracized him, made him feel worthless. They all deserve to die."

“So how many people do you plan to kill?” Lynn asked. “Ten? A hundred? A thousand? When will it end?” Alexander did not answer. He just stood there, shivering in the cold wind, his eyes empty and desperate.

“Matthew wouldn’t want you to do this,” Lynn said, lowering his gun and slowly walking towards Alexander. “He said in his suicide note that he loved you and didn’t want you to sacrifice yourself for him. If you truly love him, you should respect his wishes.”

“I…” Alexander’s voice choked with emotion, “I don’t know what else I can do. Protecting Matthew was the only right thing I ever did. Now that he’s gone, I have nothing left.”

“You still have a chance,” Lynn said. “If you surrender now and cooperate with our investigation, perhaps the judge will consider a reduced sentence. You are young, and you have a future.”

Alexander looked up at Lynn. His eyes were filled with tears, and a hint of hesitation.

In that instant, Lynn saw a glimmer of hope—perhaps he could really persuade Alexander to surrender without further violence.

But just then, a gunshot rang out from the woods.

The bullet flew from the side and struck Alexander in the shoulder. He screamed and fell backward.

“No!” Lynn turned around and saw that it was one of the officers from the third team who fired the shot. “Who gave you permission to fire?”

“He’s trying to escape—” the officer stammered.

"He's not trying to run away!" Lynn roared, but his attention was immediately drawn back to Alexander.

Alexander clutched his injured shoulder, his expression shifting from pain to rage. His body emitted a blue light once more, this time even more intensely than before.

“You’re all the same,” he said through gritted teeth. “You all want me dead.”

He charged toward Lynn, his body semi-transparent, floating in the air like a ghost.

Lynn raised his gun, but he knew ordinary bullets were useless against Alexander in his phase-shifted state. He took a step back, yelling, "Stun gun! Quick!"

Kevin reacted quickly; he pulled out a stun gun from his waist and fired it at Alexander.

However, the electrodes of the stun gun passed through Alexander's translucent body without causing any damage.

Alexander rushed to Lynn and reached out his hand—which hardened the moment it touched Lynn and struck him hard in the chest.

Lynn was sent flying backward by the blow, crashing heavily into a tree, the gun slipping from his hand.

“Agent Lynn!” Kevin exclaimed.

Alexander turned to Kevin, his eyes gleaming with madness. "You all must die."

He charged toward Kevin, but his speed noticeably slowed—continuous use of his abilities had exhausted him, and the gunshot wound to his shoulder was bleeding profusely.

Lynn struggled to his feet and saw what was happening. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution.

Alexander's ability is a matter phase shift—making solids permeable. But he cannot maintain this state indefinitely, and he must solidify his body when attacking.

That is his weakness.

“Kevin!” Lynn shouted, “Let him hit you!”

"What?" Kevin looked at him in surprise.

"Trust me! The moment he hits you, he has to solidify! That's when you can retaliate!"

Kevin hesitated for a moment, but he chose to trust Lynn. He stood still, watching Alexander charge towards him.

Alexander raised his fist, and just as he was about to strike Kevin, his arm solidified—

Kevin dodged the punch to the side, and at the same time stabbed Alexander in the abdomen with the stun gun in his hand.

An electric current passed through Alexander's body, causing him to scream and convulse violently. The blue light vanished instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, incapacitated.

"Quick!" Lynn rushed forward, pulled out handcuffs, and cuffed Alexander's hands behind his back. "Find something to tie his legs! We can't let him use his powers again!"

The officers surrounded him and bound Alexander tightly with ropes and special restraints. He lay on the snow, trembling, emitting faint groans.

“Call an ambulance,” Lynn said, his chest still throbbing. “He needs treatment.”

Kevin stood to the side, panting heavily, his face covered in sweat and snowflakes. "We...we caught him?"

“Yes,” Lynn nodded, “we caught him.”

He looked at Alexander lying on the ground, a complex emotion welling up inside him.

This young man became a killer to protect his younger brother, ultimately losing everything—his brother, his freedom, and perhaps even his life. His story is a tragedy, but the crimes he committed are unforgivable.

Lynn turned and walked out of the woods. Sunlight finally pierced through the clouds, shining on the snow and refracting a dazzling light.

“Kevin,” he said, “well done.”

Kevin caught up with him, a tired but relieved smile on his face. "I just did as you said."

“You made the right judgment,” Lynn said. “In that situation, most people would panic, but you remained calm. That’s the most important quality of a good agent.”

Kevin's face flushed slightly, but he tried to remain calm. "Thank you, Agent Lynn."

They emerged from the woods and returned to the farmhouse. An ambulance and more police cars had arrived, and Samantha White was rescued and being examined by paramedics. She had a shallow cut on her neck, but otherwise was unharmed.

Inspector Webber approached, his expression serious. "You caught him?"

“He’s been caught,” Lynn nodded. “He was subdued in the woods. He has gunshot wounds and electric shocks, requires medical treatment, but his life is not in danger.”

“Great,” Weber breathed a sigh of relief, “this case can finally be closed.”

“It’s not completely over yet,” Lynn said. “We need to interrogate him to confirm there are no other accomplices and that the victim list is complete. He said in the woods that there were ‘others’ to kill, and we need to find out who he was referring to.”

“Understood,” Weber nodded. “I’ll arrange it.”

Lynn watched as Alexander was lifted onto an ambulance on a stretcher in the distance. His eyes were closed, and his face was pale; he looked like an ordinary young man, not a murderer who had killed three people.

“Detective Ashford,” Webber’s voice pulled him back to reality, “you and your colleagues have been a tremendous help to us. Without you, we might never have caught this man.” (End of Chapter)