At this moment, in the Republic of Southeast Asia—
Or rather, it should now be called Heaven.
Right Sect was holding the lifeless body of Oracle, who had been killed by Metropolis.
The orange flames flickering around him were clearly dim, a sign that his emotions were far from stable.
Left Sect, on the other hand, was completely enraged by the scene before him. The black flames on his head surged violently.
It was clear that Heaven could no longer remain uninvolved.
The war between them and Metropolis was now inevitable.
This was exactly what Nick Fury had hoped for. In fact, he had even sent Hulk ahead of time to wreak havoc on Metropolis.
To S.H.I.E.L.D., neither Heaven nor Metropolis should exist.
The best possible outcome would be for both sides to weaken each other, allowing S.H.I.E.L.D. to reap the benefits.
However, what Nick Fury had failed to realize was that S.H.I.E.L.D. itself was already facing major internal issues.
"Fine! We will go to war with Metropolis. You got what you wanted. Now get out of our country!" Left Sect glared at Nick Fury, gritting his teeth as he spoke each word with venom.
"I'm truly sorry for how things turned out, but please believe me—I only wanted your help in negotiating with Metropolis." Nick Fury's expression was one of deep sorrow, as if he had never expected events to unfold this way.
But everyone knew the truth.
People like him always had hidden agendas.
Still, Fury understood that keeping up the act was enough for now. His best course of action was to leave the Eternal City immediately.
If a fight broke out, the small team he had with him would stand no chance against these powerful newcomers.
As he watched Fury and his agents depart, Right Sect slowly handed Oracle's body to the other newcomers before stepping up beside his brother.
"Are we really going to let that bastard get what he wants?" Right Sect despised being manipulated like this.
"Metropolis has already killed one of our own. If we don't retaliate, why would anyone else respect our authority?" Left Sect's stance was firm. "This war against Metropolis is inevitable. But I won't let S.H.I.E.L.D. walk away unscathed either."
As he spoke, the black flames above his head flickered ominously.
"Contact America and inform them—we'll be willing to provide them with a portion of the serum," Left Sect instructed Right Sect before turning and walking back toward their city.
Right Sect gazed in the direction Fury had left, then lowered his head in contemplation. After a moment, he could only mutter to himself—
"This will only lead to our own downfall."
With that, he turned and headed toward his own floating city.
They were now in a state of war.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury turned to Black Widow and asked, "According to the plan, Hulk should have already arrived at Metropolis, correct?"
"He's within the designated drop zone," Black Widow replied flatly.
On the screen in front of her, flight records of the aircraft carrying Bruce Banner were displayed on a tablet.
"Then inform the crew aboard the jet—tell them to drop Dr. Banner right into the city. Let's give him the perfect opportunity to go on a rampage."
Nick Fury's single remaining eye gazed out at the vast blue sky as he issued the command to Black Widow.
Black Widow tapped on her tablet, executing the order.
On a Quinjet miles away, the soldiers had already received orders from Black Widow.
"Brothers, let's give Dr. Banner a hand!" One soldier shouted, and as the others turned to look at the timid, bespectacled doctor, the violent instincts buried deep within them were instantly ignited.
Bruce Banner could no longer remember how long it had been since he last turned human, but this time, he felt that returning to his human form was undoubtedly the worst choice.
Without hesitation, the soldiers threw him straight off the Quinjet toward the city. Mid-air, Dr. Banner completed his transformation—his entire body turning gray as the Hulk emerged before everyone's eyes.
As the giant crashed onto the city's domed rooftop, a figure slowly appeared.
It was Mister Fantastic, though now, the more appropriate title would be "The Maker."
He was speaking to Hulk.
No one knew what they were discussing, but on the Quinjet, the soldiers suddenly saw an anti-air weapon emerge from the city and lock onto them, obliterating their aircraft in an instant.
At the same time, the U.S. government received a transmission from the Right Sect.
"Initiate the Winter Plan," the President of the United States waved his hand, signaling for the long-prepared operation to commence.
The formation of the Ultimate Alliance and the Avengers by S.H.I.E.L.D. had long displeased the President, who held absolute power over the nation.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was no longer the obedient tool it once was.
Every decision they made contradicted their original purpose.
"The members of the Ultimate Alliance and that so-called Avengers team—all of them—are now fugitives. I want to see them captured."
Orders were issued swiftly, and in record time, U.S. military forces infiltrated Triskelion.
But the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters they once knew was nothing like it was now—chaotic noises and relentless gunfire filled the air.
Before the troops even arrived, the situation within S.H.I.E.L.D. had already spiraled out of control.
The loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents initially believed the U.S. military was there to assist them, while the rebels assumed their plan had been exposed.
But when the soldiers took action, everyone realized they had been wrong.
The troops carried out their orders with unwavering precision, suppressing all S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel without distinction.
Even the rebels were stunned. Never in their wildest imaginations did they expect that it would be the U.S. military that put an end to everything.
They had anticipated the return of the entire Ultimate Alliance to fight against them—but not this.
Meanwhile, deep within the Spider's Nest…
Bruce was closely monitoring global events.
One particular alert from a highly classified location made it clear to him that things were spiraling out of control.
"A direct order from the U.S. capital—the Winter Plan has begun."
As Bruce spoke, Jessica was still worrying about the situation at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
But upon hearing that the command came from Washington, her first instinct was that Bruce had hacked into the U.S. government systems. Her second thought was whether this so-called "Winter Plan" was connected to S.H.I.E.L.D.
"What did it say?" Jessica asked anxiously.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone. It has been completely suppressed by the U.S. government. The so-called Ultimate Alliance—they're all fugitives now." Bruce swiveled his chair to face Jessica. "As of this moment, you are officially a wanted criminal in the United States."
(End of Chapter)
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