The Mei Country is divided!
Two Presidents, using the communication standards entirely located within the national administrative handbook, gradually restoring communication within their respective headquartersâ
This communication standard has been used for decades, even Hydra and Rocksen canât change it overnight.
Barnesâ survival completely halted their violent and aggressive plans, as two voices simultaneously appeared on peopleâs communication devices...
Ruins and corpses mean different things to different people:
In the eyes of some civilians, this is the remnant of their homeland; to other civilians, itâs something theyâve shouted about hundreds of times on the internet and during protests; and yet other civilians simply hope that they donât meet such a fate.
In the eyes of the military, they see the destruction of what they were supposed to protect, hesitatingly; others feel dissenters should have been forcibly cleared long ago; and some consider it dirty political fighting and think they should remain neutral.
Whereas in the hearts of those politicians and officials, widely despised yet commonly heeded by the people...
They see division, the nation, this giant institution meant to regulate conflicts and unite people amidst contradictions, has completely collapsed!
The collapse comes from violent actions, reckless behavior, and arrogant superiorityâ
If those who initiated this raid truly held the winning hand, they wouldnât actually divide!
The result is, they canât continue to dominate the grand stage of "Mei Country"...
The time for division has come.
Three different factions initiated the final struggle in various states, massive chaos ensued in all 50 states:
A total of 16 states, after experiencing bombings and chaos, successfully raised their flags under the Pentagonâs command, counterattacking the airborne Quinjetsâ
states, untouched by bombings, chose to follow President Ellis from Houstonâs command, incorporating Space Airships into friendly recognition, watching them carry out "advanced anti-corruption" bombings.
The remaining states either declared independence, faced internal division and chaos, making it difficult for cities to form a unified opinion, or the National Guardâs sites have already been bombed out.
This unprecedented event shocked the world and equally rattled the high ranks of Hydra and Dalio...
Yes, they plan to employ a clearly unprecedented method, testing the boundaries of legality, to secure Ellisâs re-election.
At the same time, they will launch the Insight Plan, implementing direct strikes on important targets, silencing all opposing voices in the bombings.
But theoretically, such bombings can be controlled: if aircraft breach Mei Countryâs defense network, just one not-too-powerful air-to-ground missile can send the dissenting politician enjoying life at home, and his family skyward.
Indeed, even bombing the New Future District is somewhat acceptable.
But what is unacceptable is they bombed almost all opposing statesâ military bases, National Guard sites, and city capitals!
Furthermore, the most crucial aspect of their plan: not only did Barnes survive, he also successfully leveraged the Atlas Groupâs equipment in Washington, taking up the banner...
Hydra finds forcibly ensuring Ellisâs re-election too aggressive, yet must continue;
Dalio... Dalio thinks Hydra is utter uselessness!
Such massive Space Airships, such huge aircraft, and even Mecha...
Canât even take down a ninety-year-old man!
Their strong cooperation encountered a subtle mistake and ultimately resulted in this fractured Mei Country!
Two Presidents, two banners...
But fortunately, theyâve divided more, greater territories!
In most cities supporting Barnes, ruins are ubiquitous, yet the attack must cease:
Firstly, further bombing is unlikely to achieve progress, only ground troops can lock onto high-value targetsâ
The cost of a single missile, its deployment cost is exorbitant, cannot be indiscriminately used.
Secondly, the crash of two Space Airships compelled dozens of Quinjets to reconsider deployment.
Despite Rocksen gaining substantial domestic support, most military command fell under Barnesâ control, and at this time, only units with clear and direct ties to General Ross are left supporting President Ellis.
They need to withdraw, while the new Secretary of Defense Rodâs appeal is to drive them out, hold the land, and let Space Airships leave their cities.
The battleâs intensity gradually wanes.
This day, countless fighter jets soared over Mei Countryâs skies, missiles streaked wildly, explosions roared...
Division is inevitable, what remains should now consider international changes:
The world has entered a state of fear amidst these upheavals...
With no warning, the worldâs most powerful nation erupted into civil war amid a presidential transition!
As the civil war commenced, nearly the entire global communication network fell into paralysis within Cyberspaceâs upheavalâ
An unknown fear permeates worldwide: who won?
Are they about to welcome an iron-fisted tyrant?
If civil war occurs, might this nation launch nuclear missiles just to deny benefits to other countries?
After Lille left the Mei Country, using his damaged thruster to hide amongst the clouds, communication began to gradually restoreâ
Space Airships and airstrikes drove people into defensive facilities, those gigantic war devices spreading information high above, alongside satellites and other military equipment.
In contrast, although President Barnes returned to the Pentagon and reactivated facilities, he left after sending out information, once again entering concealment:
Because the Pentagon had also been bombed.
Raptors repelled Quinjets, aircraft carriers stationed at military bases facing threats from Space Airships, but the military can only protect cities within military base areasâ
The Mei Country is fragmented, but overall, the Space Airships dominating the skies remain a suspended sword.
In the ruins, a voice emanates from the devices.
[...President Barnes is a coward, a traitor, blinded by money and power trying to compromise with our enemies.]
[He corrupted our cities, our officials, our politicians, our land.]
[Hidden traitors are everywhere, scheming to overthrow our government, manipulate our elections, undermine our democracy, dismantle the society weâve worked hard to build!]
[The Space Airship is our last fortress, today we use these devices to eliminate these rotten roots!]
[And the source of corruption is the international criminal organization known as Atlas Groupâ]
[Its leader Lille Lee enjoyed the best education and healthcare resources in our country, we even granted him the position of honorary doctorate and academician with hopes he would use his wisdom to make our nation stronger, greater...]
[But he used his wisdom to destroy all of this!]
Amid the ruins, a man holds his daughter in his arms, both trapped under steel and concrete.
The manâs leg exoskeleton is deformed, his arm nearly bent backward, both parts of his prosthetics constantly pressing against his physical body at twisted angles...
"Dad...are they telling the truth?"
[Lille Lee, a criminal who destroyed our order; a criminal who destroyed our society; a criminal who destroyed our future...]
The man forced a smile, hoping to soothe his daughterâs fear: "Mr. Lee didnât bomb us..."
"But he didnât come to save us either..."
[A man who only knows destruction but no creation, a subhuman plotting to destroy our world!]
"He will surely come to save us...remember...remember the metal man we saw earlier..."
The man, though uncertain who shot down the Space Airship, feels it must have been Lilleâ
[If we truly were to confer a degree upon him, truly consider him a doctor, it can only be a...]
"Are you saying Mr. Lee is the Iron Man?"
"Yes, he is..."
The man managed a faint smile, feeling his body losing control.
[Doctor Doom!]
"Iron... Man..."
Crack!
The falling boulder is held back by a pair of arms, the sound of motors running echoing in the manâs ears.
He recognizes it must be Atlas Groupâs equipment.
The man, exhausted, closed his eyes.