The night was pitch black, and the area within 15 miles of North Brother Island was completely cordoned off.
On the banks of the Hudson River, dozens of blinding searchlights illuminated the surrounding area as if it were daytime.
National Guard armored vehicles set up roadblocks on major roads, and police went door-to-door to evacuate residents.
A tense atmosphere filled the air, with confirmation messages constantly crackling over the radio from various units:
"Area A is now sealed off!"
"All residents of Zone B have been evacuated!"
"Three people have been found stranded in Zone C—forced removal measures are being carried out!"
...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
On the Hudson River, more than a dozen Coast Guard gunboats patrolled back and forth, their 50mm cannons pointed directly at the island in the darkness.
Armed helicopters hovered at low altitudes, and infrared scanners continuously swept the silhouette of the abandoned hospital.
Rumble… rumble…
With a roar, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjet landed on the temporarily cleared ground.
The hatch opened, and Nick Fury strode out, his black trench coat fluttering in the night wind.
Steve Rogers followed closely behind, his blue-and-white uniform stark under the searchlights.
Maria Hill disembarked last, her tablet displaying live surveillance footage.
Upon seeing Nick Fury arrive in person, New York Police Department Chief Jeffrey Mays quickly went to greet him.
His suit was still impeccably tailored, but beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed his nervousness as he said:
"Sir, the situation is worse than we thought."
Nick Fury's single eye swept over the soldiers standing ready and the heavy equipment steadily advancing into the blockade zone. He stated succinctly:
"Explain."
Jeffrey Mays activated a holographic projection and began briefing him quickly and clearly.
"According to satellite imagery, the number of unidentified creatures on the island has now exceeded three hundred. Two hours ago, I dispatched two reconnaissance teams and two negotiation specialists to attempt communication with the occupants—but we failed."
"The other side refused to engage. All twenty-five personnel—both recon teams and the negotiation specialists—were killed."
As he spoke, he tapped his tablet, and the projection switched to a blurry video.
The final seconds of footage, recorded by a reconnaissance team's helmet camera, showed a ferocious, terrifying figure lunging from the darkness—sharp claws flashing, followed by the team members' heart-wrenching screams.
In the recordings from the negotiation specialists, only a non-human roar could be heard, followed by the sickening sound of bones breaking.
Finally, Jeffrey Mays added, hesitating slightly:
"The expert team analyzed all available data and reached an… incredible conclusion: these creatures are very likely the legendary demons."
At that, Steve Rogers' eyes widened. He stared toward North Brother Island, utterly astonished, and exclaimed:
"Demons? You mean the ones from the Bible—with horns, tails, and fire-breathing?"
Jeffrey Mays glanced at Steve Rogers and calmly explained:
"Not exactly. But some individuals do exhibit hyperkeratosis and a protruding coccyx."
Steve Rogers sighed, a touch of wry emotion in his voice:
"Honestly, I kind of miss Hydra. At least they were usually only interested in my blood samples—and rarely messed with my values."
Jeffrey Mays ignored his complaints, pulled up satellite images, and said:
"There are two pieces of news. The bad news is that the demons on the island are becoming increasingly agitated. The expert team judges that these demons could escape from North Brother Island at any time, posing a significant threat to global security."
Nick Fury nodded seriously, then asked,
"So what's the good news?"
Upon hearing this, Jeffrey Mays looked up and said with an air of self-righteousness,
"Good news? I didn't say there was good news! The other one is also bad news."
Although the heavy equipment had arrived, the corresponding ammunition and maintenance gear had not yet been delivered.
"If the demons on North Brother Island were to try to leave, the probability of successfully intercepting them with our current firepower is less than 30%. Our forces would even have a hard time protecting themselves."
Nick Fury squinted his one eye, remaining silent. His gaze toward Jeffrey Mays, however, grew increasingly amiable.
He made his decision: tomorrow, he would send Jeffrey Mays on a solo expedition to Centauri!
After a moment of silence, Nick Fury turned to look at North Brother Island in the distance.
In the darkness, the general outline of the abandoned hospital on the riverbank could be vaguely seen—like a lurking beast.
He took a deep breath of the cold night air, his voice as cold as steel, and gave the order:
"Hill, take note. I'm making the following deployment adjustments:
1. Reinforce the existing defensive lines. Urge the military to dispatch the 82nd Airborne Division as soon as possible to bolster current positions and construct a second line of defense behind them.
2. Appoint Rumlow as interim artillery commander. Deploy all National Guard M777 howitzers, M109A6 self-propelled howitzers, and HIMARS rocket launchers along the banks of the East River, with all barrels aligned on the island's coordinates.
3. Deploy three additional F-35 fighter jets to the no-fly zone, armed with incendiary and bunker-buster munitions. Launch all 24 MQ-9 drones, each armed with high-explosive ordnance.
4. Have Coulson oversee logistical arrangements and expedite the transport of a batch of silver ammunition, specialized weapons, and holy water grenades from S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouses here."
At this point, Nick Fury paused, a cold glint flashing in his single eye, and continued:
"Once those demons show any sign of leaving the island—no further authorization required. Launch a saturation attack immediately. Blow the entire island to hell if you have to."
After Maria Hill repeated the order to confirm there were no errors in the recording, it was immediately transmitted to all battlefield units via secure radio.
The entire defense line began to function like a precision machine:
- Army soldiers shouted their unit slogans and set up heavy machine gun emplacements, mortars, and other weapons on high ground.
- Engineer units drove excavators to urgently construct artillery positions on the muddy riverbank.
- Signal Corps personnel moved through the area, laying fiber-optic cables and setting up radio relay stations.
In the night sky, another C-130J transport plane roared overhead, dropping several cargo containers.
They contained S.H.I.E.L.D. special equipment—nobody knew exactly what was inside, but each crate bore a prominent eagle emblem.
Jeffrey Mays, watching the bustling soldiers, turned to Nick Fury and asked softly,
"Sir… what do you think is the purpose of these demons coming to Earth?"
Nick Fury did not a
nswer. His gaze remained fixed on the island shrouded in darkness, as if he could already foresee the storm to come.
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