A blue doorway opened in the back alley.
The instant Yang Ming stepped through, a fierce wind slammed into his face.
Above Washington, D.C., three Helicarriers burst out of the Potomac River.
Their hulls rose from the water, their Antigravity Engines dragging river water into the air. Countless columns of water hung over the city, then crashed down onto the streets.
Vehicles screeched to a halt.
Crowds scattered in panic.
Sirens blanketed the entire city.
The enormous hulls blocked out the sun, three shadows sweeping over the Capitol, the commercial district, and the residential streets.
Tony flew out of the Anywhere Door, his armor rapidly deploying its Thrusters.
"I take back what I said earlier." He looked up. "Those aren't carriers. They're three iron coffins about to come crashing down."
Steve landed, his shield blocking the debris hurtling toward him.
"Yang, where's the target?"
Yang Ming did not answer.
His Observation Haki spread outward, penetrating the turbulence high above and picking up the energy fluctuations of the three Helicarriers.
All three ships were turning.
But their guns did not immediately aim at Hell's Kitchen.
They were calibrating against one another.
"They aren't locking onto New York simultaneously." Yang Ming looked up. "The first ship calibrates against the second, and the second against the third. The three ships form a closed-loop fire-control network."
Data flashed across the inside of Tony's faceplate.
"So whenever one fires, the other two correct its trajectory."
"They aren't correcting the trajectory." Yang Ming stared at the ships. "They're confirming the target."
Steve looked at him.
"Confirming what?"
"Which one dies first."
Amid the ruins of the Triskelion, Pierce stood before a makeshift command station.
Half the office was gone, and Rumlow stood guard nearby with the Special Forces.
"Prepare the main guns." Pierce picked up his