Chapter 436: Chapter 436: Armored Marauders
The Sisterhood's operation unfolded with remarkable speed. This was not solely due to Solomon's enchanted scroll providing guidance but also because of the superior stealth technology of the Wakandan aircraft. The craft evaded all detection—both visual and radar—and now hovered undetected above a U.S. Air Force base.
Tita, the operation's commander, was tasked with penetrating multiple layers of U.S. military defenses to reach the underground bunker where the nuclear warhead from the Battle of New York was stored. However, she had no intention of leading a reckless frontal assault. Although they were on U.S. soil, the base had armored vehicles and heavy weaponry at its disposal. If Tita blindly rushed underground, they risked being trapped by tanks and other armored units, forcing her to call for Solomon's teleportation support—something she wished to avoid.
Katherine, one of the squad members, loudly declared that she wouldn't accept their master's support, claiming it would make her look like a failure. Sevia, ever playful, attempted to pinch the "yapping little puppy's" cheek. She would have done so if not for Tita's sharp glare.
"Don't be so serious, Tita. Did our master forget to give you a sense of humor when he made you?" Sevia teased. "We've got Orla for support, right, my shy little bird?"
In accordance with Solomon's instructions, Tita's team carried heavy anti-vehicle weaponry. Orla led the support squad, equipped with AT-12T 120mm rocket launchers, to destroy enemy tanks and helicopters if needed. Should the base's defenses encircle the strike team, Orla's squad would provide covering fire and reinforcements.
Blushing but determined, Orla nodded firmly, pledging to complete her mission.
Following standard protocol, the strike team inspected their heavy explosive rifles and longswords. Magazines were secured to their metal belts, each round loaded by hand. Tita ordered her squad to perform final checks on their Steel Wings flight modules. She donned her helmet, and with a soft command, the servos of her powered armor activated, conducting a system check on the flight system. The temperature near her power pack began to rise as energy flowed through the armor like a molten, pulsating heart. The Steel Wings felt like extensions of her body, each feathered tip under her precise control.
Heat vents opened, and a brief, brilliant blue thrust ignited from the wings, nearly knocking Tita forward. She quickly stabilized herself with one leg, just as their training dictated. Although the engines fired for only half a second, the burst of energy raised the interior temperature of the aircraft significantly. The sharp smell of ozone filled the cabin, a byproduct of air ionization.
Satisfied with the tests, Tita ordered her team to prepare for deployment. The rear hatch of the aircraft opened, letting in a powerful gust of wind that sent their crimson robes billowing. Condensation formed on their armor from the sudden drop in temperature, only to be blown away by the intense draft.
Tita sprinted forward and leapt from the ramp, her squad following in quick succession. Their Steel Wings roared to life, emitting orange-blue thrusters as they plunged toward the airbase below.
Colonel James Rhodes had not anticipated an assault on Langley Air Force Base. Radar had given no warning. He was at the base to observe flight drills and hadn't even had time to don the latest War Machine armor Tony Stark had upgraded.
Fortunately, the invaders weren't targeting the F-22s or F-15s on the tarmac. From the control tower, Rhodes watched in shock as dozens of fiery trails descended like meteors. By the time they were visible to the naked eye, radar finally registered their presence.
"Call Stark! And scramble the planes—there might be more enemy aircraft out there!" Rhodes shouted, lowering his binoculars. He quickly instructed the officers to raise the alarm. The attackers weren't after the parked jets; they were heading straight for the heavily guarded special munitions depot, where nuclear warheads were maintained. It didn't take long for Rhodes to realize their objective. He sprinted from the control tower, barking orders for the logistics crew to prepare his armor.
Before he could get far, a powerful explosion rocked the base, throwing him to the ground. His ears rang as the deafening blast drowned out all other sounds. Dazed, Rhodes pushed himself off the scorching concrete, his vision blurred. The control tower was now a smoldering ruin. He could taste the familiar mix of smoke and pulverized cement in the air.
A rocket-propelled grenade had struck the tower, crippling the command center. No one knew where the RPG had come from; radar detected nothing. It was as if they were fighting ghosts.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Rhodes cursed under his breath. He swore at everyone—Stark, the military, the enemy—it didn't matter. Wiping the dust from his face, he felt the sticky warmth of blood from a cut on his forehead.
Lucky to be alive, he staggered toward the special equipment depot, knowing he had to stop the invaders.
"Tita, we're approaching the target."
"Open fire!"
The Sisterhood was met with a chorus of alarms and defensive gunfire as U.S. soldiers fortified their position at the entrance to the munitions depot. Mounted M2HB heavy machine guns unleashed glowing tracer rounds, lighting up the sky as they targeted the descending androids. Even in daylight, the tracers were vivid, guiding rifle fire toward the strike team.
"Full speed!" Tita commanded. The Steel Wings engines roared, propelling the squad straight at the armored vehicles.
Tita landed on an M2HB with a deafening crash, her black armored heels crushing the gun and denting the thick steel roof of the vehicle. Rifle rounds pinged harmlessly off her feedback-powered armor, sparking brightly but leaving no significant damage. What would normally be lethal projectiles barely scratched their armor.
"Fire!" Tita shouted, raising her heavy explosive rifle in one hand and driving her longsword into the vehicle's cabin with the other. Katherine cheered excitedly, firing controlled bursts from her rifle and urging the squad forward.
Cement barriers shattered under the explosive force of their specialized rounds. No defensive position could withstand the onslaught.
"For the glory of our master!" Katherine's jubilant voice rang through the comms. Her squad reloaded their rifles with precision, maintaining an overwhelming barrage of fire. Soldiers attempting to emerge from bunkers were torn apart by the explosive-tipped rounds, the internal fuses triggering catastrophic detonation upon impact.
"Prepare the explosives!" Tita ordered, firing another round toward the bunker entrance. She then took cover beside the massive cargo elevator leading to the underground depot.
"On it, ma'am!" Sevia cheerfully replied. She lobbed a heavy grenade down the dark elevator shaft, followed by several others from the squad.
"Let's make our master's glory echo even louder!"
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