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

Chapter 235 Close-Range Firefight

"Is there any evidence to prove a connection between Cohen Industries and 'Heart of Flame'?" Kate asked.

The man hesitated for a moment, then pulled a photograph and a document from his pocket: "This is an internal contract they signed, which describes the mutants' abilities and mission requirements. This is the only evidence I can keep."

Take a picture of it, but don't contact me again.

Kate took the documents and said softly, "Thank you. I promise to protect your identity."

The man stood up and hurried away. Kate stared at the documents in her hand, her heart pounding. "What exactly is this Cohen Industries? How can they manipulate mutant abilities to serve their own interests?"

Kate returned to the newspaper office that night and compiled the clues she had obtained from the anonymous source into an investigative report. She attempted to review public records of Cohen Industries and discovered that the company did exist, primarily engaged in technology research and development and weapons manufacturing, but there were almost no records of any business related to mutants.

"This suggests they may be hiding illegal activities," Kate muttered to herself.

Her article directly addresses a potentially central question: Is the Cohen Industries exploiting the abilities of mutants?

Providing illicit support to underground networks and fueling disruptive activities against ordinary society?

Before publishing the article, Kate contacted Lynn and handed him the investigation report.

Lynn took the report, carefully reviewed it, and his expression gradually turned serious. He looked at Kate: "Do you know how much attention this report will attract?"

“That’s the point, Lynn,” Kate said firmly. “If Cohen Industries is really involved in these cases, we need to expose their activities.”

Lynn nodded. "Alright. I'll investigate Cohen Industries from within, but you have to be careful. If they find out you have this evidence, it could be detrimental to you."

Kate smiled. "I'm used to danger."

Lynn didn't say anything more, but instead cross-referenced Kate's clues with the team's analysis. He discovered that...

The Heart of Flame has indeed had some overlaps with certain collaborations with Cohen Industries in the past few operations.

"This company is certainly suspicious," Carter said from the side. "But if they really are using mutants for illegal transactions, then we need more direct evidence."

"Then begin investigating their financial flows," Lynn ordered. "Find out the connections behind Cohen Industries, especially their links to underground mutant networks."

After several days of in-depth investigation, Lynn's team discovered that a branch of Cohen Industries was hidden in a remote warehouse district in Brooklyn, ostensibly a logistics center but actually a secret laboratory.

"We have reason to believe that this laboratory may be where they train mutants or manufacture prohibited equipment," the technician reported. "At the same time, intelligence indicates that 'Heart of Flame' has been here."

Lynn said coldly, "Contact the commando team and prepare for action. We need to find solid evidence."

At night, an FBI task force quietly surrounded a warehouse in Brooklyn. Lynn personally led the team, and the technical team's instructions came through his headset: "All heat sources are functioning normally; no obvious alert in the target area."

"Action," Lynn whispered the order.

The task force cautiously entered the warehouse and discovered that it not only contained a large number of high-performance combustion devices, but also a laboratory filled with research reports on mutant abilities.

Lynn flipped through a document and found it contained detailed records of "Heart of Flame's" abilities and training plan.

And the details of the execution of several missions.

“These are key pieces of evidence,” Lynn told Carter. “They’re not just training mutants, they’re trying to weaponize those abilities.”

Just then, a loud explosion came from a corner of the warehouse, followed by a burst of flames. Lynn quickly raised his gun to signal his team to be on alert, and then a familiar voice came from within the flames.

"You mortals, here we go again." It was the Heart of Flame.

The Heart of Flame emerged from the shadows, his hands surging with intense flames. He looked at Lynn with a cold smile: "You think capturing me will stop Cohen Industries' plans? You're too naive."

"We have enough evidence to expose your connection with Cohen Industries," Lynn said coldly. "You're not getting away today."

"Then let's give it a try!" Heart of Flame roared, and flames suddenly erupted from his hands, causing the temperature inside the warehouse to rise sharply.

Lynn quickly led his team to take cover, while requesting support from the technical team: "Activate the fire extinguishing equipment immediately! Don't give him a chance to expand the damage."

The Heart of Flame seemed to have lost its mind, unleashing a frenzied barrage of flames that turned the entire warehouse into a sea of ​​fire. Meanwhile, Lynn used cover to slowly approach, trying to find an opportunity to subdue him.

Meanwhile, Kate observed everything from a distance outside the warehouse, recording parts of the raid on her phone. She knew that the outcome of this operation would determine whether the truth would ever come to light.

"Lynn, keep going," she whispered, her eyes filled with worry.

Inside the warehouse, flames raged, and the air was thick with the smell of burning. Lynn, hidden behind cover, carefully observed the Heart of Flame's movements. His flames formed a natural barrier within the warehouse, preventing anyone from approaching, and he stood at the center of this barrier like a king of fire.

"You people will never understand the pain that mutants suffer!" Heart of Fire roared, flames instantly climbing up the steel frame of the warehouse, the iron plates crackling with a piercing sound.

"I understand your pain." Lynn stepped out from behind the bunker, her tone calm. "But this method will only make innocent people pay the price. This is not the solution."

Heart of Flame sneered, "You think you can sway me with empty words? I only believe in strength, and only fear can earn the world's respect!"

Lynn gripped the stun gun tightly, his mind racing as he analyzed the situation. He noticed that the warehouse's fire suppression system had been activated, but the Heart of Flame's abilities seemed to be able to withstand ordinary fire extinguishing devices.

"Delaying will only drag more people into your madness," Lynn said tentatively, "and I must stop you today."

Heart of Flame suddenly waved his hand, and scorching flames rushed towards Lynn. Lynn quickly rolled to the other side and fought back with the fire extinguishing grenade in his hand. The flames were extinguished instantly upon contact with the extinguishing agent.

"Your little tricks won't stop me!" Heart of Flame roared, unleashing even more intense flames from his hands. The warehouse floor began to warp, and the scorching air currents were almost suffocating.

Lynn did not back down. He used the surrounding cover to approach the Heart of Flame, waiting for an opportunity to find a weakness. He noticed that when the Heart of Flame released a large amount of flame, its body would stiffen briefly, and the surrounding flames would weaken.

"This is an opportunity," Lynn thought to himself.

Taking advantage of the moment when Flameheart launched another attack, Lynn leaped out of cover and threw a specially made cooling bullet. The bullet exploded in mid-air, and a cold gas instantly covered the area around Flameheart.

The Heart of Flame let out a painful roar, the flames around him rapidly shrank, and his movements became sluggish.

Lynn seized the opportunity and shot him in the legs with a stun gun. The powerful electric current made him kneel down.

"It's over." Lynn quickly stepped forward and fastened a specially made restraint device to Flameheart's wrist. This device could suppress the use of mutant abilities.

"You—you simply don't understand." Heart of Flame looked weakly at Lynn, her eyes filled with resentment. "You stopped me, but 'the dawn will not cease—'"

Lynn did not respond; he knew the battle was far from over.

Outside the warehouse, Kate filmed the entire process of Lynn subduing the Heart of Flame. When Lynn walked out of the warehouse with the Heart of Flame, Kate immediately stepped forward, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"You did it," Kate whispered.

"It's only a temporary victory," Lynn replied coldly. "We've only captured one executor, but his employer, Cohen Industries, and 'Dawn' remain a much greater threat."

Kate nodded: "That's why I have to keep reporting. The public needs to know the truth, needs to understand the darkness hidden behind it all."

Lynn looked at Kate, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Alright, you can report it, but don't mention Cohen Industries by name. We need more evidence to completely dismantle them."

Kate smiled slightly: "I understand. I'll be careful."

A few days later, Lynn's team obtained crucial information about the "Dawn" organization through interrogating Heart of Flame. They planned to incite panic at a large public event in Manhattan, pushing the issue of mutants to global attention by sabotaging the city's core infrastructure.

"We have less than a week," Carter said gravely. "If they succeed, Manhattan will be in complete chaos."

Lynn nodded: "Notify all departments to strengthen surveillance of potential targets. At the same time, we must infiltrate Cohen Industries; they are the source of this conspiracy."

Meanwhile, Kate didn't stop her investigation. Through anonymous sources, she discovered that senior executives at Cohen Industries would be attending a secret meeting, which could be her opportunity to uncover the truth.

“I have to go in person this time,” Kate told her editor. “This is a real opportunity to understand the workings of Cohen Industries.”

The next day.

Inside the abandoned industrial building, dim light streamed through broken windows, the air thick with the musty smell of decay and a tense atmosphere. Lynn led two agents in a silent search of every floor of the building; they had received intelligence that important information about the "Dawn" organization might be hidden here.

However, when Lynn pushed open a rusty iron door, a familiar figure made him frown instantly.

"Kate?" Lynn whispered, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

Kate was crouching in front of a pile of rummaged-through documents, holding a voice recorder and a notebook. She looked up, saw Lynn, paused for a moment, but quickly stood up.

"Lynn?" Kate asked tentatively, her eyes showing a mixture of innocence and undisguised arrogance. "What are you doing here?"

"That's the question I should be asking you," Lynn's voice was low and cold. "This is an FBI investigation site. How do you know about this place? How did you get in?"

Kate brandished her notebook, looking directly at Lynn: "I have my own sources. And since this involves the operations of 'Heart of Flame' and 'Dawn,' I have the right to investigate."

"Kate!" Lynn whispered, trying to control his emotions. "You have no idea how dangerous it is here. The people from 'Dawn' could return at any moment, and they won't show you any mercy!"

Kate raised an eyebrow, her tone unyielding: "How do you know? I'm a journalist, and these truths should be reported. The public has the right to know what these organizations are doing."

Lynn strode closer and said in a low but stern voice, "I will choose the appropriate time to release what the public has the right to know. But if this information is leaked now, it will not only ruin the entire investigation, but it will also make those people act faster! Do you understand how serious that is?"

Kate's expression turned slightly cold: "Lynn, you're always so condescending, thinking you can decide everyone's fate. But have you ever considered that hiding the truth will only cause more people to lose trust? Ordinary people can't be kept in the dark forever."

Lynn took a deep breath and lowered his voice, saying, "It's our duty. We must ensure that this information is not misused, and that it doesn't cause panic because of a news report."

Kate remained unmoved: "So many innocent mutants are being persecuted, are you planning to keep them in the dark forever? They need someone to speak out, and I'm willing to be that person."

A flicker of struggle crossed Lynn's eyes. He understood Kate's position, but the current situation left no room for her idealism: "Kate, if you continue to insist, I may not be able to protect you. This isn't just news; this is a life-or-death battle."

Kate looked at him, her tone softening slightly but still firm: "I know you're worried about me, but this isn't just my duty, it's my belief. If one day you see my reporting change some people, you'll understand why I persist."

Just as the two were at an impasse, an officer suddenly whispered through his earpiece, "Chief, there's a heat source downstairs. We might be in trouble."

Lynn immediately went on alert, signaling Kate to remain silent, and said into the headset, "Everyone on alert. Kate, stay close to me and don't move."

Kate nodded slightly, realizing that danger was approaching.

A few minutes later, hurried footsteps echoed in the stairwell, and a group of men in black appeared inside the building. They were well-equipped and clearly members of the "Dawn" organization.

"They're here to destroy evidence," Lynn whispered, quickly pulling Kate behind cover. "Don't make a sound, I'll handle it."

Although Kate was nervous, she still secretly recorded the images of these people on her phone.

Lynn signaled for the two agents to split up, and they coordinated their actions using silent tactical hand signals. Several Dawn members began placing makeshift incendiary devices in the pile of documents, clearly intending to destroy all traces.

Lynn aimed at one of the leading members and fired a precise shot with his stun gun, the target falling to the ground instantly. At the same time, the other agents quickly rushed out of their cover and engaged in close-quarters combat.

"Let's go!" Lynn whispered to Kate, escorting her to a safer location.

Kate, hiding behind a steel beam, watched Lynn engage in fierce combat with the members of "Dawn," a complex mix of emotions welling up within her. He was not only an obstacle to her desire to uncover the truth, but also a shield that consistently protected her.

After the firefight ended, Lynn and his team successfully subdued the "Dawn" members, but most of the documents had been burned by the enemy. Lynn stood beside the still-smoking pile of documents, looking tired and serious.