The violent roar of the engine, from far to near, tore through the clamor of the entire battlefield!
Everyone's gaze was drawn to the source of that sound.
A burning orange-red meteor was racing along the ring road on the outer edge of the Expo Plaza at a completely unreasonable speed and posture! Everywhere it passed, the asphalt road burst into flames, leaving a long trail of blazing fire!
"Mhm, look, the Hell Express has arrived, and the delivery guy seems to be in quite a hurry." Tony looked at the figure that was both familiar and strange, instinctively whistling as he spoke to the others on the comms channel: "I suggest you stay back; this guy's appearance fee is probably paid for with the surrounding air quality."
"Finally made his entrance. It's quite atmospheric, feels like a heavy metal rock band." Lin Huai's mouth curled into an exaggerated smile.
As he spoke, the burning harley had already charged into the debris-filled plaza. Completely ignoring the terrain obstacles, it jumped off the wreckage of an overturned car as a springboard, tracing a destructive arc of fire in the air and charging straight toward that massive HYDRA Mechanical Behemoth!
"Roar—!!!"
A roar filled with rage and determination erupted from the motorcyclist's throat. In mid-air, Johnny Blaze's body was instantly engulfed by orange-red Hellfire, transforming into that hair-raising burning skeleton—the Ghost Rider!
The chain in Ghost Rider's hand swung out a burning ring in the air, carrying heat that could warp the atmosphere, and smashed heavily against one of the Mechanical Behemoth's snake heads.
"Sizzle—!"
When the thick black armor touched the Hellfire, it made a piercing sound of structural failure. The orange-red flames were like toxic sores clinging to bone, burning crazily on that head; the solid alloy shell visibly reddened, softened, and then emitted clouds of thick black smoke.
Meanwhile, in a secret underground bunker several kilometers away, cold lights illuminated dozens of holographic screens. HYDRA analysts in white coats were rapidly recording data, the atmosphere tense and solemn.
"Reporting, Officer," an analyst reported without looking up, "the outer armor of the 'iron serpent' is undergoing structural softening under an unknown heat source attack, with temperatures exceeding the theoretical limit for plasma arc cutting. Preliminary determination: the heat source is classified as extra-physical energy."
Another analyst followed immediately: "The energy shield of the target 'Captain' is confirmed to be from Kamar-Taj, similar to the energy fluctuations of 'Mage Russell' in the database. The shield will reach its load threshold in nineteen seconds; the threat level needs to be raised from B+ to A-."
A HYDRA official dressed as an Agent showed a look of teeth-gritting hatred on his face: "Very good, continue recording. We need the complete combat data of the 'iron serpent' against all known super-powered individuals. Back up all the data on that flaming skeleton; he poses the greatest threat to us."
At about the same time, a crimson laser with an eerie blue light at its core shot out from another of the behemoth's heads. Lin Huai, who had been roaming the edge of the battlefield, saw that familiar blue and his pupils constricted.
"This color... HYDRA really does have a deep love for power that doesn't belong to them, like a bunch of cockroaches swarming around a light source."
"Now's the time!" Steve, behind cover, immediately seized the opportunity and issued clear instructions over the comms, "Johnny, keep burning its shell! Tony, attack the joints softened by the fire!"
"Copy that, Old Ice Pop!" Tony endured the sharp pain in his left shoulder, flying up in his damaged armor to concentrate fire on the joints that Johnny had burned into deformation. "But can we use a different word next time? My left shoulder joint is killing me right now, I'm really empathizing with it."
Riding the hell cycle, the Ghost Rider moved across the behemoth's massive body as if on level ground. Each swing of his burning chain left a glowing red scar on the behemoth's black shell. Lin Huai had completely become a ghost on the stage; he dodged the sweep of the behemoth's tail with an exaggerated roll, then flicked three playing cards, accurately severing several exposed power lines beneath one of the behemoth's heads, causing a small-scale explosion of electrical sparks.
Just then, a silver-white private jet flew over the battlefield at an ultra-low altitude, dropping a large, streamlined air-drop pod.
But the Mechanical Behemoth clearly identified the uninvited guest. It jerked its head, and a destructive blue laser shot out, unerringly hitting the engine of the private jet!
Trailing thick smoke, the plane spiraled out of control toward the distant cluster of buildings!
"Banner!" Tony's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he roared into the channel, "Jarvis, report his vitals! Fast!"
"I'm fine... Hulk attack!"
Banner's intermittent response vanished, replaced by a roar that didn't sound human. Simultaneously, the air-drop pod deployed in mid-air, revealing a brand-new suit of armor inside with thicker lines and a more vibrant paint job—the Mark VI!
"Finally here!" Tony dove down to dock with the armor in mid-air. The suit he was wearing immediately detached, and the new armor encased Stark in an instant. The moment the red-and-gold helmet snapped shut, all the damage warnings disappeared.
"Oh, that feels great!" Tony groaned in satisfaction as he moved his new limbs. "This is what a real man should wear. Jarvis, list the Mark V as my carry-on luggage; I have to bring it on every business trip from now on."
He looked at the Mechanical Behemoth, which had aimed its cannons at him again. The weapon bay on his shoulder slid open, revealing a sleek new bunker buster bomb emblazoned with the Stark Industries logo. "Try my latest invention! Guaranteed to leave you unsatisfied!"
The bomb trailed fire as it sped toward the behemoth's already red-hot joints. But the Mechanical Behemoth didn't take it head-on; its massive mechanical tail whipped out, swatting the bomb away with its body, causing a world-shaking explosion in the distant ruins.
"Fine, it doesn't like my gift," Tony said wryly.
Just then, from the direction where the plane had crashed, a roar filled with rage and brutality rang out!
"ROAR!!!!!"
A massive green figure soared into the sky from the ruins like a cannonball, crossing hundreds of meters to slam heavily onto the Mechanical Behemoth. The impact was so great that even this War Machine staggered!
Hulk has arrived!
"Hulk... SMASH!" Hulk roared, venting his fury atop the behemoth. He bellowed, his fists—each as large as a car tire—pounding the behemoth's body with reckless abandon. Every punch made the thick armor emit a deafening metallic screech of overstrain.
"Everyone's here, so don't hold back!" Steve issued the command again. "Hulk, pin down its body! Johnny, wrap that injured head with your chain and pull in the opposite direction! Tony, saturation attack on the joints!"
"Copy that!"
Finally, amidst a piercing sound of tearing metal, the three combined their attacks to rip the chain-wrapped snake head clean off the body. With a boom, it fell to the ground, exploding into a pile of parts.
However, this HYDRA War Machine didn't fall. It simply whipped its long mechanical tail, violently swatting the Hulk away. The red light in its remaining two heads grew even more ferocious as it glared at the Avengers before it.
"Well," Tony hovered in the air, shrugging his shoulders, "one head down, two to go. Looks like this weekend's party will have to be postponed."