In space, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite network had locked onto over two million targets. Meanwhile, aboard the Helicarrier, weapons were primed and ready to fire.
"Targets confirmed! Requesting execution authorization!" Onboard the Helicarrier, every operative was a Hydra agent, with Crossbones leading a force that had seized control of the command center below.
Agent Hill frantically worked at the computer, but without the control chip inserted, there was nothing she could do.
As the moment of mass destruction approached, Natasha Romanoff struck Alexander Pierce in the stomach with a furious punch, then pressed a gun to his head. "Call off the attack. Now."
Pierce winced, rubbing his sore abdomen, yet a smile played on his lips. "I think you misunderstand something. I'm not the only one executing this plan. Even if I wanted to stop it now, I couldn't. Hydra is already in motion."
"Pierce, you're the one who promoted me to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director. I once would've taken a bullet for you. But now..." Fury's voice carried deep disappointment. He had never imagined Pierce was Hydra all along. The revelation cut him deeply.
Just as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellites finalized their targeting, preparing to unleash devastation, a sudden, blinding light streaked across the sky. One of the satellites erupted into a fiery explosion.
"What the hell was that?!" Everyone froze in shock as an unknown spaceship appeared on their monitors.
Another burst of light followed. Two more satellites were reduced to cosmic debris.
"Are we heading back to the moon?" Kallruth asked, puzzled. With Garus' abilities, he hardly needed a spaceship.
In truth, Garus had chosen the Skrull warship for its sheer size—it would have a more imposing effect. His own fleet's warships were already known; introducing a new vessel would only deepen the mystery surrounding him.
"No," Garus said. "We're entering Earth's atmosphere. Take us over S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York."
"Won't that expose us?" Kallruth was unsure of Garus' intentions. Skrulls were never welcome anywhere in the galaxy.
"It doesn't matter. No one here recognizes your ship," Garus smirked. A little show of force wasn't always a bad thing.
"Garus, I've been away from Earth for over a decade. Has it really changed this much?" Peter Quill—Star-Lord—stood beside him. Garus had brought him along for the ride.
"Why are we even here?" Drax the Destroyer grumbled. "Is Thanos coming to this pathetic planet?" Ever since killing Ronan, Drax had been obsessed with avenging his family by hunting down Thanos.
"He will—sooner or later. Because I have something he wants." Garus lifted a hand, an Infinity Stone gleaming in his palm. "And Earth is far stronger than you think."
As the Skrull warship entered Earth's atmosphere, it cast an enormous shadow over S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in New York.
"The aliens are here again!" The citizens of New York barely reacted. By now, they were growing numb to extraterrestrial invasions. Still, maybe it was time to consider moving out of the city.
Hydra agents aboard the Helicarrier gawked at the alien ship above them, paralyzed with uncertainty. Without their Insight satellites, the entire operation was compromised, and no new orders had arrived.
Garus, however, didn't plan to give them much time to think.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three massive explosions erupted. All three Helicarriers burst into flames, spiraling out of control toward the city below.
"RUN!" Fury shouted. With Hydra's plan already foiled, survival was now the priority.
Panic swept through S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra agents, who had been locked in a standoff moments earlier, now fled together as debris rained down around them.
Pierce stood frozen, staring in disbelief as the flaming Helicarrier descended upon him. He muttered to himself, "This… this isn't possible..."
A deafening crash followed. The very war machines Hydra had created consumed their mastermind, leaving nothing behind.
The destruction wrought by the falling Helicarriers was catastrophic. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s buildings suffered extensive damage, many collapsing under the impact.
"Garus!" Pietro Maximoff pointed at the monitor, his voice uncertain. "That blast… you didn't just kill Fury and Steve too, did you?"
Garus watched the devastation unfold below and considered for a moment. "Hmm… that's a possibility. Why don't you check if they're still alive?"
"Fine." Pietro, ever the reluctant hero, sighed. He didn't want Fury to die—not yet, anyway.
The Skrull ship's hatch opened, and Pietro leaped out, racing along the debris of the still-falling Helicarriers. He reached the ground in seconds.
Surveying the chaos, Pietro cracked his neck. "Showtime."
A blur of motion streaked through the wreckage. He darted in and out of collapsing structures, pulling survivors to safety—at least, the ones he recognized. Even with his speed, there were too many people for him to save them all.
Many barely registered what was happening. One moment they were trapped, the next, they were standing in the plaza outside. Soon, a large crowd had gathered.
"Pietro!" Steve Rogers called out. He had been locked in a small chamber by Dr. Zola and had no idea what had transpired outside. "Did the Mutant Academy send the mutants? I knew they wouldn't sit this one out."
Nick Fury walked over, his face grim as he surveyed the wreckage. "Where's Erik? We need him. And from the looks of it, we've got more incoming."
His gaze fixed on the Skrull warship looming above them. He remained wary—this was no Earth-built craft. No known human faction possessed such technology.
"Incoming?" Pietro smirked, pointing to the ship. "I just came from up there."
"Did mutant academy build that? Or is it Garus' doing?" Fury asked. If it wasn't an alien invasion, then at least it wasn't another Battle of New York.
Pietro grinned mysteriously. "You'll find out soon enough."
Fury let out a slow breath, his heart sinking as he took in the destruction. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters lay in ruins. Decades of classified operations, global surveillance networks, and intelligence archives—gone in an instant.
But perhaps, after today, S.H.I.E.L.D. would cease to exist entirely. Steve and Hill had already agreed: they would expose everything. They would drag Hydra into the light and dismantle them completely.
For Fury, it was a bitter pill to swallow. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been his life's work. To see it crumble so suddenly was a devastating loss.
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