To See The World In A Grain of Sand (denouement)
Before Maria could get out of the bridge the Agent at the comms station stood up, "Deputy Director, NORAD is reporting a large vessel entering orbit over the Northern Atlantic, there was apparently a large burst of radiation and it just, appeared."
"Any more details than that, Agent Simon?" She turned to another agent. "Get me a visual."
The other agent shook his head as he worked at his console. "Been trying to do so now ma'am but it's emitting a large amount of ECM, we can't clear it up."
Simon on the other hand re-grabbed the Deputy Directors attention, "Ma'am before the ECM went up NORAD got a pretty good grasp of it's dimensions. It's over seven kilometers long, and triangular in shape. Beyond that, we got nothing."
She grinned, almost ferally. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is the cavalry. Hail them." She spun back around and headed to the comms desk. The ship belonging to Thanos was over the Ukraine, and closing the distance rapidly.
They’re hailing us ma’am. Voice only” One of the central console darkened, changing to display an emblem of two crossed swords atop a greyscale pattern that almost resembled Yin and Yang in its symmetry.
Forgive the tardiness Deputy Director but getting temporary command of a Dreadnought is not as simple as it sounds.”
She grinned at hearing the voice, and responded. "I'll forgive you, Master Mikaru. I am sending you a databurst with our files on Thanos." She glared at the comms officer until he stopped staring at the arrowhead-shaped ship on his scope and complied. "I am going to attempt diplomacy, but have little hope of this working."
Understandable.” The voice took pauses as it gave out orders and started looking over the data on Thanos. “However sometimes the best diplomacy if a fully charged turbolaser battery. We have about fifteen hundred cases of diplomacy at our disposal ma’am.”
"Appreciated. I have six nuclear warheads myself. Stand by."
Only six?” He sounded a bit disappointed over that. “We have one hundred and eight Anti-Ship missile launchers prepped, each with proton-missiles. But we’ll stand by.”
"Hail Thanos' ship, officer."
"Yes, ma'am." He patched through a channel to the enemy ship and gave her a nod. She looked over at Fury, to see if he wanted to take this, but he motioned her to go on. He was doubtless talking to the council.
"Thanos. This is Deputy Maria Hill, of SHIELD. We were told to expect you, but must warn you that this ship was not Deadpool's to bet, and thus you may not have it." She drew a breath quickly and continued. "Please cease and desist you approach, and return to space and your home."
There was a pause, and the crackling of faint static, and then there was a laugh. It echoed down the line and filled the consoles with the crackling of magic, activating the PA system so the laugh could resound through the ship. Everyone heard it. It wasn't kind, it would never know mercy, and above all, that was the laugh of someone who had done this before
"My dear Maria, you honestly think I care if it was that prattling oaf's ship to give away? I was always coming for you. All of you. Your entire planet will be a sacrifice to my Lady. But I will start with your ship."
"He's targeting us," came the panicked cry from one of the consoles.
"Very well." She switched over to Vincent's channel, which she had shared Thano's message with. "You heard?"
There wasn’t an immediate reply from Vincent, at least not to Maria. “Thanos.” The signal was broadcasting along the frequency SHIELD had used to contact his vessel. “My name is Vincent Mikaru, and I’m not going to bore you pleasantries or honorifics. I’m just going to be frank. You and your vessel have thirty seconds to begin retreating from Earth’s atmosphere and sovereign space or I will reduce it, and you, to so many subatomic particles it will be as though you never existed.”
Thanos was silent a moment, as though he hadn't known or noticed the other ship. "Another dancer at the party then? But from where and when?" He doubted SHIELD could stop him, and he couldn't actually die. Losing his ship... well, he could return home without it, but it would hurt. Bluffing. They were all bluffing. He was Thanos, and these mortals were no match.
"I'm afraid I can not turn back, Vincent Mikaru. Maria Hill, we will meet in person eventually, if you survive this. SHIELD will be taught a lesson in manners."Â He accelerated over the Atlantic, still not in visual range, and fired two... something towards the Helicarrier.
"May I deputy director?" Came Vincent's voice over her comm
"Please." She watched the incoming on her screens, and saw the red lights that meant the AI systems were taking an active part in this battle. "For the love of god, someone launch countermeasures!" She had her own work to do here; Thanos wasn't in range yet. (no problem)
Whatever it was that Thanos launched was lost in a rain of green bolts slamming down into the ocean. Each blast kicked up water and steam as it vaporized water on impact. “That,” Vincent continued to broadcast to Thanos. “Was three cannons. “This is fifteen hundred.” At that every energy sensor the Helicarrier had light up in an angry fit of red as a ship designed to reduce continents to slag opened fire with every weapon on Thanos’ command ship.Â
Thanos watched the display with mild amusement, until his sensors spat out the data on the energy output and water vaporization. The words he muttered to himself were profane. He had time to fire everything he had at the SHIELD craft before he teleported away.
The fire continued to spread out across the ocean putting a wall of heat and energy between where Thanos' ship had been and the Helicarrier to reduce whatever fire it could, but not everything could be hit, not at that distance.
The counter measures caught 80% of what made it through, but they took two hits: one to the flight tower and another to the flight deck itself.There was no sign of Thanos' ship. "I need damage reports, casualty lists. Move." She opened the channel to Vincent again. "I think he might have gotten your message."
"One would expect, do you require assistance down there?"
She surveyed the damage reports quickly. They only had four men unaccounted for, but severe structural damage to the deck and tower. "we could do with some search and rescue help. And we have to stabilize the tower before it collapses."
"We'll deploy a shuttle with relief momentarily. I somehow doubt the entire ship would go unnoticed if it entered atmosphere."
"Agreed. My thanks, Master Mikaru." She cut the connection, marshaling her forces for the engineering project, and search and rescue, while others were dedicated to determining if Thanos had made it out or died. She headed to the damaged deck to meet the shuttle.Â
