"So, can you give me the exact number of people at the site, along with any notable figures present?" Fury asked at last, his voice heavy with exhaustion as he approached the end of what might be the most painful countdown of his life.
Somehow—through sheer cosmic irony or dumb luck—things had stumbled back onto a twisted version of the right track.
Tony Stark was back. And apparently, he'd cooked up a shiny new piece of tech that's literally above of any armor on Earth currently.
Captain America had been found encased in ice somewhere in the frozen ass-end of Antarctica, still miraculously alive after who-knows-how-many decades.
And Hela—well, she'd stopped ransacking SHIELD and the Military for fun. Small victories. That said, through her using his card without him telling the password, he knows she have read his mind, and the fact she had casually rifled through his mind made Fury want to punch something. Or scream. Maybe both.
Even the big green rage monster had been captured by the Military, through some miracle that defied science and basic logic. For once, they weren't completely useless.
But right now, none of that mattered.
What had Fury chewing his metaphorical cigar leaving the bible aside was the ludicrous number of people flocking to Cape Citadel—Hela's chosen stage. The very place where she had first made her dramatic entrance and given the entire world an ominous appointment.
And it was insane. No, beyond insane.
As of this moment, over a million people had gathered there. One of the largest crowds in modern history—and the number just kept ticking up like a broken slot machine stuck on jackpot.
Naturally, the government had tried to stop it. Airlines were grounded, travel was restricted... but it was all for nothing. Every official who had the bright idea and the authority to enforce it had turned up dead.
Not just dead—dried-out, their corpses looking like someone had left them in the desert sun for twenty years. No blood. No moisture. Just... husks.
"Right now, although we haven't identified everyone yet, we've confirmed a few high-profile individuals," Hill said, stepping in with her usual brisk efficiency. "For starters, Princess Ororo—worshipped as a goddess in parts of Africa, with the power to control weather itself."
Fury grunted. That one was a heavy hitter.
"Magneto is presence is also obvious," Hill added, her voice tightening. "According to our intel, he's betting on Hela. He and a few members of the Brotherhood of Mutants are planning to observe the event firsthand."
To that, Fury had only one thought: good riddance.
But Hill wasn't done.
"Ben Grimm, one of the four mutated from Reed Richards's team is also there. He's apparently hoping Hela can change him back to normal," she said. "And we've detected the presence of the Morlocks—a group of sewer-dwelling mutants. Also… Justin Hammer."
Fury winced. That weasel.
"Yeah," Hill confirmed. "Hammer's after immortality and cutting-edge tech. SHIELD's currently classifying these individuals as high-priority, though we suspect many more are hiding their identities. It's making tracking them... difficult."
Fury didn't doubt that for a second. Anyone important enough to worry about likely had the means and motivation to keep their faces out of SHIELD's surveillance network. Unless they wanted to be seen.
"So," Fury said, eyes narrowing. "Based on the numbers—what's the impact if they vanish?"
He had his own guesses, but he wanted precision. Plans couldn't be built on vibes and gut feelings.
Hill knew that too.
"The scientific community would take one of the hardest hits," she said without hesitation. "Nearly ten percent of the crowd is made up of scientists across every imaginable field. Curious minds drawn to the spectacle."
Fury grimaced. That would leave a crater in global progress.
"And that's just the start. With that many people gone, you're looking at a breakdown in transportation, supply chains, food distribution—basic services would grind to a halt in several regions. The economic ripple effect alone could crash multiple markets."
She didn't have to say it. This wasn't just a humanitarian disaster waiting to happen—it was a global meltdown in the making.
But it wasn't all bad news.
"Roughly twenty percent of the crowd is made up of mutants," Hill continued. "And many of them have criminal records or... questionable pasts. If Hela's taking them with her, it could mean a substantial drop in mutant-related crimes worldwide. Especially if Magneto goes with her. He's currently at the top of every international watchlist."
Fury felt a tug of conflicting emotions. On one hand—good riddance. Earth could breathe a little easier without some of those names.
But on the other hand... what if Hela wasn't just removing threats? What if she was recruiting them into her army or something like that?
What if Hela, Ororo, Magneto, and who knows how many other heavy hitters came back—not as themselves—but as loyal, undead soldiers in some twisted afterlife army?
He could already picture it. An invasion. Earth overrun. No resistance. No hope. Just Hela's will, carried out by the most powerful beings who had chosen to follow her into the unknown.
And what then?
What if she came back to recruit more? Or worse—what if she returned to destroy what remained?
Fury didn't have answers. But he sure as hell needed to find some fast. Because if Hela was playing the long game... Earth might already be losing.
...
...
...
Over Cape Citadel, the appearance of more than a million people made the place feel completely suffocating.
You could see all kinds of people there—Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians. A bunch of mutants too, some of them pretty easy to spot thanks to their mutations.
But if there's one thing a lot of these people have in common, it's that they look like they're dealing with some kind of depression. Like they'd given up on life a long time ago, but suddenly found something new to cling to. Some kind of goal, maybe even hope.
Of course, not everyone here's like that. You've got scientists who don't care if they live or die as long as they get results. Then you've got people who just seem to worship Hela and showed up for that reason alone.
And naturally, there are others with totally different objectives—like Natasha, who's actually here on a mission, just like a bunch of other SHIELD agents spread through the crowd. SHIELD's not the only one either. Hydra's here too. In fact, pretty much every government on Earth sent spies.
Weirdly enough though, despite all the tension and the wild mix of intentions, no one seems to be trying to cause trouble.
Well, except for the babies. They're crying in their mothers' arms, probably women who were abandoned by their partners and lost all hope, and now the cries of those little ones are the most consistent sound in the air.
And of course, in a gathering this big, there's a group you just can't avoid, those that doesn't recognize the height of Mount Tai—the journalists.
They're everywhere, broadcasting live to their countries in every language on Earth.
"According to the statistics, more than one million people from all over the world are already in this place," an American journalist shouted, visibly excited. His body language said it all—this was a big deal to him.
"It's time for the appointment Goddess Hela gave to the people. Everyone's waiting—she could appear any moment—" he stopped mid-sentence as something clearly wasn't right. A shadow was covering him.
Humans are unpredictable, after all. One moment the place was tense and quiet, the next it was like a goal had been scored in a football stadium. The entire crowd erupted in noise.
The journalist turned around—at first, nothing but people pointing to the sky. He followed their gaze… and saw what would probably be the most impressive sight of his life.
The sky looked like it had been split in two, like a massive hole had been torn right through it. And out of that hole, something huge was emerging.
It looked like a fortress… or maybe a temple? Possibly a flying palace? He couldn't really tell. His knowledge didn't help much, but his instincts as a reporter kicked in.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, something major has happened. What appears to be Goddess Hela's arrival is underway," he said quickly, trying to stay professional despite the awe in his voice.
"The sky has been breached—it looks like it's been split in half. Or maybe a hole has opened up. Either way, something big is coming through."
....
Haha, I started to feel alive again, and find writing interesting again, good journey guys and don't forget to vote, it's already the beginning of the new week aka, Ranking resert—again.