Chapter 78: Launching the Warhead
"You need to keep your distance from Mason at all times. With the mobility of the armor, he can't catch you. Never engage him in close combat," Breaker continued.
"Based on the footage of his fight with Heavy Duty, I calculated that this guy not only has physical abilities far exceeding ordinary humans, but his reflexes are also frighteningly fast. Although your Accelerator Suit can enhance speed and strength, it cannot improve your reaction time."
"Facing Mason, you'll only become a sitting duck!"
"Don't worry, I've got it. I definitely won't get too close to him!" Ripcord also dropped his casual expression and nodded seriously.
Breaker was giving Ripcord instructions when his expression suddenly changed. "Oh no! They've left the lab and are moving eastward!"
"Quick! We need to intercept them!"
The driver was a skilled operative transferred from Bravo Team. He held the record for tactical driving speed in all of G.I. Joe. Hearing Breaker's words, he floored the accelerator, the vehicle swerved, and adjusted direction to give chase.
"Strange, what kind of escape route is this? They're going against traffic flow toward the most densely populated area!" Breaker cursed under his breath.
Just then, Scarlett had a flash of inspiration, remembering what Mason had once said: "I was planning to show you around Paris..." She looked up and caught sight of a spire behind the shadows of distant buildings.
"I get it! If they're going to 'tour' Paris, there's one landmark they can't miss: the Eiffel Tower!"
"They're heading to the Eiffel Tower. It's covered in metal—they're going to destroy it with the warhead!" Scarlett shouted urgently.
Everyone's eyes widened in realization.
"Yes, that's it!"
"Duke, Ripcord—track their vehicle. I'll mark the coordinates on your HUDs. Our vehicle is too slow—take the direct route to the base of the Eiffel Tower. We must stop them!" Breaker commanded loudly, working his tablet.
"Leave it to us!"
Ripcord shouted, leaping from the speeding vehicle. His Accelerator Suit left a deep groove in the pavement before he came to a controlled stop.
He then activated the suit's full power, propelling himself seven or eight meters in a single bound. With several more leaps, he chased toward the location marked on his HUD. Duke followed closely behind.
The two of them charged recklessly through traffic, disrupting the flow and creating chaos on the street. Mason frowned slightly as he watched the two pursuing them through the rearview mirror.
"They caught up quickly. Looks like they really did put a tracker in the case."
"Let's give them a warm welcome."
Ana accessed a hidden control panel, worked the interface for a few moments, and the sides of the SUV opened, revealing rows of concealed machine guns. Muzzle flashes erupted as a dense barrage of bullets fired.
Duke and Ripcord shielded their faces with their armored forearms, ignoring the onslaught of gunfire, and continued charging forward, enduring the attack head-on.
They were unharmed, but the civilian vehicles around them weren't so lucky. Some were hit in the fuel tank and exploded on the spot, while many more were involved in chain-reaction collisions, with screams and crashes echoing everywhere.
"Looks like conventional weapons won't work. Let's try something stronger."
Ana selected another weapon from the menu, and a panel opened in the vehicle's roof, revealing a massive electromagnetic pulse cannon. After a brief charge, a powerful energy wave shot out, sending Ripcord and Duke—who were following closely—flying backward.
They crashed through several vehicles and landed in a café behind them.
"Their firepower is too heavy—we need backup!" Ripcord shouted, adjusting his tilted helmet. Duke pushed off the ground and sprang up, then quickly resumed pursuit.
"Okay, looks like we're the backup," Ripcord could only mutter helplessly as he followed.
"It's time." Mason glanced at the Eiffel Tower, which was now visible in the distance, and said quietly.
He opened the alloy case, removed a warhead, and handed it to Storm Shadow.
"Fire it."
Storm Shadow paused slightly. Following McCullen's instructions, launching this warhead was supposed to be spectacular. He'd envisioned a dramatic moment where iconic Parisian landmarks would be obliterated by the nanotech warhead—a scene of terrible beauty.
But Mason wasn't so theatrical. Since the destruction of Paris was inevitable, did the first shot's location even matter?
The shock and terror of a destroyed Paris would speak for itself.
Storm Shadow loaded the warhead onto the launcher, rolled down the window, hoisted the weapon, casually aimed at a distant building, and squeezed the trigger!
The warhead, its tail trailing flames, shot out and exploded with a resonating bang!
"Oh no!"
Ripcord, who had just gotten back to his feet, looked up and saw the green cloud from the nanotech warhead explosion engulf the entire area.
Then, at a terrifying visible speed, the impact point was instantly hollowed out. Accompanied by a chilling hissing sound, the entire building rapidly disintegrated.
Debris falling from the building attached to nearby vehicles and streetlights—the entire block seemingly infected—everything in sight rapidly dissolving into nothingness.
"They fired a warhead!" Duke shouted into his communicator.
"Quick, stop them!"
"Each warhead is equipped with a kill switch—only by shutting it off can you stop the reaction!" Breaker replied urgently.
"You have to get that switch, or all of Paris is finished!"
Snake Eyes and Scarlett jumped out of their vehicle, commandeered a passing motorcycle, and sped toward Mason's location.
"Mission accomplished. We can leave now," Mason said casually. But just then, two armored figures burst out from the street behind them—Ripcord and Duke.
The nanotech warhead explosion had thrown the entire street into chaos, slowing Mason's vehicle considerably, and Duke quickly caught up. He leaped onto the roof of the car and then flipped over to the front.
Immediately afterward, he planted his feet into the ground, his body bracing like a human anchor!
"This maniac!"
The Delta Accelerator Suit itself couldn't stop a speeding vehicle, but Duke's intervention caused the car's trajectory to veer off course, sending it careening diagonally.
The vehicle spun through the air, landing on its roof, leaving a long trail of sparks as it struck four parked cars before finally coming to a grinding halt.
The head-on collision tore Duke's Accelerator Suit to shreds, leaving it barely functional. He was thrown through the air, crashing through shop windows on the side of the street, unable to rise for several moments.
"Duke, are you alright?" Ripcord rushed up from behind.
"Don't worry about me—I'm fine, just suit malfunction. Go get that kill switch!" Duke shouted, lying among the shattered glass.
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