Now, with all his research funds finally transformed into results, Baron Strucker, along with his experimental achievements and an unexpected surprise, was preparing to return to America to seek revenge on official organizations and Hydra!
Neither Alexander Pierce nor other Hydra members, nor the involved official organizations, were aware of Baron Strucker's intentions for revenge. When they attacked him in Antarctica, the official agencies didn't exactly succeed. They only managed to collect some incomplete data and the corpses of a few failed animal warriors.
Both the official agencies and Hydra had initially hoped for some gains from this attack. However, in reality, their losses far outweighed any rewards. Even though the animal warriors had flaws, their strength was undeniable. The most powerful among them even approached the level of a Gamma warrior like Abomination. Consequently, the official agencies and Hydra suffered significant casualties.
Because there was no substantial gain from the operation, those involved gradually forgot about the attack on Baron Strucker. After all, such raids for profit were far too common. If they had reaped some rewards and could continue researching animal warriors, they might have remembered Strucker. But with no benefits to show for it, the official agencies quickly put the matter behind them.
"Move out, everyone. Scatter and regroup in Washington!" Baron Strucker ordered, his body transforming into a lion as he headed north. The animal warriors behind him, each taking on their own beast forms, also began moving north using their various abilities.
Near a white neoclassical sandstone building in Washington, Baron Strucker and his subordinates gathered. They reverted from their beast forms back into human shape, though it was clear they wore strange equipment on their bodies.
"Destroy this place! Carter Hall, I want you to keep an eye on that gentleman, capture him, and bring him to me. Understood?" Strucker ordered, his gaze fixed on Carter Hall, or more specifically, on the belt, sword, and helmet he wore.
Carter Hall had initially been an unremarkable member of the animal warriors. His status as a special eagle warrior gave him the ability to fly, but his strength and speed were not particularly outstanding among the animal warriors.
Moreover, Carter Hall wasn't the only animal warrior capable of flight. However, during one intelligence-gathering mission, Carter Hall stumbled upon a set of equipment that gave him greater power and elevated him to the leader of the animal warriors.
Thanks to Baron Strucker's excellent brainwashing techniques, Carter Hall handed over the treasure known as N-Metal to Strucker for research.
Strucker discovered that Carter Hall might indeed be uniquely compatible with N-Metal, allowing him to fully harness its power. Other users could only make do with the special metal equipment that Strucker had created, but even these replicas significantly enhanced the strength of the animal warrior corps. It was this discovery that eventually convinced Strucker to transform himself into an animal warrior.
"Don't worry, Chief. I won't let you down!" Carter Hall responded, his eyes flashing with fervor.
"Move out!" Strucker nodded in satisfaction and shouted. The animal warriors instantly charged toward the white building, their bodies seemingly floating in the air, as though unaffected by gravity.
This was one of the properties of N-Metal—it could counteract gravity, enabling flight. Unfortunately, the animal warriors were using replicas, and the effects weren't as potent as the original.
With the original N-Metal, Carter Hall, who was already capable of flight, became even more formidable, dramatically increasing his speed and agility.
"Stop! Who are you?!" As the animal warriors rushed toward the white building, voices of alarm rang out. Though the building was open to tours on certain days, it was still the residence and office of the nation's leader, and security was understandably tight.
Furthermore, anyone witnessing a group of people rushing toward the white building at speeds far beyond what normal humans could achieve would immediately recognize that something was seriously wrong.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Gunfire erupted quickly, but ordinary bullets had long since lost their effectiveness against these animal warriors. In mere moments, the animal warriors were upon the security personnel, using their beast-like claws and other attacks to swiftly end their lives.
"Alert! Alert! The White Building is under attack!"
"Alert! The White Building is under attack!"
Simultaneously, alarms blared across various official agencies, including the Avengers' base. Although the White Building's resident might, in some sense, be merely a figurehead, any harm to him would still have significant repercussions for the entire nation.
As a result, official agencies rapidly began deploying personnel to the White Building. Even Tony Stark stopped what he was doing to notify Steve and Bucky, instructing them to gear up and check out the situation. He also dispatched his Iron Man suits.
Unfortunately, despite the official agencies' quick response, the animal warriors were too powerful for the White Building's security personnel to handle. Even in a world where supernatural abilities were common knowledge, the super soldiers among the White Building's security force couldn't prevent the building's eventual fall.
Even Steve, who was famously resilient and could hold his own against almost anyone, had gradually begun stepping back from frontline combat. So it was no surprise that other super soldiers couldn't withstand the animal warriors either.
These animal warriors had already undergone one round of super-soldier experimentation, making their life forms far superior to those of regular super soldiers.
In a hidden passage within the White Building, the nation's leader was being led out by his bodyguards when the sound of something breaking suddenly echoed through the passage. A bright sword gleamed as it burst through the wall, shattering it on impact.
The next moment, Carter Hall emerged from the dust and debris. His eyes locked onto the leader's location, and in a flash, he disappeared from sight.
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
"Thud!"
Before the leader could even register Carter Hall's blurred figure, everyone around him fell to the ground, their heads severed from their bodies.
With a sharp slap, Carter Hall knocked the leader unconscious before spreading his wings and vanishing.
Outside the White Building, as it crumbled into ruins, a satisfied smirk appeared on Baron Strucker's face. He knew that his first act of revenge had been successful, and now it was time for the official agencies to start paying the price.
"Chief! I've brought him back alive!" As Strucker reveled in his success, Carter Hall appeared, dragging the unconscious leader before him.
"Good job. Order the retreat! Head to Point One!" Strucker nodded approvingly and vanished, transforming back into a lion.
"On it!" Carter Hall didn't dare delay. He let out a strange cry and flew off, while the animal warriors wreaking havoc among the White Building's ruins stopped at once and scattered in all directions.
By the time the official agencies and Steve arrived at the White Building, it was already a pile of rubble. This symbol of America had been destroyed.
Though the White Building had burned down once before in history, this time the damage was far worse. And worse still, there were countless casualties inside. They couldn't even tell whether the leader was dead or had been kidnapped.
This incident immediately drew the attention of the entire nation, and even the world. Any attempts to keep it under wraps were futile, forcing the Avengers and all official agencies to respond swiftly. They had to find the leader and apprehend those responsible.
"Such a hassle. It's just one leader, right? Can't they just pick another one? He's just a puppet anyway, so what's the big deal?" Johnny Storm grumbled as he heard Tony Stark's orders at the Avengers' base. "Just assume he's dead already. If he's still alive and the bad guys use him to threaten us, what are we supposed to do? Surrender?"
"Ahem, it's not that simple. We're on American soil, and we're kind of an official agency ourselves now. We can't just ignore this," Steve Rogers replied, clearing his throat and addressing the Avengers seriously.
"Besides, from the traces and the bits of footage left behind, it's clear this was a supernatural event. If they could attack the White Building today, they could hit Congress or the Supreme Court tomorrow. Then the whole country would be in chaos."
"That's right. Even if he's just a puppet, we can't ignore this. But if the bad guys do use him to try and make us surrender, I'd suggest taking him out…" Tony Stark nodded, then looked at the Avengers and added, "Of course, I'm not saying you should shoot him outright. Just don't hold back. It's better for him to go down than for you guys to get hurt!"
"Alright…" The Avengers exchanged glances. They weren't too enthusiastic about this mission, especially without knowing more about the animal warriors. But with Tony and Steve insisting, they had no choice but to follow orders.
Soon, the Avengers left their base to search for the missing leader or any trace of the animal warriors.
"Reed, you and Ben stay here to continue your research. Banner, you should join the action. Without Hulk around, you need to get some field experience and familiarize yourself with your abilities. You can't stay cooped up in the base every time something happens," Tony Stark said after the others had left, turning to Bruce Banner and the others.
"Yeah, if I could turn into a giant like you, I wouldn't stick around as a desk jockey!" Ben Grimm nodded, looking enviously at Bruce Banner.
"Heh, my powers are decent, but I'm far from being truly strong. Otherwise, General Ross wouldn't have taken me down so easily…" Bruce Banner said, his mouth twitching slightly in embarrassment.
At first, when he retained his ability to transform, Bruce Banner was thrilled. After all, who wouldn't want to wield great power if they could control it? But after getting beaten by
the Hulk and then easily subdued by General Ross, Bruce began to doubt his suitability for combat. As a result, he'd been content to stay at the Avengers' base, helping Tony Stark and the others with research, with no intention of leaving.
But now that Tony had asked, Bruce couldn't refuse. He nodded reluctantly at Tony and left the base to join the mission.
As the Avengers and various official agencies began searching for the animal warriors and the missing leader, something strange happened to the television broadcasts, which were gradually being replaced by the internet. After a period of static, the leader's image suddenly appeared on screens.
The leader was still dressed in his usual attire, looking a bit disheveled but seemingly unharmed. However, when he spoke, everyone watching was stunned…
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