"On board?" Richard repeated. "Mr. President, are you suggesting a joint operation?"

"That is correct," President Barry affirmed. "Given the global implications of this threat, I believe it’s essential we join forces for this operation. The USS Gerald R. Ford is currently positioned in the Pacific, and I can have a special forces team deployed to your location immediately."

"Uhm...Mr. President, with all due respect, I don’t think your men will be up to the task. My men had been chasing Lin Feng and they know most of his tactics and strategies, your men will only slow them down. Though this may sound blunt to you, please, let us handle this one."

"Mr. Gonzales, you are underestimating my men. They are Navy Seals, the best of the best special forces in the world, they are up to any challenges thrown at them."

"But not the kind of challenges Lin Feng is throwing at us," Richard countered firmly. "I assure you, Mr. President, this isn’t a matter of skill or bravery. Lin Feng and his forces operate in a manner unlike anything we’ve seen. Our men have adapted to this new reality in ways that are hard to comprehend for those not in the field."

President Barry’s tone softened but remained firm. "I understand your concerns, Richard. However, this isn’t just about combat effectiveness. It’s about demonstrating a united front. The world needs to see that the United States and Blackwatch stand together against this threat. It sends a powerful message."

Richard sighed, realizing the political weight of the situation. "I see your point, Mr. President, and I agree on the need for unity. But we can’t afford any missteps. If your team is coming, they need to be briefed extensively on the enemy we’re facing. We can’t have them learning on the fly; it’s too risky."

"I assure you, Richard, they’ll be fully briefed and ready," Barry responded confidently. "These men are professionals. They adapt quickly and will follow your command."

"Alright, Mr. President," Richard conceded.

"We’ll integrate your team into our operation. But they must be prepared to follow our lead without hesitation."

"That’s a given," Barry replied. "They will comply with your commands on the ground. You’re the expert in this scenario, and they understand that."

"Good. Then we’ll make the necessary arrangements," Richard said, a bit more reassured.

"Thank you, Richard," Barry said, a hint of relief in his voice. "I’ll have my Chief of Staff coordinate with your team immediately. We’re in this together."

"Yes, Mr. President, together," Richard repeated before ending the transmission. "Joint Operation...Well, they are Navy Seals indeed but they are only trained to fight humans, not supernatural entities?"

"But aren’t we all trained to fight humans?" Mark chimed in.

"Yeah but your experience was accumulated by fighting non and mutated zombies, those Navy Seals didn’t," Richard replied.

"Let’s give them a chance," Richard continued, his tone shifting towards pragmatism. "We’ll run a comprehensive briefing. They need to understand what we’re up against – the unpredictability and sheer danger of these mutated zombies, and especially Lin Feng’s capabilities."

Mark nodded in agreement. "Understood. We’ll prepare the briefing materials. But we need to make it clear that this is no ordinary operation. The rules of engagement are different here."

"Exactly," Richard replied. "I’ll personally oversee the integration. We need to ensure seamless communication and coordination. Any misalignment could be disastrous."

"On that note, we should establish clear command protocols," Mark suggested. "There can’t be any confusion about who’s calling the shots during critical moments."

"Agreed," Richard said. "I’ll communicate our operational structure to the Navy Seals’ commander. It’s essential they understand that Blackwatch has the lead on this mission."

"Okay, with that matter settled, who are you going to send?" Mark asked.

"Isn’t it obvious? Of course, Graves would lead the operation," Richard replied.

"I know it would be Graves but about the technology...are we going to tell them about it? Like they will surely question what Graves is wearing," Mark expressed his concern.

Mark’s concern was valid. The advanced technology Blackwatch utilized, especially the Titan’s Guard Mark II suits, was beyond anything the U.S. military had in its arsenal. The revelation could lead to a multitude of questions and potentially complicate the joint operation.

Richard pondered for a moment before responding. "You’re right, Mark. The technology we have is something they’ve never seen. But transparency is crucial here. We can’t have our allies in the dark, especially when they’re fighting alongside us."

"Do you think they’ll demand access to our technology?" Mark inquired, his brow furrowing.

"It’s a possibility," Richard acknowledged. "But our priority is the mission at hand. We’ll explain the technology to the extent necessary for operational effectiveness. Anything beyond that, we can discuss after the mission is completed."

"Hmm...but how do you address this issue then? Like how we are going to explain to them that we have this and they don’t have that," Mark asked.

"It’s simple, the United States I believe has agencies such as DARPA to develop futuristic technologies. We’ll present our technology as a product of similar, albeit more advanced, research and development efforts. Hmm...let’s add that we have been experimenting and studying it for over a decade and were able to make a functional prototype only recently," Richard elaborated.

Mark nodded. "That should satisfy their initial curiosity without revealing too much. But we should be prepared for more in-depth inquiries, especially after they see the capabilities of the Titan’s Guard Mark II in action."

"True," Richard agreed. "For now, let’s focus on the immediate concern—the zombies, how are their numbers?"

"Well...we have been fighting them for hours but the waves are still immense. All our armed forces are mobilizing to ensure that this will end in an hour or two, but I can already, this is going to be a huge mess, especially when clearing their corpses," Mark chuckled lightly, albeit with an undertone of weariness.

"Yeah, it’s going to be a long day," Richard acknowledged, glancing at the monitors showing live feeds of the ongoing battle. "Once this is over, we’ll need to regroup and debrief.

***

The wave persisted for another three hours with the Armed Forces of the Blackwatch doing everything they could to stop their advance, and little by little, the zombies’ numbers increased, both in non and mutated. However, the notification Richard has been waiting for is not yet popping up.

"When is this wave going to end?"

As Richard said that, Sara flickered her finger, getting his attention.

"Sir...it appears that zombies in the NCR and those south of Clark are marching towards the north. It seems that they are heading this way," Sara reported.

"You gotta be kidding me, the whole population vs our forces? Give us a break."