"Thor? Thor! Can you hear me?" Captain America's voice echoed through the comms channel, his tone tight with worry. Static was the only response. No matter how many times he repeated the call, there was no answer.
Unable to get through, he switched frequencies and hailed the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center. "Hill, can you track Thor's communicator signal?"
Hill's reply only deepened his concern.
"I'm sorry, Captain. GPS shows no response. His communicator might have malfunctioned… or he's no longer on Earth."
A cold silence followed. Even Nick Fury, who had been letting Steve handle field command, finally cut in, his voice unusually grim.
"Captain, pull our forces back. We can't handle those two mutants right now."
Steve hesitated. "But Thor—"
"Trust him," Fury interrupted. "He's the God of Thunder."
When the comm line went silent again, Fury leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temple, eyes fixed on the massive display showing the battle's chaos.
Marcus had warned him about the twins—Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver—but seeing their power firsthand was something else entirely. They weren't just strong. They were catastrophic. In the space of minutes, they had brought down Thor — a god — without him even landing a decisive blow. Now, Thor was lost somewhere beyond Earth's atmosphere.
And with the upcoming New York offensive looming, losing him was a disaster.
Captain America's voice broke the silence once again. "We can't just give up, Nick. We've come this far — with Marcus's help, we've almost breached Hydra's last line of defense."
"This isn't giving up," Fury shot back. "It's strategy. If we keep pressing now, all we'll get is more body bags. Pull the team back, regroup, and prepare a countermeasure."
After cutting the connection, Fury frowned deeply and turned to a smaller monitor beside him — one displaying the latest data logs. Just as Hydra collected data on the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D. did the same for any new threat they encountered.
He opened the newest entries.
---
File No.: Mutant-004
Codename: Scarlet Witch
Threat Level: Alpha-Class (Mid-tier)
Special Abilities: Extraordinary telekinetic and energy-based defensive powers (energy signature: crimson)
Ability Analysis:
Capable of telekinetically lifting herself to achieve limited flight. Her energy defense field functions similarly to a magical barrier. In moments of distraction, Thor's charged hammer throw was able to pierce her defenses. However, when fully focused, she can withstand any attack — even divine lightning.
Weakness Hypothesis:
Scarlet Witch's abilities, though extremely potent, depend on her line of sight. She must see her target to exert control or maintain her psychic field. When Thor fought Quicksilver beneath the cliff, he remained outside her influence.
Recommended strategy: Target her eyesight to disrupt concentration, or strike when her focus lapses.
Countermeasure Proposal:
— High-intensity flash device for close-range use.
---
File No.: Mutant-005
Codename: Quicksilver
Threat Level: Alpha-Class (Low-tier)
Special Abilities: Extreme speed and reflex-based agility
Ability Analysis:
Capable of sustained motion at approximately twice the speed of sound with exceptional maneuverability. At this velocity, he can dodge almost any attack as long as he senses danger. His theoretical speed limit is unknown.
Satellite surveillance has confirmed readings of a near-light-speed object completing two full revolutions around Earth's surface. The report strongly suggests that the "object" is Quicksilver in an accelerated state.
Weakness Hypothesis:
While Quicksilver can dodge nearly any attack at high speed, his body cannot sustain that level of velocity indefinitely. After a major assault, he must slow down briefly to recover stamina — a window lasting only seconds. His habit of taunting opponents after landing a hit may be a tactic to disguise these recovery moments. However, predicting exactly where he stops is nearly impossible without real-time tracking.
Countermeasure Proposal:
— Wide-range, colorless paralysis gas; neutral to both enemy and ally to prevent advance detection.
---
Fury exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. "Impressive," he muttered, scanning the reports. Even in a few minutes of combat, S.H.I.E.L.D. analysts had dissected the twins' powers, pinpointed their weaknesses, and drafted effective countermeasures.
But there was one glaring issue.
"Sir," a weapons technician called from across the bridge. "We haven't developed the flash missiles or dispersion-grade paralysis gas required for those plans. Even if we started now, it'd take days to prototype."
Fury's brow furrowed. That was the S.H.I.E.L.D. way — observe, analyze, develop a specialized weapon, and then strike. But time was a luxury they no longer had.
No matter how sharp his instincts or how detailed his plans, you can't conjure weapons out of thin air.
"Get the weapons division moving," he ordered, his tone low and urgent. "I want those prototypes as soon as humanly possible. We need them before those two decide to come for us next."
The twins had proven far too powerful to confront head-on. If S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to force another fight now, it would end in catastrophe. Unless…
Unless another miracle occurred.
Thor was gone.
Hulk was locked in a brutal brawl with Abomination.
Tony Stark had fallen out with Steve Rogers.
Who, then, could possibly turn the tide?
Fury's gaze shifted to the tactical map — and then froze. His one good eye widened slightly as it caught a lone red signal marker far from the main forces, steadily moving deeper into Hydra's fortress.
"When did he get inside…?"
Meanwhile, Quicksilver skidded to a stop, finally finishing his second lap around the planet. His lungs burned, his breath ragged, and beads of sweat ran down his forehead — the price of pushing his body to its limit.
Still, a smug grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
That attack had been worth it.
"Eight thousand kilometers, two full orbits…" he muttered between gasps. "Not bad. I'll need… a minute to catch my breath."
No one on the battlefield dared approach him now.
They all thought S.H.I.E.L.D. had been crushed, that no one would be foolish enough to make another move.
But the figure moving unseen through the ruins wasn't exactly human — not anymore.
__
T/N:
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