Chapter 86: Chapter 86 - Returning the Favor

They walked to the open area, where three Avalon fighters were parked. The first was an older model, primarily used for transportation. The second was a combat unit outfitted with cannons, missile racks, and cloud bombs. The third, still under construction, was surrounded by dozens of mechanical Ants busy welding and assembling parts.

“Avalon,” Zack began, gesturing toward the sleek aircraft. “Dual-mode flight system. Turbine engines for vertical take-off and hovering; jet engines for high-speed thrust. Top speed? Mach 1.3.”

Ava’s usually impassive expression softened as she approached the Avalon. Her love for flying was evident in the way her eyes lit up. “Never flown one of these before,” Ava admitted, her voice betraying a hint of excitement.

“It’s not hard,” Zack assured her with a small smirk.

Ava wasted no time stepping into the cockpit. As she studied the controls, her hands trembled slightly. She silently mouthed the names of fallen comrades, a quiet tribute to those who’d flown beside her. Determined, she followed the flight guide displayed on the screen and executed a flawless vertical lift-off in record time. “Impressive,” Zack said, raising an eyebrow as Ego chimed in.

“Sir, it seems Ava’s flying skills surpass yours,” the AI teased.

“Hey! My first flight was a test run!” Zack retorted, his face reddening slightly. “You can’t rush perfection!”

With that, Zack activated the Apex’s thrusters, taking off and hovering in front of the Avalon’s cockpit. “Follow me,” he said firmly. “If you fall behind, use the navigation.”

“Understood,” Ava replied, her tone steady. She tightened her grip on the controls, determination evident in her voice.

After switching to flight mode, Zack slowly pushed the power lever forward. The Avalon responded smoothly, gradually accelerating to follow him.

Ava, in contrast to Zack’s usual recklessness, meticulously followed the flight manual step by step. Yet Zack knew this precision was limited to non-combat scenarios. Once Ava entered a fight, her composure vanished—replaced by the chaos of a full-blown madwoman. As the Avalon and Zack’s suit hit the skies, a deafening boom echoed in the air—they both broke the sound barrier almost simultaneously. The difference?

The Avalon capped its speed at Mach 1.3, steady and controlled. Zack, however, roared ahead, climbing to an insane Mach 4.5. In seconds, Ava was left far behind, a fading dot on the radar. “Open navigation,” she muttered, watching Zack's rapidly shrinking figure on the screen. Activating the satellite guidance system, she smirked faintly. “Let’s see if you’re still laughing later.”

Zack, cruising at a terrifying Mach 4.5, soon reached the skies above Newark City. From his elevated vantage point, the city’s sprawling urban landscape stretched endlessly across the horizon. His expression hardened as the grim details from his earlier interrogation came to mind. The commander had spilled everything: this mysterious organization’s base was here, guarded by anti-aircraft defenses powerful enough to rival those of a military installation.

Slowing his flight slightly, Zack scanned the horizon. “If what that guy said is right, heading any closer will trigger a missile barrage,” he murmured.

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But Zack had planned for this. Equipped with decoy bombs specifically for this mission, he grinned. “Let’s see how good you really are.”

He adjusted his thrusters and dove straight toward Newark City. As he descended past 6,000 meters, the sky exploded into chaos.

Boom! Boom!

Three anti-aircraft missiles launched simultaneously, their bright exhaust trails tearing through the air.

Beep, beep, beep!

The HUD in Zack’s Apex armor blared warnings as the missiles locked onto him. He glanced at the radar, raising an eyebrow. “Is this for real? Mach 2.5? These things are slower than I expected.”

The speed discrepancy made Zack chuckle. “Guess I won’t even need decoy bombs.” Pushing his thrusters to Mach 3, he maneuvered with precision, positioning himself for a head-on collision with the incoming missiles.

As the missiles screamed closer, Zack’s Apex’s left flap thruster fired abruptly. At Mach 3, he veered sharply to the right in a controlled arc, avoiding all three missiles with surgical precision. The anti-aircraft missiles, unable to match his sudden maneuver, shot past him. Their engines flared as they slowed, turned, and locked onto him again, resuming their pursuit. Zack grinned. “Too slow.”

The honeycomb missile bay on his left shoulder opened, revealing 42 micro-guided missiles neatly packed inside. His HUD immediately locked onto the three incoming missiles. “Fire,” Zack commanded.

With a hiss, three micro-missiles shot out. Although subsonic in speed, their pinpoint accuracy made up for the lack of raw velocity. As the larger missiles, flying at Mach 2.5, barreled forward in predictable trajectories, the smaller, more agile micro-missiles closed in.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three fiery explosions lit up the sky like miniature suns. Zack smirked as debris scattered harmlessly around him. “Not bad for pencil-sized missiles.”

In the heart of Newark City, within a heavily fortified building, chaos erupted among the command staff. On the main screen, a black-masked figure appeared, his voice a distorted, mechanical growl. “Lord Black Hand!” the commanders greeted in unison, standing at attention.

“Evacuate all non-combatants and secure critical data underground,” the masked figure ordered. “Combat units, prepare to engage.”

“Yes, sir!” The room became a hive of activity as personnel scrambled to obey. Scientists and non-combatants rushed to elevators, carrying boxes filled with research materials. Meanwhile, soldiers in the base began mobilizing, setting up defensive positions.

Deep within a factory-like section of the base, rows of glass tanks lined the walls. Inside, towering figures floated in a greenish nutrient solution, their muscles grotesquely overgrown. Alarms blared as the tanks began draining. “Wake the supersoldiers!” a commander barked.

The nutrient solution emptied, revealing nearly a hundred enhanced fighters. Their breathing was harsh and deep, resonating like growls. The largest of them, nearly four meters tall, loomed over the others, his shadow casting an intimidating presence.

Outside, ordinary soldiers scrambled to prepare. The enemy’s forces were armed with a diverse range of weaponry, from Soviet anti-aircraft guns to NATO-grade missiles. It was a patchwork Armory, but formidable nonetheless. “Target spotted! The intruder is here!” someone shouted.

All eyes turned to the sky, where a black dot streaked toward them, leaving shattered glass and a trail of destruction in its wake. Zack observed the base through the HUD in his armor, which acted like a high-powered telescope. The layout of the base was crystal clear, and he could even see the shock etched on the soldiers' faces as they scrambled into action.

“Fire! Intercept the target!” The shouts of the base commander rang out as two M163 Vulcan Air Defense Systems roared to life. Shells streaked into the sky, their trajectories illuminated by tracers. The thunderous boom of explosions filled the air as the shells burst, scattering shrapnel in a cone pattern that transformed the sky into a death zone.

Zack smirked. “Too bad I’m not that easy to hit.” Diving sharply, he maneuvered the Apex armor into a steep descent. Anti-aircraft guns had their limitations; their elevation angles couldn’t track targets that flew too high or too low. Zack exploited this weakness with ease.

“Deploy the Stingers!” barked the commander. On the rooftops below, five soldiers armed with stinger missiles scrambled into position. They opened their launchers, locking onto Zack’s descending figure. The sharp, urgent beeping of lock-on alerts filled the air.

“Stingers, huh?” Zack muttered, a mischievous grin forming.