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Climbing to and maintaining an altitude of five thousand meters, the Helicarrier finally returned to normal operation.
After the baptism of fire, both the surface of the Helicarrier's hull and its interior were in a devastating state of disrepair.
The hull and deck of the Helicarrier were riddled with cracks and gaping holes, and to prevent further mishaps, the crew had to hastily patch them with iron plates. It was like patching up a new and splendid garment with a few conspicuous patches.
The third engine turbine was still spewing black smoke, accompanied by a clattering noise.
Inside the Helicarrier:
The crew had begun cleaning the corridors and compartments, removing the bodies and wounded, and restoring the instruments and tables to their original positions. However, many people still wore dazed expressions on their faces, their features stiff and devoid of emotion, it was obvious that they were still reeling from the sudden attack.
The scene could only be described in two words: Tragic and Horrible!
It was truly horrific.
In the main cockpit:
Under the organization of Director Fury and Agent Hill, some of the crew members were reorganized into a pilot team to conduct indiscriminate surveillance of the damaged Helicarrier and to tally the casualties and losses caused by the attack.
Captain Steve Rogers, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, and Hawkeye Clint Barton sat together on a step in the main cockpit, gazing absently at the repair site below.
"We lost this round," Steve said, resting his chin on his hands, his handsome young face solemn as he sighed softly. "We lost completely. Loki is indeed a formidable opponent."
Natasha sighed, "Captain, wouldn't it be better to go back to the old wars? No espionage, no innately gifted aliens, and no flying magic hammers."
"It's hard to say," Steve shook his head. "I was too careless this time. I used to rely on following that man's lead, shadowing his every move. Now I can only move forward step by step on my own."
Natasha lowered her head and whispered, "Me too.
Always following behind that man inevitably led to a laxity of mind and body, making it impossible for them to become a hero in their own right.
Director Fury walked over from a distance, glanced at the three still immersed in failure, and said in a subdued tone, "In the previous attack, SHIELD lost twenty-six agents and countless others were injured. Among them, Agent Coulson didn't have time for first aid and also perished."
"He's dead." Fury's tone became unusually heavy.
Agent Coulson.
One of the veteran agents who helped Fury form the Avengers Initiative, he was known to everyone who was a member of the Avengers Initiative.
"Damn it!" Barton chided himself bitterly, pounding his fist hard on the floor.
Steve remained silent, unsure of what to say.
"What about Master Caesar? Is he all right?" Natasha asked worriedly.
Fury nodded. "Caesar is fine. He's just unconscious. In the fight just now, he exceeded his physical limits and can't participate in the upcoming fights anymore."
"As long as he's okay," Natasha said, feeling guilty and bowing her head. They hadn't been much help during the recent events.
Director Fury looked at the silent trio of Steve and suddenly took a deep breath and shouted loudly, "You three are the best agents and super soldiers on Earth. You're not going to give up just because of one setback, are you? Don't forget who you are!"
The three of them shuddered.
"Of course not, we are... the Avengers!" Steve clenched his fists and slowly rose from the steps. At the same time, Natasha and Barton also rose and stood on either side of the Captain.
"That's more like it," Director Fury said with a relieved expression, his stern face showing a hint of satisfaction. "Don't even think about backing down. Even if you have to grit your teeth, you must go through with it! Otherwise, how can you justify the sacrifices of those agents just now?"
"Indeed, we can't afford to lose anyone else," Natasha nodded in agreement.
Barton's voice was cold, "I'll put my arrows right in that bastard's head."
"Now, let's..."
Director Fury was about to speak when the cockpit door suddenly swung open.
Thor, dressed in his red cloak and silver armor, walked in, his hands ruffling his messy golden hair as he asked. "Hey, has anyone seen my hammer?"
"Thor, you're finally awake," Natasha sighed in relief, blinking as she spoke. "Can't you just summon it?"
"That's the strange thing. I can't summon it," Thor replied, waving his hand in frustration. He paced around the cockpit, scanning the room with a worried expression. He seemed more concerned about Mjolnir than the fact that he had almost been killed earlier.
"I know where your hammer is," Steve stepped forward and patted Thor reassuringly on the shoulder. "My shield should be there, too."
"Really? That's great. By the way, where's my brother Loki?" Thor asked, looking around as if he just realized something was missing.
The room fell silent for a moment. This comical scene relieved some of the tension and sadness that had built up.
Steve spoke seriously, "Loki has escaped. He's definitely at the Stark Tower in New York City. He plans to use the power of the Arc Reactor there to activate the Tesseract and open a portal for his alien army."
"There is no time to lose. We must leave immediately," Natasha said while straightening her leather jacket and dusting herself off. Suddenly she looked around, confused. "Wait, where's Eddie? Where did he go?"
Sam just entered the cockpit and joined the group. "Eddie went ahead. He said he had to find Venom, so he took off in a jet."
"Then we need to get to New York City right away," Steve ordered. As Captain America, he led the way, followed closely by Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Falcon. They left the cockpit in a determined march.
Five minutes later, a sleek black jet took off from the Helicarrier, cutting through the clouds as its engines roared toward the heart of New York City.
Director Fury stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of the cockpit, lost in thought as he watched the black jet disappear into the distance.
Agent Hill approached him quietly, leaning in to whisper something in his ear.
"Got it," Fury nodded with a stern expression on his face. He turned and left the cockpit, moving through several long corridors until he reached a hidden compartment.
He placed his hand on a scanner at the door. After his fingerprint and retina were verified, the door clicked open.
Fury stepped inside to find a large room with a table in the center, laden with enough food to feed ten people.
Caesar sat at the table, his head nearly buried in the plates as he devoured the nutritious food at a superhuman speed.
Fury closed the door behind him and sat down across from Caesar. "They've already left. Everything is going as you planned, Caesar."
"Good, that's how it should be," Caesar said with a childish smile, tearing into a huge piece of steak, and chewing it briefly before swallowing. "This war is just beginning."
(End of Chapter)