70

'.....'= Thoughts 

"....."= Conversations 

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Unfortunately they didn't found anything valuable in the base this time. Except for the Russian money and few weapons there was nothing else worthwhile kept in the base.

As everyone from the base was already dealt with by Tony, John and Banner, the only thing now left was to destroy the entire base.

"I still don't understand why you need to destroy the base and turn into rubbled," Tony asked as he deactivated the helmet of his suit.

"Didn't you see what these guys were doing in the earlier bases? I am afraid that if we leave it as it is, other people may use this to their advantage and occupy the base. So the best option is to destroy it," John answered.

Tony nodded, understanding John's reasoning. "I guess you're right. We can't afford to take any chances with something like this."

Banner chimed in, "And besides, it's not like we can just leave it here for anyone to stumble upon. This kind of technology and weaponry falling into the wrong hands would not be good for anyone."

"Yeah like earlier you took care of those two guys at the earlier base," Tony further added while giving John a knowing look.

John after a second of thinking understood what Tony was talking about.

After the fight with Rhino and the mutant Red, Charles had stopped him from killing them while making them fall unconscious.

John didn't want to leave any loose ends in bus task, but he didn't say anything at that time.

However after the appearance of Magneto and while fighting him, John took the liberty of finishing those two.

John had no idea whether Charles had noticed his slyness, but he didn't care. He knew that leaving Think and Red alive would may cause trouble to him in the future and he was not a kind hearted guy who would refrain taking lives of his enemies. After all he was not stupid like the navie protagonists of the novels, which he had read in his past life.

John just shrugged at Tony's comment and didn't reply further.

With that settled, the three of them set to work on rigging the base with explosives. They worked quickly and efficiently, utilizing their combined skills to ensure that the destruction would be thorough and complete.

As they placed the last of the charges, Tony couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. It wasn't just about destroying the base, it was about making sure that no one would be able to use it for nefarious purposes ever again.

Once the explosives were set, they made their way back to the car and activated the detonator. The resulting explosion was massive, shaking the ground and sending debris flying in all directions. The base was reduced to nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble.

"Job well done, gentlemen," Tony said, clapping both John and Banner on the back. "I think it's safe to say that this base won't be causing any more trouble."

After the base was destroyed, John checked the system mission which now displayed the number of bases that were destroyed to be three.

After the confirmation form the system John got into the car with others and started driving away from the destroyed base.

While they moved in the direction of the next base, they couldn't help but discuss the strange abilities of the mutants they had encountered. "It's possible that they were experimented on, their abilities artificially enhanced," Banner suggested, the scientist in him always seeking an explanation.

"Or maybe they're a new kind of mutant, with abilities specifically tailored for combat," Tony added, his mind already racing with the possibilities.

John shook his head, "Whatever they are, we took them down. But I think that something's not right. I had destroyed two base sof the RED earlier, so I thought that would become alert and try to take possible measures against me. But even in this base there was no hint of such things. What is the leader of this organisation even thinking?"

"Maybe they were just so confident in their mutants that they didn't see us as a real threat," Banner mused.

"Or maybe they have something else up their sleeves," Tony said. "I mean, they did manage to build such huge and fortified bases and also recruited lot of mutants on top of that. They must have some kind of strategy in place."

John nodded, "That's what worries me. We can't underestimate them. They might be preparing something big."

The atmosphere in the car grew tense as they silently contemplated the implications of their encounter with the mutants. They were out in the open now, vulnerable to any potential attack from the RED. The thought of facing more mutants with unknown abilities was unnerving, to say the least.

"I think we should gather more intel about the RED, especially their leader," Banner suggested. "Understanding their motives and plans is crucial if we're going to take them down for good."

"I agree," Tony said. "We need to be one step ahead of them at all times. We can't afford to be caught off especially when we are in the enemy's backyard."

The car continued to speed down the rugged terrain, the sound of its engine the only noise breaking the uneasy silence. It was clear that the team was well aware of the gravity of the situation they were in. The RED had proven to be a formidable adversary, and although the destruction of their three bases seemed easy on the surface, it was actually not.

As they drove through a road enclosed by huge trees with almost no settlements in view, John stopped the car.

"Let's get this over with," John said as he got out of the car, followed by Tony, Banner, and Lucy.

John opened the trunk of the car and glanced at the unconscious man with his hands and legs tied by a thick rope.

While destroying the base, they had left one person alive in order to interrogate him regarding the remaining bases. The person seemed to hold a good position, as the guards and mutants in that base seemed to be protecting him.

John was surprised at first that the man didn't try to kill himself like the villains about whom he had read in the novels.

'I should stop frequently comparing the novels to the world I am in,' John sighed.

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