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On the Wideland Park runway, Steve gradually slowed down.
In less than half an hour, he had circled the city, but the speed of his running barely affected his body.
It was just enough to allow his somewhat decaying body to move a little.
Steve's eyesight was still sharp, though he wasn't sure if it was due to the serum. He could clearly see the flowing screens outside the park and between the high-rise buildings.
"Steve Rogers, World War II hero and spiritual pillar of America's soldiers."
He gradually stopped.
The gray and white image triggered memories from nearly a century ago, and as the screen continued, it transformed into a clear and vibrant color picture.
A woman's gentle and earnest voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"Oh no, Natasha, how did you end up here?"
After a brief moment of distraction, Captain America noticed Black Widow standing in the sunlight.
He shook his head and tried to regain his composure.
Natasha was dressed in a loose tracksuit with tight legs, and even those loose clothes couldn't hide her striking figure.
"I've always had the habit of exercising in the morning, but that's not why I'm here."
"Steve, something seems off with you."
"Thanks, but I'm fine," Captain America replied, trying his best to hide his unease, as he had the feeling something terrible was approaching.
A faint uneasiness lingered in his heart.
Before he could say another word, a sudden "boom" erupted, and a flash of fire illuminated the space behind Black Widow.
A massive mushroom cloud shot into the sky.
Captain America's expression changed.
That was the direction of the base!
...
...
[Ding, the mission is successful, the reward will be issued in one hour.]
Jackson Chen heard the prompt in his mind, feeling that this mission had been remarkably easy!
He whistled as he drove a truck through the underground passage of the Avengers base, quietly leaving the scene.
Just a minute after he drove away, the building behind him collapsed, completely burying and blocking his exit!
...
...
At this point, the top of the Avengers base was shrouded in thick, billowing smoke.
Tony's face was grim. Wearing his Iron Man suit, he hovered in the air, staring at the newly built base in utter frustration.
Who did this? Who dared to blow up the base right in front of them?
Every security system had been designed by his own hands. Technology nearly a century ahead of its time, and yet it had been so easily compromised?
He was sure no agents sent by Fury could've managed this!
Banner was being carried out of the ruins by Thor.
He didn't look any better.
The Avengers' base, the headquarters of the mightiest heroes on Earth, had been bombed!
This was an open challenge!
Flames raged as Hawkeye, his arm seared, was organizing the evacuation.
Grimacing in pain, he was also screaming internally.
Who in the world could've pulled this off?
Such a highly secured base, with almost no warning, suddenly exploded!
Looking at the building, now reduced to ruins, his heart was a mixture of fury and disbelief.
"Barton, what's going on?!"
Captain America and Black Widow, who had just rushed back, first encountered a dazed Hawkeye.
Staring at the rising smoke and the destroyed base, neither Captain America nor Black Widow could believe their eyes.
They would've staked their lives on the base's security being far higher than that of the Pentagon or S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters.
It was no exaggeration to say it was the safest and most fortified location on the planet!
And yet, in the brief time they were gone, it had been reduced to rubble!
It felt utterly absurd!
"Who did this?!"
Captain America squeezed Hawkeye's shoulder and anxiously asked a second time.
"I want to know which bastard did it too, and I swear I'll shoot an arrow right through his backside and make him regret it!" Hawkeye exploded in frustration, not even caring about Black Widow's presence as he let his anger loose.
Just then, Iron Man and Thor flew over, bringing Dr. Banner with them.
No one looked pleased.
"Damn it, as you can see, our base is in ruins," Tony said, his voice tense. "But we have no leads. Who did this?"
"What was their motive? What are they after?"
"How did they get in, where did they come from, what kind of bombs did they use, and how did they even breach the base?"
"Ten layers of security, and it's as tough as a warship—now it's rubble in one breath!"
"Damn it, we know nothing!"
He spat out his words, the disbelief mingling with his anger.
Even his expression was twisted, and for the first time, Tony Stark—the proud and confident genius—had been outplayed.
And there was no way to fight back.
He couldn't accept how easily their base had been destroyed.
Captain America was at a loss for words, his shock mirrored by the others. The mood among the group was tense, heavy.
They mentally sifted through all possible enemies, but none could've pulled off something like this so quietly.
As smoke billowed into the sky, a plane hovered above them.
They looked up to see the familiar symbol of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fury had arrived.
...
...
"The casualty count is complete: sixteen dead, twenty-seven seriously injured. No one escaped with minor injuries," Fury reported grimly. "This explosion nearly wiped out most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ranks."
He eyed Tony Stark. "So, Mr. Stark, how exactly were your fortifications set up?"
Fury's tone was calm, but the shock and fury simmered beneath the surface. Even the usual coolness in his one-eyed gaze couldn't hide his disbelief.
Tony slammed his hand on the table. "Fury, you know the base design! You saw it yourself! No one, absolutely no one, could have broken through my security without leaving a trace!"
Fury's face darkened as he lowered his voice. "And yet, here we are."
"Your so-called unbreakable fortifications are now ruins. Do you know what that means?"
"Anyone who could destroy your base without a trace could easily take down any government department in the United States—including S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
"Tony, I need answers. We can't let someone like this slip through our fingers."
Tony's face flushed red, and he was left speechless.
He had already checked everything. There were no clues.
The helplessness gnawed at him.
Fury, reining in his anger, pressed a button. "You might want to see this."
A news broadcast appeared on the wall.
It was a live report on the bombing of the Avengers base.
...
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Phoenizbeelze
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