SHIELD Helicarrier, Germany, Thursday morning
So, there was a step beyond Condition: Red. Hi, Condition: Black. Horrified to know you existed.
Now that the Ultimates had their full team back (minus Captain America, of course), SHIELD's forces were set to take on the greatest challenge to world security that had presented itself. Right now, the gods of Asgard needed to be avenged. The Children of Tomorrow needed to be turned back.
And there was Spider-Woman, on the deck of the lead Helicarrier in the fleet, standing beside Nick Fury and the Ultimates. This was just a bit beyond anything Jessica Drew had ever done before. Even the whole "fighting Reed Richards' forces in the Negative Zone" thing. At least that was something where there were scientists AND things to hit. This was waiting in the wings as a war broke out.
She listened as Hawkeye explained the situation to Fury. The EU sent their super soldiers out in advance in an attempt to stop the City's growth. Berlin and Munich had already been absorbed, and the dome was still growing. The EUSS had to try something, but it sounded like it didn't work out very well.
And then, finally, Hawkeye said, "We're approaching the perimeter of the City."
"All right then, Clint," Fury said. "Aim straight. Point us right towards the heart of it."
The City below was a massive, amorphous metal structure. Frank Gehry on LSD, spreading across half of a nation. But that wasn't the troublesome part.
"First responders taking to the air," Hawkeye reported as ships launched from the City.
"Then we will meet them there with steel and iron!" Thor declared. He had the costume and hammer he had back in the early days of the Ultimates. It was a long story, but the basic point was that they gave him power almost equal to what he had before Asgard fell.
"Hold up, Thor," Iron Man warned, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder to stop him.
"For now," Fury said, "you are all staying in my back pocket. A little surprise for these bastards when everything stops coming up aces."
"... And what he's not telling you is if everything goes to hell, that hammer of yours is the only thing that can teleport everyone out of here," Iron Man interjected. "A safe way home if we need it."
"No," Fury said. "There's no going home empty-handed, Tony. Today we win, or we do not. Increase our speed, Clint. Close the gap."
"One hundred and ten percent, Nick," Hawkeye announced as the Helicarrier accelerated. "Five minutes until we reach the center of... HEAD'S UP! They're firing!"
The air battle started in earnest with the City's ships and SHIELD's forces trading bullets, missiles, energy beams, and whatever else they had to throw at each other. Spider-Woman ended up gripping the wall behind her just to keep herself steady as the Helicarrier shook from the impacts. "Did they do anything?" she asked.
"Scratch nothing, Spider-Woman," Hawkeye said as he glanced at the ships. "Zero damage to the enemy vessels. Targets increasing velocity... Closing... Closing... and damn quick about it."
"Definitely not aces, Nicky," Iron Man pointed out.
"No, it isn't," Fury agreed. "Thor, Iron Man. Put some doubt in their hearts."
The two biggest guns the Ultimates had flew out to start taking down the City's ships as only they could, but the fight was only beginning.
"They're still closing," Hawkeye announced as flying power armor came into view. "Not slowing down.... They're on top of us!"
The power armor and Children with jetpacks smashed through the bridge's windows and flooded into the Helicarrier. Non-essential SHIELD agents started to clear out while the Ultimates remaining armed themselves.
Except for the one who didn't use any fancy weapons, of course. "So fast," Spider-Woman said as she leaped over a jetpack Child. And on her descent? Kick to the face! That felt good. "But not fast enou--"
Her bravado was interrupted as another Child flew by and slashed her side with a buzzsaw. The Child was on her instantly, one hand around her neck and the other bringing the saw closer....
That could have been the end if Monica Chang, the Black Widow (... again, long story) hadn't armed up and started shooting all of the Children of Tomorrow in the head. Any that she missed ended up with arrows in their heads a second later.
"So, boss," Hawkeye said once the bridge had been cleared of living intruders. "Back to the business at hand?"
As Spider-Woman webbed the bloody gash in her side back together, Hawkeye gave a status report. Two of the Helicarriers in the fleet had gone down. It was time to ramp things up.
"Clint," Fury said. "I believe it's time to let these bastards know we mean business."
"Understood," Hawkeye said, taking his position again and hitting a couple buttons. "Warhead's armed. On your order."
As Thor and Iron Man returned to the bridge through the brand new giant hole, fury gave the command. "Lauch a nuke."
The Helicarrier was a safe distance away, but the light was still blinding. Hawkeye, unsurprisingly, was the first one to get some view of the result. "Damn."
The City still stood. The Children of Tomorrow were still in the air. And they were focusing a combined laser blast on one of the Helicarriers. In an instant, it was vaporized.
"Eagle Three... It's just gone," Hawkeye said. "Prepare another salvo!"
Another combined blast and another Helicarrier was down.
"Eagle Twelve. Gone!" he announced.
"Arm the other warheads!" Fury ordered.
"Arming," Hawkeye said. "Nick, are you sure?"
"Target the dome! Prepare to fire everything!" Fury shouted.
"Nick!" Black Widow called, grabbing his arm. "We can't beat them. We're bloody, but still breathing. Straight line's just gonna get us all killed. There's no win here."
For the first time since the battle started, there was silence. And then Nick Fury lowered his head. "Sound the retreat."
"Let's go home," Black Widow said.
Seconds later, thunder cracked through the air as Thor transported the entire fleet back to New York.
The Ultimates had faced the unbeatable enemy... and they lost.
[OOC: NFB, NFI. Adapted from Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #3 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, whose name I had trouble spelling even as I was looking at it.]
Now that the Ultimates had their full team back (minus Captain America, of course), SHIELD's forces were set to take on the greatest challenge to world security that had presented itself. Right now, the gods of Asgard needed to be avenged. The Children of Tomorrow needed to be turned back.
And there was Spider-Woman, on the deck of the lead Helicarrier in the fleet, standing beside Nick Fury and the Ultimates. This was just a bit beyond anything Jessica Drew had ever done before. Even the whole "fighting Reed Richards' forces in the Negative Zone" thing. At least that was something where there were scientists AND things to hit. This was waiting in the wings as a war broke out.
She listened as Hawkeye explained the situation to Fury. The EU sent their super soldiers out in advance in an attempt to stop the City's growth. Berlin and Munich had already been absorbed, and the dome was still growing. The EUSS had to try something, but it sounded like it didn't work out very well.
And then, finally, Hawkeye said, "We're approaching the perimeter of the City."
"All right then, Clint," Fury said. "Aim straight. Point us right towards the heart of it."
The City below was a massive, amorphous metal structure. Frank Gehry on LSD, spreading across half of a nation. But that wasn't the troublesome part.
"First responders taking to the air," Hawkeye reported as ships launched from the City.
"Then we will meet them there with steel and iron!" Thor declared. He had the costume and hammer he had back in the early days of the Ultimates. It was a long story, but the basic point was that they gave him power almost equal to what he had before Asgard fell.
"Hold up, Thor," Iron Man warned, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder to stop him.
"For now," Fury said, "you are all staying in my back pocket. A little surprise for these bastards when everything stops coming up aces."
"... And what he's not telling you is if everything goes to hell, that hammer of yours is the only thing that can teleport everyone out of here," Iron Man interjected. "A safe way home if we need it."
"No," Fury said. "There's no going home empty-handed, Tony. Today we win, or we do not. Increase our speed, Clint. Close the gap."
"One hundred and ten percent, Nick," Hawkeye announced as the Helicarrier accelerated. "Five minutes until we reach the center of... HEAD'S UP! They're firing!"
The air battle started in earnest with the City's ships and SHIELD's forces trading bullets, missiles, energy beams, and whatever else they had to throw at each other. Spider-Woman ended up gripping the wall behind her just to keep herself steady as the Helicarrier shook from the impacts. "Did they do anything?" she asked.
"Scratch nothing, Spider-Woman," Hawkeye said as he glanced at the ships. "Zero damage to the enemy vessels. Targets increasing velocity... Closing... Closing... and damn quick about it."
"Definitely not aces, Nicky," Iron Man pointed out.
"No, it isn't," Fury agreed. "Thor, Iron Man. Put some doubt in their hearts."
The two biggest guns the Ultimates had flew out to start taking down the City's ships as only they could, but the fight was only beginning.
"They're still closing," Hawkeye announced as flying power armor came into view. "Not slowing down.... They're on top of us!"
The power armor and Children with jetpacks smashed through the bridge's windows and flooded into the Helicarrier. Non-essential SHIELD agents started to clear out while the Ultimates remaining armed themselves.
Except for the one who didn't use any fancy weapons, of course. "So fast," Spider-Woman said as she leaped over a jetpack Child. And on her descent? Kick to the face! That felt good. "But not fast enou--"
Her bravado was interrupted as another Child flew by and slashed her side with a buzzsaw. The Child was on her instantly, one hand around her neck and the other bringing the saw closer....
That could have been the end if Monica Chang, the Black Widow (... again, long story) hadn't armed up and started shooting all of the Children of Tomorrow in the head. Any that she missed ended up with arrows in their heads a second later.
"So, boss," Hawkeye said once the bridge had been cleared of living intruders. "Back to the business at hand?"
As Spider-Woman webbed the bloody gash in her side back together, Hawkeye gave a status report. Two of the Helicarriers in the fleet had gone down. It was time to ramp things up.
"Clint," Fury said. "I believe it's time to let these bastards know we mean business."
"Understood," Hawkeye said, taking his position again and hitting a couple buttons. "Warhead's armed. On your order."
As Thor and Iron Man returned to the bridge through the brand new giant hole, fury gave the command. "Lauch a nuke."
The Helicarrier was a safe distance away, but the light was still blinding. Hawkeye, unsurprisingly, was the first one to get some view of the result. "Damn."
The City still stood. The Children of Tomorrow were still in the air. And they were focusing a combined laser blast on one of the Helicarriers. In an instant, it was vaporized.
"Eagle Three... It's just gone," Hawkeye said. "Prepare another salvo!"
Another combined blast and another Helicarrier was down.
"Eagle Twelve. Gone!" he announced.
"Arm the other warheads!" Fury ordered.
"Arming," Hawkeye said. "Nick, are you sure?"
"Target the dome! Prepare to fire everything!" Fury shouted.
"Nick!" Black Widow called, grabbing his arm. "We can't beat them. We're bloody, but still breathing. Straight line's just gonna get us all killed. There's no win here."
For the first time since the battle started, there was silence. And then Nick Fury lowered his head. "Sound the retreat."
"Let's go home," Black Widow said.
Seconds later, thunder cracked through the air as Thor transported the entire fleet back to New York.
The Ultimates had faced the unbeatable enemy... and they lost.
[OOC: NFB, NFI. Adapted from Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #3 by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, whose name I had trouble spelling even as I was looking at it.]