Ground forces quickly retreated and regrouped, establishing defenses using armored vehicles and more robust cover.
Heavy weapon support teams, armed with shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles and Gauss rifles, were deployed to high ground, emitting dull roars.
The objective was no longer precise targeting but saturation bombardment of mutant-infested areas.
The remaining Quinjets no longer attempted low-altitude sweeps but rapidly climbed to a safe altitude.
Their weapon bay doors opened, and more powerful micro air-to-ground missiles and precisely guided laser-guided bombs rained down like hail.
Explosive fireballs continuously erupted within the mutant charging ranks, their shockwaves making the shields flicker violently, even tearing apart some of the peripheral mutants.
Victoria Hand's voice chimed in on the channel at the opportune moment: "Shield frequency analysis complete! Accessing target lock system... now!"
Several Quinjets' autocannons instantly adjusted their firing modes, launching energy projectiles carrying specific oscillation frequencies.
When these energy projectiles hit the shields, they no longer just created ripples but caused the shields to melt like heated butter.
After flickering a few times, they completely failed.
Against the shieldless mutants, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents threw specialized magnetic-adhering nets and high-voltage stun batons to restrict their movement.
Potent neuro-paralytic gas, specifically designed for biologically enhanced targets, was cautiously deployed to specific areas.
Without the mutants drawing the main firepower, ninjas exposed in open ground or covered by precision-guided weapons suffered rapidly increasing casualties under S.H.I.E.L.D. snipers and high-tech reconnaissance equipment.
Natasha's figure moved through the chaos like a deadly ghost; each flash was accompanied by a ninja falling.
The shield's collapse marked a turning point.
Without the protection of their shells, the bio-engineered mutants became clumsy targets before S.H.I.E.L.D.'s heavy firepower. Missiles and bombs tore their massive bodies to pieces, scattering exploding metal parts and disgusting bio-organic fluid everywhere.
The exposed elite ninjas also struggled against S.H.I.E.L.D.'s well-organized, well-equipped, and highly tactically proficient agents and soldiers.
The din of battle gradually subsided after more than half an hour.
On the smoke-filled ruins, fires still burned, crackling.
Foot Clan bodies lay scattered, ninja black suits soaked in blood, bio-engineered mutant remnants smoking, emitting a mixed stench of char and chemicals.
S.H.I.E.L.D. also paid a price: a dozen agents killed, over thirty wounded, two Quinjets severely damaged but managed to return, and several light armored vehicles destroyed or incapacitated.
Fury's figure appeared at the edge of the ruins, his face ashen.
He looked at the devastated battlefield and the bodies of the fallen agents, his jaw clenched.
"Clear the battlefield! Every fragment, every drop of blood, every corpse, examine meticulously! I want to know the origin of these bastards, and what their relationship is with the Traveler! Codename 'Iron Curtain' Operation Phase One ends, transition to 'Evidence Recovery' Phase!"
Over the next three hours, the ruins transformed into a massive outdoor laboratory and morgue.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s professional forensics teams, clad in hazmat suits, carefully collected every possible piece of information:
Fragments of ninja weapons, bearing unique forging marks.
Metallic skeletons, biological tissue samples, and residual implanted energy cores from the bio-engineered mutants.
Shattered communicator fragments, attempts made to recover data.
Bullet marks and explosion traces remaining on structures, used to reconstruct the engagement.
All bodies were numbered, photographed, and underwent preliminary autopsies.
Fury personally supervised the scene, his single eye sweeping every corner like a hawk.
The air was filled with a nauseating mixture of disinfectant, burnt smell, and blood.
Fatigue began to creep onto the agents' faces, but Fury's orders were unquestionable.
Finally, a technical agent's voice, tinged with weary excitement, came through the encrypted channel: "Sir! In Sector B7, a damaged recorder embedded in a concrete block has been found! Preliminary assessment indicates it's a combat recording device from a ninja or mutant. Impact damage is severe, but the data storage unit might still be salvageable!"
Fury immediately rushed to that area.
Technical personnel were carefully using a laser cutter to extract the twisted, deformed metal cube from the solidified concrete.
After intense salvage data extraction and repair, an extremely blurry, static-filled video clip, lasting only a few seconds, was restored.
The footage shook violently, the camera angle very low, as if the recorder was under impact or moving rapidly.
The background was a chaotic battlefield, with faint glimpses of several... uh... giant turtles, and a rapidly moving human figure.
Then, just as the footage was about to cut out, in the final split second, the camera captured the front of that blurry human figure, clearly showing two scorching, reddish-gold rays, as if capable of setting the screen ablaze, erupting violently from his eyes like enraged dragons!
Boom!!!
The video cut off there, ending on the shocking image of the heat rays bursting forth, the air in front violently distorting, and the target instantly destroyed.
The entire temporary command center was eerily silent.
Everyone was stunned by this brief yet incredibly impactful footage.
Fury stared intently at the scorching red light frozen on the screen, the shock in his single eye quickly replaced by deeper suspicion.
"Coulson," Fury's voice was terrifyingly low, breaking the silence, "Extract the core frequency of that energy waveform separately. Cross-reference it with the energy release data of 'Cyclops' Scott Summers at the X-Mansion."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Hawk's blurry silhouette on the screen, then added, "And... cross-reference it with the physiological energy signature database of all recorded Kree, Skrull, and other alien beings. Especially those related to body modification projects."
Fury turned, looking out at the gradually lightening sky, his fingers unconsciously touching an old-fashioned pager clipped to his waist.
"Mutant? Or some more dangerous alien modification product?" he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. "Hawk... what exactly are you? Busan, the Foot Clan, and this power... your secrets, I will uncover them."
Late night, Hawk's penthouse apartment, master bedroom.
Beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows lay the glittering city skyline, like a scattered galaxy.
No main lights were on inside, only a floor lamp in the corner cast a soft, ambiguous glow.
The air lingered with the scent of expensive champagne and desire.
The incredibly soft bed, into which one could sink, was a mess.