However, they had already detected the threat from above.
"Sir, we've detected unidentified flying objects directly overhead. They appear to be coming for us!"
The intelligence quickly reached Alexander's office. The old man knew Nick had made his move, and he immediately gave the order.
"Activate the air-to-air weapons. Shoot down every threat!"
The four Helicarriers received the command and immediately raised their electromagnetic cannons, firing shell after shell into the sky.
The Iron Legion was highly maneuverable in the air. Faced with the incoming missiles, most of them evaded.
But when they neared the Helicarriers, they inevitably took hits from the agile anti-aircraft guns.
Still, thanks to their numerical advantage, many Iron Men made it onto the decks and exchanged fire with the soldiers aboard the Helicarriers.
Before Tony started killing, he made a point of issuing a warning.
"This location has been taken over by the Avengers. Hydra has infiltrated your ranks. All S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel, fall back immediately!"
He had every Iron Man suit repeat those words several times. Anyone who continued firing at the Iron Legion afterward would be regarded as an enemy, and then Tony had no further reservations.
Meanwhile, after approaching Washington, the Avengers aboard the transport plane used Hill's inside contact and had Cortana infiltrate the internal network of the local S.H.I.E.L.D. branch. They then delivered a speech directly through the broadcast system.
With the reputation Steve Rogers had built over decades, he easily used his words to drive a wedge between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.
Under Phil Coulson's organization, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who truly wished to serve world peace began fighting back against Hydra.
As for Hydra, by this stage of the plan, there was no longer any need to conceal their identities.
The hidden, diehard Hydra members threw off their disguises and raised