The steel tracks screeched against the asphalt, their metallic clatter reverberating between the towering skyscrapers. The tank's engine roared like a caged beast, drowning out the panicked screams from the high-rise windows above. Some fled, while others fumbled with their phones, eager to capture the chaos. Hong Fei paid no attention to the chaos outside.
He slammed the accelerator to the floor, sending the tank hurtling forward with reckless abandon. Three helicopters buzzed behind them like angry hornets. Bullets rained down faster than a summer storm, hammering against the tank's armor with relentless fury. The metallic clangs grew louder, each impact tightening the tension in the air. "Take it out!" Frank barked, his hands darting across the turret controls.
The helicopters veered sharply, trying to evade. Frank's face remained calm as he began the countdown. "Fire!" Hong Fei pulled the trigger without hesitation. The smoothbore cannon recoiled violently, and a concentrated energy shell erupted from the barrel. The helicopter in the sky had no chance to dodge. It erupted into a fiery ball, the explosion echoing like thunder through the urban canyon.
Frank exhaled, but his brow stayed furrowed. "They're using guns now. Next, it'll be missiles. Can the armor hold?" Hong Fei didn't know. All he knew was that his energy was draining fast. The tank's defensive capabilities were directly tied to his reserves. Thankfully, his energy had surged after Liberty Island—otherwise, they'd already be in trouble. "Frank, adjust the angle. Keep firing until they back off. Any landmarks nearby?"
"Billboards!" Frank answered without missing a beat.
"Aim!"
There was no time for debate. This wasn't a game or a play. Lives hung in the balance. "Locked on." Boom! "Museum." Boom! "Helicopter!" Boom! Frank aimed with precision, and Hong Fei fired faster than thought. Three shots later, only one helicopter remained. Frank glanced at Hong Fei. "No more targets unless we aim at civilians."
Hong Fei stayed silent, his eyes locked on the road ahead. He wouldn't target civilians—never. But he wouldn't hesitate to defend himself either. "Helicopter! Do not fire! Let them retreat!" The temporary commander's voice crackled over the comms, hoarse and frantic. He quickly contacted his superiors. This situation had escalated far beyond The Hand's control.
The last helicopter's crew breathed a collective sigh of relief. They had no desire to die in a fiery explosion. Frank lowered the cannon. "They've stopped shooting."
Hong Fei smirked. "Cheap bastards. They only listen when you hit them." The path ahead cleared. Occasionally, drivers abandoned their cars in the middle of the road, fleeing for their lives. Hong Fei crushed the vehicles without hesitation. The two-kilometer stretch wasn't far, and with his enhanced energy, the tank moved like a high-speed sports car.
The distant ocean came into view, the dense rows of skyscrapers giving way to open space. But the moment the tank entered the clearing, the helicopter above fired a missile. Frank hadn't expected it. By the time he shouted a warning, the missile was already in the air. Hong Fei, however, had never dropped his guard.
The tank swerved violently, and the missile struck the ground, grazing the side of the vehicle. Hong Fei felt his energy plummet instantly. "Those damn cowards!" Frank roared, twisting the cannon barrel. "Fire!" The cannon bucked, and a fiery explosion lit up the sky.
The final two hundred meters stretched before them. A building suddenly loomed into view. Frank's voice crackled over the comms: "A gymnasium. Should we hit it?"
"Don't be stupid, aim!" came the sharp reply.
The cannon barrel swiveled with mechanical precision. Frank held his breath, lining up the shot. "Rapid fire!" he barked.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The tank surged forward, its cannon barking in rapid succession. Shells roared from the chamber one after another, each blast reverberating through the air.
Hong Fei's energy manipulation pushed the firing rate beyond normal limits. As one shell left the chamber, another was already loaded and ready. The continuous barrage sounded like the wrath of an angry god raining divine punishment.
The gymnasium shuddered under the onslaught, collapsing in a cascade of fire and debris. Each explosion fed the inferno, sending waves of heat rippling through the night air. The seaside railing shattered instantly as the speeding tank launched off the road, flying more than ten meters through the air. Despite the chaos, Frank kept his aim locked on the gymnasium while Hong Fei maintained the relentless barrage.
The cannon barrel pointed backward, each recoil from the rapid-fire shells jerking the airborne tank forward. Hong Fei suddenly turned, shouting over the din: "Take a deep breath! I'm taking you to find Godzilla!"
With a deafening crash, the tank slammed into the sea. At the same moment, the roar of fighter jets echoed through the rain-soaked sky. The jets streaked low, their autocannons strafing the water, kicking up towering geysers.
High above, people in skyscrapers stared wide-eyed at the churning sea, their hearts pounding. The wail of approaching sirens cut through the night, growing louder by the second.
From above, the city resembled a living organism responding to the chaos. Flashing lights converged from every corner, streaming toward the scene. Buildings that had gone dark quickly lit up, one by one. Tokyo's residents were in for a sleepless night.
As one of the world's top intelligence agencies, S.H.I.E.L.D. had the full details of the incident within minutes. The source? Their biggest benefactor. With American troops stationed in Japan and the tank being an American main battle tank, it didn't take long for the news to reach the higher-ups. The Japanese government immediately contacted their American counterparts, who swiftly relayed the information back home. S.H.I.E.L.D. was soon brought into the loop.
Fury, having just returned to Washington from New York, couldn't shake the feeling that the world was changing too fast. First Liberty Island, now Tokyo—two major incidents separated by just three days. What next? "Clint, you're in charge of this investigation," he ordered.
Clint Barton, known as "Hawkeye," was one of Fury's most trusted operatives. A master of both archery and swordsmanship, he stood alongside Maria Hill, Natasha, and Coulson as one of Fury's top agents. "Yes, sir," Clint replied.
"Leave now. Take a quinjet," Fury instructed.
"Got it." Clint turned to leave but paused when Fury spoke again.
"Wait. Take more people with you, and prioritize safety. Your main objective is to identify the attackers or analyze their identities. And bring that tank back."
"Understood. However, sir, I still don't get how that tank appeared in the first place."
Fury nodded slightly. "Neither do I. But if we catch the culprits, we'll have our answers."
After Clint left, Fury immediately contacted Coulson. "Find out where that person is right now."
Beneath the sea surface, the tens-of-tons tank sank rapidly, seawater flooding the cabin. Hong Fei and Frank took deep breaths, steadying themselves for what came next.
The ocean swallowed them whole, forcing them into silent communication through gestures. A sudden jolt rocked the tank—Hong Fei flicked on the lights, illuminating the murky depths ahead. Frank's eyes flew wide. The vehicle roared to life, tearing across the seabed at impossible speed. Frank grabbed Hong Fei's arm, his expression demanding answers.
Hong Fei just flashed a brilliant grin and a thumbs-up. Tokyo Bay's maze of artificial ports loomed around them as the terrain grew increasingly erratic, plunging them through underwater ravines. Only the tank's instruments kept them oriented now.
They hurtled forward despite the water's resistance, moving twice as fast as any land-bound tank could manage. After twenty relentless minutes, Frank tapped Hong Fei's arm again. He thumped his own chest, then pointed upward. Hong Fei held up three fingers. Three minutes. When time elapsed, he switched to a peace sign. Two more.
The final countdown began with Hong Fei's single raised finger. As the last second ticked away, Frank's fists clenched—tendons standing out like cables, his face contorted with strain. Hong Fei didn't hesitate. He wrenched the hatch open, grabbed Frank by the collar, and hauled them both upward in a desperate surge.
Two bodies exploded through the churning surface, gasping like drowning men given sudden breath. Twenty-six minutes. Sixty kilometers from disaster. They floated now, letting the waves cradle them as their lungs steadied and thoughts cleared. Hong Fei nudged Frank with a wet slap to the shoulder.
"Not dead, right?"
Frank coughed up seawater. "If I die one day, it will definitely be because of you."