American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 153: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier Has Been Stolen Yet Again!

Chapter 153: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier Has Been Stolen Yet Again!

Just as Rune was orchestrating his online presidential coup, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s trump card, the Helicarrier equipped with nation-destroying weapons, was cruising in the stratosphere. Nick Fury was currently aboard this steel fortress suspended high in the sky. He stood before the tactical holographic console, his single eye scanning the members of the Thunder Commando team before him.

Crossbones, Bucky Barnes, Taskmaster, Screaming Bird, Atlas, and Moonstone stood before him. Crossbones, Bucky, and Taskmaster need little introduction; they are all highly skilled super soldiers. Many may be less familiar with the remaining three, but their strength is not to be underestimated.

Atlas possesses superhuman strength and stamina, and can control his size due to contact with Pym Particles; Singingbird's abilities are related to sound, she can not only attack enemies directly with powerful sound waves, but also create solid sound energy structures that can be manipulated at will; and Moonstone, as her name suggests, her superpowers come entirely from the moonstone within her body, which grants her superhuman physique, flight, and energy emission abilities.

However, Nick Fury doesn't entirely trust them. Crossbones has Hydra connections, and Taskmaster is just a mercenary.

Moonstone is a cunning schemer who has betrayed his allies multiple times. If Fury had to choose between the plush toy and Moonstone as allies to fight Thanos, he would definitely choose the plush toy.

At least plush toys won't stab you in the back.

However, at this moment, the important matter came first. In fact, it wasn't just the heroes who sensed something amiss; Fury discovered the undercurrents beneath the calm surface even earlier. Therefore, one of his previously carefully guarded trump cards was taken with him.

If anything really happens, he will not hesitate to use this trump card.

"According to intelligence, Hydra's activities in Eastern Europe have increased." Fury pulled up a set of satellite images. "I suspect they are communicating with Doctor Doom, so I need you all to..." His words abruptly stopped. Crossbones' hand was quietly moving towards the pistol at his waist, a movement so subtle that it would be almost imperceptible to an ordinary person, but this one-eyed man, who had experienced World War II, possessed extraordinary leadership skills, and had rich combat experience, keenly noticed this anomaly.

"Is there a problem, Rumlow?" Fury's voice remained calm, but his right hand had already slid towards the pistol on his outside thigh.

"No, Chief. I was just thinking..." Crossbones gave a cold smile, then his right hand flashed out in a blur. In less than a second, Crossbones drew his pistol, aimed at Fury, and fired, shouting, "Hail Hydra!"

The command center was thrown into chaos instantly.

Fury instinctively glanced at Bucky beside him. Of all the active Thunderbolts, this was the man he trusted most. However, Bucky's metal arm emitted a terrifying hiss as he expressionlessly grabbed the nearest technician by the neck and snapped it with a crack.

Not far away, the Moonstone's hands unleashed dazzling beams of energy, blasting two security personnel to smithereens. The sonic screams of the Singing Bird shattered the bulletproof glass, sending shards raining down.

"Traitor!" Fury roared, drawing his pistol, but Taskmaster had already dodged the bullet with a side somersault, simultaneously throwing three darts. Fury barely avoided two, the third embedding itself deeply in his shoulder. Blood streamed down his black leather jacket as Fury ran back to the control panel. He looked around—the command center had become a slaughterhouse.

More than thirty S.H.I.E.L.D. agents lay dead in pools of blood, some without even having time to draw their weapons. Even though they had received S.H.I.E.L.D. training and had personally stopped numerous supernatural crimes, when faced with the Thunder Commandos, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were like children facing adults, utterly powerless.

"When were you turned?" Fury demanded, his finger subtly sliding towards a secret button under the control panel.

"Always have been, Chief." Crossbones sneered as he approached. "From the very first day the Thunderbolts were formed, we have been Hydra's blade!"

Moonstone smiled and looked at Fury: "You don't actually think I'm content to be a stupid, manipulated piece of trash, do you?"

Fury turned to Bucky: "Please—you too? I thought you'd broken free of the brainwashing."

Bucky's eyes were vacant, his metal fingers twitched, and his voice was mechanical and monotonous, but his words sent a chill down Fury's spine: "I obey orders—mission takes precedence." Undoubtedly, he was under control again. Fury just couldn't understand it; S.H.I.E.L.D. had scanned Bucky's entire body beforehand, and there shouldn't have been any machine on him capable of controlling him.

"Stop wasting time talking to him!" Moonstone snapped, his hands flashing with a dangerous light once more. "Execute him quickly to prevent future trouble!"

At this critical moment, Fury slammed down the hidden button. The command center's emergency system activated, and heavy explosion-proof partitions crashed down from the ceiling, dividing the space into several independent zones.

This made Moonstone scream angrily: "I told you long ago to kill him as soon as possible, why are you still acting like idiots?"

"You're the idiot!" Crossbones glanced disdainfully at Moonstone, whose contempt Moonstone could even sense through the mask: "You said that less than a minute ago, and—"

The spies who had been infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly took control of the entire Helicarrier. The staff had Crossbones' voice broadcast over the intercom: "The entire Helicarrier is under our control. Even Nick Fury isn't safe!"

Fury leaned against the control panel, panting heavily. His communicator had been jammed, and his electronic goggles had been hacked. Only his modified old pager remained in his pocket—this was his last chance.

What Crossbones found somewhat unacceptable was that these blast-proof barriers couldn't be raised by any other means—meaning Nick Fury had anticipated the defection within S.H.I.E.L.D. Therefore, Crossbones could only look at Moonstone, signaling that it was her turn to step in, to which Moonstone responded with a cold snort.

"Now who's the idiot, huh?" She raised an eyebrow at Crossbones, but Crossbones didn't react. Feeling bored, Moonstone could only place her hand on the blast-proof partition.

Soon, the heavy barriers were slowly melted through by the Moonstone's energy. The Moonstone appeared at the breach, with Bucky and the other Thunderbolts members behind her, their faces expressionless.

"Why?" Fury asked again, this time looking directly at Bucky, trying to awaken the brainwashed super-warrior with words: "Steve sacrificed so much for you, and this is how you repay him?"

After those words, Bucky's metal arm suddenly trembled, and a struggle flashed in his eyes: "No—"

I am not.

"Shut up!" Crossbones snapped, pulling out a controller and pressing it. Bucky immediately collapsed to his knees in agony, the metal arm screeching loudly.

Crossbones proclaimed, "The Winter Soldier is our property; it will forever belong to Hydra!"

Under the cold gaze of the other Thunder Commandos members, Crossbones grinned maliciously and raised his pistol. "Farewell, Chief!"

However, Fury suddenly burst into laughter, which puzzled everyone present.

"What are you laughing at?"

Fury pressed his hand against the wound Taskmaster had inflicted on him, but the blood continued to gush out: "I laugh at your stupidity, believing I would just sit and wait to die, and foolishly opening the partition slowly."

"What a bunch of idiots!"