"Good. Now fall back, ladies."
With that, Antony turned around to face the Titan Hulk who had fully completed his mutation.
"Come on, big guy," Antony said calmly.
"Let's see if a Hulk hopped up on drugs can finally make me break a sweat."
"HRAAAAA——!!!"
Hulk clearly understood the provocation.
He roared, slamming his massive foot into the ground. The asphalt rippled like ocean waves, raw power surging forward with the presence of a demon god as he charged straight at Antony.
Antony's expression didn't change.
He planted his feet, one forward, one back, settling into a solid forward stance.
"BOOM——!!"
Antony collided head-on with Hulk's chest.
The compressed air between them detonated into a terrifying shockwave, flinging cars, debris, and street furniture in every direction.
If this had been the old Hulk, that impact would have sent him flying.
But this time—
Hulk actually forced Antony back half a step.
"Very good…"
Antony's eyes lit up with excitement. "That's some strength."
For a fleeting moment, he understood Saitama's longing—the thrill of meeting a force that could truly push back.
He didn't give Hulk time to react.
Both arms snapped forward, locking around Hulk's thick waist.
"Takeoff!"
BOOM—!
Antony kicked off the ground.
Concrete shattered instantly.
Carrying a nearly six-meter-tall Hulk, Antony shot straight into the night sky like a living missile.
"LET GO… HULK!!!"
Hulk thrashed wildly in midair, hammering Antony's back again and again. Each blow sounded like a temple bell struck by a giant mallet.
Antony didn't budge.
His Invulnerability absorbed it all.
"Relax, big guy," Antony said cheerfully.
"We're going to the beach to get some fresh air."
He angled sharply upward and accelerated—
Breaking the sound barrier.
In the blink of an eye, both figures vanished into the clouds, leaving behind only fading sonic booms rippling through the air.
For one second—
Manhattan went silent.
Then—
All hell broke loose.
"Alright, kids! Clock in!"
Jessica shouted, instantly taking command.
"Robbie! Civilian protection!"
"Angelica! You can fly—Iron Man's yours!"
"Wanda! Drag that cheap-shot circus archer out of hiding!"
"Copy, boss!" the Vought heroes shouted in unison.
They scattered instantly, each finding their target.
Jessica's own eyes locked onto one very specific opponent—
A god swinging a streetlight like a fashion accessory.
"FRIDAY—eliminate targets," Tony Stark commanded coldly from the air.
Dozens of Iron Legion drones dove down, repulsors and micro-missiles raining fire like a metal monsoon.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!"
Explosions ripped through the street.
"AHHH—HELP!!"
Civilians who hadn't evacuated in time screamed and ran in every direction.
"Don't panic! Get behind me!"
Robbie Baldwin sprinted straight into the densest crowd.
Instead of dodging the incoming missiles and repulsor blasts, he spread his arms and stepped into them.
"BANG! BOOM!"
The attacks slammed into his body—
And vanished.
Blue light erupted across Robbie's skin as he absorbed the energy.
"HHHAAAH—!"
He released it.
A massive, semi-transparent blue energy shield bloomed into existence, enveloping dozens of civilians and police officers inside.
Shrapnel and shockwaves battered the shield, rippling across its surface—but never breaking through.
"Hell yeah!"
A National Guard lieutenant crouched behind the barrier, wiping sweat from his brow and giving Robbie a thumbs-up.
"Nice work, bouncy kid!"
…
"We need air support!"
Jessica stared at the sky filled with Iron Legion units, scalp prickling.
She slammed her communicator.
"Service Center! This is Jewel requesting Helicarrier support! I want those flying tin cans swatted out of the sky!"
"Sorry, Ms. Jones," the operator replied coolly.
"System analysis indicates targets are small, highly mobile, and operating above dense civilian zones. Anti-matter artillery presents over a 50% civilian casualty risk."
"Request denied. Recommend alternative methods."
"Alternative my ass!"
Jessica nearly crushed the communicator.
"LOOK OUT!"
Robbie shouted.
Thor came charging in, swinging a massive streetlight pole in a wide arc.
"Begone, Midgardian mortal!"
"CLANG—!"
Jessica raised her arms as vibranium shields snapped into place, barely stopping the blow.
The impact bent her knees.
Gritting her teeth, she shifted her stance—using the Aikido techniques Antony drilled into her—rolling with the force, redirecting it, then snapping forward.
The shield smashed into Thor's chest.
He staggered back several steps, streetlight pole bending grotesquely.
"Interesting," Thor said, eyes gleaming.
"Did Homelander teach you that?"
Memories of fighting Antony sparked his bloodlust.
Thor tossed the bent pole aside and rushed in bare-handed.
They clashed again.
Jessica lacked Thor's raw power, but with vibranium gear and superior technique, she managed to hold him at bay—barely.
-----
Above them—
Angelica's flames roared, but Tony Stark was simply too experienced.
He circled her relentlessly, micro-missiles and repulsor blasts forcing her into constant defense, never allowing her to build momentum.
On the ground—
Wanda swept her hands.
Scarlet Chaos energy unfurled like crimson silk, tearing Iron Legion units apart the moment they were ensnared.
She was about to press the advantage—
"WHIZZ—!"
An electric arrow slammed into a puddle at her feet.
"ZZZT—!"
The surge disrupted her concentration. Scarlet energy collapsed instantly.
"Damn it!"
Wanda looked up.
Clint Barton clung to a third-floor windowsill like a monkey, smirking down at her.
"Kid," he called casually,
"Never lose focus on the battlefield."
Another arrow flew—
A flash-bang shock arrow.
"EEEE—!!"
Blinding light and shrieking sound overwhelmed Wanda's senses. She clutched her ears, disoriented.
Hawkeye was ruthless.
He knew exactly how to fight spellcasters—
Don't let them focus.
Don't let them cast.
…
Just as the battle reached a deadlock—
A completely unexpected figure broke through the police cordon and sprinted into the danger zone.
Jane Foster.
"THOR!!"
Jane screamed his name.
Thor, locked in combat with Jessica, froze.
That familiar voice cut through the haze like lightning.
Jessica didn't waste the opening.
She drove a hard kick into Thor's chest, sending him stumbling backward, then immediately disengaged to reset her stance.
"Jane…?"
Thor stared at the woman running toward him, breathless, terrified, and utterly out of place on a battlefield.
His brow furrowed.
For the first time that night—
The storm hesitated.
--------------
T/N:
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