On Blake's side, just as the group withdrew from Dr. Zola's base, both Hawkeye and Coulson's phones began to sound alarms.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has launched eight missiles. One is headed to the New Jersey base we were just at, and the other seven… they're all targeting this location."
Hawkeye looked up in shock as he spoke.
"This lunatic! Now that's what a proper villain looks like. I like it! How long until the missiles reach us?"
Blake asked calmly.
"About a minute and a half!"
Coulson replied, pulling out his phone.
Blake glanced at the phone, which displayed a radar view with several red dots rapidly converging toward a single point.
"If they were firing chaotically from all directions, I might be flustered. But coming all from one direction? That's just underestimating me!"
Blake smiled faintly, and blue-black energy surged behind him, enveloping his entire body.
In the next instant, he appeared outside the base.
Flames roared from his limbs, allowing him to stand proudly in mid-air at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
In the distance, the sound of missiles cutting through the air was deafening. Seven missiles, trailing long tails of flame, roared toward the floating base from below.
Blake propelled himself downward with flames, positioning himself beneath the base in an instant.
As the seven missiles approached rapidly, a faint smile appeared on Blake's lips.
Mimicking Keanu Reeves in *The Matrix*, he slowly extended his right hand toward the missiles.
Unlike Reeves' iconic bullet time, however, a massive portal over 100 meters in diameter appeared in front of Blake's hand.
The seven missiles flew straight into the portal, one after the other, disappearing entirely.
Moments later, an uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean was reduced to rubble as the missiles detonated.
Back inside the base, the radar on Coulson's phone showed the red dots disappearing—only for the screen to light up again with a swarm of new red dots.
The base's alarms blared wildly. This time, over a hundred fighter jets had appeared, surrounding the floating base.
This might have been the largest deployment of fighter jets on a combat mission since World War II.
The sheer number of red dots on the radar formed an almost complete encirclement.
"Blake, it seems the enemy is determined to keep us pinned here. Over a hundred fighter jets are closing in on us fast!"
Natasha's voice came through the headset, tinged with worry.
Inside the base, Nick Fury looked slightly concerned.
"Over a hundred fighter jets? We can't intercept them all. This place is too dangerous. Blake should return, and we can head straight to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to confront them!"
"Why would we bother intercepting them? Let them come and try! J.A.R.V.I.S., let's test out our new product!"
As Tony's voice rang out, a blue energy shield began to rise slowly from the base's underside, forming a dome that seemed large enough to enclose the entire facility.
But before the shield could fully close…
**"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"**
A series of heavy thuds echoed from somewhere on the upper levels of the base.
A team of about ten heavily armed soldiers descended from the sky, timing their entry just before the shield sealed the base completely.
Leading them was a man with a metal left arm and a mask covering his face.
The squad landed without a word, quickly removing large jetpack-like devices from their backs that had been used to slow their descent.
This was a failed product from one of Hydra's labs, intended to be a new individual flight device. It wasn't quite suitable for soaring through the skies, but for an airborne assault on the floating base, it was perfect.
It seemed Hydra, even when acting on a whim, never did so without some preparation. The fighter jets served as a distraction, while the Winter Soldier led a surprise attack from above—a solid strategy.
"Warning, intruders detected!"
J.A.R.V.I.S. immediately pulled up surveillance footage for everyone to see.
The screen showed the Winter Soldier leading a group into the base.
"Natasha, take everyone to the upper levels to take cover—especially Banner. Make sure he doesn't transform. Tony, head outside and assist Blake with the planes. The rest of you—men—follow me to intercept the intruders!"
The Captain quickly issued orders, and the group split into two teams.
Just as they were about to step out, the Captain stopped abruptly, turned around, and said somewhat awkwardly to Nick Fury and Coulson:
"I mean Clint and Thor will come with me. You two go upstairs with Natasha and rest."
Nick Fury and Coulson exchanged glances.
"Why are you looking at me? I'm the injured one here!"
Nick Fury grumbled.
Coulson: …
Under normal circumstances, Alexander Pierce's plan would have been enough to throw anyone into chaos, forcing them to scramble to react.
But unfortunately for him, his forces were up against Blake, who had undergone significant upgrades both personally and with the base.
The energy shield from Wakanda made the floating base nearly impenetrable.
And Blake, now capable of matching Hulk in close combat and wielding flames of terrifying intensity for ranged attacks, made dealing with over a hundred fighter jets just a matter of time.
As for the intruders inside the base…
If they had dispersed, they might have posed some threat.
But instead, they had landed in the lower-level hangar. It was important to note that the floating base's two levels were shaped like fan blades—essentially two long rectangular metal structures.
As the Winter Soldier's team entered, the first thing to greet them was Mjölnir, whistling through the hallway like a missile.
The Winter Soldier's reflexes were remarkable—he dodged the hammer with a swift sidestep.
But Thor's throw wasn't aimed directly at him.
The hammer flew just past the Winter Soldier's body, encased in lightning, and slammed into the metal wall behind him.
Electricity erupted in a ten-meter radius, sweeping through the area and incapacitating all but the Winter Soldier himself.
Thor casually extended his hand, summoning the hammer back. Among the intruders, only the Winter Soldier was left standing.
Next came the Captain's shield, flying right behind the hammer and narrowly grazing the Winter Soldier.
Thor then swung Mjölnir in an arc, smashing it into the shield mid-air.
The resulting shockwave blasted through the hallway, knocking the Winter Soldier to the ground. Both the hammer and the shield defied logic as they returned to their respective owners' hands.
As the Winter Soldier struggled to rise, a lightning bolt as thick as an arm struck him from above, slamming him back to the floor. His head lolled to the side, and he fell unconscious.
His mask fell off, revealing his face.
"Bucky!"
The Captain gasped in shock as he recognized the Winter Soldier's face.
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