Chapter 48: A Promise to Keep
"And hey, what do you guys think? Pretty cool, huh? It's a bit dusty from being stored in the warehouse for too long, but with the help of some friends, I managed to get it running"
Said Nick Fury as he tinkered with some computers in front of him.
"Nice one, Fury! I have to admit, you did a hell of a job"
Said Steve, with a hopeful look on his face.
"Wow, I thought you were going to drop a curse word"
Nick Fury said, feigning a surprised expression.
"Only you, I was almost certain he was going to"
Commented Peter, who had remained silent until then, as he slowly advanced towards Steve and Natasha.
Back on the aircraft, on the left side of Nick Fury, Agent Hill meticulously provided essential information, her expression focused as she confirmed every detail on the monitor.
"Sir, the city is at 5,500 feet and still rising. I think it's time to do it"
Announced Hill, looking at the monitor and then turning to Nick.
"I decided to bring you guys a little gift, hope you like it"
Nick said those words firmly, after which he immediately turned towards Agent Hill and nodded at her in a confirming gesture. In response, Hill pressed a strategically located button in front of her, triggering the opening of the front doors of the aircraft.
With a soft hum, the front doors opened, revealing several life rafts lined up inside the aircraft. Those things were colossal, like giant buses specially made for that situation.
After Pietro saw those giant things coming out of the aircraft, he was very impressed, to the point of forgetting the little rift he had with Peter.
"So, this is S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Pietro inquired, approaching Peter slowly with his attention focused on the aircraft.
"Yes, and you haven't seen anything yet"
Peter affirmed, still somewhat suspicious but giving Pietro the benefit of the doubt.
"In fact, S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't like this before, but now they seem more like what they should have been from the beginning"
Said Steve, without looking at Peter and Pietro while remaining focused on the aircraft.
Natasha, who had been observing the interaction between colleagues until then, decided to contribute.
"You're about to see what S.H.I.E.L.D. is capable of. Get ready for a surprise."
As Natasha's words echoed, those giant buses began to move rapidly towards the city.
Pietro, still amazed, uttered something while staring at those giant things descending.
"Looks like this S.H.I.E.L.D. means business, huh!"
Pietro commented, still impressed, as he watched those giant vehicles moving towards the city.
Steve, seeing that those buses were heading towards the edges of the city, decided to take action.
"Let's go, folks, we have a mission. I want to see every civilian safely boarded into those things."
After receiving the orders, the team members quickly moved towards the city to follow Steve's instructions. With a sense of urgency, they began to coordinate the evacuation process of civilians, guiding them towards the imposing S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles.
After the buses settled on the city's edges, the doors began to open, ready to receive the civilians. However, Ultron had sent some of his henchmen towards the buses to hinder the rescues.
"Sir, we have multiple intruders approaching our position"
Agent Hill warned, turning to Fury.
Nick looked at the monitor and could identify Ultron's robots approaching. Facing them, a smile appeared on his face.
"He must be underestimating us. You know what to do; show them what we're capable of."
After receiving the orders, Maria Hill nodded in confirmation and turned while activating the communicator.
"You know what to do, right?"
Agent Hill asked someone on the communicator.
Shortly after, she spoke to the person behind the line, and something big and metallic began to destroy Ultron's robots one by one. That person was none other than Colonel Rhodes, or as he is more commonly called, War Machine.
"Of course, I know. It's time to become a hero"
Rhode said, shooting and destroying Ultron's robots.
After a few minutes of fighting, Rhode was starting to get tired. When he was about to be hit by a shot, Tony appeared next to him to lend a hand.
Rhode, surprised, looked at Tony, who smiled confidently. Together, they began to destroy the remaining robots.
"You'll become a hero, for sure. If we manage to get out of this alive"
Tony said, dodging a shot and counterattacking at the same time.
"If that happens, you promise not to make fun of me?"
Sergeant Rhode asked while doing the same thing as Tony.
"You have my word: if we make it out of this situation alive, instead of mocking, I'll applaud you standing up"
Tony replied.
"I want to see that. I'll collect those applause later"
Rhode said.
While Tony and Rhodes fought against Ultron's robots, both tried to keep the situation under control. With Nick Fury, more robots began to approach the aircraft.
"Sir, more enemy reinforcements approaching. They're organizing for a coordinated attack"
Agent Hill alerted, staying focused on the situation.
Nick observed the situation with seriousness on his face.
"We can't let our guard down. Keep the defense always on and continue the civilian evacuation."
BACK ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Meanwhile, in the city, the team led by Steve coordinated the entry of civilians into the imposing S.H.I.E.L.D. buses. The urgency was palpable, and everyone was committed to ensuring the safety of the local inhabitants.
"You heard me. I don't want to see anyone left behind"
Steve said as he walked towards the security personnel of the aircraft.
Peter and Wanda, who were close to Steve, nodded in agreement and headed for the mission. After reaching there, they began to guide people to the buses.
Peter, trying to lighten the mood a bit, started a conversation with Wanda.
"It's like I'm at my aunt's job."
Curious, Wanda approached him and asked.
"What does your aunt do?"
"She's one of the helpers at the A.M.I.G.O.S. Institute. If we make it out of this alive, I'll take you there one of these days
"Peter said, helping Wanda evacuate the area.
RECOGNITION TO MEMBERS:
Matthew Jimenez🤝 - THANK YOU FOR ACTIVATING THE DOMAIN EXPANSION "MAHAYANA PRISON".