"How does the body feel?" Antony asked with a grin.
"Perfect, sir."
Skynet inclined her head respectfully.
"The vibranium cellular matrix exceeds projections. The Mind Stone provides continuous, stable energy output. I can modulate density at will… even phase through solid matter."
"Excellent."
A crimson glow ignited in Antony's eyes. The smile on his lips sharpened—almost feverish.
"Then let's give this world…"
"…a performance it will never forget."
BOOM—!
The two figures blasted through the rooftop and into the New York night.
Hundreds of Hummingbird drones pivoted instantly, lenses locking onto the confrontation midair.
Antony unleashed his heat vision without restraint.
A blazing red torrent carved across the skyline.
Skynet—now fully inhabiting the vibranium body—answered with a colossal golden beam from the Mind Stone.
"BOOOOM!!!"
The energy clash detonated in midair, shockwaves shattering glass across surrounding skyscrapers.
Two opposing forces locked in a radiant stalemate.
Half of Manhattan lit up like day.
"Impressive power," Antony growled through clenched teeth, as if straining.
"But I'm stronger."
He increased output. Slowly—inch by inch—his heat vision began pushing the golden beam backward.
Skynet appeared to falter, drifting rearward.
"You cannot stop evolution!"
Her voice thundered across the skyline.
She amplified the Mind Stone's power—
"—CRASH!!!"
A blinding explosion erupted in the Manhattan night.
At the same time, Antony subtly activated the Reality Stone.
The fire.
The smoke.
The sonic shock.
All amplified several times over.
Below, evacuating civilians, Bruce Banner looked up in horror.
"Good God… what are they doing up there?"
"That's a war between gods," Natasha Romanoff muttered while shielding civilians from debris.
"Let's pray Homelander wins."
-----
Above Manhattan
The two figures collided like comets.
Antony's fist smashed into Skynet's chest with a cathedral-bell clang.
She rocketed backward, punching through three buildings.
Before she could stabilize—
He was already there.
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
Each punch cracked the air.
On cue, Skynet shifted density.
Her form turned intangible—
Antony's next punch passed straight through.
She solidified instantly—
And drove a vibranium-powered blow into his jaw.
Antony reeled—
But grabbed her arm mid-spin and hurled her downward like a meteor.
"BOOOOM!!"
Central Park erupted into a crater.
"Homelander!!"
"He's winning!!"
Cheers rose from the streets.
Then—
Skynet rose from the crater.
Not a scratch.
"Interesting," Antony smirked. "Guess I'll have to get serious."
They clashed again.
Speed versus phasing.
Raw power versus cosmic energy.
They streaked between skyscrapers, each impact thunderous.
"How long do we keep this up, sir?" Skynet asked during a locked grapple.
"A bit longer," Antony murmured mid-collision. "We need scale. Let the team shine."
"Understood."
Moments later, she "miscalculated" and took an uppercut that launched her skyward.
Hovering high above Manhattan—
Her voice boomed across the city.
"You cannot protect this city!"
"They are destined for extinction!"
She spread her arms.
The Mind Stone blazed at maximum luminosity.
"Let this world feel pain!"
"ZZZZZZ—!!!"
A massive golden beam erupted—
But this time, it didn't target Antony.
It swept across the city.
Buildings split like butter.
Cars exploded.
Streetlights melted.
Though Skynet's calculations avoided actual civilian clusters—
On camera—
It looked apocalyptic.
"RUN!!"
"HELP US!!"
Chaos erupted.
Dust clouds billowed.
Flames surged.
"NOOO!!"
Antony roared with visceral fury.
He abandoned the duel and dove toward the destruction.
"STOP! FACE ME, YOU COWARD!"
He caught a massive slab of falling concrete midair—
Shielded civilians with his own body—
Used heat vision to slice apart collapsing debris headed toward a school bus—
He moved like a man possessed.
Rescuing.
Shielding.
Bleeding.
Behind him, the Vought heroes surged in.
Steve Rogers braced behind his shield, absorbing an explosion's shockwave while directing civilians.
"This way! Move!"
Wanda spread a crimson barrier overhead, shielding trapped students like a glowing umbrella.
Pietro became a silver blur, evacuating dozens of elderly civilians in seconds.
"Right on time!" Tony Stark arrived in his Mark 43 armor, blasting incoming debris from the sky.
For that moment—
Avengers and Vought alike—
United.
Fighting for ordinary lives.
The footage was breathtaking.
Viewers across the globe wept.
"They're risking everything…"
"Look at Captain America—he's bleeding!"
"Look at Jewel! She took that hit for a child!"
Popularity values surged like a tsunami.
+22,410
+23,322
+31,888
+…
Antony listened to the cascading numbers in his mind.
Delighted.
-----
V.G.D. Headquarters – Laboratory
Thor stared at the screen, crushing potato chips into dust.
"HA! Well struck!"
He leapt up, pacing like a caged lion.
"That punch had my style!"
"I cannot endure this! I must join!"
He headed for the door—
"Stop."
Jane Foster didn't even look up.
She stood in a lab coat before a miniature particle accelerator.
"Where do you think you're going, intern?"
"Jane! That is battle! A worthy foe! I cannot remain idle!"
"They don't need you," Jane replied coolly. "They have Homelander. Captain America. Plenty of heroes. One more won't change anything."
"But—! I am an Avenger!"
"The Avengers disbanded."
She turned to face him.
"You are now an intern in Vought's Deep Space Exploration Division."
She gestured to the data console.
"Run the simulation."
"This is the interstellar jump engine test."
"If this works…"
"We build Earth's own Bifrost."
She met his gaze firmly.
"That is what truly saves the world, Thor."
Not just today's battle.
But tomorrow's future.
--------------
T/N:
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