{Chapter: 171 The Sea Monster Attacks}
William gently stroked Becky's soft hair, his expression warm. "My dear daughter, Daddy will be fine. Come on, give D@ddy a kiss," he said, crouching down to her level.
Becky, ever mischievous, grinned and pushed him back. "You do it, D@ddy."
"Alright then." Without hesitation, William planted a loud, exaggerated kiss on her cheek, leaving behind a glistening trail of saliva.
Becky immediately wiped her face with a look of mock disgust. "D@ddy, you're so annoying!"
The little White Queen, watching from the side, muttered under her breath, "Perverted, weird d@ddy."
Jill and Terry, who had been observing the interaction, stared at William in shock. "Daughter? Since when do you have a daughter?" Jill blurted out.
Becky tilted her head in confusion. "I've always been D@ddy's daughter. Aunts, what you're saying is really weird." Her innocent eyes flicked between the two women.
William straightened up, his tone firm. "Becky is my d@ughter. Simple as that."
Terry's eyebrows furrowed. "Then who's her mother?"
Without hesitation, Becky pointed at Alice. "She is my mommy."
The statement hit like a thunderbolt. Jill and Terry turned their stunned gazes toward Alice.
"Alice? When did you and William have a child this old?" Terry asked, still struggling to process the information.
Alice sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's… complicated. Let's talk about it after we get out of here."
Ada, who had been listening in silence, crossed her arms. "We don't have time for this. Let's move."
Leon nodded in agreement. "We can't take the same route we used to get here."
"Follow me," Ada instructed, moving swiftly to the edge of the subway tunnel. "There's an elevator at the end of this passage. It'll take us straight to the submarine dock." Without another word, she leaped down into the dark tunnel.
William hoisted Becky into his arms with ease and reached for the White Queen with his other hand. "Alright, let's go."
The group quickly followed, navigating the dimly lit tunnel. William couldn't help but glance at Leon, feeling that the man was out of place among them. Sure enough, he was the only other guy in the group. That was unnecessary.
After what felt like a long time of walking, the tunnel finally opened into a vast chamber where a massive circular elevator stood waiting.
"We're here," Ada announced, scanning the area. "This is it."
Everyone's spirits lifted. Smiles spread across their faces as they stepped onto the elevator.
Leon pulled out a small device from his pocket. "This place doesn't need to exist anymore."
As the elevator began its slow ascent, Leon pressed a button on the controller.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of powerful explosions echoed through the underground facility. The shockwaves sent tremors through the elevator, making the walls shudder violently.
---
Above them, the dome-like glass of the main testing ground shattered, and seawater began pouring in at a terrifying speed. The force of the flood overwhelmed every corridor and chamber, submerging the New York test field, the Moscow test field, and countless others.
The water surged toward them, reaching the base of the elevator, but it didn't rise further.
Outside, the thick ice sheet stretched endlessly, covered in a pristine layer of white snow. Then, suddenly, a massive hole opened up in the ice, and the circular elevator emerged from beneath, rising into the frigid air.
Becky shivered and clung to William. "D@ddy, it's so cold."
William tightened his hold on her. "It's alright. D@ddy's here to keep you warm."
The group—Alice, Jill, Ada, Terry, William, Leon, White Queen, and Becky—stood atop the platform, breathing in the icy air. William, however, had the distinct feeling that their number would soon drop to seven.
Leon squinted up at the sky. "Here comes the helicopter."
The distant sound of spinning rotors grew louder, and moments later, a sleek black helicopter descended toward them.
William handed Becky over to Alice. "Take Becky inside first. Ladies first. Go on, get in."
Alice nodded, stepping forward. One by one, the women climbed aboard—except for Ada.
"I can't believe you're such a gentleman," Ada teased, smirking.
William gave her a devilish grin. "You'll find out I have many strengths."
Leon, standing beside them, didn't look pleased. He was clearly interested in Ada, and William's behavior was grating on him. "Ada, get inside already."
"Yeah, yeah." Ada rolled her eyes and stepped toward the helicopter.
CRACK!
A deafening, unnatural tearing sound filled the air as the ice beneath them split apart. A monstrous tentacle, thick and pulsating, erupted from the frozen ground, sending shards of ice flying in all directions.
The helicopter jerked violently as the ice beneath it fractured.
"Go! Get them off the ground!" William shouted.
Jill clenched her teeth, and the pilot quickly lifted the helicopter, hovering it roughly ten meters above the collapsing ice.
"Rooooaaar!"
A thunderous, guttural roar echoed across the frozen wasteland.
The ice sheet detonated, chunks of it launching skyward like artillery shells. The helicopter was forced to pull back, struggling to maintain stability.
Alice and Jill watched from above as William remained on the ice.
"William, get up here!" Alice shouted.
William waved them off. "Just go! I'll find you later. Don't wait for me!"
Inside the helicopter, Becky clung to Alice's arm, her eyes brimming with worry. "Mommy, what about D@ddy?"
Alice forced a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Your d@d will come find us. Trust him."
Back on the ice, William remained standing, watching as the frozen battlefield shifted around him. His crimson eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"So, this is the Red Queen's doing," he murmured. "I wonder what kind of creature she's unleashed. I can't wait to see."
BOOM!
Another grotesque tentacle erupted from the ice, this time directly beneath Ada and Leon.
"Ahhh!" Ada screamed as the shockwave sent her flying over ten meters into the air.
The monstrous appendage was no ordinary tentacle—it was lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth, its tip resembling a grotesque, gaping maw.
Ada's eyes widened in terror as the nightmarish creature lunged toward her.
Then, in a blur of motion, she felt herself being pulled away.
She landed safely in William's arms, her breath ragged. "You're alright," William said, holding her steady.
Ada stared at him, stunned. "William… you saved me again."
A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air.
Ada's head snapped toward the source. Her expression darkened. "Leon—"
William raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want me to let you go right now? We're in midair."
Ada didn't answer. Her eyes were locked on the horrific sight below.
Leon was trapped.
The monstrous tentacle had ensnared him, its jagged maw pulsating as it slowly devoured his body.
"Save him!" Ada shouted.
William remained still. "It's pointless." William shook his head, "Besides, I don't know him well."
"You..." Ada turned to glare at him. "You bastard—"
Before she could finish, Leon let out one final, agonized scream as the creature swallowed him whole.
BOOM!
The ice sheet beneath them erupted in a violent explosion. Titanic chunks of ice flew skyward, and freezing seawater surged into the air, cascading down like a tidal wave.
Then, from beneath the fractured wasteland, an unspeakable horror emerged.
Ada's breath hitched.
"What… in the hell is that?"
William grinned.
"Now, that's more like it."
*****
Announcing a new workout: "Marvel: The Infinite Crown" - challenging the notion that books cannot contribute to fitness.