Nolan had single-handedly destroyed two of the three aerial carriers, and the Avengers had taken down the last one together.
The massive carriers had barely risen a hundred meters before collapsing in a shower of brilliant firelight.
Crossbones, Brock Rumlow, stared blankly at the explosions overhead.
Those were the very weapons Hydra once intended to use to rule the world, yet they had fallen so easily.
And more importantly, why had Nolan Lock appeared there?
His face was filled with confusion.
He was not alone. Every Hydra soldier wore the same bewildered expression.
Soon, however, Brock Rumlow snapped back to attention.
The carriers had gone down, which meant their leader, Alexander Pierce, was likely dead as well.
He had to take action.
Rumlow glanced at the Hydra troopers behind him and took a deep breath.
They had not been defeated yet.
"Everyone, the Insight Plan has likely failed."
Silence fell. Morale plummeted instantly.
But Rumlow continued.
"The plan may have failed, but we have not failed. Hydra does not fail.
We still have hundreds of Heavy Cavalry units. We still have the power to fight.
Cut off one head, and two more grow in its place.
Today's setback will only make our next success come faster.
Prepare for battle. Long live Hydra."
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire Hydra force seemed to revive.
Yes, they still had the Heavy Cavalry armor.
Even Hulk would struggle to withstand their firepower.
This was their trump card.
"Long live Hydra!"
The soldiers roared.
They believed that with their effort, victory would eventually belong to Hydra.
Somewhere else, Madame Viper held her phone, brows furrowed.
"Why can't I reach him?"
She had called Alexander Pierce several times, but every attempt said he was out of service.
Could it be that Pierce wanted to claim all the credit himself?
Impossible.
The combat robots were under her most trusted operatives' control.
What was going on?
For some reason, an unsettling feeling crept up her spine.
This operation should have been perfect. Even if it began earlier than planned, everything was already prepared.
They should not have lost.
She told herself Pierce must simply be delayed by something.
Still, when she glanced at her surroundings, she could not shake the sensation of eyes watching her. There was nothing there, but the feeling remained.
Back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Brock Rumlow's words left every Hydra soldier on high alert.
They intended to destroy their enemies.
If they could crush the Avengers, then this mission would not count as a failure.
It would instead create a perfect foundation for Hydra's resurgence.
Hundreds of APU combat mechs raised their barrels, all aimed toward the direction of the fallen carriers.
They would not lose. They could not lose.
A violent explosion erupted.
Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers emerged first, both wearing black tactical armor they had scavenged from the wreckage.
Of course Alexander Pierce would never have left such equipment lying around for them.
With the armor's cushioning effect, they barely managed to land.
When the gun barrels swiveled toward them all at once, both of their faces drained of color.
"Run!"
Steve shouted, and the two sprinted.
This armor was far from enough to let them fight freely under such overwhelming firepower.
Only Nolan Lock or Hulk could push through something like this.
A hail of bullets roared toward them.
Natasha took a direct hit, the impact hurling her through the air like a severed kite.
She looked badly hurt, yet most of the damage had been absorbed by the armor.
But the sheer number of bullets soon pinned her down, each one pushing her back with brutal force.
Cracks began forming across the armor.
A sharp sting shot through her left arm. She thought it might be broken.
The armor at that spot had shattered.
In that critical moment:
A thunderous crash shook the ground.
"Roar!"
Hulk stepped in front of her, absorbing the barrage as he bellowed at the Hydra forces.
The others quickly arrived.
Hawkeye, unable to find armor, had commandeered a small aircraft to escape the carrier.
The rest used their own methods.
Together they charged into the formation of APU mechs.
Their fists struck Hydra's so-called Heavy Cavalry with devastating force.
Nolan's plasma blade gleamed as it swept through the battlefield.
His movements were fluid, almost artistic, yet the results were brutally efficient.
APU mechs, normally fearless, fell apart under his blade as if they had no armor at all.
Within minutes, Brock Rumlow panicked.
He had no desire to die here.
Run.
The thought filled his mind.
He looked at the Hydra troops still fighting, fear etched across their faces.
For the first time, he found them laughable.
What could they possibly use to fight monsters like these?
He was not fleeing, he told himself.
He simply needed to bring this invaluable battle information back.
Pierce was dead. Rumlow might even have the chance to become Hydra's new leader.
Cut off one head, and two grow back. And he would be one of them.
What he failed to notice was Nolan narrowing his eyes the moment he tried to retreat.
Everyone else was still fighting.
Nolan had little respect for Hydra, but he could at least acknowledge the ones who fought with conviction.
Rumlow did not deserve such dignity.
Without chasing him, Nolan simply drew the plasma rifle from his back.
A single shot rang out.
An eruption followed.
The APU mech Rumlow piloted was reduced to molten scraps.
He died without ever understanding why.
The battle ended quickly.
In less than ten minutes, every Hydra soldier threw down their weapons.
Even the strongest belief collapses under absolute despair, especially after losing their commander.
Nick Fury arrived with a large squad of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Steve glanced at him, his emotions mixed.
He had once believed Fury was dead.
Only yesterday did he learn that the man had faked his death.
"Mr. Lock, long time no see."
Fury walked up to Nolan, and for once, the eternally composed director looked shocked.
Nolan Lock had changed the tide of battle almost entirely by himself, and he had done it effortlessly.
Nolan gave a relaxed smile.
"Director Fury, now that everything is over, S.H.I.E.L.D. owes me an explanation."
Fury knew exactly which explanation he meant.
So many Lock Industries robots appearing inside S.H.I.E.L.D. even with Hydra's infiltration, there was no way a director would not notice.
Judging by Nolan's tone, this was not something he could brush aside.
It was going to cost S.H.I.E.L.D. a fortune.
His thoughts churned, but his expression remained calm.
"Of course. I promise the explanation will be satisfactory."
"Mr. Lock, the Avengers have been operating for a long time now. You have worked with them many times.
Just like I said before, the doors of the Avengers will always be open to you.
I believe no one here would object to you joining us."
He glanced at Steve and the others.
They all looked hopeful. A teammate like Nolan was a luxury.
"Therefore, on behalf of the Avengers, I officially invite you to join."
Fury could not wait any longer. Nolan's value was too immense.
Nolan smiled gently.
"Sorry. I have no intention of joining."
The refusal stunned them.
Join the Avengers?
Not unless he lost his mind.
Right now, he was doing quite well.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was a very profitable cash cow, with a budget of hundreds of billions every year.
If he did not squeeze at least a few dozen billion out of this, he would be doing himself a disservice.
Besides, it was time for him to begin constructing his starship.
Bruce Banner approached, smiling with relief.
"My boss, it is good to see you alive."
He had originally joined Lock Industries for stable employment.
After Viper took over, she reassigned him, leaving him frustrated.
Now that Nolan had returned, so could he.
Nolan laughed.
"I am happy to be back too."
"Can you tell us where you disappeared to?" Bruce asked curiously.
He had been there when Nolan vanished.
So had Fury and the others, who were all listening carefully.
Nolan only smiled.
"I went to another world. A very interesting place.
Anyway, things here are settled, so I'll be leaving.
After all, this is still S.H.I.E.L.D.'s territory."
He gave Fury a subtle look.
Fury's expression remained perfectly composed, as if the jab had not touched him at all.
Shame?
Not for a man like him.
Nolan stretched lazily. He still had many things to handle.
Then, in full view of everyone, he lifted his hand and traced a circle in the air.
A glowing portal appeared.
Every pair of eyes widened as Nolan stepped through and vanished.
This kind of spatial magic did not need to be hidden.
Magic itself was the greatest deterrent.
Somewhere else, a man sat in a dim room, fingers tapping the table beside a ring on his hand.
"Nolan Lock has appeared again?"
A twisted smile tugged at his lips.
No one challenged him and walked away unscathed.
He had not forgotten Killian's death.
The game was far from over.