Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1401 The Hunt (Part 2)

The process of entering the lighthouse base went smoothly.

This was an untouched passageway. The narrow, damp stairs reflected an orange glow from the incandescent light, and the air was thick with the smell of rust and mold. There was no ventilation; the passageway's purpose was to isolate it from external nuclear radiation. Without a switch in the main control room, the alloy door at the end of the passage would never open. Daisy Jensen felt her rubber combat boots creak and groan with every step she took on the concrete floor.

"I heard this place was built during the Cold War," she said, trying to break the monotony. "It's said that the New York Mafia was also involved in the project back then."

"Where did you learn all this?" Elena Rodriguez asked cooperatively. She was fed up with Alfonso MacKenzie's silence and wariness the whole way; he always carried a shotgun with an axe attached, and every attempt she made to strike up a conversation with him was met with the excuse that "it's not safe yet." This attitude was extremely unpleasant, especially given her past romantic relationship with Alfonso MacKenzie.

"Do you remember that vibranium box Nick Fury gave Coulson? Coulson opened it and tried to find information about the Lighthouse base inside, then printed it out and put it in the database. I got a copy when I was investigating the whole base with Fitz; it was quite highly classified."

Alfonso McKenzie should have stopped Daisy Jensen's indiscreet remarks, but his attention was now entirely focused on the rusty metal liftgate in front of him. Agent David, piloting the Quinjet, didn't disembark but instead used the Quinjet's high-powered communication system to connect Alfonso McKenzie's communications equipment to the base, avoiding the thick concrete blocking radio signals.

This was Alfonso McKenzie's idea.

If they were simply entering the lighthouse base through this passage, there would be no need for them to do this, as the cameras in the passage are all hard-wired to the control room, which could easily monitor them. However, Alfonso McKenzie always felt that things weren't that simple. He put one hand behind his back and waved to the two women who were chatting animatedly, signaling them to quiet down.

Immediately afterwards, he pulled out a low-sounding pistol from his waist, specifically designed to fire non-lethal snake venom bullets, and fired a shot at a nearby old security camera, forcibly turning it in another direction. Only after doing this did he approach the elevator door, pry open its metal control panel with a shotgun-wielding axe he carried, and simultaneously send a communication request to the control room.

"Gemma, did you open the lift door?" he asked the control room, clutching the two wires behind the control panel. He was currently in a blind spot for the surveillance cameras; all Gemma Simmons could see was his bald head and Daisy Jensen and Elena Rodriguez, who were looking around. "I didn't see the lift door move at all."

"Yes! I opened it." Gemma Simmons was somewhat confused, but also relieved; her tone even became a little lighter. "Was there a problem?"

"I don't know, maybe the gears are rusted, it's too damp here."

As one of the mechanical engineering leaders in Agent Coulson's team, Alfonso McKenzie quickly familiarized himself with most of the mechanical equipment left over from the Cold War era upon arrival. He knew that the metal components of this lifting door were rust-proofed and well-maintained, making rust impossible; other agents had also noted this in his reports. Alfonso McKenzie believed that given enough time, Gemma Simmons would surely be able to tell him the truth in unconventional ways. Others might consider this paranoia, and he wouldn't deny it, but having experienced the Hydra rebellion, he was extremely vigilant about anything unusual, because he had sworn to protect all his team members.

Upon hearing this, Gemma Simmons finally demonstrated the sensitivity expected of a field agent.

"That's the most likely scenario. Lighthouse Base isn't an operations base and doesn't have a regular maintenance plan." Gemma Simmons glanced at the soldier. She couldn't see the expression on the 1st Classified Regiment soldier's face, who was wearing a mask and respirator, but she could tell from the motionless vibrating riot baton that the soldier hadn't noticed anything amiss. "I'm pulling up the map to search for another route. Please wait."

With the soldiers present, Gemma Simmons hung up the communication. She turned to the soldier, "I need paper maps… no, our database was built later. This base was established during the Cold War; back then, only paper maps existed." Facing the soldier's suspicious gaze (Gemma wasn't even sure if she could see it), Gemma Simmons continued, "Didn't your superiors require us all to be present? The three people on the list are still outside the base, unable to enter due to unforeseen circumstances. Are you planning to explain the mission failure to that genetically modified soldier yourself?"

Gemma Simmons did not see the riot-proof scepter raised or lowered.

Her attempt to understand the organizational structure of the First Secret Group using the logic of Western militaries was a mistake in itself.

The soldier relayed Gemma Simmons' request directly. A few minutes later, two fully armed First Class Regiment soldiers and a Ranger appeared at the control room door. The other agents working there cast suspicious glances at Gemma Simmons, whose veins throbbed in her ears, her back ached, and she was drenched in cold sweat. She was worried her intentions had been exposed, but the words of the leading soldier reassured her. "We'll provide you with the information you need," the soldier, clearly of a higher rank, said. The Rangers appeared to be the ones organizing the warehouse. "But I need you to keep Alfonso McKenzie calm first."

"I understand." Gemma Simmons nodded repeatedly; this was the result she wanted. "Mike will never suspect me or Fitz." However, the two Rangers made her very uneasy, but fortunately, the sergeant left with the Rangers after giving the order, without increasing the surveillance on her. She quickly took advantage of the soldiers guarding the control room not paying attention and made a coded gesture to several technicians. They understood immediately, looked around, and then gritted their teeth and joined this hastily constructed little conspiracy.

Alfonso McKenzie received another communication.

Gemma Simmons' familiar voice came from the other end of the communication channel, but this time he clearly felt interference, like a static net covering his head, crackling erratically. Then, the intercom embedded in the wall beside him also emitted static noise, which gradually became more regular. He was familiar with the Beacon Base's electrical layout; he had chosen this route because of the Beacon Base's function—in the event of a nuclear war and if S.H.I.E.L.D. agents needed to leave, this passage would be essential, hence the comprehensive security measures. Not only did it possess a heavy alloy elevator door that could only be opened from the control room, but it also had an intercom rigidly connected to the control room—Alfonso MacKenzie suddenly realized something. While speaking to Gemma Simmons about entering the Beacon Base via radio, he placed his hand on the intercom next to the elevator door's control panel.

Gemma Simmons raised her voice slightly, which made her even more certain that the situation at the lighthouse base was not optimistic.

“I’ll find another path, and I need you to guide me, Gemma,” Alfonso McKenzie said casually. He tapped his fingers on the communicator, using the rhythm as a cue. This was a code used by field agents for quick communication when direct physical contact was difficult. Alfonso McKenzie’s message to Gemma Simmons was simple: offer help. “I’ll come to you as soon as possible.”

"No need for all that trouble." Another voice suddenly cut through the communication channel, followed by a series of heavy footsteps echoing down the long corridor. "I will personally meet you, Alfonso McKenzie, Daisy Jensen, Elena Rodriguez. Lay down your weapons and surrender to the First Class Regiment, or we will use methods including lethal force to force your surrender."

"Gemma!" Alfonso McKenzie shouted.

"I... Mike!" Before he could finish speaking, the team's communication with control room was abruptly cut off. Alfonso McKenzie, enduring the static crackling in the communication channel, tried to call Agent David on the Quinjet, but received no response. "Daisy, you lead the charge." He immediately turned and ran back the way he came, "Smash everything in your way!"

"I've wanted to do this for a long time!" The female hacker, who only had a high school education, was eager to try it out.

"Youyou, I hope you..."

“You don’t need to tell me, Mike.” Elena Rodriguez’s thick Latin accent gave her a nonchalant and dismissive air, but Alfonso McKenzie knew that Yoyo never took any mission lightly. “I’ll try my best to keep those people alive.” She could say this because past experience had taught her that no one could react in time when she used her powers.

Meanwhile, Melinda May at the lighthouse base couldn't contain herself any longer.

Her resistance force consisted only of key area leaders like Gemma Simmons and Leopold Fitz, so the riot began with a toxic gas leak from the laboratory. Amidst the piercing sirens, a large number of researchers in protective suits poured out of the lab, crowding the corridors. When Agent Coulson first received the alarm, he knew it was entirely Melinda May's plan—the lab was situated right between two First Class Regiment patrols, and the chaotic environment, coupled with the constant experimental accidents, created utter chaos. The lab's automated emergency procedures filled the corridors with disinfectant. Even highly trained soldiers would need a considerable amount of time to restore order. Agent Coulson didn't tell Constantine about this; even if he wanted to, he couldn't contact the genetically modified, armored warriors.

Constantine vanished from Lighthouse Base like ice melting in water. No one knew where he went, or even if he remained. If it weren't for the First Class Regiment consistently receiving detailed instructions from Constantine (Agent Coulson, due to his competence, had also been assigned some orders), everyone in the know would have assumed the Guard had left. Meanwhile, Sergeant Ronald discovered that one of his assault squads had been transferred by Constantine without his knowledge, as the transfer order came from the Guard.

When a toxic gas leak occurred in the laboratory, causing a small explosion, orders from Constantine poured into the hands of officers of the First Secret Regiment. These orders included detailed instructions and changes to patrol routes; many of the contingency plans were based on training instructions given to the First Secret Regiment and the Rangers by the Imperial Guard after the capture of the Lighthouse base. The First Secret Regiment and the Rangers reacted swiftly, altering their patrol routes and deploying lethal force.

When the first shot of live ammunition rang out from the corridor, soldiers from the First Secret Regiment were already positioned at the entrance.

Constantine strode ahead, the tall but narrow passageway offering no resistance; he single-handedly blocked the entire way. Behind him, soldiers of the First Class Regiment, wearing full-face helmets and information masks, silently gripped their laser rifles, following him in orderly steps before dispersing at the first intersection, disappearing into the unlit darkness.

The orange-red lights made the royal guards' golden armor look like molten gold, and the silent and tall statues stood at the end of the passage.

Faced with such an enemy, Elena Rodriguez's first thought was to rush forward and seize his weapon, just as she had done with armed men in the past. She was incredibly fast, so fast that it was impossible for an ordinary person to react; everything around her seemed to slow down as if frozen in gel. However, when she got close, she found that the golden statue moved as nimbly as ever. She barely dodged the fist encased in armor, and before she could change direction, she crashed into the sturdy golden armor.

"Daisy!" Alfonso McKenzie shouted anxiously, for he saw the unconscious Elena Rodriguez being held in Constantine's arms. "Put her down, you..."

"Mike!" Daisy Jensen's voice brought Alfonso McKenzie back to his senses, and then a scorching beam of light swept past him, leaving a burn mark on the concrete wall. At first, Alfonso McKenzie tried to point his shotgun at the muzzle in the darkness, but more and more figures and weapons emerged from the shadows, remaining silent like frogmen surfacing. They pointed their weapons at Daisy Jensen, not at him; clearly, they knew who the greatest threat was. Daisy Jensen wanted to fight back, but she knew she was powerless to stop the laser. "We're surrounded."

(End of this chapter)