At this point, the military had completely run out of ways to deal with the skyscraper.
More than six thousand soldiers sent earlier had already been wiped out. Armored vehicles, artillery systems, and countless pieces of equipment had been destroyed during the previous engagements. Now the towering structure itself had become a looming threat hanging over the entire city of New York.
Even a casual glance at the weapon systems mounted on the building was enough to make commanders uneasy.
Electromagnetic cannons alone were already devastating weapons. No one present doubted the destructive power of the armaments covering that structure.
And more importantly, no one wanted to be the one ordered to attack it again.
The earlier battle had already proven something beyond question.
Ethan Cole was not an enemy that could be easily dealt with.
While military forces remained stationed in defensive formations around Manhattan, command units continued debating possible strategies.
Then something unexpected happened.
Hundreds of silver-white robots suddenly poured out of the building.
The machines moved in organized ranks. Their bodies shared a unified design—sleek metallic frames with a distinctly futuristic appearance. Each robot looked like a soldier fully armed for war.
They advanced in neat formations, rushing toward the military positions surrounding the district.
"Enemy attack!"
The moment the robotic units appeared, they were immediately spotted by surveillance personnel monitoring the building.
Within seconds, alerts spread across every military channel in the area.
Soldiers scrambled into position. One after another, they crouched behind barricades and armored cover while raising their rifles toward the approaching machines.
In the distance, the metallic figures moved rapidly through the streets.
Many soldiers swallowed nervously.
Some felt sweat forming in their palms.
No one truly understood what those machines were.
And fear always thrived in the face of the unknown.
Even though these troops were experienced professionals, they were still ordinary humans. They possessed no superhuman abilities.
When confronted with something completely unfamiliar, even the best-trained soldiers could not completely suppress the instinctive fear rising within them.
For several seconds, the battlefield fell into a tense silence.
Then—
"Crack!"
A single gunshot suddenly broke the stillness.
No one knew which soldier had lost control first and pulled the trigger.
But that one shot became the signal.
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
Gunfire erupted across the entire line.
Rifles roared as dozens of muzzles flashed with fire. Streams of bullets surged toward the advancing machines.
The rounds slammed directly into the robotic soldiers.
Yet the effect was almost nonexistent.
The robots were constructed from a special high-grade alloy developed by Ethan himself. The strength of the material far exceeded even aerospace-grade metals.
When the bullets struck their bodies, they produced nothing more than small bursts of sparks.
Not even a scratch remained.
Several robots suddenly emitted faint blue light from propulsion units on their backs. Their mechanical bodies launched into the air and landed directly among the soldiers.
In midair, their forearms transformed.
Metal plates shifted and reconfigured until each arm formed a pair of razor-sharp blades.
The robots immediately began engaging in close combat.
Each of these units contained combat programs compiled by Svija. Their internal systems held data covering nearly every known fighting technique and lethal combat method developed on Earth.
In terms of close-quarters combat, every single robot was essentially a master-level fighter.
And melee combat was only part of their capabilities.
Some units fired concentrated beams of light from their palms. Others released arcs of electricity that crackled violently across the battlefield. A few extended hollow fingers that functioned as small-caliber projectile weapons.
This was the first generation of robotic soldiers.
Their design was the most basic model Ethan had planned. None of their systems exceeded the limits of conventional technological principles.
Meanwhile, the second-generation model was already being designed.
That version would incorporate far more advanced and experimental technologies. Once sufficient combat data was collected from these battles, every unit would undergo its first major upgrade.
What unfolded on the battlefield could only be described as a massacre.
From the moment the robotic soldiers appeared, the balance of power had become overwhelmingly one-sided.
Human bodies simply could not withstand the attacks delivered by these machines.
A single robot could easily eliminate multiple soldiers in seconds.
Although the military possessed an absolute advantage in numbers, the enormous gap in combat effectiveness quickly led to their defeat.
Three minutes.
In just three minutes, several defensive positions scattered throughout the surrounding neighborhoods were completely overrun.
The terrifying combat capabilities of the robotic soldiers had been demonstrated in the most direct way possible.
High above the battlefield, Ethan watched everything unfold.
Through his perception, he observed the returning robotic units calmly entering the building once again.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Analyze the combat data," he instructed. "Determine the upgrade path. Then begin manufacturing the second-generation soldiers."
He paused briefly.
"Also upgrade the hardware of the first model."
"Understood, sir," Svija replied immediately. "All preparations are complete."
Far away in Washington, inside the same military conference room, the atmosphere had become unbearably tense.
No one spoke.
The officers and officials simply stared at the large display screen showing the battlefield footage.
The robotic soldiers moving across the city streets appeared almost unreal.
Finally, one man slammed his hand onto the table and stood up abruptly.
"Damn it!" he shouted. "What the hell are those things? Where did they come from?"
His voice echoed across the room.
"He couldn't possibly have built that many robots by himself. Someone must be secretly helping him."
Another official immediately shook his head.
"Don't forget who we're dealing with," he replied coldly. "He holds eight doctoral degrees. He's a genuine genius."
The man gestured toward the footage on the screen.
"According to the intelligence reports we've gathered, his engineering and invention capabilities are unmatched. He's a mutant, yes—but he's also a top-tier scientist."
He leaned forward.
"Look at that building. He casually assembled weapons and technology decades ahead of our current level."
His tone grew sharper.
"And you still doubt he could build those robots himself?"
"Enough," another official interrupted. "Now isn't the time to argue."
He glanced toward a stack of analysis reports recently delivered by the think tank division.
"The analysts have reached a preliminary conclusion."
Everyone turned their attention toward him.
"These robots are most likely controlled by artificial intelligence," he explained. "We're all familiar with AI research, but this system appears far more advanced."
He pointed toward the screen.
"And these machines are clearly mass-production units."
The room fell silent again.
"That means we're no longer dealing with only Ethan Cole and the Phoenix."
His voice lowered slightly.
"In the future, we'll be facing an entire robotic army."
He paused for emphasis.
"With the military forces currently available, we cannot stop him."
A frustrated voice suddenly erupted from across the table.
"Damn it! Then what are we supposed to do?"
The man slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair.
"Wait for Congress to make a decision?"
His expression twisted with anger.
"They've been arguing for hours and still haven't approved deploying mutants onto the battlefield."
"They want to keep their political power untouched while our soldiers keep dying."
He spat the final words out with contempt.
"Useless cowards."
After that outburst, the entire room fell into silence.
Everyone understood the truth.
While Ethan Cole was building a robotic army, their own side was still trapped in endless political infighting.
That was politics.
Dirty politics.
Finally, someone spoke again.
"Congress will approve the deployment of mutants."
He turned toward the communications officer.
"Notify S.H.I.E.L.D."
"They're going to take part in this operation as well."
.....
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