"Dr. Zola? Dr. Zola!"
Inside the control room of the Helicarrier, Pierce's communication with Zola was cut off the moment Luthor appeared before the latter. The line went dead without warning, leaving only static.
Pierce's face darkened. Something had gone terribly wrong with Zola. There could be no other explanation. Men like him, the heads of Hydra, might have a chance to betray the organization and save themselves. But Zola? He had uploaded his consciousness into a computer long ago. There was no turning back for someone like that. He wasn't even considered human anymore. His only path was to keep walking the organization's road until the end.
Besides, Zola was the one who held Hydra's beliefs more firmly than anyone.
"Was the secret base in New Jersey attacked? That place was hidden so deep even Fury didn't know about it. Could it be… LexCorp finally made a move?"
Until now, Pierce had been relieved that LexCorp was only pulling strings from the shadows instead of acting directly. That small comfort vanished like smoke. His heart turned cold as ice.
He also understood something else: there was no chance left to launch Project Insight.
Without Zola's help, regardless of whether LexCorp stopped here, Tony and Nightwing would break through the final security before the program went online. It was only a matter of time.
"In that case…" His eyes fell on the screen. On it, the Helicarrier's weapons were locked on every critical zone in Los Angeles. His face twisted with rage.
"LexCorp, you won't walk away from this unscathed. You think you can hide in the shadows and wipe Hydra out? You think it's that easy?!"
He made his decision. He would take himself, the Helicarrier, every last Hydra agent under his command… and drag LexCorp down to hell along with Los Angeles. If he could shatter their untouchable image, it would all be worth it.
Pierce slammed his hand down on the launch button. At the same time, he triggered the Helicarrier's self-destruct sequence.
Instantly, blinding red lights flooded the massive ship.
* * *
At the safe zone cleared by the Fantastic Four, Fury and Coulson had barely managed to sit up and catch their breath when the sudden red light and wailing sirens frightened them
Especially Fury. Now, it was clear his position as director had been nothing more than a puppet front for Hydra. Still, this Helicarrier, built with Stark Industries' help and funded by decades of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, had been completed under his leadership. He knew exactly what would happen if the ship blew itself apart.
No exaggeration. Even if the Fantastic Four managed to intercept every missile fired at the city, the blast from the Helicarrier's own explosion would be enough to crush Los Angeles into dust. The impact alone would level blocks, and the shockwave… unimaginable.
He had designed it this way, back when he feared another Kree-level invasion. He had never imagined that the same design would turn into a sword hanging over millions of civilians.
A chill of horror shot through Fury as he stumbled to the window, summoning every ounce of strength left in his body. He leaned out and shouted toward the distant deck where Johnny fought Hydra agents with raging fire.
"Human Torch! The Helicarrier is going to explode! You have to stop it!"
* * *
The distance was too great. Johnny couldn't hear him at all. But he didn't need Fury's voice to understand the danger. He could see the barrels of those huge cannons aimed straight at the city below.
"Damn it. Nightwing didn't make it in time?"
Flames roared around his body as he incinerated the last Hydra soldier who dared rush him, the green energy crackling uselessly before being swallowed by his fire. Then Johnny made up his mind.
He might joke around all the time. He might hook up with fans using his status. He might be a reckless playboy through and through. But when it came to being a hero… he never treated that like a joke.
This wasn't just a job his brother-in-law gave him. It was his own dream.
His flames weren't invincible. His body could burn out. But if he could block even one shell with his body and save part of the city, that would be enough.
That would make it worth it.
With that thought burning in his mind, Johnny shot into the air like a comet. He flew under the Helicarrier, positioning himself between its numerous gun barrels and the skyscrapers below.
"This is it. Time for a hero to shine!"
Just then, Susan and Ben arrived, riding on a force-field that the former shaped beneath their feet.
"Sue! What are you doing here?!" Johnny's head snapped toward her as he shouted in shock. "You shouldn't be here! This is a hero's stage!"
He knew her too well. Unlike him, she never dreamed of being a hero. The only reason she became part of the Fantastic Four was to support her husband's plans. She longed for peace, for an ordinary life. She didn't belong on a battlefield like this.
He was willing to sacrifice his life, but he couldn't let his family die with him. No matter how noble a hero might be, there would always be a trace of selfishness in their heart.
"What do you take me for, Johnny?"
Susan frowned as if angered by his words, and his confidence faltered for a second. Then, she suddenly smiled.
"If my brother is a true hero, how could I, as his sister, not stand by his side?"
Her smile was calm. And deep down, she held another thought too. She trusted Luthor. If this disaster was unfolding, he had foreseen it. There had to be a plan waiting. She believed in that.
Before Johnny could respond, the Helicarrier's cannons ignited. Every barrel erupted with blinding fire.
The bombardment began.
Missiles rained down in waves, screaming through the air toward the city.
Susan's eyes sharpened. She thrust out both hands and wove her power like steel threads, spinning an immense transparent dome across the entire sky above Los Angeles. The shimmering force-field covered the city like a second atmosphere.
Boom! Boom! Boom!....
Explosions erupted one after another as countless missiles slammed into the shield. Fire and smoke consumed the skies, and the shockwaves shook the very earth.
The sheer force of the blasts far exceeded what Susan could endure alone.
To maintain such an enormous barrier, its strength had to be spread thin. That meant nearly every missile that struck the force field shattered a section of it, leaving gaps that allowed others to break through and plunge toward the city below.
"No!"
Susan's heart clenched. She reached instinctively to patch the breaks, to grab those stray projectiles. But before she could, Johnny launched a fireball, detonating one of the missiles midair.
"Stay focused, Sue! Leave the rest to me and Ben!"
He didn't wait for an answer. Flames erupted around him as he streaked toward another incoming missile, intercepting it in a fiery explosion.
Ben charged forward as well, standing atop a platform of force-field that Susan had created. His rocky frame became an unyielding wall, smashing missiles out of the sky with brute strength.
For the city below, they could not take even a single step back.
Because they were heroes, the heroes the whole world looked up to.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!