Chapter 16

Floating in the infinite expanse of space, Zhou Yi felt an immense sense of satisfaction as he was bathed in the intense radiation from the sun. It was as if a person who had been tired all day had soaked in a hot spring, feeling an indescribable comfort throughout his body.

If it weren't for the energy board of Dawn Type I continuously showing an energy overflow and issuing warning messages, Zhou Yi might have fallen asleep.

However, soon, a message from Medusa interrupted his comfortable state.

"Sir, a bank robbery has occurred in the Manhattan district. I think you should take a look."

"Medusa, it's just a robbery. The police can handle such minor matters," Zhou Yi said impatiently. He didn't want to be a full-time superhero, dealing with every little thing.

Robberies and thefts, these were things the police could handle, and he didn't need to get involved. After all, not only would it waste time, but it would also invite jealousy. If he went to such lengths, he would essentially be taking the police's jobs.

"Sir, these robbers are heavily armed, and they have hijacked a school bus carrying elementary school students. The police can only surround them, and there have been significant casualties."

Medusa continued her report, indicating that the situation now warranted their involvement.

"Tell me their location."

"The target is heading towards the Brooklyn Bridge and is expected to be surrounded by the police in five minutes and seventeen seconds."

Zhou Yi didn't say anything more and dove straight into the atmosphere. A red streak of fire instantly appeared in the layers of the atmosphere.

Brooklyn Bridge.

A yellow school bus was careening wildly on the bridge, with five or six police cars chasing it from behind, sirens blaring. The pursued bus became even more reckless, crashing into anything in its path without hesitation.

In the face of such reckless behavior, many vehicles paid a heavy price. Some were dented, while others were completely overturned.

Of course, with the obstacles, the bus's speed inevitably slowed down. Seeing the bus slow down, the police cars naturally tried to get closer.

However, whenever the police cars got too close, one or two people would stick their heads out of the windows and fire a burst of bullets at the police cars.

At such times, a group of children inside the bus would scream. This clearly told the police that the robbers had no shortage of hostages.

After all, the police were just police, not special forces or mechanical police. Faced with such fierce firepower, the police cars wisely retreated to a safe distance. The bus continued to careen wildly until it reached the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, where it finally stopped its mad charge.

"Bal, what's going on?" A man with a face mask and an M4A1 shouted at the driver's seat, while simultaneously firing a burst of bullets at the police cars behind.

Beside him, another masked man with an AK74 was also spraying bullets, creating a fierce barrage. Just the two of them were enough to keep the police from even raising their heads.

Hearing the shouts from behind, a small, masked man slapped the steering wheel, dragged out an automatic rifle, and started firing at the front. At the same time, he shouted back.

"Damn police, boss, they've blocked the road ahead. This bus can't get through."

Seeing the successful blockade ahead, the police cars behind also stopped, creating a standoff.

This situation was not what the robbers wanted. The leader, who had been shouting, walked to the front of the bus and saw a dozen police cars surrounding the bus, with roadblocks set up in front. Clearly, this was not a situation that could be resolved by just charging through.

"Andrew, watch the police behind. Bal, keep an eye on the kids." The leader, impatient, walked to the bus door, dragging a middle-aged female driver with a pale face and a bleeding wound, and shouted out.

"Stupid police, listen up! I give you five minutes to clear a path for me. Otherwise, I'll start killing hostages. This woman will be the first. Then, every minute, I'll kill a kid. There are over twenty kids here, so think carefully."

The police were in a state of turmoil. After a while, a tough-looking middle-aged police officer with a megaphone responded.

"Robbers, listen up! I'm Chief Stacy of the NYPD. You are surrounded, and there is no way out for you. The Rapid Response Team is on its way. I order you to surrender immediately, or..."

Before he could finish, a burst of bullets came, and Chief Stacy ducked to avoid the flying bullets.

When the gunfire stopped, a police officer approached and asked, "Chief, what do we do now?"

Chief Stacy replied, "I wish I knew. Twenty children are being held hostage; this is no small matter in New York. That's why I came here so quickly. But there's no good solution right now."

So he asked, "What does the emergency team say?"

"The suspects are very smart. Our snipers say they have no confidence in taking them out directly. Based on the assessment, these three are likely from the military."

"So, I hate guys who are better with guns than the police," Stacy cursed and continued to arrange for his subordinates to surround the area, hoping to force the robbers to surrender.

Unfortunately, this was just wishful thinking. Generally, people who become robbers are not the type to surrender when their lives are on the line.

After a short wait, seeing that the police had no intention of clearing the way, the leader asked again, "Damn police, what do you want? Two minutes left, and this woman is going to die."

Hearing this, Chief Stacy's sweat dripped down. He knew that these robbers seemed determined to resist to the end and had no intention of surrendering. As an experienced police officer, he also knew that he had lost control of the situation. Once they started killing hostages, things would get even worse.

So he tried to calm the robbers.

"Hey, buddy, clearing a path isn't easy. Give me a little more time."

Hearing this, the robber instinctively scanned the surroundings. His experience immediately revealed the snipers lying on the bridge. Anger surged in his heart.

"Damn it, you're stalling!" The leader raised his gun and started firing at the police.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot!" Chief Stacy shouted from behind the car, knowing that any accidental injury to a hostage would have unimaginable consequences.

Only a small part of the police heard Chief Stacy's order, and this small part did not include the snipers.

As snipers from the Rapid Response Team, they had the authority to make their own judgment in critical situations, and they were responsible for the results. At this moment, the sniper on the bridge chose to shoot.

His shooting skills were excellent, but the leader's sixth sense, honed from years on the battlefield, saved his life. He instinctively dodged to the left, and the sniper's bullet grazed his shoulder without killing him. However, the hostage in his hand broke free and crawled towards the police.

This worsened the situation.

The police were concerned about the safety of the hostages, but the robbers had no such qualms. These ruthless individuals started firing indiscriminately, targeting both the escaping hostage and the police.

Bullets always travel faster than people. The unfortunate hostage was hit in the thigh by a stray bullet and fell to the ground. She was still a considerable distance from the police, and in this situation, the police could not provide any assistance. She would soon die from blood loss.

The enraged leader soon noticed this poor woman. He had no mercy in his heart and aimed his gun at her.

"No, no, please, spare me..." The hostage on the ground pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

But the robber coldly pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out, and Chief Stacy closed his eyes in pain. But a sudden rush of air and strong wind made him open his eyes again.

"God, what is this thing?" Chief Stacy's widened eyes saw that the situation had not developed as he had imagined. Instead, it had taken an unpredictable turn. He couldn't help but mutter to himself.

At the center of the confrontation, a semi-transparent, distorted light shield enveloped the fallen hostage. The bullets were suspended at the edge of the shield, as if frozen in time. Above the shield, a man in black armor was floating in the air, slowly descending.

"What the hell is this?" Both the leader of the robbers and the police chief had the same question.

Of course, this "thing" was Zhou Yi, wearing the nanosuit of Dawn Type I.

Zhou Yi landed on the ground, and the nanosuit's built-in medical scanner scanned the hostage. Medusa then provided the best advice.

"Sir, this woman has a through-and-through wound on her arm, a ruptured artery in her left leg, and shrapnel. I recommend immediate medical attention."

Hearing Medusa's advice, Zhou Yi picked up the dazed hostage and walked towards the police. He chose to walk rather than fly or run to avoid alarming the police and to show that he meant no harm.

Clearly, Zhou Yi's actions were recognized by the police.

"Don't shoot, let him through!" Chief Stacy shouted, and this time everyone heard and lowered their guns.

When Zhou Yi reached the police cars, Chief Stacy and several officers had already gathered. At his signal, the officers took the injured hostage to the ambulance.

Chief Stacy then asked Zhou Yi, "Who are you?" Clearly, he voiced the question on many people's minds, and the surrounding police officers silently moved closer.

"Chief Stacy, who I am is not important. You can think of me as a knight who upholds chivalry and just happened to be passing by. I believe you need my help in this situation."

Zhou Yi spoke straightforwardly, but this direct approach was clearly not what the chief could accept.

"I won't seek help from someone who won't even show his face."

"Then the situation will only get worse, sir. Since you have no other options, why not let me handle it? I will save these children." With that, Zhou Yi turned and walked towards the bus.

Seeing Zhou Yi, who looked like a future warrior, walk out of the police formation, a senior officer asked, "Chief, what do we do?"

"Damn it, give the order. Ensure the safety of the hostages. No shooting without my command. We can only rely on this guy now."

As Zhou Yi approached, the leader of the robbers swallowed hard and shouted, "Strange guy, stop right there."

Zhou Yi naturally ignored him and continued to advance. This slow and steady approach seemed to put considerable psychological pressure on the robbers. To relieve this pressure, they aimed at Zhou Yi and pulled the triggers.

The three automatic rifles fired, but they did not achieve the desired result. Sparks flew, and the bullets were deflected or deformed into a pile of metal on the ground.

Zhou Yi's armor remained pristine, with no visible bullet marks. The impact of the bullets did not affect his speed, and he continued to advance at a constant pace.

"Damn it, what kind of monster is this?" The leader's eyes twitched as Zhou Yi approached his safety perimeter.

The other two robbers were also panicking, sweating profusely as they fired and shouted, "Boss, what do we do? The bullets can't penetrate him."

"Bal, hold him off. Andrew, come with me to get something from the back." The leader threw his weapon to Bal and led the other man to the back of the bus.

Bal, seeing Zhou Yi approaching, roared and fired.

At this moment, Zhou Yi was walking through a hail of bullets. He watched the robbers at the bus door, looking for an opportunity to attack.

He didn't use supersonic speed to rush in and solve the problem, partly to conserve his strength, as there were still organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra with designs on all superhumans. The other reason was to avoid accidental injuries.

Once he started running at supersonic speed, the sonic boom alone would be like throwing a grenade on the ground, not to mention the strong wind pressure. If he did that, many children might end up in the hospital. Zhou Yi was curious how Quicksilver managed to run at supersonic speed without causing such issues.

Zhou Yi continued to think and soon approached within two hundred feet of the bus. At this moment, the leader emerged from the back of the bus, holding an RPG.

"Monster, die!" He shouted and pulled the trigger. A 40mm rocket, trailing a deadly flame, shot towards Zhou Yi.

Facing the rocket, Zhou Yi extended his hand. The rocket was caught in his grip, and then a bright flash and a deafening explosion followed. The shockwave sent debris flying, and even the bus began to shake. Clearly, the rocket had exploded in his hand.

Seeing this, the robbers breathed a sigh of relief and lowered their guns. The police were also stunned, some crossing themselves, thinking Zhou Yi had been blown to pieces.

But things often take unexpected turns.