In just five minutes, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s convoy had been completely "wiped out."
Unlike Hydra, which would leave no survivors, Zaire had held back this time.
He needed the remaining wounded to spread the message.
This way, both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Hydra agents hidden within it would immediately suspect the designated target.
S.H.I.E.L.D. would suspect Hydra.
Hydra would suspect Hydra…
And Zaire could sit back and watch the chaos unfold.
He would only strike again when the time was right.
Not long after, Zaire, humming a tune, piloted the Hunter Duke armor back onto the Valkyrie.
Buzzzzzz—
Accompanied by the deafening roar of the vectored engines,
the armed transport aircraft slowly lifted off,
disappearing into the blood-red sunset.
Zaire removed his sealed metal helmet and checked on the still-unconscious Winter Soldier.
Aside from his severely damaged mechanical arm,
his internal and external injuries were gradually stabilizing, recovering at a slow but steady pace.
It seemed that the super soldier's physique was even more resilient than expected.
Satisfied, Zaire leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes to rest.
A few minutes later, he suddenly opened them again.
He had almost forgotten something important.
Glancing briefly at the cockpit, he quickly opened the simulator and navigated to the salvage page.
[Salvage Countdown: 0]
[Designated Salvage: Power Armor STC (Standard Construction Template)]
[Salvage Result: Corrupted Mark IV Extreme Power Armor STC Fragments (???)] (Please choose carefully.)
Notes:
This is a standard construction template for manufacturing extreme power armor with a neural link system.
This STC once belonged to General Kelbor-Hal of Mars' Mechanicum, but was lost to the void after the rebellion.
This template appears to have been corrupted by Chaos—tracing its origins suggests it may be bait thrown out by the Warp God Tzeentch.
"Whoever you are, take it. This is your destiny, heehee…" —The Weaver of Fates.
…
Zaire narrowed his cyan wolf-like pupils, carefully scanning the description.
Without hesitation, he dragged the salvaged item straight into the trash.
He hadn't expected much from this designated salvage in the first place.
And now that it was corrupted by Chaos?
Unless he had lost his mind, he wouldn't even consider keeping it.
Closing the simulator, he wrinkled his nose slightly and muttered under his breath:
"Tzeentch inside the simulator is like a rabid toad—can't bite, but damn is it annoying..."
Resting his massive gauntlets on his knees, Zaire once again closed his eyes.
Since the beginning, he had always been extremely cautious with his choices.
Anything even remotely linked to Chaos—no matter how tempting—was discarded without a second thought.
He would rather waste resources than take the risk.
"My Lord, we are about to enter a thunderstorm. The Valkyrie may experience severe turbulence."
Before long, the mechanical voice of Iron Butler David interrupted Zaire's thoughts.
"Got it, David."
Zaire stood up swiftly.
Lifting the unconscious Winter Soldier off the cold metal floor, he placed him securely in a seat and fastened the restraints.
Then, he double-checked the placement of the research equipment, ensuring that the securing straps were tight enough to prevent damage from collisions.
Just as he was about to return to his own seat,
David's voice rang out again.
"Uh… My Lord, the Valkyrie's sensors have detected an enormous energy surge forming within the storm clouds ahead. We seem to have entered a lightning storm."
Zaire stepped into the cockpit,
his sharp gaze piercing through the thick, dark clouds outside.
His brows furrowed.
"Why did the weather change so fast…? What's our current location and altitude?"
"We are still in New Mexico. Flight altitude: 1,500 meters."
David replied without looking back.
"David, change course immediately. Get us out of this storm—be careful!"
Zaire narrowed his eyes,
staring at the occasional flashes of blue lightning within the heavy clouds.
A memory stirred in his mind.
BOOOOOOOM—!
A blinding flash of lightning tore through the storm,
followed by a deafening clap of thunder that drowned out even the roar of the engines!
Rain poured down in torrents, battering against the Valkyrie's windows, obscuring visibility.
"My Lord, we—ENEMY ATTACK!"
David's words were abruptly cut off.
His blue optical sensors flickered rapidly, and his metal hand yanked the control stick!
The Valkyrie swerved, executing a sharp evasive maneuver!
BZZZT!
An intense, searing orange beam of energy streaked past the transport aircraft's wing, burning away a section of its outer plating.
Inside the cockpit,
Zaire stood tall, his spine straight, maintaining his balance despite the turbulence.
His gaze locked onto the stormy sky outside, and his fangs slowly bared in a grin.
Just moments ago…
he had seen a humanoid figure streak past in the darkness.
"…Thor!"
Taking a deep breath, Zaire's eyes widened.
He shouted to David:
"David, forget everything else—FULL SPEED AHEAD!"
"Understood, my Lord!"
David skillfully maneuvered the Valkyrie,
tilting the massive wings slightly as the aircraft climbed higher, attempting to escape the storm.
BZZZT!
But before they could break free,
a second, even larger beam of searing energy cut through the sky—
this time, aimed directly at the fleeing Valkyrie!
David yanked the control stick again,
sending the aircraft into another desperate evasive maneuver!
BANG!
Even with David's expert handling,
the beam still grazed the wing, dealing minor structural damage.
The aircraft shuddered violently, and the turbulence worsened.
Inside the cockpit, warning alarms blared incessantly,
heightening Zaire's already razor-sharp battle instincts.
"Hoo—"
Zaire exhaled deeply.
Cracking his neck, he spoke with iron resolve:
"David, turn around! Stay low and circle back!"
"Uh… Understood, my Lord."
David's optical sensors flickered in hesitation before finally complying.
The Valkyrie swiftly changed course, diving into a low-altitude spiral.
With a cold expression, Zaire returned to the cargo hold.
He donned his metal helmet once more,
reloading the massive gauntlets of his Hunter Duke armor with explosive rounds.
Finally, he turned his gaze toward a weapon mounted securely against the cargo bay wall.
A horrifying relic of war—
A Gauss Blaster from the Necrons.
Click!
Without hesitation, Zaire lifted the weapon.
Without turning back, he ordered:
"David… OPEN THE HATCH!"
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