Sentinel Special Service Office Sunk to the Bottom of the Sea
Xu Mo, seeing that his opponent had completely collapsed, lost any interest in further torment.
A massive space gate opened beneath everyone's feet.
In an instant, several figures plummeted downward.
The sudden weightlessness startled Anne and Natasha, but before panic could set in, Xu Mo wrapped an arm around each of them, holding them securely as they fell.
The portal spat them out high above an island.
"This is…" Natasha stared wide-eyed at the buildings far below, then at Xu Mo, whose face was suddenly much too close.
"Yes," Xu Mo said calmly, "this is the headquarters of the Sentinel Special Service."
The Sentinel Special Service was built on a private island less than a square kilometer in size, just off the edge of Manhattan. The entire island was owned and controlled by the organization.
Natasha's expression hardened. "What are you planning?"
Xu Mo didn't answer. He descended gracefully, touching down on the ground before releasing them. Annie, however, clung to him desperately, forcing him to gently pry her loose. Her resentful glare was hard to ignore.
Wayne and Lyle weren't nearly so fortunate. They plummeted freely and smashed through the roof of the island's tallest building—the main office of the Sentinel Special Service. Its top floor housed a massive conference room.
At that very moment, the room was filled with senior officials. On the enormous wall-mounted screen glowed Anne's profile—her abilities, her history, her threat level. The meeting was clearly focused on strategies for capturing her.
The sudden crash of two bodies slamming into the room threw the assembly into chaos.
Dust filled the air as everyone scrambled for cover. When it cleared, the wreckage revealed two groaning figures on the ground—Wayne and Lyle.
"Damn it!" someone cursed. Faces all around the room darkened.
A familiar voice echoed:
"Looks like I arrived at just the right time—everyone important is here."
Every head snapped to the window. Xu Mo stood there, silent and unnoticed until that very moment.
Outside, Natasha and Annie had barely regained their footing when the ground trembled violently. The main tower of the Sentinel Service—more than ten stories tall—began to shake, then slowly lifted off the island.
Within moments, it was rising into the sky.
Natasha and Annie could only watch, stunned, as the building climbed higher and higher until it became no more than a dark speck in the distance.
Inside the conference room, terror spread. The building had already climbed several thousand meters; the air was growing thin.
Finally, a middle-aged man—the clear leader—stood and slammed his palms on the table. "What are you doing?"
Xu Mo's gaze was cold. "Destroying your organization, of course."
"You can't!" the man barked, his voice cracking. "We're a government division! If you do this, you'll be branded a criminal against the entire nation!"
Xu Mo smirked. "Is that supposed to matter to me? No—the only thing that matters is that you're about to take the ride of your life."
At his words, the building stopped climbing. Then it dropped.
Free fall.
And to ensure maximum velocity, Xu Mo added a downward thrust.
In less than ten seconds, the skyscraper was plummeting at hundreds of meters per second.
The sensation of weightlessness drove the occupants against the ceiling. Panic erupted into shrill, unending screams. A few older officials fainted outright.
Xu Mo looked up, smiling pleasantly. "Enjoy yourselves." And then, with a flash, he vanished.
On the island below, chaos spread as staff in other buildings realized what was happening. They abandoned their posts, racing for the bridge that connected to the mainland.
Natasha and Annie were still frozen in shock when an arm suddenly encircled their waists. Xu Mo appeared behind them, silent as a ghost.
Before they could react, he carried them both through another shimmering portal.
When they re-emerged, the three stood atop a Manhattan skyscraper, the island visible in the distance.
From there, they watched the tower plummet. Its speed neared the sound barrier.
Then—impact.
The skyscraper slammed into the island with apocalyptic force. A mushroom cloud erupted into the sky, and a thunderous shockwave rattled windows across the bay.
In Xu Mo's mind, the familiar mechanical chime rang out:
> "Killed villain—142 points earned!"
"Killed villain—156 points earned!"
…
The notifications went on for nearly four minutes.
Ten minutes later, the smoke cleared.
Natasha's eyes widened. "God…" she whispered. The island was sinking, breaking apart under the colossal impact.
---
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters – Director's Office
Nick Fury sipped coffee casually as the live feed showed the island collapsing beneath the waves.
"Director," Coulson said nervously, "if we just let this go, won't the Department of Defense raise hell?"
"Of course they'll be furious," Fury replied dryly. "The Sentinel Project was their pet project. But…"
He flashed a grin of gleaming white teeth against his dark face. "That's their problem. Not mine."
"The White House already made it law—mutants and humans share the same rights. The Sentinel Service undermined that at every turn, staining the government's name. If not for them, S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be struggling to recruit real powerhouses right now."
Coulson remained silent, thoughtful.
Fury leaned back. "Mutants can be dangerous, yes—but some of them have abilities that could tip the balance. If we had them on our side, cases involving supernatural threats would be much easier to manage. Instead, thanks to the Sentinels, every mutant sees government agencies as the enemy."
He sighed, lowering his coffee. "Until that changes, the only option left is cooperation with Xavier's Academy."
---
Rooftop – Manhattan
As the last echoes of destruction faded, Xu Mo turned to Natasha.
"I may have been acting under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s orders, but I still owe you. Without you, Annie would've suffered far more today."
He extended his right hand. A small booklet materialized in his palm.
"Take this—it's my way of saying thanks. But it's for you alone. And remember: burn it after you've read it."
Before Natasha could respond, he pressed the pamphlet into her hands, then wrapped his arm around Annie and disappeared with her into another portal.
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