In a corner of Hell, the scents of sulfur and coke mingled and permeated the air.
Mephisto sat upon a throne forged from wailing souls, staring at the images appearing before him as if watching a fine play.
"Pierce, a fool controlled by the Fire of ambition. I hope he can stall that kid Lin Huai a bit longer for me."
He picked up a crimson wine glass and swirled it, his lips curling into a cruel arc.
"That way, I'll have enough time to deal with my'son' in the mortal World, and that damn bitch running around with my child."
...Washington D.C., above the Potomac River.
Three floating island-like Helicarriers rose from the ground under the terrified gaze of the masses. Turbine engines roared, churning the river Water into towering waves, and massive Shadows were cast, plunging the entire city into a doomsday-like gloom.
A quinjet coated in optical camouflage moved like a ghost through the chaotic buildings, rushing toward the Helicarriers at high speed.
Inside the cabin, there was dead silence.
Lin Huai, Steve, Natasha, Sam, Bucky... plus Johnny Blaze, who had just joined them; everyone was geared up and ready.
"Three Helicarriers are ascending simultaneously; they'll reach their designated orbits in fifteen minutes." Natasha stared at her tactical tablet, speaking rapidly. "Pierce has already issued the preliminary order for an indiscriminate attack."
"Then we must settle this within fifteen minutes." Steve walked to the cabin communicator; this was the voice he, as Captain America, had to project.
A steady and firm voice echoed through every corner of Washington via the forcibly hijacked emergency broadcast system:
"I am Steve Rogers.
I know you're afraid. But this isn't the end; it's the beginning of us taking back our freedom.
Look up at those steel Monsters above your heads. Their Master tells you this is for safety. But the price of freedom has never been fear.
S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated by an organization called HYDRA. They are attempting to use a Carnage to establish a new World under their control. We will not let them succeed.
I know I can't ask you to do anything, but please believe that we are fighting. For you, and for everyone's future."
This speech was like a shot of adrenaline injected into the panicked city.
"Well said, Captain!" Tony Stark's signature voice came through the comms channel. "But next time, let me polish the script first, maybe add some quips."
As soon as he finished speaking, a streak of red and gold light descended like a meteorite. Tony, wearing the brand-new Mark VI armor, plunged headfirst into the HYDRA Drone armor swarm.
"Jarvis, clear out these buzzing flies for me!"
Repulsor cannon beams and mini-missiles exploded around him, weaving a curtain of death. Every second, dozens of Drone armors exploded into brilliant fireballs in the sky. Tony alone managed to force open a safe airspace under the fire net of the three Helicarriers.
Inside the quinjet, everyone moved to the cabin Door side, preparing for the planned group airdrop.
Just then, in Pierce's command center, he watched the unstoppable red and gold figure on the screen and the approaching quinjet, his face twitching frantically.
"Activate the hydra! Get it out from underground! Shred their ground troops and that damn plane!!"
At his command, the ground at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion Headquarters suddenly shook violently. The plaza ground cracked inch by inch, and a massive entity broke through the earth amidst the ear-piercing screech of grinding metal!
A hundred-meter-long mechanical giant serpent with three independent heads; its eyes were high-energy particle cannons glowing with an eerie blue light. Its body was covered in heavy armor, and its joints were a mass of hydraulic pipes and power lines, filled with a violent industrial aesthetic.
It was the very War Machine that had attacked the Triskelion Headquarters—hydra!
"Hiss—!!"
One of the hydra's heads locked onto the low-flying quinjet, emitting a piercing charging sound as a devastating beam of light shot out!
"Watch out!!"
Lin Huai's eyes narrowed as he shoved Sam away from the cabin Door side.
The beam grazed the wing, slicing an office building in the distance in half!
Lin Huai pointed at the rampaging steel giant beast below: "Johnny! Your toy is here! That snake belongs to you—don't let it get near the residential areas!"
Johnny's Skull split into a silent, savage grin. Without a word, he leapt straight from the cabin Door! In mid-air, a suit of armor filled with technology and mystery instantly covered his body. He transformed into a burning meteor, heading straight for the hydra!
"Everyone else, prepare for airdrop!" Steve roared.
But then, another anomaly occurred!
Three dark Shadows climbed up from beneath the quinjet's stealth shield like ghosts. daggers flashing with High-Frequency Vibration light-blades easily sliced through the plane's hull as they slipped silently into the cabin!
They wore black tactical bodysuits and tactical goggles that blocked all detection. Their left arms were uniformly mechanical arms glinting with a metallic sheen. Their movements were swift and lethal, their coordination seamless, like a pack of wraiths crawling out of the Siberia wilderness.
"Watch out!!" Natasha was the first to react, raising her hand and firing a shot.
But one Winter Ghost dodged the bullet with a side-step, his body twisting at an incredible angle as he kicked toward Natasha's abdomen.
On the other side, Steve and the remaining two ghosts instantly became locked in combat.
Their fighting techniques were identical to Bucky's—every move was lethal, with no wasted motion; they were pure killing Robots.
Bang!
Steve blocked a vibration dagger with his shield, the immense force making him take half a step back. He was shocked to find that these people's strength was actually not inferior to his own!
And Bucky froze the moment he saw these three ghosts.
Those familiar movements, that cold killing intent, those silver mechanical arms... it was as if he were seeing three of his past selves.
"Bucky! Snap out of it!" Steve kicked away an attacking ghost and shouted at the dazed Bucky.
In that split second of distraction, one ghost seized the opportunity. The dagger in his hand traced a bizarre arc, bypassing the shield's defense and stabbing straight for Steve's throat!
"No!!"
Bucky roared and finally moved. His metal arm erupted with startling power, reaching out first to firmly grab the ghost's wrist holding the knife.
Crack!
The sound of bone snapping was crisp.
The ghost let out a muffled groan, but his other hand whipped out a pistol with lightning speed, aiming it at Bucky's head.
Struggle flashed in Bucky's eyes. He looked into the other's equally hollow and numb eyes behind the goggles, as if seeing his own reflection in the mirror when he was brainwashed.
He... couldn't bring himself to do it.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
But it wasn't Bucky who was hit.
In the nick of time, Steve slammed the edge of his shield hard against the ghost's head, knocking him unconscious.
"Bucky! Look at me!" Steve grabbed Bucky's shoulders and shook him hard. "They aren't you! You aren't the Winter Soldier! You are James Barnes!"
Bucky panted heavily, his eyes pained and confused.
Just then, the last ghost, who was being suppressed by Natasha and Sam's joint efforts, suddenly let out an unintelligible shriek. The device on his chest glowed bright red, and a powerful Electromagnetic Pulse instantly erupted!
Zzzzt—!
The quinjet's engines wailed, all lights went out instantly, and the plane lost power, plummeting toward the city below!