Alan observed the innocent civilians caught in the swirling dust and sand. Uncharacteristically, he remained silent, his expression unreadable. In truth, he detested the idea of innocent lives being snuffed out; even the lowliest creature had a right to exist. His decision to side with Apocalypse had, in a way, been an attempt to prevent him from massacring countless lives. In the movies, Apocalypse had once transformed a nation's capital into a pyramid of sand, killing countless innocents in the process. From the beginning, Alan had been subtly manipulating him, trying to keep Apocalypse's destructive impulses in check.
As the dust swirled, a hidden corner of the underground facility was revealed. Apocalypse frowned slightly, realizing he couldn't simply decompose the structure. He then remembered that the Sentinels also possessed an anti-transformation function. The data processing center was Trask's stronghold, and it was certainly equipped to defend against mutants.
At that moment, Trask and the five chiefs had already fled into a safe room. Simultaneously, Skynet activated its defensive systems, linking to various mechanical weapons and unleashing a barrage. Several anti-aircraft guns were deployed, their infrared targeting systems locking onto the figures in the sky, spitting terrifying streams of fire. A torrent of bullets rained down, impacting Apocalypse's force field. The continuous hits, punctuated by blinding flashes of light, forced even Apocalypse to maintain his force field with utmost concentration.
Archangel and Psylocke, standing nearby, watched in horror. They lacked regenerative abilities; a thumb-sized bullet could easily kill them. Alan, ever pragmatic, was the first to duck behind Apocalypse. His motto: "Let the boss take the brunt of the danger; I'll take the credit."
"Holy cow, good thing I'm immortal! I'm never afraid of dying," Wade said nonchalantly. If it wasn't a team effort, Deadpool wouldn't even be here. Using cold steel against hot weapons and living like this was something even his cancer-ridden brain wouldn't suggest.
"You're all talk and no action, besides being immortal," Alan teased.
"Are you jealous?" Wade retorted. "I can die countless times, but you only get one shot."
"That's so unfair! I'm so jealous, my… everything is turning purple!" Alan clutched his head in mock agony.
"Really? Let me see," Wade said, leaning in, his eyes narrowed in anticipation.
"Whoa, you're just like Constantine, aren't you? Wanting to get with every species out there," Alan said, giving Wade a look of disdain.
"Speaking of Constantine, I remember you mentioned having a pet shark, I think it was Nanaue from DC," Wade mused, stroking his chin. "From what I understand, Constantine and Nanaue have a thing going on."
"Shit! Constantine truly is a role model for our generation, embodying the spirit of universal love, regardless of race or gender!" Alan declared with reverence.
"You're truly perverted. To admire someone like that," Wade said, his expression disgusted.
"The fact that you saw through my perverted nature… I feel both shame and pleasure."
"…" Wade surrendered to Alan's utter lack of shame.
The others found it impossible to join their conversation; only those equally deranged could follow their logic. Deadpool's regeneration was like an unsolvable bug. Even Apocalypse found himself envious at times. If his regeneration didn't stem from endlessly growing cancer cells, Apocalypse might have already arranged a soul-transfer ritual.
As the battle moved to the ground, Apocalypse was constantly worried that a momentary lapse in concentration would lead to him being hit by bullets. He had dozens of mutants under his protection. As a leader, it would be a huge loss of face if he couldn't protect his subordinates. At the same time, he had to admit he had underestimated the power of technology.
Apocalypse gave Psylocke a meaningful look. She understood, creating an energy sword and slicing an opening in the wall. This area heavily suppressed elemental mutants due to a special interference field, preventing long-range elemental abilities from being used effectively. Body-extension control abilities, however, were unaffected. It made sense; if Sentinels had elemental replication, they would naturally have developed countermeasures, even if they couldn't miniaturize them to fit within the Sentinels themselves. If they could achieve that, it would truly be the end for mutants.
The data processing center had multiple floors, like a three-dimensional maze, and it was certainly full of dangers.
"Leader, I'm on the fifth floor. I hear six heartbeats." One mutant's ability was enhanced hearing, allowing him to pinpoint enemy locations.
"Find them. Kill them," Apocalypse commanded. Their very existence terrified him. Their threat level was comparable to the Dark Phoenix.
"Leader, I hear a large number of robots approaching." At these words, everyone tensed. From the moment they had entered the building, Skynet had been monitoring their every move. On each floor, various models of robots lit up with red warning lights.
The highly trained elite mutants immediately took their positions: some providing shields, some providing information, and some acting as damage dealers.
"Intruder detected. Initiating destruction protocol." A tracked robot, armed with two heavy gatling guns, was the first to emerge, unleashing a torrent of firepower. A mutant crossed his arms, forming an invisible energy barrier, pushing forward against the onslaught.
"Everyone, help push!" Alan commanded. The energy barrier blocked the bullets, but the sheer force made it difficult to advance. Four muscular young men immediately joined the push.
"I can't hold it! It's shaking me apart!" The mutant providing the energy barrier was bleeding from his nose.
At the critical moment, Apocalypse took over, providing a powerful force field. If not for the interference field, he would have simply buried the robot in the concrete.
Suddenly, a black shadow flashed past. Two drill-like arms plunged into the robot's weapon drive shaft.
"Don't worry, it's one of us." Alan saw that the assisting Sentinel's eyes were glowing green, confirming it was Dr. Zola. He lunged forward, drawing his butcher knife, and with a single leap, brought it down.
[Killed X0305 model robot. Experience +800]
Alan maintained his downward-chopping pose. "Quick, ask me what kind of knife this is."
"What kind of knife is that?"
"A butcher's knife."
"…"
Dr. Zola retracted his arms. "No time for showing off! I've found that Skynet is uploading data to a sixth-generation Sentinel body!"
"Sixth generation? Is it that tough?" Alan sheathed his butcher knife, seemingly unfazed by Skynet. "I'll just cut off the power. Let's see if it can still run."
"The sixth generation is a liquid-nanite robot. It has infinite self-replication," Zola said grimly. "If Skynet finishes uploading, no one will be able to stop it."
"Yeah, that's pretty tough." Alan had a rough idea of what a liquid robot was, like the T-X from the Terminator movies. It could regenerate by consuming matter. He then proposed, "Doctor, you could take over its body first. Like a cuckoo taking over a nest."
"I told you already!" Zola snapped. "My processing power isn't enough. It's already hard enough to control one Sentinel, let alone a more advanced model!"
[Chapter Complete]
***
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