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

Chapter 240 Unable to Face

Lynn leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the Manhattan skyline outside the window. His thoughts raced, and an unsettling idea surfaced in his mind: if Cohen Industries' reach extended to law enforcement, who could he trust? Was there any chance of winning this battle?

Suddenly, the phone on the table vibrated a few times, and Kate's name appeared on the screen. Lynn answered the phone.

Kate's voice was urgent: "Lynn, I just received word that someone is trying to destroy some sensitive documents from Cohen Industries. They may know you're investigating."

Lynn sat up straight, his voice becoming low and calm: "Are you sure the information is reliable?"

“Absolutely certain,” Kate said. “My informant said they’ll be clearing out a warehouse at West Wharf tonight. If we miss this opportunity, that evidence may be lost forever.”

Lynn's mind raced. He knew this was an opportunity, but also fraught with risk. The operation lacked a search warrant and might offend higher-ups. But if he gave up, he would lose the key to exposing Cohen Industries.

"I'll handle it," Lynn said in a deep voice, "but Kate, you must promise me you won't come near this time."

Kate paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then replied in a low voice, "I understand, but please be careful. They won't let this evidence fall into your hands easily."

After hanging up the phone, Lynn quickly assembled a trusted squad. Instead of reporting to his superiors, he directly ordered preparations for an informal operation. He knew this could put him in danger, but he also knew that if he continued to wait, he would lose his last chance to uncover the truth.

Under the cover of night, Lynn led his team stealthily toward the warehouse at the West Wharf. In the distance, they saw several trucks parked outside the warehouse, and several men dressed in black were moving boxes full of documents, clearly preparing to destroy them.

"Move out," Lynn commanded in a low voice. His team quickly surrounded the warehouse, approaching silently. Lynn led the charge into the warehouse, pointing his gun at the men and shouting, "FBI, all of you, get down!"

The men panicked, and several tried to resist, but Lynn's team quickly subdued them. Lynn glanced around, his gaze landing on an industrial shredder in operation, its contents already torn to shreds. His heart tightened, and he immediately ordered a technician to examine the remaining documents.

The technician took out several documents that hadn't been destroyed from the box, quickly flipped through them, and then looked up and said, "Detective,"

These documents contain Cohen Industries' financial transaction records, some of which point directly to Dawn's accounts. This is the evidence we need!

Lynn's gaze sharpened, and he ordered all the documents to be collected and the suspects to be escorted away.

The next day.

Lynn led his team to secretly infiltrate the core stronghold of the "Dawn" organization—a building located in the Manhattan industrial area.

Deep within the abandoned building, meticulously transformed into a clandestine command center, surrounded by surveillance cameras and guards, clearly the hub where the "Dawn" organization planned its series of operations. A tense atmosphere hung in the night air. Lynn's earpiece crackled with the technical team's whispers: "Detective, we've secured the outer cameras and confirmed at least twenty armed men inside the building, along with several areas of intense heat, suspected to be mutants."

Lynn nodded and made a few simple hand gestures to his team. The task force split into small groups and moved simultaneously from different entrances to the building. Lynn personally led the main assault group, quickly passing through a side door and entering the building.

The building was dimly lit, with only a few faint warning lights in the corners. Lynn leaned against the wall, gesturing for his team to advance. A tense, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air; every step felt like walking on a taut string in the dark.

Suddenly, a low click sounded ahead—someone had pulled the safety on a weapon. Lynn reacted quickly, gesturing for his team to take cover while simultaneously pointing his gun in the direction of the sound. The other side had clearly noticed their presence; a sharp alarm instantly blared throughout the building, followed by gunfire and explosions that shattered the darkness.

"They've spotted us!" Carter's voice came through the headset.

Lynn whispered the order: "Squads provide cover, prioritize controlling the outer perimeter forces, and absolutely do not give them a chance to escape. Main assault team, follow me, we must find the 'Heart of Flame'!"

The battle escalated instantly. Members of the Dawn Organization poured out from all corners, well-equipped, some even using their mutant abilities to launch attacks. A mutant with rock-like skin covering his arm charged towards Lynn's group, his force smashing a piece of cover into pieces. Lynn swiftly fired, accurately hitting the mutant in the knee, forcing him to stop. The team members seized the opportunity to subdue him using special restraint devices.

Gunshots and shouts echoed through the narrow corridors, turning the entire building into a battlefield. Lynn and his team advanced floor by floor, finally arriving at a large double steel door. A low, rumbling sound came from the other side of the door, as if some energy was pulsating within it.

Lynn gestured for his teammates to back off, then carefully pushed open the door himself. A wave of scorching heat rushed out.

Standing in the center of the room was a familiar figure—Marcos Ramirez, "Heart of Flame." Behind him was a massive vortex of fire, and his entire being was enveloped in intense red light, as if he had become one with the flames.

"Detective Lynn." Marcos turned around, a cold smile playing on his lips. "You've finally arrived. I thought you'd send these lowly soldiers to their deaths."

"Marcus, put down what you're holding." Lynn pointed his gun at his opponent, his voice low but firm. "You know this fight will only hurt more people. This is not the outcome you want."

"The result?" Marcos's smile grew even more mocking. "What do you think I care about the result? They destroyed my life. I'm just letting this society taste the pain they've inflicted on us. I want to see Manhattan burn down; only then will these people take us seriously!"

"Is this what you want, or what Dawn wants?" Lynn tried to calm him down. "I know you're being used. They're using your anger and abilities to achieve their own goals, and these higher-ups don't care about your life or death."

Marcos's smile froze for a moment, but was quickly replaced by anger. He swung his hands violently, and flames erupted instantly, rushing towards Lynn. Lynn quickly rolled to dodge, firing his gun in an attempt to suppress his opponent. But Marcos's fire abilities were clearly far beyond those of ordinary people; each wave of his hand unleashed a wave of heat, igniting everything around him.

"Lynn, get back!" Carter's voice came through the headset. "His heat level is way above safe limits; this place could explode at any moment!"

Lynn didn't back down. He knew that if Marcos continued, the building and everyone inside would be engulfed in flames. He switched to a specially made paralyzing bullet and aimed at Marcos's shoulder during a lull in his attack. After a gunshot, Marcos's movements paused slightly, but he quickly gritted his teeth and stood firm, roaring as he unleashed even more intense flames.

The entire room began to shake, flames leaped from the ceiling, and gradually spread outwards. Lynn, panting heavily, quickly analyzed the situation. He realized that while Marcos's abilities were powerful, he relied too heavily on his emotions, and each outburst would leave him in a brief period of weakness.

"Marcus!" Lynn shouted, "Do you want those who are using you to succeed? The people you're killing, the cities you're destroying, are exactly what they want! You're their pawn, and I can help you break this game!"

Marcos's gaze wavered violently for a moment, and the intensity of the flames diminished accordingly. But the next second, he gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with pain and struggle: "You can't lie to me! You're all the same! There can be no peace!"

Seizing the opportunity, Lynn lunged forward and struck Marcos directly in the abdomen with his stun gun. The powerful electric current caused Marcos to collapse to his knees in agony, the flames around him instantly extinguished. He gasped for breath, his hands on the ground, glaring angrily at Lynn, but he was no longer able to retaliate.

"It's over," Lynn said in a low voice, gesturing for his team members to step forward and attach the special ability-suppressing device to Marcos's wrist.

A deathly silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft ash from the burning embers drifting gently in the air. Lynn stood rooted to the spot, watching the subdued Marcos, but felt no sense of relief. He knew this battle was merely the tip of the iceberg; the true core of Dawn remained hidden in the darkness. And Marcos's anger was simply a product of the system's cruel reality.

Lynn turned to his team and ordered, "Clean up the scene and take all the evidence. We're not done yet." His gaze was cold and sharp, as if piercing through the smoke of the battle in the night, looking into the deeper darkness.

the other side.

Kate stood outside the abandoned building, clutching a recorder tightly in her hand. The cameraman beside her had already left, leaving only her and the chaotic battlefield under the cover of night. Gunshots and explosions emanated from inside the building, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

She had promised Lynn she wouldn't go near, but her journalistic instincts told her she couldn't back down. She knew that what was happening here would be crucial in changing public opinion, and she had to witness it firsthand.

Just as she was about to move closer to take more pictures, a series of hurried footsteps came from the alleyway. Several Dawn members, armed with weapons, suddenly appeared in front of her, clearly survivors who had escaped from the battle. Kate's heart tightened, and she instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid their gaze.

"Stop!" one of them shouted sharply, his eyes sharply locking onto her. Kate knew she had been discovered, so she could only stand still and say in a calm tone, "I'm a reporter, I'm just reporting on this."

"A reporter?" the leader sneered. "You think your identity can save you? You're cooperating with the police..."

We know.

Kate's heart skipped a beat; she knew her report had attracted their attention. She instinctively turned to run, but before she could take a step, one of them grabbed her arm. She struggled, but then heard the clanging of metal—the sound of a gun being cocked.

"Take her back; perhaps she'll have some value," another voice said in a low, indifferent tone.

Kate closed her eyes in despair, her heart pounding as if it would burst from her chest. But just as she felt the pulling force intensify, a sharp gunshot pierced the air, followed by a man's roar and a thud as he fell to the ground. Kate's eyes snapped open, and she saw Lynn emerge from the shadows, his gun pointed precisely at the remaining Dawn members.

"Let her go!" Lynn's voice was deep and authoritative. His gaze was sharp as a knife as he stared at the men, his finger already firmly on the trigger.

The Dawn members hesitated visibly; their weapons trembled slightly, but they still tried to resist. Lynn gave them no chance; another shot rang out, and a man trying to approach Kate fell to the ground. Seeing this, the remaining men turned and fled into the night.

Lynn quickly stepped forward, pulling Kate behind her, her eyes filled with anger and worry: "Didn't I tell you to stay away from here?"

Kate was still shaken, her voice trembling slightly: "I—I just wanted to document everything that happened; I didn't know they would show up."

Lynn cursed under his breath, gripped her shoulders, and said in a lower voice, "Do you know you almost died? These people aren't ordinary thugs; they won't let someone like you get away with this."

Kate looked up at him, forcing a bitter smile: "But you came."

Lynn paused, looking at her with a complex expression. He loosened his grip slightly, but didn't completely release her shoulder. He said softly, "Kate, I can't always make it. This time was lucky, but what about next time?"

Kate paused for a moment, then said softly, "I know you're worried about me, but I have my responsibilities too. This is too important for me to back down."

Lynn looked at her, a flicker of struggle in his eyes, before finally sighing, "Fine, I know I can't stop you. But from now on, wherever you go, I will make sure you are protected. This is not negotiation, this is an order."

Kate's gaze softened as she looked at Lynn and said softly, "Thank you, Lynn. I know you won't leave me alone."

Lynn didn't answer, only nodded. He reached out and gently brushed the dust from Kate's face. He said softly, "We have to get out of here; it's not safe."

The two quickly left the alley, Lynn keeping Kate close by her side the entire time. Although the night was still fraught with danger,

But Kate felt a strange sense of security, as if no matter what happened, with Lynn by her side, there was nothing she couldn't face.

Once they reached a relatively safe area, Lynn finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Kate, his eyes filled with indescribable emotion: "You must promise me that if there's any danger in the future, you'll contact me immediately."

Do not act without authorization.

Kate chuckled softly: "I promise, but you have to promise me you won't face all the dangers alone anymore."

Lynn paused for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Okay, deal."