[Sage Grove Psychiatric Hospital]
Alex sat in a car and looked away from the entrance of the psychiatric hospital.
Beside him, Corwin said, "Sage Grove Psychiatric Hospital is one of Vought's secret research facilities."
"We discovered that they're secretly improving Compound V here. They're also abducting homeless people and people who live alone from all over the place, experimenting on them and turning them into superhumans."
"Of course, plenty of them die as well. Bodies are taken out of here every day, but every day new test subjects are brought in."
"Our plan is to rescue the test subjects inside and persuade them to join the Shining Light Liberation Army."
"If we can also get the Compound V they're currently using, that would be even better."
Alex knew about Sage Grove, but he had never known where the psychiatric hospital was located.
Of course, he had never made a point of finding out.
Only now had the Shining Light Liberation Army brought him here.
Alex raised an eyebrow, "So, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Bring the superhumans inside out. I don't think that should be difficult for someone who wants to become our leader."
Corwin said.
Alex nodded, "That won't be difficult."
"Wait here."
He opened the car door.
Corwin was a little surprised, "You don't need us to do anything?"
"No. You'll just get in the way."
With that, Alex put both hands in his pockets and walked toward the psychiatric hospital.
———
It was already evening.
The hospital's front gate was shut. The lobby was lit, and two guards and a nurse were joking about things only adults would understand.
Just then, the door opened, and they saw a man walk in.
Alex smiled and greeted them, "Good afternoon."
He glanced at the sky outside.
It was already getting late. It was almost night, but...
"Whatever," Alex shrugged, kept smiling, and looked at the people in the lobby.
The two guards walked over with grim faces, "Sir, visitors aren't welcome here. Please leave."
"Don't say that. Aren't we friends?"
Alex hooked an arm around each guard's shoulders. One second earlier they had been trying to throw him out. The next second, their eyes filled with shock before they said, "Yes, we're friends."
The nurse stared in disbelief.
Alex then used Mind Invasion to take control of every guard and nurse in the lobby.
Then he said, "Come on, do me a favor. Open all the patients' rooms."
Outside the psychiatric hospital, inside the car, a member of the Shining Light Liberation Army said,
"It worked. I've hacked into the hospital's surveillance system. We can see what's happening inside now."
Corwin nodded, "Let's see how Mr. John handles this."
A tablet was placed in front of him. On its screen, Alex was standing in the lobby while the two guards walked into the control room.
A moment later, other camera feeds showed the rooms of every patient in the hospital opening one after another.
Corwin looked astonished, "How did he do that?"
Kenji, standing beside him, said, "I wasn't lying to you, was I? I told you before that Mr. John has incredible abilities. He's the one who rescued me from Stormfront."
Inside the lobby, Alex leisurely picked up a newspaper and started reading it while listening to footsteps coming from deeper inside the hospital.
Then someone ran out shouting, "What's going on? Who opened those lunatics' rooms?"
Alex looked over.
It was Lamplighter.
He smiled, "I did."
Lamplighter looked at Alex and immediately shuddered. Even though Alex was dressed in ordinary clothes, Lamplighter had once been a member of the Seven. There was no way he wouldn't recognize him.
Just as he was about to cry out, he realized he couldn't control his own body. Then Alex's voice sounded in his mind.
["Don't speak. I'm doing something interesting."]
["If you dare expose my identity, I'll kill you immediately."]
Cold sweat broke out all over Lamplighter.
Then he watched the "patients" who had been abducted and brought to the psychiatric hospital and injected with Compound V, pour into the lobby.
Fear appeared in Lamplighter's eyes. He knew exactly what these monsters were capable of. Some of them were even more terrifying than he was. And now he couldn't even control his own body. It was like stretching out his neck and waiting for someone to kill him.
Sure enough, quite a few of the patients already disliked Lamplighter. The moment they saw him, they roared and charged at him.
"Stop."
Alex used Mind Invasion to control the patients, freezing them in place.
Then he smiled, "Let me introduce myself first."
"My name is John."
"I'm here to rescue you."
"While I'm speaking, I'd like you to listen quietly."
"Now I'll release you."
He lifted his control over the patients.
Most of them wisely stayed where they were, but one bearded man roared, "Why should I listen to you?"
"These bastards tortured me. I'm going to kill them."
Every hair on the bearded man's body stood on end, then shot out like steel needles, turning one of the guards into a human pincushion.
Alex's eyes turned cold, but he still smiled as he said, "It seems I was still too kind. Maybe I should try a different approach."
"You. Kill yourself."
The bearded man froze.
Then his eyes widened as he watched himself walk over to the guard he had just killed, take the guard's pistol, and press the muzzle against his own chin.
BANG!
Blood instantly splattered across the ceiling, along with a piece of scalp.
After dealing with the bearded man, Alex said with a smile, "Now then, I don't suppose anyone else is going to interrupt me?"
He paused for a few seconds. Seeing that no one spoke, Alex nodded, "Very good."
"That's more like it."
"Now listen carefully. I'm setting you free."
"You can do whatever you want."
"For example, kill the people you hate."
"After you've vented your anger, come outside. I'll be waiting for you."
"But there's one thing I need to warn you about."
"The killing can only happen inside the psychiatric hospital. Once you leave, none of you is allowed to attack anyone."
"Otherwise, I'll kill you."
"Understood?"
At that moment, a woman with very short hair and a fairly tall build stepped forward, "What do you want us to do?"
"Follow you?"
"If that's what you want, then you'll have to prove you're worth following. No, worth my following," Alex was a little surprised.
He had thought killing the bearded man would make these "patients" behave.
Apparently, there were still some troublemakers.
He also remembered seeing this woman on television before. Her ability was quite good.
So he asked, "What's your name?"