Chapter 614: Chapter 613: The War Begins
Barton, Loki, and their group exited the SHIELD base and reached the underground parking lot.
The scientist, holding the case with the Cosmic Cube, got into a pickup truck. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents took the driver's seat to operate the vehicle, while Loki sat in the back.
Agent Hill, noticing the strangely dressed Loki, asked curiously, "Who is that?"
Barton replied, "I don't know."
Due to Yakushi Kabuto's appearance, Loki hadn't had the chance to make his speech or introduce himself as an Asgardian.
When Hill heard Barton say he didn't know, she thought he was part of the secret underground laboratory and turned around to walk into the base without paying any attention.
She wanted to see what other equipment had not been evacuated.
At that moment, her radio crackled to life with Nick Fury's voice. Carrying the unconscious Kabuto, Fury spoke into his radio as he made his way out:
"Hill, can you hear me?"
The radio's transmission was heard by Hill, as well as by Loki and Barton. Realizing that the "black guy" wasn't dead, Loki reacted immediately.
In an instant, Loki adjusted his position, aiming his scepter towards Agent Hill.
"Barton has betrayed us."
As soon as Fury's words came through the radio, Hill rolled into cover behind a wall.
Seeing this, Barton swiftly drew his gun and opened fire. Despite his quick reaction, Hill had anticipated the attack and avoided it.
Barton continued firing as he got into the truck, restraining Hill and preventing her from returning fire. The truck then sped away from the base.
Hearing the engine, Hill peeked out and fired at the retreating vehicle, but the bullets only struck the truck's metal body, causing no harm to the occupants.
…
Meanwhile-
Inside the base-
Fury dragged Kabuto as he made his way out, shouting into his radio, "They've taken the Cosmic Cube! Stop them!"
Following Fury's orders, Hill quickly organized agents to pursue the escaping truck and got into a vehicle herself to join the chase.
Loki, observing the pursuing cars, smirked and fired a laser from his scepter, easily destroying one of the vehicles, resulting in a deadly crash.
…
On the other side-
Coulson, seeing the collapsing building, ordered, "Forget the equipment! Evacuate immediately!"
He led his team outside to board a waiting helicopter. As they prepared to lift off, Coulson radioed in:
"Director, the personnel upstairs have evacuated. You need to get out now."
Fury, still carrying the unconscious Kabuto, ran as fast as he could towards the exit.
At the last moment, Fury, carrying Yakushi Kabuto, boarded the rooftop helicopter and took off.
As the helicopter lifted into the air, the underground space portal collapsed, swallowing the entire experimental base.
…
Elsewhere-
Agent Hill was engaged in a shootout with Barton. After Barton managed to push her car off the road, Hill's vehicle fell behind.
As she desperately tried to catch up, the collapsing underground tunnel buried her car. Though she suffered a head injury, she was not in immediate danger.
…
In separate helicopters, Coulson and Nick Fury watched the collapsing base, struggling to remain calm.
Seeing the unconscious Kabuto beside him, Fury decided not to pursue Barton and his group. Losing the Cosmic Cube was bad enough; he couldn't afford to lose Kabuto too.
Fury's radio crackled with Coulson's voice.
"Director Fury, do you copy?"
Fury picked up the radio and replied, "The Cosmic Cube has been taken by the enemy."
He glanced at the still-unconscious Kabuto and continued, "We've got injured. Hill, what's your status?"
Hill, just climbing out of her car in the tunnel, answered, "There are many people buried underground. I don't know how many survivors there are."
Fury issued a command, "Send out an all-agents alert."
"Order all personnel not involved in the rescue to track down that cube."
"Understood!" Hill responded.
Fury continued giving orders, "Coulson, return to base. This is a level 7 event."
"From now on, we're at war."
Coulson paused for a moment before responding, "What do we do now?"
Fury, looking at the unconscious Kabuto, slowly said, "Initiate the Avengers Plan."
With Fury's orders, S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly sprang into action.
…
Meanwhile-
Charles Doyle had returned to his base. He didn't idle upon arrival.
After receiving the intelligence information from Kabuto Yakushi, Charles knew that the Battle of New York was about to begin. And Charles was full of anticipation for this major event on Earth.
While others might fear the Chitauri army, Charles felt no such fear. Despite having fewer ninjas, he was confident in their ability to easily defeat the Chitauri.
His main goal this time was to seize the Cosmic Cube and possibly even the Mind Stone during the chaos.
But first, Charles needed to prepare. He quickly instructed the Red Queen.
"Red Queen, notify all Konoha ninjas to gather for a meeting at the base tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Master."
After giving his orders, Charles entered the system space. Having fully mastered his newfound strength through training, he was now ready to recruit the ninjas he had previously obtained but not yet summoned, in order bolster his forces.
…
On the other side-
Black Widow Natasha Romanoff was undergoing a secret interrogation in a room in Russia.
Dressed in black stockings, with her red hair tied back, Natasha was bound to a chair, looking particularly seductive.