Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1098 (Second Update)

The convoy stopped three kilometers from Halle Airport outside Leipzig, and a large number of heavily armed US troops disembarked from the troop transport trucks. Tony Stark and Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes got out to receive their equipment. They watched as the soldiers deployed some anti-aircraft guns and other heavy weaponry around the airport, completely blocking traffic on Highway 14 between Berlin and Leipzig. They even saw rockets and Stinger missiles. "If I were you, I'd remember not to fly here," Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes said in a low voice. "I suspect Secretary Ross will also target us."

“You’re too pessimistic, Rhodes,” Tony Stark said, his brow still furrowed, but his tone light and cheerful. “Secretary Ross needs us. He’s just doing this to put pressure on Steve. Look, there he is!” He pointed to the high-end armored limousine at the back of the convoy. “If you have any questions, we can ask him now, but I think he’ll want us to act quickly because the informant claims Steve Rogers is already at the airport. I don’t know why he’s going to the airport. Does he think he can just fly out of Germany? Doesn’t he know he’s wanted? Do you know anything, Agent Romanov?”

Natasha Romanov, who was passing by him, stopped in her tracks.

"If you continue with this distrustful attitude, Stark, then it means I should share Steve's distrust of the agreement." She glanced at Tony Stark and Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes. "I'm going to prepare the weapons. You two hurry. We don't know Steve's plans yet, but he's sure to cause us trouble."

"You've gone too far, Tony," Rhodes said. "You shouldn't have treated her like that."

"I know I'll apologize to her after this is over," Tony Stark sighed. "I'm under a lot of pressure. I didn't want things to come to this... They don't understand, I just wanted to protect them. The Avengers should have an official identity a long time ago. This isn't the era of S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. The Avengers have to act legally and do legal things. We can't become criminals!"

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"Is this our new member? Is he alright?"

"I gave him some coffee," Clint said, pointing to Scott Lang, who had just woken up. This guy had been asking which city he was in not long ago. This was the helper Sam Wilson had asked Natasha Romanoff to contact. Clint used old S.H.I.E.L.D. channels and smuggling methods to get Scott Lang into Germany without anyone else knowing—as for why Sam knew him, that involves Scott Lang's attempt to use Pym Particles to infiltrate the Avengers base and being discovered. After Sam Wilson kicked him out (at least that's what he said), he went to great lengths to find out about Scott Lang's abilities through acquaintances. When he made the request, Scott Lang agreed without hesitation.

"Did he tell you who our opponent is?" Steve asked.

"They look like a few... psychopathic killers?"

"That's a very good summary." Steve Rogers nodded. "Our operation was completely illegal, and if you were with us, you would be wanted too."

Scott Lang shrugged. "This is nothing new."

The group exchanged pleasantries for a while until Clint Patton saw the convoy approaching from the other end of the highway through the camera. Natasha Romanoff knew she would be under information control, and she couldn't risk exposing herself by notifying others. Therefore, she instructed Clint to pay close attention to the intersection of Highway 9 and Highway 14. The appearance of US troops and German police meant that time was running out—this was already the fastest the inconspicuous, beat-up car could go. They had avoided all obstacles and tried to avoid being seen by ordinary people during the 173-kilometer journey, which meant they had taken far longer than expected. The escape time Natasha Romanoff had given them was far from enough. The echoing announcements at the airport were the best proof; the control tower had certainly received orders not to allow any aircraft to take off.

"Let's get ready," Steve Rogers said. "It's time to go."

As Steve Rogers and his team ran across the tarmac towards the hangar, a miniature missile rained down and exploded in front of them. Captain Rogers immediately raised his shield to shield himself from the dust and impact. When the smoke cleared, the red-gold Iron Man and the black-silver War Machine landed side by side before them. "Wow!" Tony Stark's armor folded its helmet back into its inner chest plate. "How strange, running into someone I know at the airport." He turned to Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes. "Don't you find that odd?"

“Tony, listen to me,” Steve Rogers said. “That psychiatrist, he’s the mastermind behind all this.”

“That’s another matter, Captain.” Tony Stark pointed to Bucky next to Rogers. “The problem now is him. Whether he’s innocent or not, he has to come with us and wait for the investigation. If what happened in Vienna has nothing to do with him, then he only needs to be tried for his past actions, such as the people he killed twelve hours ago.”

"You've arrested the wrong person," Steve Rogers repeated. "Bucky is innocent."

“Then let him get treatment,” Tony Stark said impatiently. “As long as we can prove he’s mentally ill, he won’t face criminal charges. He can even spend the rest of his life in a high-class sanatorium. That’s the best I can offer, Rogers. The Secretary of State won’t let someone who once worked for Hydra live a comfortable life. Don’t resist, come with us. It’s not too late! Even if you don’t want to sign the Sokovia Accords, you have to think about your friends, don’t you?”

"Stark! Damn it, Stark!" Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes suddenly heard Ross's voice on the communicator. "Fire has broken out on Highway 9! Unidentified armed forces have breached the defenses!" Accompanied by the sound of Cheetah twin-mounted anti-aircraft guns firing, which could be heard even from the airport, Ross roared into the channel, "Take down Rogers immediately and come help! It's a low-flying aircraft!"

"Those are your men? You have backup?" Tony Stark immediately donned his helmet, and Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes also put on his mask, ready for battle. Stark scrutinized the people standing next to Steve Rogers, seemingly trying to find the person who should have been there but wasn't. However, Steve Rogers just shook his head in confusion, and even Natasha Romanoff, standing behind Tony Stark, didn't understand what was happening. It wasn't until they saw a spacecraft with an excellent aerodynamic design effortlessly break through the airfield at low altitude, leaving a trail of bright blue flames, and a man in a black bodysuit and a group of bald women wielding spears jumped down from the hovering aircraft that they realized who had breached the defenses.

"Your Majesty," Steve Rogers nodded to T'Challa, who responded politely. The aircraft departed quickly after the passengers arrived. Although the aircraft, armored in vibranium, could withstand Stinger missiles and anti-aircraft gun attacks, its internal precision components could not withstand the vibrations and noise from repeated impacts.

“I told you, we still have half of the King’s Guard,” he said to Natasha Romanoff. “Now I’ve brought them here. They’re going to take the murderer of my father back to Wakanda. Stark, you can’t stop us. You know Wakanda’s technological prowess. As for you…”

He glanced at Clint Barton.

"It's just a difference of opinion," Natasha Romanov said. "That happens all the time."

“That’s impossible, Your Majesty,” Tony Stark said. “Bucky Barnes must go to America.”

"Get me the drone surveillance footage. Let me see who broke through at low altitude," Secretary Ross ordered his subordinates. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief as he waited for the officer to bring the footage to his tablet. He saw that in the drone footage, the insignia identifying Tony Stark and Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes and the insignia identifying Steve Rogers had overlapped.

However, things didn't turn out as he had expected. Steve Rogers and his henchmen were still entangled with Stark, which made Ross gradually lose patience. He even suspected that it was all Stark's act to find an excuse to let Captain Rogers and the Winter Soldier go.

"Wakandars?" Secretary of State Ross heard the officer's conclusion. "How could the Wakandans possibly be capable of building such a spacecraft? Forget it, Stark, get to work!" He urged repeatedly, but Tony Stark's reply only fueled Ross's impatience. "If you don't resolve this, let the military handle it! Ignore that Wakandan; if he gets in your way, take him down too! I don't care about diplomacy, follow orders, Stark!"

The Secretary of State angrily hung up the call, then took out a small pill bottle and poured himself a pill. "Fuck! Execute Operation Gamma!" he waved impatiently, ordering the heavily guarded operational trucks at the back of the convoy to move in front of him. "Drop him directly into the airport. I want to take down Steve Rogers as quickly as possible!"

"But, sir... this would cause considerable losses, and we cannot reach a consensus with the German side."

"I don't care! Start heating up, inject adrenaline!" Ross said. "The future belongs to super soldiers, and the products of my project must be put to use!"

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(End of this chapter)