Located in Virginia, Arlington County, next to the Potomac River, there is a building completed in 1943 with a pentagonal structure.
It is the permanent office of the Federation's Department of Defense.
It is also the headquarters of the Federation's three armed forces.
This place is——
The Pentagon!
Boom!
Under the night sky, above the brightly lit Pentagon, with a deafening sonic boom, Hawk's voice echoed over the entire Pentagon.
"Thaddeus Ross, come out and face your death!"
"Boom——!!!"
Hawk collided with the concrete ground in the central courtyard of the Pentagon like a meteorite, accompanied by the earth's lament, the shockwave spread out in rings, lifting up the neat lawn and paving stones.
The alarm sounded shrilly.
Prepared security forces poured out from various exits, seeing Hawk, wearing crimson tight battle armor, slowly rise amidst the smoke under the helicopter's searchlight, they immediately pulled the trigger.
Unfortunately, it was useless.
Their proud bullets caused no harm to Hawk.
But one punch from Hawk was enough to cause instant death.
Even——
Hawk didn't even need to punch, after scanning around, Hawk's figure instantly moved, in a flash, like a crimson stream of light, sweeping around the corridor in the central courtyard.
And when his figure reappeared, an incredibly shocking scene unfolded.
The soldier standing close, even right behind Hawk, his body dissolved at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Yes.
Dissolved.
Not only him, but almost all the soldiers appearing in the corridor, their bodies dissolved into blood mist at a speed visible to the naked eye, exploding around.
As I said.
Even though Hawk cannot utilize Extraordinary Energy now, simply relying on his Life Level and pure physical body, he is comparable to a star.
So——
If mere mortal flesh collides with a star, what would the result be?
It's the scene before you.
Turning into a blood mist.
In the next second.
Hawk ignored the thick concrete outer wall in front of him, stepped forward directly, the heavy concrete outer wall like fragile tofu, instantly collapsed, revealing the complex corridors and offices inside.
And more soldiers!
The special forces inside the building had long been on high alert, and all bullets had been urgently replaced with X Energy Suppression Bullets. At the first sight of Hawk, they pulled the trigger.
"A mantis trying to stop a cart..."
"Overestimating their abilities!!"
Hawk lowered his gaze, looking at the blue glowing energy bullets hitting his body, unable even to penetrate his battle armor, he snorted with a cold, penetrating laugh that echoed through the corridor, then raised his eyes, looking at the soldier blocking his way.
The next second.
He moved.
"Boom!"
"Bang!"
"Thud!"
Hawk's figure, like an afterimage, traversed directly from his original position to the end of the corridor, the afterimages passing through, the soldiers blocking the way turned into blood mist, the soldiers on both sides also appeared half blood mist, caught in a whirlwind and flung onto the walls on both sides, some even splattered directly on the walls.
These soldiers didn't even have the chance to scream.
Because before they could scream, they were already dead.
However...
Hawk was not truly bloodthirsty.
Killing is just a means, never the goal.
Hawk's purpose here is very clear, since General Thaddeus Ross here doesn't like the second life he granted, then he's come to take back the second life given.
As for where General Thaddeus Ross might be hiding here.
He knows very well.
Once again.
Quantico Base, it wasn't Hawk's first visit, similarly, he's been to the Pentagon before, so he knows very well all the hiding places in the Pentagon.
So——
Hawk ignored the soldiers trying to stop him, at least ignored those not blocking his way.
After all, this group of soldiers was just following orders.
But those blocking his way, or even those running right into him, trying to stop him, Hawk didn't show any mercy.
If they want to die, then let them die.
One by one, the soldiers blocking Hawk's way turned into blood mist, one by one, reinforced concrete walls were pierced like walls made of paper, continuously until a heavy alloy door several feet thick appeared in front of him, Hawk then stopped.
Behind this door is the only passage to the Pentagon's command center and the underground safe house.
The automatic defensive weapons on the alloy door almost activated the moment Hawk burst through the wall, pouring armor-piercing bullets at Hawk.
"Is it useful?"
Hawk, expressionless, as if walking in a downpour, strolled through the metal storm of armor-piercing bullets, casually reached the alloy door, glanced at a hidden camera above the door, then raised his right foot, kicking the alloy door in front of him.
Rumble!
The walls on both sides of the alloy door, weighing several tons, were torn open with a loud noise. Immediately afterward, the heavy alloy door flew backward and crashed into the passageway behind it.
As the alloy door hit the ground, the floor cracked with a resounding noise, and the massive commotion caused the very ground beneath to tremble.
With the collapse of the alloy door, what appeared before Hawk was the command center of the Pentagon.
At this very moment.
Inside the command center hall, filled with surveillance screens, the staff stared in horror at Hawk, who looked like a Demon God, emerging from the dust and smoke.
After stepping over the collapsed alloy door, Hawk hovered in the air, suspended in the center of the command center amid countless terrified glances, scanning around, his face a picture of despair and displaying the horror of those around him.
In the next moment.
Hawk's voice was soft and chilling.
"Open the shelter, and you live!"
"Or, you die."
"Beep!"
Almost at the very moment Hawk's words fell, a colonel, seemingly the command center's commander, shuddered and then shouted to his sides without hesitation, "Activate the emergency power, open the shelter passage."
To his left and right, the officers also shuddered and quickly responded.
Very soon.
The right side wall of the command center came alive with a boom, accompanied by the grinding sound of gears, revealing a safety elevator leading directly to the underground shelter.
Hawk looked at the exposed safety elevator, smiled softly, and then turned his gaze to the colonel who had chosen survival over loyalty without hesitation.
"Go."
"...God, thank you!"
The colonel, upon hearing this, trembled, and then, realizing the situation, shouted. Instantly, the command center, which had been paralyzed with fear due to Hawk's arrival, burst into chaos, as the staff rushed out in a frenzy, like chickens fleeing a coop.
Once again.
Killing is only a means, not the end.
Hawk ignored the fleeing crowd, his feet landing, and walked straight into the open safety elevator, pressing the close button.
The next moment.
The elevator descended.
Descended rapidly.
Inside the elevator, Hawk felt its accelerating descent, his heart calm, even amused.
"A battle of trapped beasts."
"Boom!"
The elevator descended at a blistering speed into the underground shaft, and with a thud, a massive impact blew the elevator door off.
Hawk, unharmed, without even a speck of dust, stepped out from the cloud of smoke billowing from the elevator.
One has to admit that the battle armor woven by Wanda using Crimson Chaos Power is indeed of excellent quality.
Thinking this, Hawk, expressionless, walked through the underground passage until he reached the entrance of the shelter, built with fifteen meters thick reinforced concrete.
At the shelter entrance, a squad of soldiers also saw Hawk approaching.
Facing each other.
Through their intercoms, informed of everything happening above, the soldiers saw Hawk coming and, under his cold gaze, chose to lay down their weapons and raise their hands in surrender.
Although stationed at the shelter entrance, they were almost all trusted personnel of the generals inside.
But...
With their lives at stake, what use is trust?
As widely known.
The Federation is a nation of immigrants; thus, when casualties exceed ten percent in battle, it will face collapse.
Therefore, it was quite normal for the squad to surrender and lay down their weapons.
Hawk wasn't surprised at all.
"Go."
"...Thank you."
The lead soldier, hearing Hawk's words, relaxed his tense expression, thanked Hawk, and led the way past Hawk, running outside.
Just wondering, with the elevator now broken, how these soldiers would leave here.
But that's not Hawk's concern.
Looking back at the soldiers disappearing around the bend, Hawk turned his gaze back to the fifteen-meter thick shelter and the ten-meter thick alloy door, unable to be closed by manpower but only by machines.
The next moment.
Boom!
Hawk punched the alloy door, instantly creating a dent, and the massive commotion caused the entire underground corridor to shake.
Another punch!
The dent deepened, and the corridor trembled.
A punch, two punches, three punches...
The depth of the dent on the alloy door intensified.
"Sssss..."
"Mr. Phoenix, we can talk."
"Ha!"
Hawk glanced up at the voice above his head, a faint smile of disdain appearing on his face, then punched the alloy door before him again.
Boom!
…