The previously calm New York Highway erupted into chaos as Natasha Romanoff and the convoy transporting the Tesseract clashed in battle.
With car horns blaring around her, Natasha weaved her Akira motorcycle left and right, dodging incoming fire from the armored jeep's mounted automatic guns.
At the same time, she retaliated.
'Vwoom—! Vwoom—!'
The twin energy pulse cannons in Natasha's hands fired, powered by an Arc Reactor.
These cannons, mounted on her Akira bike, were an advanced modification of Iron Man's repulsors, designed by Kagura Hitomi.
They boasted superior accuracy and range compared to traditional repulsors, though they came with a drawback—high energy consumption, requiring a dedicated Arc Reactor for power.
'Bang—! Bang—!'
The first round of shots barely missed as the jeep driver swerved hard, tires screeching against the asphalt.
The violent maneuvers sent nearby vehicles into panic.
Horns blared, tires screeched, and a chain reaction of collisions ensued, throwing the entire highway into disarray.
Natasha adjusted her aim using her visor's targeting system and fired again.
'Boom—!'
This time, the energy pulse struck the rear of the armored jeep, blasting a hole in its dirt-colored plating.
The guards inside, realizing the danger, raised their firearms and returned fire.
Bullets of various calibers rained down, but the Akira bike's energy shield absorbed every impact with ease.
After all, Rhodes Island Industries didn't manufacture second-rate tech.
If their pure-energy shields couldn't even withstand small arms fire, they would've been scrapped long ago instead of being standard issue in Griffin's arsenal.
The guards, desperate, launched grenades and even threw explosives in a last-ditch effort.
Yet, their haphazard tactics proved ineffective.
Natasha's precise evasion left nothing but scorched craters on the highway where the explosions landed.
Even the few projectiles that did hit were absorbed by the shield, which shimmered in a honeycomb pattern before neutralizing the blast.
"Wow, you guys are really enthusiastic," Natasha quipped, grinning.
"But I have to say, I'm really starting to love these toys Hitomi gave me."
'Bang—! Bang—!'
Another pulse barrage erupted from her cannons, striking the jeep dead-on.
'Boom—!'
The entire vehicle flipped over, torn apart by the explosion.
Metal fragments, flames, and oil scattered across the highway as the mangled wreck tumbled uncontrollably.
The guards inside had no chance—either dead or incapacitated, they were out of the fight.
"One down, three to go," Natasha muttered, retracting the pulse cannons back into her Akira bike.
She quickly checked the Arc Reactor's energy reserves.
[Energy Remaining: 24%]
She frowned. "Damn it, Hitomi, you really need to improve this thing. Running out of juice after a few shots is unacceptable."
———————————————————————
—8,000 Meters Above New York City
Standing at the open ramp of a descending Halo transport aircraft, Kagura Hitomi prepared to enter the battle.
This was a mission to reclaim the Tesseract—far too exciting for her to sit out.
Keeping this operation hidden from Nick Fury and the Avengers was one thing, but ensuring the Tesseract ended up in the right hands was another.
Kagura wasn't about to let reckless solo actions jeopardize the mission.
"Equip 'White Moon' Assault Module. Prepare for combat."
At her command, the aircraft's automated system locked the White Moon combat suit's assault module onto her body.
Over the past year, Kagura had made numerous upgrades, including a modular attachment system.
This Assault Module provided enhanced combat capabilities by adding flight stabilizers, auxiliary equipment pods, and a powerful propulsion system connected directly to her energy core.
"Assault Module installed. Core energy linked. Good luck, Master," Cortana announced as the adjustments finalized.
Kagura smirked. "No worries. I'm heading out!"
.........…
Back on the highway, the chase raged on.
While Natasha had taken out one of the armored jeeps, its sacrifice had bought the convoy time.
With three remaining jeeps escorting the Tesseract, the transport vehicle surged forward, speeding through traffic.
As they weaved through the congested highway, they deliberately caused accidents, leaving a trail of wreckage to slow Natasha down.
"Seriously?!" Natasha growled, gunning the throttle.
The Akira bike's front wheel lifted as she accelerated, pushing her machine to its limits.
Her Arc Reactor's energy reserves were low, and the shield wouldn't last much longer.
She needed to catch up—fast.
But how could she stop that damn transport truck?
"Miss me, Natasha?"
Just as she pondered her next move, Kagura's voice crackled through her earpiece.
"Prepare to stop the transport! Landing in 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1—!"
A white blur descended from the sky.
'Boom—!'
Kagura landed squarely on top of the transport truck carrying the Tesseract.
Hands on her hips, she huffed. "These guys have some nerve hijacking a Penguin Logistics transport. I'm really mad now!"
She shook her arms, activating the Assault Module, and two semi-transparent blue ion blades extended from her wrists.
"Alright, be good and hand over the Tesseract!"
With a graceful spin, she slashed open the truck's roof as if performing an elegant dance.
[Warning: Advanced Energy Weapon Detected. Threat Level: High.]
"Huh?" Kagura's eyes widened.
'Vwoom—!'
A twin-barreled energy cannon hidden inside the transport truck suddenly powered up and fired.
Kagura twisted her body, barely dodging as the cannon obliterated the truck's roof.
She leapt into the air, her flight pack unfolding like a pair of metallic wings.
An orange energy pulse grazed her side, leaving a charred mark on the White Moon suit.
"Whoa! Did Hawkeye seriously let Loki steal a Phase Two prototype? Betraying S.H.I.E.L.D. is one thing, but damn, that's commitment!"
The energy weapon was clearly based on Destroyer technology, designed from both the Tesseract and Asgardian artifacts. Even gods like Loki would feel its sting.
'Vwoom—!'
The turret locked onto her, firing relentlessly.
Kagura weaved through the deadly barrage, her flight pack maneuvering with the agility of a swift sparrow.
She hovered, stabilizing in midair as she glanced at her visor's analysis.
[Weapon Comparable to Asgardian Destroyer Energy.]
[Threat Level: High.]
[Probability of Piercing 'White Moon' Suit: 37.9%.]
"Welp, that's a challenge."
With a smirk, she darted towards the truck's blind spot—right beside the driver's cabin.
'Thud—!'
Her boots magnetized onto the truck's exterior.
The driver barely had time to react before she pulled out a sleek pulse pistol from her wrist compartment and aimed it at his head.
"Hey there!" she chirped. "Cute Flash Blade here, reminding you to pull over, or… well, let's just say your head won't be feeling too great in a second!"