C126

"Banner?"

Ross's face changed slightly when he heard the name.

The other party actually knew who he was trying to apprehend—Bruce Banner! Codename: Hulk!

This was highly classified information, known only to a select few within high-level military circles. For someone to possess this level of knowledge meant they were no ordinary individual.

Ross's voice turned cold. "Who are you?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Anton stared at Ross, contemplating what to do with him. Killing Ross would be easy—it would only take a single bullet. For someone with a nearly inexhaustible energy source in his cyborg body, the cost of firing a shot wasn't even worth mentioning.

But killing Ross wasn't realistic.

If Ross died, it would undoubtedly have serious repercussions—not just for Anton's reputation but also for the Justice League, which was on the brink of formal establishment. 

Even with his technological abilities, which could erase evidence and cover the truth, the complications were far-reaching.

The key issue? Too many witnesses.

Scanning the area, Anton saw forty or fifty soldiers remaining. Their faces were blackened with gunpowder and smoke, their expressions filled with fear as they trembled, watching him. Others lay unconscious from the explosions or crushed beneath twisted armored vehicles.

If he killed Ross, it wouldn't stop there. To cover up the truth, he'd have to eliminate every single soldier still alive.

Anton frowned. Killing villains was one thing; he wouldn't think twice. But soldiers? They weren't inherently at fault. They were merely following orders, instruments of their superiors' will.

Killing them felt no different than killing civilians, and Anton found himself unable to reconcile with that.

Still, sparing Ross posed another problem. As a high-ranking lieutenant general in the U.S. military, Ross would undoubtedly cause trouble for the Justice League in the future. The organization wouldn't be impossible to establish, but Ross's interference would be a constant thorn in its side.

This conundrum left Anton deep in thought.

From Ross's perspective, the silence was unnerving. He watched the cyborg's blank expression, unsure what Anton was planning. His life now hung by a thread, dictated entirely by the whims of this extraordinary being.

"Damn it!"

Bronsky, who had been lying on the ground after being casually thrown aside by Anton, rose to his feet. Rage and desperation burned in his eyes as he clenched his fists. His hand moved subtly to his waist, retrieving a secret weapon he had kept for emergencies—a large-caliber pistol with six high-powered rounds.

With a sharp motion, Bronsky straightened, his movements filled with a determination borne of defiance. He raised the weapon, aiming it directly at Anton's head, whose attention seemed momentarily elsewhere.

"Go to hell!" Bronsky growled through gritted teeth, pulling the trigger without hesitation.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The gun roared as it spat fire, six bullets racing toward Anton's face.

The cyborg form of Anton, with only the right half of his face exposed, revealed his most vulnerable point: his remaining natural eye.

As the bullets hurtled toward him, Anton sneered.

"Ah!"

There was no need to hesitate now—the enemy had made the decision for him. In the blink of an eye, he raised his hand and activated the sonic barrier.

The six speeding bullets struck the barrier, each one deflected with a sharp metallic ding.

Ding! Ding! Ding! The bullets fell harmlessly to the ground, bouncing as they lost momentum.

Bronsky's confidence faltered. He watched as the cyborg's electronic left eye glowed a menacing red, while the natural right eye radiated a chilling, murderous intent.

Not good!

Cold sweat trickled down Bronsky's back. Even Ross, who had been frozen in place, realized something was amiss. Bronsky's reckless actions had clearly provoked the cyborg.

"You need to think this through! I'm a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force—" Ross stammered, his voice unsteady, trying to defuse the situation.

But before he could finish, Anton raised his hands. They began to transform, swelling grotesquely in size, glowing with an intense blue energy that gathered rapidly in his palms.

"Damn it!" Ross cursed as he turned and ran.

It was too late.

Anton unleashed the energy cannon.

BOOM!

The blast hit Bronsky first, consuming him entirely in a blinding explosion. Ross, who had managed to take only a few steps, was caught in the shockwave. The ground trembled as the blast ripped through the area, sending debris flying in all directions.

When the dust settled, a massive crater was left in front of Anton. Inside, the charred remains of a body were scattered—a figure barely recognizable as Emile Bronsky. The man who would have become Abomination was no more.

On the edge of the crater lay a bloody, barely recognizable figure: General Ross. His skin was scorched, his uniform reduced to tatters by the heat of the energy blast. Though alive, his survival seemed unlikely; his injuries were catastrophic.

Anton let out a cold snort, his expression hard.

Impulsive? Maybe. But what was done could not be undone. Regret had no place now.

Turning away from the chaos, Anton used his technological abilities to erase all surveillance footage from the airbase's systems, leaving no trace of what had occurred.

With that, he leapt into the air and landed at the edge of the base, in front of a jeep occupied by Phil, Stockman, and the ninja Karai.

"What the—?" Phil stammered, staring at Anton in shock.

The three passengers—already trembling with fear—were now utterly paralyzed by the presence of the man who had just wiped out the entire airbase.

"Get out!" Anton barked, his voice cold and commanding.

The driver of the jeep, terror-stricken, scrambled out of the vehicle, his legs trembling so violently he almost collapsed. Without looking back, he stumbled away, leaving the jeep behind.

"You…"

Phil swallowed hard as he stared at the man in front of him. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he mentally connected the dots.

"Cyborg?"

Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Are you a cyborg?"

As an employee of the Daily Bugle, Phil was quite familiar with the DC company located downstairs from their offices. After all, everyone in the building worked under the same parent corporation. 

Thanks to Eddie's influence, Phil's flattery skills had improved significantly, and he had often been dragged along to watch the superhero movies DC had produced.

In fact, he'd become somewhat of a fan.

Phil was particularly fond of the second movie in DC's cinematic lineup, especially since it was directed by his own boss, Anton. Now, standing face to face with the man before him, Phil was shocked to realize that he looked exactly like the superhero "Cyborg" from Anton's films.

Of course, being in Brazil had left Phil out of touch with recent events in New York, so it wasn't surprising that he hadn't recognized the steel-clad hero who had recently gained widespread fame. 

But once he took a closer look, the striking resemblance was undeniable—Anton's silver mechanical body was too iconic to mistake for anyone else.

"Cyborg? What's that?" Stockman and Karai exchanged puzzled glances, clearly unfamiliar with the name.

"Cyborg!" Phil explained eagerly. "He's a superhero who's a comrade-in-arms with Batman… probably!"

"Batman?"

At the mention of the name, Stockman and Karai's expressions changed drastically.

"Why would Batman send someone here?"

Their anxiety visibly spiked, surpassing even the fear they'd felt when General Ross had stormed the base with his army. The mere mention of Batman was enough to terrify them—it was a threat far more personal and immediate than anything Ross could muster.

"Uh…"

Phil hesitated, glancing at the cyborg in front of him.

Anton gave him a slight nod.

Phil's face lit up in understanding.

"Ahem." Clearing his throat, he addressed Stockman and Karai with newfound confidence. "Well, I suppose I can't keep it a secret anymore. Gentlemen, Cyborg is here… for me."

"For you?"

Stockman and Karai stared at him in disbelief, their mouths hanging open.

"That's right."

Phil spoke apologetically, but there was an unmistakable hint of smugness in his tone.

"Sorry to break it to you, but… I'm an undercover agent."

The revelation left Stockman and Karai utterly stunned. Their jaws dropped even further, practically hitting the floor.

"You're… what?"

Stockman's entire body began to tremble, his mouth moving as if to say something, but no words came out. Karai, equally speechless, glanced around nervously, as if searching for an escape route.

The two of them were completely at a loss, unable to process the unexpected twist that had just turned their world upside down.

….

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