C132 You Dropped This
C132 You Dropped This
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Peter, Yoda, Windu, and the limbless and unconscious Darth Maul arrived at the Red Room, their small Jedi ship gliding smoothly into the hangar. The ship's engines hummed to a halt as the landing gear touched down, and the ramp lowered with a soft hiss.
Peter led the way down the ramp, Maul floating alongside him. Yoda and Mace Windu followed closely behind, their presence exuding a calm yet powerful aura.
As they stepped into the hangar, the trio didn’t get far before Peggy Carter rushed in, her face etched with urgency and concern. “!”
Seeing the diminutive, green-skinned Yoda, her eyes widened in surprise. She had met aliens on Peter’s crew, but Yoda’s unique appearance still took her aback. ‘Another alien?’ she wondered, her gaze finally landing on Maul. ‘What the hell happened to him?’
Peter noticed her surprise and gestured towards Yoda and Windu. "Peggy, let me introduce you to my Jedi Masters. This is Grandmaster Yoda, the leader of the Jedi Order," he said, indicating the small Jedi with a respectful nod.
Yoda gave a slight bow, his wise eyes twinkling. "Pleasure to meet you, it is."
"And this is Master Mace Windu," Peter continued, motioning towards the imposing figure of Mace Windu.
Peggy’s eyes widened even more, but this time not in surprise at his alien appearance. “Nick?!” She exclaimed, mistaking him for Nick Fury.
“?” Windu raised a confused brow, unsure why she called him Nick. ‘Is this an Earth custom?’ He wondered.
‘That’s right…’ Peter realized. ‘How the hell am I supposed to explain how Windu and Fury look so alike?’
The primary difference in their appearance was that Mace Windu was bald, while Fury still had hair, at least for the time being. Additionally, the two men exuded distinctly different auras. Fury was much more gruff and angry, while Windu was stern and calm.
Putting her questions aside for the moment, Peggy quickly regained her composure, turning to Peter. "We have a serious problem. I just got off the phone. The President has authorized a nuclear strike."
Peter’s eyes widened in shock. "What? A nuke? Where?"
Peggy’s voice was tense. "Here. They’re planning to nuke this area to eliminate the alien threat."
Peter's heart pounded in his chest as he processed the information. "How long do we have?"
"Minutes, at most," Peggy replied, her voice strained. “They called to tell me to extract my operatives, but they didn’t give us nearly enough time…”
Windu and Yoda exchanged confused glances. "A nuke, what is?" Yoda asked, his voice calm but curious.
Peter quickly explained, "A nuke is a powerful explosive device, capable of destroying entire cities and killing everyone in its radius. We don’t have much time."
Yoda's expression darkened, his ears twitching slightly. "Dangerous, this weapon is."
Mace Windu’s face remained stoic, but his eyes reflected a deep concern. "We need to act fast. What are our options, Peter?"
Peter took a deep breath, his mind racing. "We need to get everyone to safety, but as Peggy said, there’s not enough time for that. We’ll have to try to intercept or deflect the nuke if possible..."
With a plan forming in his head, Peter touched his earpiece and spoke over the comms. “Magneto, Rocket, get back here immediately,” his voice was calm but firm, the gravity of the situation clear.
Magneto, still hovering in the sky, frowned but complied, his magnetic powers propelling him back to the base. Rocket, who had been assisting the Jedi with the prisoners, engaged his jet pack and zipped back towards the Red Room.
Once they were all gathered in the control room, Peter quickly explained the situation, his eyes scanning the room to make sure everyone understood the severity of the threat. “Rocket, do your thing and find the nuke. I need to know where it is and how long we have until it arrives.”
Climbing onto the center console, Rocket quickly brought up a map on the holographic display, pinpointing the incoming missile. "The sensors picked up the missile's trajectory. It’s headed straight for us, and it’ll be here in less than two minutes," he confirmed, his voice tense, a countdown appearing before them.
Peter nodded, his mind racing. "Alright, here’s the plan. Magneto, you’re the only one who can fly and has the power to intercept the nuke mid-air. We’ll need you to catch it before it gets too close."
Magneto agreed without complaint. "Understood."
Normally, he wouldn't bother playing the hero, but his people were here too, and he refused to let a member of the brotherhood die when he could easily intervene and prevent it.
Peter continued, "Yoda, Master Windu, once Magneto brings the nuke over, we’ll need to help him steady it from the ground. That way, we can control its descent and avoid a catastrophic impact."
Yoda and Windu both nodded, their faces serious. "Assist we will," Yoda affirmed.
Peggy, standing nearby, interjected with a note of caution. "Even if we manage to bring it down gently, it’s still likely to explode. This isn’t a WWII nuke; it’s a newer model with multiple fail-safes, including impact, GPS location, and a timer. Just catching it won’t be enough."
Peter gave her a reassuring look. "I have a plan for that too." He turned back to the group, his gaze steady. "As the nuke gets close enough, I’ll use my Ionize ability to disable its electronics. That should prevent it from detonating."
Yoda’s ears perked up, his eyes curious. "Ionize, you say? New, this ability is to me."
Mace Windu raised an eyebrow. "I’ve never heard of such a power, Peter. What does it do exactly? And where did you learn it?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.
Peter nodded. "It’s an ability I discovered recently. It allows me to destroy or disable electronics using the Force. It should work on the nuke’s detonator and other electronics, rendering it inert."
“…” Yoda and Windu exchanged looks, silently agreeing to ask more questions once this crisis is averted.
Rocket, always the skeptic, looked at Peter. "You sure about this? No offense, but a lot’s riding on this ion thing working."
Peter’s expression was resolute. "I’m sure. It’s our best shot. Now, let’s move. We don’t have much time."
————
With their plan quickly finalized, Magneto took off, flying towards the incoming nuke. He pushed himself to his limits, his magnetic powers propelling him forward at incredible speed.
On the ground, Peter, Yoda, and Windu moved into position, Peggy watching from a short distance. They had considered intercepting the nuke from the Red Room but decided that a lower area would give them more time to slow it down and safely disarm it. So, they positioned themselves in an open clearing, waiting patiently.
High in the sky, Magneto spotted the rocket-powered nuke hurtling towards them. “!” It was moving at an alarming speed, and he strained to catch up, the wind whipping past him as he pushed himself harder.
Realizing it would be easier to keep up with the nuke if he attached himself to it, Magneto used his powers to magnetize his body to the side of the rocket.
As soon as he latched on, he began to exert his magnetic influence to slow the nuke’s propulsion. It was a monumental effort; the rocket’s engines fought against him, pushing the missile forward with relentless force.
On the ground, Peter, Yoda, and Windu watched intently, their eyes trained on the sky. The distant roar of the nuke’s propulsion grew louder, catching the attention of everyone nearby. The Jedi who were handling the Kree prisoners of war, the mutants, and Peter’s crew all turned their gazes upward, eyes wide with apprehension.
Tony, in the midst of collecting Kree tech for future study, looked up and saw the nuke descending. His eyes widened in shock, realizing exactly what was happening. The government must have freaked out about the aliens and launched a nuke, unaware that the battle had already been won.
But Magneto was there, easing the nuke down towards the planned location. Peter, Yoda, and Windu stepped forward, raising their hands in unison to use the Force to steady the nuke’s descent. The combined effort of their telekinesis and Magneto’s magnetic powers created a delicate balance, slowing the missile's descent inch by inch.
Everyone watched with bated breath as the nuke descended slowly. “…”
Feeling the need to help, Tony activated his exosuit and flew over, attaching himself to the nuke alongside Magneto. The thrusters on his feet provided additional force to counteract the nuke’s propulsion.
As the nuke got closer to the ground, Peter stepped forward, focusing his energy. He raised his hands, and with a deep breath, he channeled his Ionize ability. “Here goes nothing…” He muttered.
Moments later, blue arcs of energy crackled from his fingertips, reaching out to the nuke’s electronics. The circuits inside the missile began to short-circuit, the electronics failing one by one. The nuke’s thruster sputtered and died as well, making it much easier to handle.
Slowly, carefully, they guided the now inert nuke down to the ground. The tension in the air was almost unbearable, but they managed to set it down gently in the clearing, ensuring it didn’t detonate.
As soon as the nuke touched down safely, a collective sigh of relief swept them. The surrounding onlookers let out cheers, the sound of their victory echoing through the forest.
Tony landed beside the nuke, panting slightly from the exertion. He looked at Peter and grinned. "Not bad for a first test run, huh?"
Peter smiled back, feeling the weight of the moment lifting. "You did great, Tony. Thanks for the help."
Magneto, hovering above the ground, nodded in approval. "I must admit, it was a successful first partnership."
Peter smirked, "And hopefully not the last."
“We’ll see how things go from here…” Magneto replied cryptically.
Peter shrugged, glancing at the deactivated nuke for a moment, the tension in the air finally dissipating. He turned to Peggy, a vindictive smile on his face. "Come on, let’s go return this baby to its owner," he said, his voice firm.
Magneto and Tony smirked evil, both liking the idea of confronting whoever had launched the nuke at them. "I’m in," Tony said, giving Peter an excited look.
However, Peggy didn’t look so sure. Her expression was filled with concern and apprehension. "Peter, this might not be a good idea…"
Yoda and Windu exchanged a glance, sensing that Peter was about to stir up a significant amount of trouble.
Peter shrugged, his resolve unwavering. "I understand your concern, but now that the world knows about aliens, I believe it's best to initiate a dialogue, and what better way to do so than from a position of strength?"
With that, Peter extended his hand, using his telekinetically lifting the deactivated nuke. It floated effortlessly behind him as he started walking towards the Jedi ship parked nearby.
Seeing Peter’s determination, the others reluctantly followed him. “…”
As the group made their way to the ship, the onlookers watched in silence, unsure of what to expect next. The sight of Peter, a nuke floating behind him, was both impressive and alarming.
————
Washington DC…
In the Oval Office, President Bill Clinton sat alongside General Ross, Alexander Pierce, and the rest of the emergency cabinet members. The atmosphere was tense, the weight of their decision pressing down on everyone.
They anxiously awaited news of the nuke they had launched, each moment stretching into an eternity. The stakes were incredibly high—if the nuke failed, they would have not only angered the aliens but also potentially doomed the entire planet.
The only person in the room who appeared unaffected by the tension was Alexander Pierce. He sat with an air of smug confidence, clearly pleased with himself. After all, it had been his idea to launch the nuke, a decision he had pushed for relentlessly.
He didn't care whether Director Carter claimed she was handling it or not; his disdain for her was no secret. He saw this as a golden opportunity to undermine her authority and influence while securing a victory for himself in the eyes of Shield and the current presidential administration.
General Ross cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Do we have any updates on the nuke's status?"
Before anyone could respond, one of the aides in the room, seated near the window, caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to glance outside and his eyes widened in shock. "M-Mr. President, you need to see this," he stammered.
Everyone in the room turned their attention to the window, following the aide's line of sight. Their eyes widened in horror as they saw an alien ship descending onto the front lawn of the White House.
"We failed..." General Ross muttered, fear creeping into his voice.
As the ship landed, the room filled with a mixture of shock and dread. The cabinet members exchanged worried glances, their minds racing with the implications of their actions.
President Clinton's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the ship's ramp lower. Out stepped Peter, flanked by Peggy, Yoda, Windu, and Magneto. The nuke they had launched floated in front of them, a stark reminder of their failure.
Peter's confident smirk was evident as he waved up at the group in the window. He dropped the nuke onto the lawn with a thud, its presence sending a chill through everyone watching.
"Hey, I think you dropped this," Peter called out, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
A/N: 2295 words :)