Inside the Quinjet.
The gathered Avengers, including unofficial members Gwen and Harry, were all huddled around a tactical table.
Well, not everyone.
Because he didn't want to expose the "miniaturized Dehydration Gun" to too many people, Luca's spot was taken by Erha (Second Haro). Luca himself was still inside the [Boxer Mech].
The Boxer Mech was keeping pace with the Quinjet thanks to the Veronica boosters Tony had jury-rigged onto its back.
It was flying clumsily and had zero maneuverability, but at least he didn't have to run on the ground to keep up.
Back to the topic.
The projection showed a satellite view of Washington D.C.
Aside from the iconic landmarks, the most conspicuous features were the three massive Helicarriers hovering over the city in different directions.
Everyone was listening intently to Captain America's tactical briefing.
"Our primary objective is to take down these three Helicarriers!"
"The military command structure is in chaos. The White House has suffered heavy casualties. Until the command chain is re-established, we can't expect any support."
Steve paused and looked around the room.
Except for Colonel Rhodes, whose face darkened slightly, no one else reacted much.
Clearly, everyone had already accepted that the military was unreliable in a crisis. They hadn't expected help from the start.
Seeing this, Steve nodded and continued.
"Tony and Metal Knight have jammed the Insight satellite signal, but an unknown AI is constantly trying to access super-satellite data from other countries. They can't stay on the defensive forever. So, we must destroy all three Helicarriers before this AI gains control of usable satellites!"
Steve didn't know about Arnim Zola's consciousness, so he referred to him as an "unknown AI."
Of course, whether it was an AI or a person didn't change the fact that they needed to act fast.
Even without satellite support, the Helicarriers were weapons of mass destruction.
Their air superiority was a major reason Hydra could suppress D.C. and the surrounding areas so easily.
"Thor, Metal Knight. You take the north carrier."
"No problem."
Erha and Thor nodded.
"Tony, you and War Machine take the northeast one."
Tony nodded, not disputing Steve's decision.
Rhodes, however, muttered under his breath.
"My codename is Iron Patriot now..."
But seeing the weird looks from everyone else, he promptly zipped his lips.
Steve continued.
"The south carrier will be handled by the rest of us. But that's not the end!"
Steve tapped the table. The screen changed to display several portraits.
"These are known key Hydra figures. The most important are these two."
The screen showed two faces.
Former SHIELD Director Alexander Pierce. And the octopus-headed Hive.
During his disappearance, Nick Fury hadn't just stolen back an old Helicarrier; he had gathered intel on Hydra from somewhere.
He even managed to identify Hive, the new Hydra "leader."
Fury didn't look like the useless bum he appeared to be during the Secret Invasion arc.
Steve tapped the two portraits heavily, took a deep breath, and spoke firmly.
"After neutralizing the Helicarriers, we will assault the Triskelion and destroy Hydra completely... along with S.H.I.E.L.D.!!"
Silence fell over the cabin.
Natasha and Clint, still technically SHIELD agents, said nothing. Rhodes, representing the military, looked like he wanted to object but held back.
Although SHIELD was nominally an international organization overseen by the World Security Council, American leadership viewed it as their spy agency.
Steve's declaration to destroy SHIELD shocked everyone.
"Captain..."
Natasha started to speak, but Steve cut her off, his expression resolute.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. must be destroyed!"
"You've seen it. Hydra has infiltrated SHIELD to the bone. If we don't destroy both, who can guarantee Hydra won't rise from SHIELD's ashes again?"
"Once we take the Triskelion, I will release all SHIELD and Hydra files to the public. Hydra will have nowhere to hide."
Steve looked around, locking eyes with Natasha.
But Natasha simply shrugged, unfazed. She finished her interrupted sentence.
"Captain, I was going to say... well done~"
Her encouraging and nonchalant tone relaxed the atmosphere.
Natasha's choice wasn't hard to understand.
As a product of the Red Room, she joined SHIELD to redeem herself and save lives.
Now, learning that SHIELD was thoroughly corrupted by Hydra meant she couldn't be sure how many of her missions were truly just.
So, compared to others, Natasha was arguably the one who wanted to burn SHIELD down the most.
With the mission confirmed, everyone began their pre-battle preparations.
Just then, Hawkeye called out from the cockpit.
"Cap, Hydra sent a welcoming committee!"