"The Foot Clan?" Fury's eye narrowed. "So, the Foot Clan is helping Hawk clean up his mess?"
The logic instantly formed in his mind: Hawk has an organization backing him! These people were covering his retreat and sanitizing the scene! After the Busan incident, they already suspected Hawk had organized support, and this scene seemed to confirm it. The Foot Clan? Alien technology! Is this Hawk's true hand?
He felt a slight surge of satisfaction. He believed he had finally figured Hawk out. If Hawk were standing before him now, he'd mock him mercilessly: You think you're the only earthling with access to alien tech? Laughable!
Natasha, also on the channel, gave a subtle twitch of her mouth. That line of reasoning was more than a little off base...
"All units, attention!" Fury's voice boomed through the loudspeaker across the entire containment zone, cold and commanding. "Unknown personnel below! You are surrounded! Immediately drop your weapons, cease resistance, put your hands on your heads, and surrender! Repeat, drop your weapons and surrender now! This is your only warning!"
The cleanup operation below visibly stalled. The dark-clad, swiftly moving ninja figures, along with the larger, genetically modified Super Soldiers whose skin glowed with metallic or unnatural light, seemed momentarily lost under the harsh illumination. A few Quinjets hovered at low altitude, their gun mounts and micro-missile launchers unlocked and targeting the ground.
After a brief standoff, Fury saw the reaction he expected: a small number of perimeter ninjas hesitantly and slowly dropped the short blades or salvage tools in their hands, their movements stiff as they raised their hands and knelt. They bowed their heads, apparently surrendering.
"Sir, partial targets surrendering!" the field commander reported.
But Fury's sole eye was fixed on the allies surrounding the surrendering figures, especially the silent, steel-statue-like Super Soldiers. The surrender was too deliberate, too slow, and the surrendering group was too centralized. It felt like… a diversionary tactic!
"Something's wrong." Fury's gut instinct and years of experience instantly triggered the highest alarm. "It's a trap! All units fire! Repeat! Fire!"
His command was issued almost simultaneously with the enemy's move.
The "surrendering" ninjas suddenly snapped their heads up, their eyes devoid of fear, containing only cold killing intent and mockery. Their kneeling bodies sprang up as if spring-loaded, their hands now gripping razor-sharp shuriken or micro-bombs they hadn't truly dropped.
At the same time, the silent, modified Super Soldiers let out low, inhuman roars. The metal armor on their bodies instantly warped, exposing dangerous energy weapon ports or biological claws. Even more terrifying, a faint purple energy shield suddenly snapped to life around the bodies of several Super Soldiers!
Shhh-shhh-shoo—!
Boom!
Rat-a-tat-a-tat—!
The ninjas' weapons and bombs flew like a swarm of angry hornets toward the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. soldier positions, while the Super Soldiers' energy beams and bio-acid sprays violently lashed out at the low-flying Quinjets.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and soldiers were top-tier professionals. They opened fire the instant Fury gave the warning, their energy weapons and solid rounds weaving a dense curtain of fire downward.
The scene instantly transitioned from eerie calm to a bloody inferno.
"Damn it!" Fury roared, watching a Quinjet get hit on the flank by a concentrated burst of energy, billowing black smoke as it struggled to climb out of range. "Take them down! Kill or capture, I don't care!"
In the chaotic battle zone, Natasha Romanoff moved like a phantom through the explosions. Her dual pistols fired precise shots, taking out a ninja trying to ambush a teammate from behind, while she deftly avoided a scorching bio-energy beam. Her cold gaze swept over the grotesque Super Soldiers as she quickly assessed this new, unexpected enemy. "The Foot Clan… this is a surprise… Hawk's trouble is far greater than we thought."
Shhh-shhh-shoo—!
RUMBLE!
Rat-a-tat-a-tat—!
The Foot Clan ninjas' poisoned shuriken and micro-bombs crisscrossed with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents' energy pulse guns and armor-piercing rounds, the explosive flashes instantly engulfing the corners of the ruins. The Super Soldiers emitted inhuman shrieks, their arms splitting open to reveal rotating energy cannons or acid-spraying glands. The pale purple energy shields violently trembled and flashed under the barrage.
The battle had barely begun, yet the Foot Clan, with the deceptive speed of their elite ninjas and the sheer brutality of their modified Super Soldiers, caught S.H.I.E.L.D. off guard. The elite ninjas moved like vipers merging with the shadows, using the complex terrain of the ruins for high-speed, unpredictable movement. Their precise throwing techniques and close-quarters assassinations worked in deadly concert, instantly wounding and taking down several exposed S.H.I.E.L.D. assault team members. Smoke bombs exploded in their hands, further confusing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s line of sight and formation.
Even more terrifying were the modified Super Soldiers. Protected by their energy shields, they charged fearlessly. Energy beams slashed through the night sky, easily melting the weaker points of armored vehicles. Strong acid sprays hit cover points, producing a terrifying "sizzle" and pungent white smoke. Their physical strength was also immense; one Super Soldier single-handedly flipped a light armored vehicle, causing surrounding agents to gasp and retreat.
One Quinjet that circled too close was unfortunately struck on its side engine by several concentrated energy beams. Alarms screamed as it desperately climbed away, trailing thick black smoke.
The pale purple energy shields they used were unusually tough; standard small-caliber weapons and energy pulses only created ripples on the surface. This allowed the Foot Clan's core fighting force to hold the line under heavy fire in the early stages. The objective of cleaning the battlefield seemed to have become secondary; their primary goal was clearly to inflict heavy damage on S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fury watched the chaos from the command aircraft, his single eye blazing with increasing cold fury.
"Hand! Analyze their energy shield frequency! All units, maintain distance, and prioritize focused fire on the unshielded ninjas! Air units, I want you to bomb the cover around those tin cans and flush them out!"
S.H.I.E.L.D. was, after all, one of the most powerful intelligence and special operations organizations on Earth. After a brief period of confusion and tactical adjustment, their meticulous command structure and overwhelming technological advantage quickly began to assert themselves.
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