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

#234 - Targeted attacks

Lynn's team worked overtime overnight, analyzing all the residual substances extracted from the arson scene. After detailed chemical and energy analysis, the technical department finally confirmed a key clue—the energy traces left in the fire possessed a unique mutant gene signature.

The technician presented the results to Lynn: "Detective, we found high concentrations of thermal energy particle residues, and their fluctuation patterns show a match with the abilities of a certain mutant. His code name is—'Flameheart'."

Lynn's brow furrowed slightly: "'Flameheart'? Sounds like a professional action code name."

The technician continued: "According to the mutant file database, 'Flameheart' is an extremist mercenary. His ability is to control and enhance flames, but he is not an independent actor. His traces are usually accompanied by the activities of extremist organizations, especially in areas sensitive to mutant issues."

"Does he have a specific background?" Lynn asked.

The technician nodded, pulling up a file: "His real identity is currently unknown, but there are rumors that he is a modified mutant who once worked for an underground organization. His appearance in the past few years has usually been accompanied by high-precision, devastating attacks."

Lynn looked down at the information and said coldly: "So we are not dealing with an ordinary arsonist, but a well-trained killer. Finding him may unlock the motive behind the entire case."

Lynn gathered the team and set up an information chart about "Flameheart" in the war room. The screen showed his range of activities and the cases he had been involved in over the past few years.

"'Flameheart' is not an ordinary mercenary," Lynn said, pointing to the map on the screen. "He focuses on destructive missions and never leaves anyone alive, but his actions always have a clear goal—his targets are either enemies of the mutant community or facilities closely related to mutant issues."

Carter flipped through the files and asked, "Detective, if he is targeting mutant enemies, why commit arson in Manhattan? This fire seems to have no specific target."

"That's because we haven't grasped all the information yet," Lynn pondered for a moment. "Maybe this fire itself is not aimed at a specific target, but some kind of test, or—a warning."

"Warning whom?" Carter asked.

"Maybe us," Lynn said in a low voice, "or maybe those forces in the dark who are opposed to mutants. Who is 'Flameheart's' behind-the-scenes employer? That's the key."

At the same time, Kate did not stop her investigation. She contacted an anonymous source through her network, who claimed to be a member of the mutant underground network. He was willing to provide some clues about "Flameheart", but on the condition of anonymous protection.

Kate met the informant in a hidden cafe. The person wore a hat, kept his head down, and said, "'Flameheart' is not a person, he is a symbol—more accurately, a code name, and there may be several people operating behind it."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked nervously.

"The code name 'Flameheart' is well-known in the mutant community. He is the ace killer of the extremist organization 'Dawn'. 'Dawn' is an organization that aims to subvert the existing order. They are trying to force the government to recognize the special status of mutants through violent means."

"'Dawn'? What do they have to do with this fire?" Kate pressed.

"This fire is a signal that they may already be preparing for a larger operation. The appearance of 'Flameheart' is just the first step in their plan."

Kate was shocked after hearing these words. She realized that this was not just an isolated event, but a far-reaching conspiracy.

Kate did not hide the information she had obtained, and directly contacted Lynn, informing him of the "Dawn" organization on the phone.

"Kate, this is dangerous," Lynn's voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction. "You shouldn't be in contact with these people, especially without any protection."

"I don't have time to consider these things, Lynn," Kate said firmly. "If 'Dawn' is really planning a larger operation, the public has the right to know the truth."

Lynn was silent for a moment, then said: "Okay, bring me all your clues. We need to fully understand 'Dawn's' network of operations, especially their relationship with 'Flameheart'."

Soon after, Kate came to the FBI division with her notes and recordings, and shared her investigation results with Lynn and his team. Through cross-comparison, Lynn finally found a breakthrough clue—a secret stronghold of the "Dawn" organization, hidden in an abandoned shipyard in Manhattan.

Lynn quickly assembled a task force and launched a raid on the abandoned shipyard. They conducted a precise reconnaissance before the operation and found multiple heat source reactions inside the factory, suspected to be "Dawn" members in activity.

Night fell and the operation began.

"Everyone keep quiet," Lynn ordered in a low voice through the headset. "Confirm the target before acting."

The task force was divided into two groups, one responsible for peripheral monitoring, and the other led by Lynn himself to enter the factory building. The air was filled with a scorched smell, and the lights inside the factory flickered on and off, giving people a strong sense of unease.

"Detective, there's a set of devices here!" A team member said in a low voice, pointing to a metal box placed in a corner.

Lynn walked over to check and found that the box contained a set of high-performance combustion devices, which seemed to be tools for creating large-scale fires. He frowned: "They are preparing for the next attack."

At this moment, an emergency alarm came from Lynn's headset: "Detective! We found a moving heat source, his body temperature is much higher than ordinary people, suspected to be 'Flameheart'!"

Lynn's eyes turned cold: "Lock his position! I'll handle it."

Lynn led the team to track the target, and finally found him in a warehouse deep in the factory. The figure stood in front of a pile of fuel barrels, surrounded by raging flames, as if the flames themselves were part of him.

"'Flameheart'!" Lynn raised his gun at him. "Put down the device in your hand, or I'll shoot."

The other party turned around, revealing a twisted face like a flame brand, his eyes full of anger and contempt: "You ordinary people always think you can control everything, but flames cannot be tamed!"

"This game is over," Lynn said coldly. "We know your plan and the existence of 'Dawn'. Surrender, or face the consequences."

"You think you can end everything by catching me?" 'Flameheart' sneered. "This is just the beginning."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hands, and滔天的flames spewed out from his palms, and Lynn immediately rolled to dodge.

Lynn dodged the raging flames, the temperature inside the warehouse rose rapidly, and the air was filled with a strong smell of sulfur. Flameheart stood next to the fuel barrels, his hands emitting a scorching orange-red light, as if flames were gushing out of his blood vessels.

"You can't catch me, detective!" Flameheart sneered, and with a wave of his hand, a wall of fire swept over, instantly forcing Lynn into a corner.

Lynn leaned against the cover, quickly analyzing the situation. He knew that direct confrontation was not a wise move. Flameheart was like a fish in water in such an environment, and his abilities were obviously enhanced, far surpassing ordinary mutants.

"Why are you doing this?" Lynn asked loudly, trying to stall for time. "Does hurting innocent people really prove anything?"

"Innocent?" Flameheart's laughter was filled with anger. "Those so-called innocent people climbed up on our corpses! They enjoy privileges, while we mutants are deprived of everything!"

Lynn heard the anger and pain in his words, and tried to guide: "If you really want to change all this, violence will only make the situation worse. You should know that such behavior will only make more people hate mutants."

Flameheart's expression stagnated slightly, but then he became even more excited: "You don't understand at all! Only fear can make those high-ranking people bow their heads!"

Taking advantage of Flameheart's emotional fluctuations, Lynn jumped out from behind the cover, his weapon aimed at the fire extinguishing device above the warehouse. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet accurately hit the valve. White fire extinguishing foam spewed down from the ceiling, quickly covering the entire warehouse.

Flameheart was suppressed by the foam, and the flames gradually weakened. He roared, waving his hands frantically trying to reignite the fire, but the chemical reaction of the fire extinguishing foam greatly weakened his ability.

Lynn seized the opportunity, quickly approached Flameheart, and aimed the stun gun at his leg. With a "buzz", Flameheart's body shook, he knelt on the ground, and the flames around him completely extinguished.

"It's over," Lynn said coldly, fastening the special restraint device on Flameheart's wrist. "You have nowhere to escape."

Flameheart panted heavily, his eyes still showing unyielding: "You think you can stop the rise of Dawn by catching me? We are the judges of this corrupt society. You can't stop us."

Lynn was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Judges? You are just another tool for manipulating violence."

After Flameheart was controlled, Lynn's team began to clean up the warehouse, looking for more clues. Carter walked over, holding a yellowed map in his hand.

"Detective, there's a problem here," Carter said, pointing to the markings on the map. "This is not just Flameheart's hiding place, it is also the center of operations for the 'Dawn' organization in Manhattan."

Lynn took the map and examined it carefully. He found that it marked the locations of several Manhattan landmarks, and next to each location were numbers and dates.

"This is an attack plan," Lynn said in a cold tone. "They are not just trying to create chaos, these numbers may be time—a countdown to the action."

Carter nodded: "If these plans are implemented, the entire Manhattan will be plunged into panic."

"Collect all the documents and send them to the technical team immediately," Lynn ordered. "At the same time, strengthen security measures at these target locations."

At the same time, Kate learned of Lynn's successful arrest of Flameheart and rushed to the FBI division as soon as possible, trying to obtain more information. However, Lynn remained cautious when facing her.

"Lynn, you have to tell me what happened," Kate insisted. "The public needs to know the truth."

Lynn shook his head: "Kate, now is not the time. We have just obtained some key information. If we rashly disclose it, it will only cause panic."

"But you know that there are deeper problems behind these attacks," Kate looked him in the eyes. "People need to understand, not only for safety, but also to change the prejudice against mutants."

Lynn sighed and finally compromised: "Okay, but you can only report what has already happened, not involving future action plans."

Kate nodded, showing a smile: "Thank you, Lynn."

Just as Kate began to write the report, Lynn's team discovered an even more shocking fact in analyzing the "Dawn" organization's plan. They not only planned to attack Manhattan, but also attempted to paralyze the city's energy system through cyber attacks, causing complete chaos.

Lynn realized that time was running out. He summoned the team and quickly formulated a counter-attack plan, while contacting the Department of Homeland Security and requesting reinforcements.

"We must completely destroy this organization before their next action," Lynn said firmly.

Lynn's tone was particularly heavy during a conversation with Kate before the operation: "Kate, this may be more dangerous than any other time. If Dawn succeeds, their extreme measures will push the relationship between mutants and ordinary people into an irreparable abyss."

Kate looked at him and said softly: "I believe you can stop them. In any case, I will report all of this, so that people know how much you have paid to protect this city."

Lynn nodded: "This is not only for protection, but also to allow everyone, whether mutant or ordinary person, to live equally. This is our responsibility."

Kate sat in a dimly lit cafe, across from a man in a hoodie, his face almost hidden in the shadows. A cup of untouched coffee sat on the table, and his fingers tapped the table incessantly, looking a little nervous.

"Kate Bennett, right?" the man asked in a low voice.

"That's me," Kate nodded, trying to make her tone sound more peaceful. "I heard you have some clues about 'Flameheart', I'm willing to listen."

The man said in a low voice: "No one knows 'Flameheart's' real name, but I know he was hired by a company called Cohen Industries. This company is ostensibly a legitimate business, but it is actually closely linked to the mutant underground network."

Kate quickly pulled out her notebook: "Cohen Industries? What did they hire 'Flameheart' to do?"

"Sabotage, assassination, and even planning some attacks against specific targets," the man continued, his eyes showing caution. "It is said that they specialize in recruiting mutants with offensive abilities to complete some dirty deals for them. And 'Flameheart' is one of their most dangerous employees."

Kate frowned: "Why are you telling me this? It sounds dangerous."

The man sighed, his voice carrying a hint of anger: "Because I used to be a member of Cohen Industries. After leaving them, I realized that what they were doing with the abilities of mutants would not bring any change at all, but would only make the situation worse."

(End of this chapter)