Chapter 95: Aerial Maneuvers

His security detail handed him a phone. "Pierce, make it quick. We got a confirmed enhanced over New York."

Pierced listened before responding. "Potentially Red Hood? Are you sure," he asked incredulously.

Red Hood had been a variable they couldn't predict. He was deemed insignificant, but his wounding of the professor had shifted some prominent members' opinions. And then there was the nasty work with the sycophants.

"We will take him out now. If we can't utilize his abilities, then SHIELD definitely can't have him, especially with the Captain being thawed." Fury had misled them; the expert spymaster couldn't be allowed another player.

"Armin, Project Insight must be expedited, as considerable variables are in place."

Secretary Alexander Pierce screamed in impotent rage at the fools the man had made of them.

He talked to the scientist for a few more minutes, ironing out plans and putting more substantial contingencies in place if something untold occurred. HYDRA couldn't falter now. Years of deception and work couldn't be allowed to go to waste.

He fumed as he watched the screens arrayed before him; in impotent rage, he slammed his hands against the table and stood."Sixteen ground assets burned. Millions of dollars in damage that will draw SHIELD like moths to a flame, and you tell me he spoofed us, us, were HYDRA."

"Sir-"

Alexander stared daggers at him. His smoldering eyes alone silence the agent.

He immediately ordered that whoever it was be executed. His curiosity, need to know everything and desire to have anything that piqued his interest fled.

"Blow him out of the sky. I'll instead pick over its corpse rather than stand for this mockery that's been made of Hydra."

"Hail Hydra." His operative saluted.

He went to relay orders, but his phone rang, this time his line. He grumbled, not knowing who it was.

"Commander Fury," he said in greeting as the clever spymaster inquired about the happenings over New York and who authorized them.

"I'm not sure I'm privy to what you're speaking about, Commander. I'm also picking up a hint of accusation. Have you forgotten who I am and who installed you at the helm?" Pierce lied with a straight face and laid means to tie Fury up.

'Insubordination might just work. Fury was snooping far too much. He felt like every time he circumvented SHIELD, someone was watching him. Who other than the man on the phone was capable of that?'

A Squadron of F-35 Lighting equipped with Stark Tech chased me through the stratosphere.

'What's the reading on these gnats.'

'As you suspected, sir," replied Alfred, "Stark Technology package. My preliminary scans have shown components similar to the mark 1 Iron Man suit.'.

I stared over my shoulder incredulous.

'He's working with the military?' I was at a loss for words.

'Unconfirmed, further assessment needed.'

'If you don't mind, I'd like to add my assumptions.'

I mentally accepted.

I whipped around, flying face up, as a Jet rumbled above me. I tossed a T-Sphere that clung to the undercarriage and righted myself before shooting further into the atmosphere.

'Mark 1 huh? It had some flaws touched upon in the first movie and a lot in the comics. It was built mostly under duress.'

I've learned that SHIELD|HYDRA wasn't out to play, and I was thankful I opted not to use a known appearance. I know they had my current suit on screen and were trying to discern who or what I was.

'It seems Obadiah Stane, under the alias of Iron Monger, has been busy. Multiple transactions have been made using names you have tagged as red in the database.'

'You think he's peddling munitions. I thought he was on the run from the government.'

'Multiple sightings of him have been captured around the world. He's selling Stark Tech, and someone in the company and military is assisting him.'

It all fits into place, similar to many incarnations of the man.

Mr. Stane was Tony Stark's business partner, Godfather, and a good friend and brother of his father, Howard Stark. After Howard's death, Stane became interim CEO of Stark Industries until Tony officially took over shortly after.

Stane's jealousy of the younger Stark flooded over. He armed the Ten Rings with Stark Industries weapons to facilitate their campaign in war-torn Gulmira.

When Pepper Potts exposed his involvement with terrorists, Stane created armor, adopted the name Iron Monger, and attempted to kill Stark, leading to his defeat and escape. That battle had occurred when Parker was fighting against the Green Goblin.

'Definitely not Earth 616.'

A prompt flashed before me.

I CACKLED.

Hydra's relationship with the unknown figure had gone straight to murderous.

'Sir, your hacking was traced back to numerous dummy sights. Coordinated bombings were enacted on several abandoned facilities before HYDRA realized they were being spoofed by extremely sophisticated means.'

'Ouch.' I felt terrible.

Let's remedy that. 'Bid on as many of the areas as possible. Local?'

'All local locations. Bids are being placed now.' I made a note and sent it to the people handling it. Real estate was something I needed.

'Anything on Fury?'

' He's inquiring. It seems Anderson Pierce is locking him out of the operation.'

Cole thought. 'Secretary Anderson Pierce, a high-ranking HYDRA agent.'

'Local news?' I queried further.

'Blocked. Threats were made to the right people.'

Ideally, that was good for me. I know I looked menacing in the Atlantes wet suit. I had a big black helmet, red pulsating eyes, a sleek futuristic wet suit with rocket cutouts, and rockets I wasn't using.

'Evasive maneuvers.'

I tilted to the left just in time before a 20 mm Stark proprietary automatic cannon exploded around me.

Boom.Boom.Boom

Explosions rippled throughout the sky as the F-35 unloaded a series of expert attacks around me.

'Shit. I forgot they had explosive shells.'.

I whirled, and shells flattened against me, each round equivalent to a punch I could still feel.

Ping.

I had seconds. Guided missiles locked on me. I shrunk into myself, arms crossed, as the golden cape spread around me like a cocoon.

Boom.

It felt like the air was punched out of my lungs. I hadn't been hit like that in a while. I had a new-found respect for Tony. What an impact on someone like me who was super-humanly invulnerable.

'I see how he was able to contend with The Hulk.' He was among the few people I added to my don't antagonize list. Like Batman with prep, Tony would take you down.

'Ask the incarnation of Hulk that Tony led Illuminati blasted into space on a destination-less rocket.'

I unraveled no worst from ware. Even with the magically enhanced cloak, I could tank some of those.

The jets veered and circled back, the pilots visibly surprised by the rising fear I sensed.

An F-35 arrowhead formation veered directly at me. The weapons were still red from earlier, and the squadron hands clamped on the firing mechanism.

'Locking Functions secured, sir.'

The chiming in my ear stopped. The equipment locking technology they used wasn't as great as they thought.

'I didn't want to destroy these planes, even as they made it harder for me.'

I saluted the three as they blasted past me. The winds cut around me, only fluttering the striking golden cape.

I took off immediately, angling for the thermosphere.

Let's help them test Tony's technology. They should understand the limitations if they purchase it for a wanted criminal.

I had an idea. Let's stir the pot.

'Send the scans to Tony Sta-' I stopped speaking and had an even better idea.

'Rescind that order. Send to Pepper Potts and ask her out on a date if she wants more information.'

'Data has been packaged and sent, sir.'

'How fast are we going.'

'Eclipsing Subsonic sir.' Alfred answered.

'Engaged the optical illusion at Six hundred km,' he ordered via earpiece, the rumbling of scrambling American manufacture ingenuity roaring on his tail.

Thoom.

Thunder growled in the upper atmosphere as he again pierced through the aggravating clouds.

Arms flat against his side, Cole cut through the skies at alarming speeds that he was sure were recorded.

His sleek black Atlantean wet suit repelled all of the atmospheric elements. He was sure his superhuman attributes contributed, but this was fantastic.

He had an excellent idea that R&D could work out the kinks.

"Alfred," he called, "add the 'Black Manta Suit' schematic into potential pressure suits. If the suits could withstand the pressure of the deep ocean, the tech might be viable in outer space.

He looked around himself. He was nearing the edges of the mesosphere. The temperature pickled his senses, but it was little to no concern to him; even outside the suit, he would be safe.

The leading F-35 sputtered before it stalled and soon followed the other two. Cole didn't bother. He pushed further, reaching inwardly as a thunderous boom emanated as he zipped into the thermosphere.

T-Spheres unstuck from him, and soon he vanished from sat and radar.

The fierce, one-eyed spy master smirked as the black suit vanished from the sensor. He hung up the phone and sat down; his hands latched as he concentrated on the still image on the monitor.

He turned toward his team, and the hacked video from central command played on the secondary screen.

"Sir Tony Stark is accusing the United States of proprietary tech piracy." An intern staff announced in alarm.

The gristle veteran froze before asking for confirmation.

"Here, sir," the tech said.

He read the report and sighed. Potential Avenger was off the table. A congressional hearing was imminent, and Tony had proof of Military theft. He had one way to avoid this, but it would cost him. He pulled out his phone and sent a text. "The sender.. had thoroughly scanned the F-35 Lightnings with illegal modifications."

"What? Put it up." Even if not Stark Tech, it was punishable and career suicide to modify military vehicles illegally. A standard had to be presented.

Commander Fury scrutinized the data and the 3-D representation.

"What is this?" he pointed at the hard light interpretation.

"No idea. We can't figure it out.."

He was interrupted by another. "That's Hard light, Commander. It was only Theoretical when I attended MIT."

"Truly?"

"That's amazing."

"Imaging the applications. Medical, Construction."

Nick Fury ignored his agent's outburst and imagined the innovations. He focused on the still image of Red Hood again. His hand tapped the console desk before he got the call he expected. This time, Secretary Pierce called him.

He would listen. He would plan. And in the eventuality of his ouster, his second in command would step in. He had been training her for years, and having the pleasure of serving with her father, he knew she was from good stock. Colonel Fury did better work in the shadows.

A metaphysical storm was brewing above the townhouse preordained as the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Ka'l The Red burned brightly, a beacon of vicious red light as the Demoness reeled back again, his constructs growing in potency and sophistication.

Tyanon chaos magic was a sight to behold.

Chaos Magic is the name of a magic so old and powerful that it was thought non-existent by even the modern Sorcerer Supreme herself.

This magic can manipulate, warp, and reconstruct the fabric of existence and reality to the user's whims, bringing total destruction to the cosmos.

Long ago, the Elder God and Arch-Demon Chthon used Chaos Magic to rule the Earth as the "God of Chaos." However, Earth's mages gathered and ended his reign with a lie: They said, 'There is no God of Chaos.' And there was no Chaos Magic, which weakened the self-proclaimed god.

"Fool, kneel before Tyanon." She shattered the ground underneath him as earth and debris encased him in a tomb.

Tyanon held her hand out. She could before, but enough to defeat this mortal.

Like molten lava, lines of irritated red stretched across the ball of earth before the former mystic exploded from it in a fit of rage as plasmoid blood splashed around him, burning the very air and deflecting the Damocles-like blade that descended.

Tyanon attempted to defend herself, but it was for naught; the magic he wielded even disintegrated her chaos magic.

The two continued to trade blows and cast an astonishing array of magic against each other. The demoness was taking back at the sheer magnitude of this electromagnetic spectrum he wielded.