The decisive battle had arrived.
Everyone's faces were grim.
This was a fight with almost no hope, but they had no choice.
In the next instant, the Avengers charged forward.
Crossbones also gave the command to attack.
Suddenly, a storm of bullets rained down.
Hulk led the front line.
The first round struck him—large-caliber rounds. Even he felt the searing pain.
"Hulk hurts!"
He roared, but before he could react further, more bullets poured onto him.
The pain radiated through his entire body.
The agony fueled his rage, but it also hindered his advance.
The others, witnessing the barrage, paled and scrambled to dodge.
Steve Rogers tried to rely on his shield.
The moment a bullet struck it, the massive recoil sent him flying.
Even Tony Stark, holding out only briefly, had to heed J.A.R.V.I.S.'s urgent warnings and seek cover.
At this rate, his suit would be destroyed before he could reach the enemy.
Yet one figure pressed steadily forward.
Nolan's body twisted slightly as bullets struck, but that was all.
None of the bullets could pierce the Mjolnir Combat Suit.
The armor had two layers of defense. The outer layer was an energy field that conformed to his body, while the inner layer was a fluid shock-absorption system, reinforced by vibranium plating.
The combination rendered Nolan virtually invincible.
Watching him advance, Pierce on the aerial carrier grew anxious.
The carriers still needed time to finish charging.
Rumlow's APU suit units might not hold him off.
If this continued, the carriers' launch could be disrupted.
Suddenly, an idea flickered in Pierce's eyes.
The carriers were the most advanced weapons in the world.
Besides surveillance, they carried massive arrays of firepower, designed to neutralize threats instantly.
Now was that critical moment.
Pierce targeted Nolan outside and commanded:
"Charge the main cannon of Carrier Two! Kill Nolan Lock!"
The massive energy cannon on Carrier Two began powering up.
This was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s latest technological marvel, the centerpiece of Nick Fury's Insight Initiative.
Now, it was Pierce's to command.
No one could withstand the cannon's blast!
Nick Fury had confidence, and Pierce, watching closely, shared it.
Nolan activated his low-thrust propulsion units, heading straight for the APU suit formation.
The APU suits' firepower was formidable.
But that was also their weakness. Beyond raw firepower, they were practically useless.
As Nolan surged into their ranks, the others seized the opportunity.
Hulk, unblocked, sprinted and leaped into the fray.
This time, nothing could stop his rampage.
Each punch obliterated a suit.
While the battle raged, the three carriers slowly ascended—but one shifted its aim.
When the cannon lit up, everyone froze in horror.
"Alexander Pierce has gone mad!"
Tony swore loudly.
The area was full of Hydra troops. He didn't know the cannon's exact power, but countless lives would be lost.
Madman!
"Run!"
The Avengers scattered, abandoning the fight for survival.
Nolan moved similarly, but the cannon had already locked on to him.
When it finished charging, a blinding beam shot toward him.
"Nolan!"
"Nolan Lock!"
They shouted in alarm.
Nolan's eyes narrowed.
Boom!
The ground quaked. A massive crater appeared.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
"Nolan… is he dead?"
Tony muttered.
No one could survive such an attack—not even Hulk, maybe.
On Carrier One, Pierce laughed triumphantly.
"Nolan Lock, what can you possibly do now?"
He was brimming with arrogance, indifferent to the Hydra soldiers caught in the blast.
"What can I do?"
A voice, faintly mocking, sounded.
Pierce turned sharply. His scalp tingled.
"Nolan Lock, how are you here?"
Shock and fear distorted his face.
"T-1000! Kill him!"
Pierce barked.
Several T-1000 Terminators charged toward Nolan.
Hydra couldn't access Lock Industries' core AI, but S.H.I.E.L.D. had purchased many T-1000 units.
Yet in the next second, the Terminators froze.
Nolan looked at Pierce with a mocking smirk.
"Before dealing with me, you should know—these Terminators are my products. Which creator doesn't leave a backdoor?"
"Nolan Lock!"
Despair flashed in Pierce's eyes.
He couldn't understand how Nolan had survived the cannon's attack and suddenly appeared inside his flagship.
"Bastard!"
Pierce fired his handgun at Nolan.
But Mjolnir's armor repelled even APU suit bullets; a small pistol was no threat.
Nolan smirked.
"Thanks for all the help, Hydra."
He drew the plasma warblade on his back in one motion. A clean slash bisected Pierce instantly.
The remaining Hydra soldiers stared in terror.
Nolan's expression was cold.
"This farce ends now!"
Just as Tony despaired, fearing Nolan was dead, one carrier's bridge exploded.
A figure flew from the wreckage directly onto the second carrier.
"That's Nolan?"
Not only was Pierce's death shocking, Tony and the others were stunned.
How could Nolan, moments from death, suddenly strike inside enemy ranks?
Ridiculous.
"Move!"
Tony shouted.
Nolan's survival was a rallying point.
He wasted no time.
With his plasma warblade, he destroyed all three carriers in moments.
From start to finish, his only fear was not Hydra's raw power, but their pervasive influence.
The moment Pierce entered Nolan's view, the outcome was sealed.
"Perfect!"
Nolan laughed lightly.
With Pierce, Hydra's strongest official presence, eliminated, the rest would be easy to handle.