Let's reach 300 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
-Coulson-
I hate the Amazon. Humidity sticks to me like a second skin, and the bugs are relentless. Makes me long for a nice, climate-controlled office back at the Triskelion. But here I am, leading a SHIELD team through this green hell, because Fury wants answers.
We got reports trickling in about something tearing through the local villages, folks talking about a monster in the jungle. The descriptions are vague, but the pattern is clear: something big and nasty is on the prowl. Considering what we know about Cipher and his… pets, the likelihood of a Digimon involvement is high.
Fury's got this bee in his bonnet about capturing one of these things. Says if Cipher can control them, maybe we can, too. I'm not thrilled about the idea. Messing with forces we don't understand never ends well. Still, orders are orders.
"Anything on the sensors, Ward?" I ask, swatting a mosquito the size of my thumb.
Ward shakes his head. "Negative, sir. Just the usual jungle chatter. Whatever this thing is, it's staying off the grid."
May, ever the optimist, chimes in, "Or it's just a bear."
I give her a look. "Right, a bear that can level a village. Let's stay sharp, people. I have a bad feeling about this."
We continue pushing through the dense foliage, every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, putting us on edge. I keep thinking about Cipher. Kid's a wildcard. And if he's somehow involved in this mess, things are about to get a whole lot more complicated. We need to tread carefully here. One wrong step, and this whole operation could go south in a hurry.
We push onward, deeper into the jungle. Each step is measured, our weapons set to stun, hoping to minimize any potential damage. Somewhere behind us, the armored vehicles crawl along, held back by the terrain but ready to provide backup if things get real bad. Which, let's be honest, feels inevitable.
Suddenly, the air vibrates with a high-pitched whine. It is like a swarm of angry hornets, only amplified a hundredfold.
"What the hell is that?" Ward shouts over the din.
Before I can answer, the jungle canopy explodes. A shadow hurtles toward us, moving faster than anything I've ever seen. The thing tears through the trees, a blur of red and black, and I realize this is no bear.
"Contact! Contact!" I yell, diving for cover behind a massive banyan tree.
The team opens fire, streams of blue energy lancing through the air. The blasts connect, but the creature doesn't even flinch. It is like hitting a brick wall with a Nerf gun. The stun blasts simply bounce off its carapace.
I peek out from behind the tree just in time to see the thing smash into Agent Jones, sending him flying. The force of the impact throws Jones end over end, his body cartwheeling through the air before slamming into a tree trunk with a sickening thud.
"Jones down!" May barks, laying down suppressing fire.
The creature, all jagged edges and menacing pincers, turns its attention to her. It moves with terrifying speed, those massive claws snapping, and I realize these weapons won't do anything to stop it.
I scramble to my feet, shouting, "Fall back! Fall back to the vehicles!"
It's a chaotic retreat, agents scattering through the jungle, the creature hot on our heels. I manage to avoid those claws, diving behind another tree as it tears through the undergrowth. We are outgunned, outmatched, and out of our element. Fury wanted a capture? Right now, I'd settle for survival. This thing is beyond anything we've encountered before.
We scramble back, the jungle floor a treacherous obstacle course. Twisted roots reach out like grasping fingers, and the oppressive humidity chokes the air. I glance back to see the vehicles ahead, our salvation, but that thing is gaining. Each earth-shattering step is a hammer blow to our hopes.
"Keep moving! Get to the vehicles!" I shout, adrenaline pumping.
Finally, we burst into the clearing where the armored transports wait, engines idling. The gunners, seeing the horror bearing down on us, open fire. A storm of specialized rounds rips through the air, designed to contain superhuman threats. The energy weapons pulse with raw power, a desperate attempt to ward off the nightmare.
For a moment, it seems to work. The monstrosity staggers, momentarily blinded by the intense light, its advance faltering. But then, with a horrifying shriek, it shrugs off the assault. Its eyes burn with rage.
The vehicles are its new target.
It charges, those monstrous pincers slicing through the air. The first transport explodes in a shower of twisted metal and fire. The second fares no better, its armored plating ripped open like tinfoil. Sparks cascade as the electrical systems fail. The jungle air fills with the stench of burning fuel and the acrid tang of ozone.
"May! Ward! Get the hell out of there!" I scream, but it's too late.
The creature is a whirlwind of destruction, tearing through the transports with horrifying ease. Its pincers become instruments of gruesome artistry, each swipe a symphony of carnage. The vehicles, once symbols of SHIELD's might, are reduced to mangled wrecks, monuments to our utter failure.
Now, it turns its attention to us.
The surviving agents scatter, desperately seeking cover in the surrounding jungle. But there is nowhere to hide from this apex predator. The creature moves with impossible speed, those pincers snapping, and the screams begin.
Agent Davies is the first to go, snatched from behind a tree with a wet crunch. Agent Perez tries to make a run for it, but the thing is too fast, and Perez is cut down, bisected. Her last expression is one of absolute terror, frozen in time.
I scramble behind a fallen log, my heart hammering against my ribs. I'm out of options, out of ideas. Fury wanted a capture? We are nothing more than prey. The monster is toying with us, enjoying the hunt.
A shadow falls over me, and I know my time is up. I look up, into the abyss of those eyes, and see only death.
Then, I hear a shout: "Plasma Cannon!"
A blinding blast of energy slams into the creature, sending it staggering back. I blink, trying to clear my vision, and see it – a massive, mechanical bird descending from the sky. It is blue and silver, all sharp angles and gleaming metal. Riding on its back is Cipher.
The big bug roars and lunges at the metal bird, which dances away with impossible agility. More energy blasts erupt, scorching the earth around the insect. It swats at the attacks, its pincers clipping trees like twigs. I am starting to think these two are evenly matched. The aerial battle is a blur of motion. The mechanical bird loops and dives, firing Plasma Shells. The creature bellows in fury, scrambling to reach its airborne foe.
***
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