Chapter 1563 The Squad Moves Out, and News Blackout
Frank then looked at Big Dipper, who was under the Level 2 clone’s control. “Big Dipper, vanguard?”
Vanguard soldiers could be understood to be scouts or sentries, or could also be understood to be cannon fodder.
An outstanding vanguard could effectively prevent troops from falling into an ambush. They could lock onto a mission target beforehand and attack first to prevent the enemy from attacking or retreating. This was one of the most important positions in the team.
An incapable vanguard might be killed by their teammates, since it would be very easy for them to lead the entire team to their downfall.
In this team, only Frank, Luke and Selina were qualified to be the vanguard.
But Frank was the commander, and had to stay in the rear to control the situation.
Selina had already chosen the Gatling gun; she was clearly going to be the firepower to overwhelm the enemy.
With two aliases on this operation, Luke could only be the vanguard and main attack force at the same time.
That wasn’t a bad thing, however. Rather, it would be easier for him to confirm the latest intelligence on the frontline at any time. The two clones were definitely better than working with other people.
Big Dipper nodded. “Okay.”
Frank: “Alright, switch to internal comms. No outside chatter.”
This was a reminder to Angel and Alice. n.o.body else would make such a mistake, but it might not be the case with these two.
Everybody replied, “Understood.”
Frank pushed the door open and said, “Move
out.”
“Copy that.” Everybody filed out.
Luke, who was the last to go out, put the weapons cabinet away. Everyone else was already running
Big Dipper took the lead. With one leap, his figure quickly turned transparent and disappeared into thin air. It had only been two minutes from the moment Luke released the weapons cabinet and the android.
They had already done their best to communicate briefly and effectively before the battle, as the situation in Grand Rapids wasn’t
good.
Black humanoid monsters were wreaking havoc downtown.
What was even more astonis.h.i.+ng was that these monsters were all using weapons, including cold weapons and firearms.
This made them extremely destructive and lethal.
They still had to run and jump around with physical attacks, but with guns, they just needed to pull the trigger.
There was a lot of fighting in Grand Rapids, but even more people were running away.
Even then, only those in cars sped down the streets.
It wasn’t that the drivers were brave, but that it was impossible to hide if you wanted to make a quick getaway; they could only rely on luck.
Other people on bikes and on foot were panic-stricken but also careful as they quietly fled.
The Dark Knight didn’t use a gun, and the new model Bat darts that he used didn’t cost much; each one cost no more than ten dollars.
As the main attack force, he didn’t need to sneak around like the vanguard, Big Dipper. Instead, he turned on glide mode on his cape and sent Bat darts flying in all directions, killing the scattered black humanoid monsters that were in his path.
In less than two minutes, the team members had gathered basic intelligence on the monsters. Frank warned, “Attacking the heart is no use. Cutting the spinal cord will immobilize them. Cutting off and blowing up the head will basically kill them. They don’t feel pain and they’re far stronger than ordinary people. Remember this in close combat.”
Pausing for a moment, he then added, “Bullets do stop their movements to some extent. Deathstrike and Iron Cage can hit the torso first before shooting them in the head.”
Luke said at the same time, “I second that. Also, no need to conserve bullets. Firing tens of thousands of bullets in one go isn’t an issue. Hm, except for you, Bastet. You don’t have to be so quick-fingered.”
Selina didn’t say anything and simply sent a grimacing emoji to the team chat.
Frank didn’t say anything.
One or two clowns on the team was good for taking care of the mood; otherwise, it was too easy for the overall mood on the battlefield to be downcast or gloomy, and for things to spiral out of control at some point. Back then, Gray Rabbit had been the one to bolster the mood.
It wasn’t like he was deliberately doing it most of the time, but his luck was just that rotten, and always got a laugh out of everyone else.
As everybody advanced, the gunfire gradually turned more intense.
Frank was practically flying over rooftops as he advanced. Gunshots rang out from time to time, some far and some close, and some in a constant stream, depending on the situation. Alice and Angel advanced over the ground, which was what they were most familiar with, and obediently opened fire whenever instructed by the shooting support program. Their three-round bursts weren’t astonis.h.i.+ng, but they were practical and brainless.
As long as the red cross which represented the gun locked onto a target and a yellow circle appeared, the trigger could be pulled. There was a 30 to 50% chance that the shot would hit the target. The main reason why it didn’t hit was because of the humanoid monsters’ quick and erratic movements.
reason
ause
If the enemy paused for one or two seconds, however, they would be hit.
Selina was different.
When it came to using a gun, she indeed wasn’t as good as Luke, who had a cheat, or Frank, who had used guns for more than twenty years. But in her incomplete symbiotic form, her reaction speed was significantly increased.
As she fired the Gatling gun, she could easily maneuver it to fire around here.
The gunfire swept over the monsters in its path and blew up most of their heads.
At that moment, Luke raised an eyebrow.
Alfred had sent him a message. He thought for a moment, before announcing it on the team’s internal comms. “The American government has cut off all online communication within 100 kilometers of Grand Rapids.”
Neither Alice nor Angel really understood what that meant.
Frank, however, reacted quickly. “F2F and Messenger?”
Luke said, “Those are the two main ones, but it’s the same with other communication apps.”
Angel frowned. “Are you saying that they can’t be used?”
Selina said, “No; people in Grand Rapids can still upload pictures and videos, but the relevant data won’t reach the outside world in real time.”
In the end, Luke explained, “The government is restricting the apps, but they also need to understand the situation here through the photos and videos. They’re just preventing the news from spreading.”
Who the h.e.l.l knew whether or not this incident had to do with the government.
A news blackout like this would prevent the outside world from taking notice too soon, and would allow the government to cover up the truth and s.h.i.+ft the blame later.
The more proof that was left behind, the heavier the responsibility, and the harder it would be to s.h.i.+rk responsibility.
Frank: “Alright, we need to pick up the pace. The government should be responding soon.”
A news blackout was often related to an operation.
Frank didn’t have a good impression of the government, and didn’t want them to interfere.
At the same time, in Stark Tower, New York.
Jarvis said, “Sir, the latest news on Mr. Wayne is online.”
Tony raised his head. “Where’s that guy now?”
Jarvis said, “He appeared in Grand Rapids and is dealing with an attack by unknown creatures there.”
Tony paused. “Show me.”
Jarvis immediately projected photos and videos uploaded by civilians.
Although the figures were a little blurry, Tony immediately recognized them. “Big Dipper, Black Cat, Hammersmith, Iron Cage King, Lady Deathstrike?”
That was half of the Bat Squad’s fighting force; they had actually all rushed over at the same time?