American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 173 The place is deserted!

The night was as dark as ink, and moonlight shone through the sparse clouds, casting a silvery veil over the streets of Manhattan.

Lynn Harvey's home was in a quiet neighborhood. He stood by the window, gazing at the night sky, his mind filled with complex emotions. In the living room, Hans sat on the sofa, tense and wary, his eyes frequently darting towards the door, as if searching for an opportunity to escape.

Lynn turned to look at Hans, her voice carrying a barely perceptible gentleness: "Hans, I know you're scared and confused right now. But please believe me, I genuinely want to help you."

Hans didn't speak, but lowered his head, his hands clasped tightly together, looking somewhat uneasy. He knew all too well that he was a mutant.

The discrimination and persecution he faces in this society. And Lynn, this FBI agent, while temporarily protecting him, who can guarantee he won't suddenly change his mind and hand himself over to those who want to exploit him?

"Hans, I'm bringing you home not to imprison you, but to put you in a safe place, away from those who are hunting you down," Lynn continued, trying to move Hans with his sincerity.

Hans looked up, gazing into Lynn's eyes as if searching for an answer. He spoke slowly, "Lynn, I know you're a good person."

But I can't go on like this forever. I need to find a place that truly accepts me.

Lynn sighed. He understood Hans's worries and desires. But he also knew that letting Hans leave now would undoubtedly push him into a dangerous abyss.

"Hans, leaving now will only put you in greater danger," Lynn said earnestly. "Those who want to use you won't let you go. And I am the only one who can protect you."

Hans fell silent, knowing full well that Lynn was telling the truth. But his fear and unease made it difficult for him to make a decision. He looked out at the night sky, a powerful urge welling up inside him—to run away!

Just as Lynn turned to prepare some food for Hans, Hans suddenly stood up and silently walked towards the door. His movements were light and swift, like a cheetah poised to pounce.

However, Lynn's alertness far surpassed that of ordinary people. He sensed something amiss almost the instant Hans moved. He whirled around,

Just then, I saw Hans about to touch the doorknob.

"Hans, stop!" Lynn shouted sternly, his voice echoing in the night sky with an undeniable authority.

Hans's body trembled slightly. He stopped and turned around to look at Lynn. His eyes held both fear and resentment.

"You—" You found out about me a long time ago? Hans's voice trembled slightly. He hadn't expected his plan to be exposed so quickly.

Lynn walked up to Hans, staring intently at him. "Hans, do you think I'm bluffing? Let me tell you, I've been watching you ever since you walked in. Every move you make, every glance you give, hasn't escaped my notice."

Hans lowered his head, knowing he had nothing to hide from Lynn. He tried to explain, "Lynn, I just—I just wanted to see the outside world, I didn't really want to run away."

Lynn shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his voice: "Hans, you're wrong. Running away won't solve the problem; it will only make things worse. You should trust me, trust that I can help you find a better way out."

Hans was silent for a moment, then looked up into Lynn's eyes: "Lynn, I know you're a good person, and I want to believe you. But—but I'm really scared, scared that those people will find me, that they'll lock me up in that dark, hopeless place again."

Looking into Hans's fearful eyes, Lynn felt a surge of protectiveness. He reached out and gently patted Hans's shoulder. "Hans, don't be afraid. As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you. I'll help you find your place, a place where you can truly feel safe and free."

A tear welled up in Hans's eyes as he gripped Lynn's hand tightly. "Lynn, thank you. I really—I really don't know how to repay you."

Lynn smiled, her tone relaxed: "Repayment? You just need to trust me. Now, let's go back to the living room and have a proper discussion about the next steps."

With that, Lynn pulled Hans back to the living room, and the two sat on the sofa to discuss their next plans. Lynn explained his plans in detail to Hans, including how to find the experimental base, how to rescue the other imprisoned mutants, and how to expose the crimes of those criminals.

As Hans listened to Lynn's plan, his fear and unease gradually dissipated. He began to believe that perhaps he could truly find a place of his own, a place that could accept him, a place where he could feel safe and free.

The following morning, sunlight pierced through the sparse clouds, illuminating the vast desert. Golden grains of sand shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, resembling an endless golden ocean. Hans, Lynn, and a group of FBI agents stood at the edge of the desert, their gazes fixed on the ancient map in Hans's hand.

"This is it." Hans pointed to a mark on the map, a hint of tension in his voice. "This secret passage leads to the core area of ​​that experimental base, but—"—but it might be riddled with traps.

Lynn looked at Hans, his eyes revealing determination and trust: "Hans, now that we're here, there's no turning back. No matter how many dangers lie ahead, we'll face them together."

Hans nodded, took a deep breath as if to encourage himself, and then squatted down to begin digging in the sand. Soon, a hidden entrance appeared before them. The entrance was small, only wide enough for one person to pass through, but a chilling aura emanated from within, sending shivers down their spines.

"Everyone, be careful and follow me," Hans said, then took the lead and crawled into the hole. Lynn and the FBI agents followed closely behind, moving cautiously, afraid of triggering any traps.

The secret passage was dark and narrow, with only the faint light of flashlights guiding the way. A damp, musty smell filled the air, as if no one had been there for a long time. Hans led the way, guiding the group around trap after trap, relying on his memory of the route.

However, just as they were about to reach the end of the secret passage, a sudden, violent tremor struck. Then, the walls on either side of the passage began to slowly move, threatening to trap them inside.

"Oh no! It's a trap!" Hans shouted, stopping abruptly as he tried to find a way to stop it.

Lynn followed closely behind Hans, his eyes searching the surroundings: "Hans, quickly look for any switches or buttons!"

Hans frantically groped along the wall, but it was smooth and there was nothing he could do. Just then, an even more violent tremor came, and gravel began to fall from the top of the secret passage.

"Quick! We have to get out of here as soon as possible!" Lynn shouted, pushing Hans hard in front of him, trying to get him to speed up.

However, Hans suddenly stopped. He stared ahead, his eyes filled with terror: "Lynn—there's no road ahead!"

Lynn was taken aback. He quickly walked to Hans's side and saw that the secret passage ahead had been sealed off by a huge stone slab. At that moment, the wall behind them was still closing in, and they were completely trapped here.

"How could this happen?" an FBI agent cried out in alarm. "Don't panic!" Lynn shouted sharply, trying to remain calm. "Hans, are you sure this is the only way out?"

Hans nodded, his face pale. "I—I'm sure. This is the only secret passage marked on the map."

Lynn frowned; he knew he couldn't afford to sit idly by and wait for death. He looked around, trying to find a glimmer of hope. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a section of wall illuminated by his flashlight. There was an inconspicuous protrusion there, which looked like some kind of mechanism.

"Hans, look at that bump!" Lynn said, pointing to a bump on the wall. "Try pressing it down."

Upon hearing this, Hans immediately reached out and pressed the protrusion. With a "click," the stone slab in front of him slowly moved aside, revealing a passage.

"Quick! Let's go!" Lynn shouted, leading the group through the passage and escaping the dangerous secret tunnel.

When they finally emerged from the secret passage and arrived at a spacious underground space, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This was clearly the core area of ​​the experimental base, but it was unusually quiet, as if no one was there at all.

"Everyone be careful, there might be an ambush here," Lynn warned, leading the group cautiously forward.

However, their vigilance didn't last long. Just as they were about to reach a laboratory, a sudden burst of gunfire rang out. Bullets whizzed through the empty underground space, narrowly avoiding their vital organs.

"Take cover!" Lynn shouted, quickly pulling Hans behind a nearby lab table. The other FBI agents also sought cover and engaged in a fierce firefight with the enemy.

The enemy was clearly well-prepared; they were not only numerous but also well-equipped. Lynn and the FBI agents fought valiantly, but gradually began to lose ground.

"Hans, do you have any way to help us get out of this predicament?" Lynn asked Hans while returning fire.

Hans looked around nervously, then his gaze suddenly fell on a control panel: "Lynn, over there! That control panel might control the defense system here!"

Upon hearing this, Lynn immediately aimed at the control panel. He took a deep breath and steadily pulled the trigger. The bullet accurately struck a button on the control panel, and an alarm sounded throughout the underground space.

The enemy was clearly startled by the sudden alarm, and their offensive immediately weakened. Lynn and the FBI agents seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, using the terrain to their advantage and gradually forcing the enemy back.

After a fierce battle, the enemy was finally repelled. Lynn and the FBI agents sustained minor injuries but managed to survive.

Looking at the mess and the enemy's corpses, they all felt a chill of fear.

"Hans, are you alright?" Lynn asked Hans with concern.

Hans shook his head. "I'm fine. Thank you, Lynn. I might be dead here by now without you."

Lynn smiled and said, "We're partners, aren't we? Partners are meant to face difficulties together and defeat enemies together."

He patted Hans on the shoulder and said, "Alright, we need to get out of here quickly. There might be other ambushes around, so we have to be careful."

Hans nodded, taking a deep breath as if preparing for the challenge ahead. He then followed Lynn and the FBI agents deeper into the mysterious experimental facility.

Lynn and Hans walked down the dark corridor, their footsteps echoing in the empty space. They came to a tightly closed door, its faded marks telling tales of its former glory and present desolation. Lynn took a deep breath, gripped the doorknob, and pushed hard. The door slowly opened, revealing the interior of the mutant laboratory.

However, the scene that greeted them stunned them. The laboratory was empty; the once-busy researchers, the advanced experimental equipment, and the imprisoned mutants were all gone. Only a lonely lab bench remained, with some unfinished experimental equipment and scattered documents on it.

"How could this be?" Hans said in disbelief, his eyes searching the laboratory for a clue.

Lynn frowned. He walked to the lab bench and began examining the documents. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a handwritten note. The note scribbled a few words: "Lisa, danger, run!"

"Lisa?" Hans repeated, puzzled. "Who is that?"

Lynn looked up at Hans, a hint of worry in his eyes: "It seems we're too late. The people here may have already evacuated, but—but it seems some people have been left behind."

Hans paused, then quickly understood Lynn's meaning: "You mean, that Lisa?"

Lynn nodded and pointed to a hidden corner under the lab table: "Look there."

Hans followed Lynn's finger and saw a little girl huddled in the corner. She was dressed in tattered clothes, her hair was disheveled, and her face was filled with fear and unease. Her eyes were fixed on Lynn and Hans, as if they were her only hope at that moment.

"Lisa, don't be afraid," Lynn said softly. He tried to approach the little girl, but she suddenly shrank back, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes.

"Don't come any closer!" she screamed, her voice trembling slightly. "Are you here to arrest me?"

Lynn was stunned; he hadn't expected the little girl to react this way. He looked at Hans, who gently shook his head, signaling him not to be impatient.

"Lisa, we're not here to capture you," Hans said gently. His voice seemed to have a magical power, easing the little girl's tension slightly. "We're here to help you. Can you tell us what happened here?"

The little girl, Lisa, hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lynn and Hans as if assessing their trustworthiness. Finally, she slowly began to recount what had happened.

It turns out that Lisa is a mutant who was imprisoned in this laboratory because of her special abilities. The researchers there had been experimenting on her, trying to find a way to control mutant abilities. However, just a few days ago, something suddenly happened in the laboratory. A group of unidentified people broke in, killed most of the researchers, and attempted to take all the mutants with them.

"I was undergoing an experiment and was injected with a strange drug," Lisa said, her voice tinged with fear. "That drug made my abilities go out of control, and I—I killed several people."

Lynn and Hans were both shocked upon hearing this. They hadn't expected that this little girl had gone through something so terrible.

"And then what happened?" Lynn asked.

"Later, those people seemed to notice my abnormality," Lisa continued. "They were afraid I would lose control again, so they left me here and ran away."

Hans clenched his fists, a flash of anger in his eyes: "These people are utterly depraved! How could they treat you like this?"

Lisa lowered her head and didn't speak. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She knew that crying wouldn't solve anything.

"Lisa, don't worry," Lynn said, walking over to Lisa and gently patting her shoulder. "We'll protect you and won't let anyone hurt you again."

Lisa looked up at Lynn and Hans. A hint of trust flashed in her eyes, but more so, confusion and helplessness. She didn't know what her future held, nor where she should go from there.

"Lynn, what are we going to do next?" Hans asked, looking at Lisa with worry in his heart.

Lynn pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "We can't let Lisa stay here any longer; it's too dangerous. We must find a safe place where she can live a normal life."

Hans nodded; he knew Lynn was telling the truth. However, they were in the middle of a desert, surrounded by desolation. Where was a safe place?

"Perhaps we can go find my friends," Lisa suddenly said, a glimmer of hope in her voice. "They are mutants too, and they have been searching for a place that will accept us."

Lynn and Hans exchanged a smile, as if they saw a glimmer of hope. Perhaps Lisa's friends could truly show them a way to find that safe haven for mutants.

"Lisa, can you take us to your friends?" Lynn asked.

Lisa nodded. "I can try. But we have to be careful; there might still be those guys lying in ambush here."