"Boom!" The terrifying explosions echoed around the Statue of Liberty, leaving the official agencies exchanging uneasy glances. No one had expected S.H.I.E.L.D. to act so decisively. This likely had a lot to do with the fact that so much of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified information had been exposed.
Although no one had yet started holding S.H.I.E.L.D. accountable because the leader hadn't been rescued, an investigation into S.H.I.E.L.D. was inevitable. Under these circumstances, the entire agency was seething with anger.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had originally been a privileged organization. Before the Avengers were formed, even agencies like the FBI and CIA couldn't compare. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't need to report to anyone outside their own organization, with the World Security Council being their only nominal superior, though it rarely interfered.
This environment allowed Hydra to thrive within S.H.I.E.L.D., but even without Hydra, most S.H.I.E.L.D. agents operated similarly. The only difference was that one was a globally recognized villainous organization, while the other had an official identity, allowing them to operate without following conventional rules.
But now, everything was at risk of being lost. With so many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets exposed, both the original agents and the Hydra operatives embedded within stood to lose the power they currently held. How could they tolerate such a loss?
Unlike typical office workers or visible government employees, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and the Hydra operatives among them were all specially trained. This way of operating was ingrained in them. Unless they could join another similar superhuman agency, they would never adapt to a different lifestyle.
Thus, at this point, both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were no longer focused on rescuing the leader. Their actions might also be driven by a desire to retaliate against him for revealing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets.
"It's unbelievable that one of America's symbols, the Statue of Liberty, an icon of freedom and democracy worldwide, wasn't destroyed by an enemy or extremist group but by S.H.I.E.L.D., a recently exposed official U.S. agency…" As the realization set in that the Statue of Liberty had been completely destroyed, other official agencies eagerly began documenting the event.
"And we tracked the leader's signal to the top of the Statue of Liberty. It's unclear whether S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to kill the mastermind behind the leader's kidnapping or if they were trying to kill the leader as well."
Yes, these agencies were seizing the opportunity to distance themselves from S.H.I.E.L.D. Even those that had previously aligned with Nick Fury were now avoiding siding with S.H.I.E.L.D. given the agency's current troubles. With the Statue of Liberty destroyed and the leader presumed dead, these agencies were quick to disassociate themselves.
"Hmph!" S.H.I.E.L.D. ignored these underhanded tactics from other agencies, focusing instead on scanning the area around the Statue of Liberty for any survivors.
"What's that?! A person with wings?" One of the pilots in a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft suddenly cried out in alarm as his sensors picked up a humanoid figure with wings rapidly approaching.
What made the pilot uneasy was that this winged figure wasn't angelic but wore an eagle-like mask. The pilot's discomfort turned to shock as the figure swung a long blade at his aircraft.
"Crack!" Before the pilot could react, he heard a shattering sound. The next moment, he lost consciousness—or more accurately, his life.
"Boom!"
The pilot's aircraft exploded, the blade having cleaved it in two.
Amidst the smoke and flames, Carter Hall moved with deadly precision. He was the strongest of the animal warriors, even more powerful than his leader, Baron Strucker. Yet, despite his immense strength, Carter Hall had never considered betraying Strucker, thanks to his brainwashing. The sudden S.H.I.E.L.D. assault had enraged him, triggering a vicious counterattack.
Compared to ordinary planes, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aircraft were superior in both agility and firepower. However, they were clumsy and powerless against Carter Hall, whose agility made them easy prey. Carter Hall was like a raptor soaring through the skies, but more agile and far more deadly. As one aircraft after another exploded, S.H.I.E.L.D. was left reeling, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"What is this?!" The devastation left both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other official agencies in shock, especially since they hadn't seen the attacker clearly before their aircraft were obliterated.
The Avengers held back, knowing that intervening wouldn't win them any gratitude from S.H.I.E.L.D. In fact, it might even make S.H.I.E.L.D. and the other agencies suspicious of the Avengers, given their own abilities to take down aircraft without being detected.
In truth, the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have the best relationship, so there was no need to go out of their way to help.
"Impressive strength. The equipment on him seems to contain some kind of special power," observed Martian Manhunter, his eyes glowing as he watched Carter Hall move through the air. Unlike the others, Martian Manhunter could see through the smoke and flames to observe Carter Hall's every move. Neither Quicksilver nor J.A.R.V.I.S.'s scanners could match his vision.
"Equipment? What kind of equipment? Is it technological or something more mystical?" Tony Stark immediately perked up, eager for more details.
"I can't determine that. The metal seems to possess a mysterious power, perhaps on par with the vibranium meteorite in our base," Martian Manhunter replied, shaking his head slightly.
"And while the equipment on this guy might be too mysterious to categorize, the metal on his companions is definitely technological, or rather, a replica of this mysterious metal. You might find some inspiration for your suits from it!"
"Really?!" Tony Stark became even more excited. With Reed Richards now part of the Avengers, their research on vampires and werewolves had made significant progress. This had led Tony to consider upgrades for his suits.
After all, even though Bruce Banner was the one captured by General Ross, Tony Stark had also suffered. If he had a perfect, portable suit like the one Robert wore, he could have stopped Ross and prevented Banner from being captured for experimentation.
Tony still harbored guilt and dissatisfaction over not protecting his teammate, so the mention of a new metal instantly piqued his interest. He was determined to bring back the equipment from Carter Hall and his men.
"Now's the time! Attack!" As Tony Stark became fixated on the idea of acquiring the N-Metal, a soft voice from the ruins of the Statue of Liberty drew Martian Manhunter and Peter Parker's attention.
In that moment, a group of animal warriors burst from the rubble, launching themselves at the surrounding official agencies. The collapse of the Statue of Liberty had not only failed to kill these animal warriors but had left them largely unscathed.
Perhaps the only real casualty in the explosion was the unfortunate leader, but with his death, S.H.I.E.L.D. had at least achieved part of their goal. However, this did nothing to stop Baron Strucker's wrath, and he was now set on eliminating the troublesome agents once and for all.
"Slash!"
"Slash!"
"Slash!"
In an instant, the scent of blood filled the air. The official agencies had brought along some superpowered individuals to rescue the leader, but they hadn't deployed their elite forces or exposed their trump cards. Against the successful animal warriors, armed with replica N-Metal, the forces they brought were pitifully weak and stood no chance.
"Engage! Stop them!" Captain America, unable to stand the carnage, charged at a lion-like warrior, calling out to the Avengers.
"Boom!" The next moment, the lion warrior punched Captain America's vibranium shield. Surprised to find his fist blocked, the lion warrior paused, then grinned.
"Well, well. I didn't expect an old man like you to still be fighting on the frontlines. I never got the chance to test your vibranium shield in the past, but now I can use your life to satisfy my curiosity and cement my rightful place!" The lion warrior, none other than Baron Strucker, grinned savagely, claws aimed at Captain America's head.
Captain America raised his shield to block the attack, but he didn't notice the sinister smile on Strucker's face as his claws scraped across the shield with a screeching noise. Suddenly, Strucker's other hand grabbed the edge of the shield, yanking it and Captain America towards him.
While Captain America could hold his own against Strucker with the shield to absorb the impact, once the shield was no longer in play, he was completely outmatched. Strucker's strength sent Captain America hurtling through the air, where he was met with a powerful kick.
Captain America now had two choices: either take the full brunt of Strucker's kick or abandon his shield and try to evade using his combat skills.
"Boom!" Captain America's body took the kick directly, but to Strucker's surprise, a force rebounded from Captain America's stomach, sending him flying backward and forcing him to release the shield.
"What the…?" Strucker, bewildered, stared at Captain America. He couldn't understand how Captain America had not only survived the kick but also sent him flying.
"I had no choice. I'm getting older, and Tony thought the portable armor hidden behind the shield might not deploy in time. So he recently upgraded my combat suit and told me to wear it at all times," Captain America
explained, pointing to his suit with a smile. "The material is similar to my shield, just applied differently. What do you think? Impressed?"
If Wakanda had sent representatives to America, or if Black Panther had appeared, they would have demanded royalties from Tony Stark, as the suit Captain America was now wearing operated on the same principle as the Black Panther suit. Tony had managed to acquire a vibranium-like meteorite during an unexpected event and, though he had only scratched the surface of its potential, the suit's enhanced protection was a significant upgrade for the Avengers. All but a few members, like Peter Parker and Martian Manhunter, had donned the new suits.
For Bruce Banner, the best part of the new suit was that he no longer had to rely on stretchy pants to protect his modesty when he transformed into the Hulk.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]