***
Link quickly deduced that Steve Rogers wouldn't bring his shield to the hospital. Natasha Romanoff might have a small weapon, perhaps a handgun or the electroshock device built into her nanotech suit, but Clint Barton, for sure, wouldn't have his bow and arrows—at most, he'd wear his nanotech suit.
Their suits, all designed as wristwatches for easy everyday wear, weren't optimized for combat. On their way back to headquarters, they were certain to be ambushed. Time was of the essence.
The jet swiftly landed at Avengers HQ. "Alfred, open the hangar," Link commanded.
The Avengers headquarters was equipped with two AI systems: J.A.R.V.I.S. and Alfred. The redundancy ensured that Stark and Link could manage operations seamlessly from anywhere, and both AIs worked without interference.
With the hangar doors open, Link performed a vertical landing. His Suburban SUV was waiting in the garage. Without wasting time, he got in.
"Alfred, once I leave, lock down the headquarters. Only Avengers are allowed entry. Also, contact Jessica for me."
Link floored the gas pedal and shot out of the hangar. When the phone connected, Jessica's voice came through, "Hey honey, you're back?"
"Yes, darling. Where are you?" Link asked.
"I'm at the Foundation. Why?"
"Get Frank and McCall to take you home. Lock down the elevator as soon as you're in. Something's going down, and I need you to stay safe."
"Got it. I'm heading home now," Jessica responded without hesitation, sensing the urgency. One thing Link loved about Jessica was her intuition. Though curious by nature, she knew when to ask questions and when to trust him. She knew he'd explain everything later.
With the call done, Stark sent over the coordinates. "Alfred, map the route."
"Right away, sir." A navigation overlay appeared on the windshield, and Link pressed down on the accelerator.
…
Inside the hospital, Steve and the others stood outside the operating room, watching through the glass as Nick Fury lay on the operating table. His condition was critical.
Tears welled up in Natasha's eyes, but inside, she was calculating—who was responsible for this?
And why was S.H.I.E.L.D. suspecting the Avengers? It didn't add up. If they wanted Fury dead, it wouldn't have been this complicated. Fury had escaped and made it to Steve's house, only for assassins to catch up with him there. Something didn't make sense.
Maria Hill, standing nearby, was approached by Natasha. "Why is S.H.I.E.L.D. accusing us?"
"Secretary Pierce is in charge now. I don't have the authority to override his commands," Maria responded, her frustration evident.
Natasha exchanged a glance with Steve, both sharing the same doubts but saying nothing for now.
Suddenly, the machines monitoring Fury's vitals started beeping urgently—his heart had stopped. The doctors inside rushed to save him.
Just then, Link entered the room, drawing everyone's attention.
"Link, you're back!" Steve exclaimed.
"Yeah, just landed. I rushed over when I heard the news," Link replied, glancing at the operating room. The doctors soon announced Nick Fury's 'death.'
Inside the operating room, Link activated his X-ray vision, scanning Fury's body. His heart hadn't stopped completely—it had only slowed down significantly, giving the appearance of death.
After the doctors left, Fury's body was wheeled out for viewing. Natasha and the others approached to pay their respects, with Link following closely behind.
They only spent a minute before Maria Hill started ushering them out, explaining that she was in charge of handling Fury's "body."
As they exited the hospital room, they were met by Brock Rumlow, captain of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rapid response unit.
"Captain Rogers, the Secretary requests your presence at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Rumlow stated.
"We won't be going anywhere just yet," Link interrupted sharply. "If S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks the Avengers are behind this, we'll head back to headquarters and await your investigation's results."
Rumlow was taken aback but quickly responded, "That's an order from the Secretary."
"Captain America isn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent—he's a liaison. He doesn't have to follow your orders. If you have any problems with that, take it to court. But you have no authority over the Avengers," Link asserted, his tone firm.
Steve raised an eyebrow at Link's sudden assertiveness but trusted him. The Avengers, all with questions swirling in their minds, felt relieved at Link's return. His confidence was reassuring.
Rumlow glared at Link before turning and leaving with his squad. As soon as they were gone, Link turned to the group. "Let's go."
Without further explanation, he led them to the parking lot and got into the car.
"Alfred, anyone tamper with the vehicle?"
"No, sir," Alfred confirmed.
Link started the car, cautiously pulling out of the hospital. "Alfred, plot the least-trafficked route back to Avengers HQ. Seal all windows and switch to autopilot."
"Understood, sir," Alfred responded, and all the windows, including the windshield, darkened, becoming reflective.
Link turned to Natasha. "Lower your seat, grab the weapons from the back, and suit up. We're about to be attacked."
All of them—Steve, Natasha, and Clint—stiffened at the warning, but they immediately sprang into action.
Natasha, with her agility, slipped into the back where Link kept an arsenal of weapons. She handed out tactical gear and weapons to everyone.
Even Steve, though typically relying on his shield, accepted a handgun and strapped a titanium wrist shield onto his right arm for emergency use.
Clint picked out a submachine gun, while Natasha and Steve armed themselves with pistols. Link, however, took the most equipment—aside from a pistol, he grabbed a carbine and a set of throwing knives, securing the knife holster to his lower back.
After loading their weapons, they were all ready for combat.
"Link, how did things go in space?" Natasha asked, her voice cutting through the tense silence.
The question helped ease the mounting tension in the car.
"Quite well," Link replied with a grin. "Soon, we'll have a fully operational space warship capable of holding 120 Raptor fighters. It can fight in both space and atmosphere and even land on water if needed."
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(End of Chapter)