Washington, along the banks of the Potomac River.
A group of people, soaked to the bone, climbed ashore from the icy river water, gasping for breath. In the middle of the river not far away, the wreckage of a quinjet was still emitting black smoke.
"Our only means of transportation is gone." Natasha wrung out her soaked hair, her brow furrowed as she looked at the three Helicarriers climbing into the distant sky.
"No, we have one."
Tony Stark's voice came through the communicator. Hovering in mid-air, he used his Repulsor Cannon to shoot down several incoming Drones and said, "I've called a taxi for you; it'll be here any second."
Just as he finished speaking, a pitch-black Stark Jet burst through the clouds at high speed and hovered at a low altitude not far from the battlefield. The belly hatch opened, and a boarding ramp was lowered.
"Get on the plane!" Steve ordered immediately.
As everyone prepared to board, the battle situation with the mechanical giant serpent, hydra, changed again not far away.
"Johnny! That head on the left, its energy core is overloaded!"
Lin Huai's figure flashed at high speed among the broken walls and ruins. The playing cards in his hand flew out, precisely severing the exposed energy lines on the giant serpent, creating an opportunity for his teammates to attack.
"Roar—!"
Responding to him was Johnny Blaze, wearing the dark red [Hellfire Enhanced Mark V] armor, letting out a roar. The thrusters under his feet spat Hellfire as he moved at high speed across hydra's massive body. A burning chain tightly coiled around the neck of the left serpent head, Hellfire scorching its armor.
hydra swung its head frantically, trying to shake Johnny off, but Johnny remained motionless, relying on the armor's grip and thrust.
"Melt for me!"
Johnny increased the Hellfire output. The flames on the chain surged, burning the serpent head red-hot. Countless parts melted and peeled off in the high temperature, emitting a piercing sound of twisting metal.
Seeing this, the other two serpent heads immediately turned their cannons toward Johnny.
"In your dreams!"
Lin Huai appeared in mid-air and waved his hands. Dozens of [Air Bullets] bombarded the muzzles of the two Particle Cannons, the massive impact forcing them off target.
Boom! Boom!
Two beams of light grazed Johnny's body and blasted two large holes in the distant S.H.I.E.L.D. Building.
Johnny seized the opportunity, gave the chain a fierce yank, and slammed the semi-molten serpent head hard into another intact one!
Clang—!
A loud crash followed, with sparks flying everywhere.
hydra's only remaining intact head seemed to mistake the newly arrived black jet for a new threat. Its cannon lit up with blue light again, and a beam of light shot out!
"Johnny!" Lin Huai shouted.
The Ghost Rider gave the chain a violent pull, forcibly twisting the red-hot serpent head he controlled to face the incoming particle beam!
"Roar!"
With a roar, the serpent head opened its maw and spat out a dark red breath that combined the powers of Hell and technology!
Boom—!
The two energies collided in mid-air, erupting in a blinding light.
The jet passed through safely, and Steve and the others rushed onto the plane.
"It looks like you need some help from a big guy." A mild voice came from inside the cabin.
Dr. Bruce Banner pushed up his glasses and walked out somewhat sheepishly. Behind him was a massive Rocket backpack and a metal crate with the Stark Industries logo, large enough to hold a person.
"Sorry I'm late," Dr. Banner explained. "It took quite some time to go to the secret Base to get this thing to improve Hulk's mobility."
He handed over control of the plane to Natasha, then laboriously dragged the Rocket backpack and the large metal crate toward the cabin door.
"I think you need help." Steve stepped forward.
"Oh, of course." Dr. Banner nodded, pointing to himself and the two items: "Captain, you just need to throw me, and these two big guys, off the plane together."
Steve and Bucky exchanged a glance. Though puzzled, they did as they were told.
Working together, the two pushed Dr. Banner and the two large packages out of the air from several hundred meters up.
During the free fall, Dr. Banner's body began to glow green, and a roar issued from his throat, though it was quickly drowned out by the sound of the wind.
"Roar—!!!"
In the air, he transformed into a green giant!
Hulk!
He grabbed the massive Rocket backpack, crudely mounting it on his back, then tore open the other crate and fitted the cold-glinting [claws of rage] onto his hands.
Just then, a red and gold figure flew up beside him.
"Hulk," Tony Stark's voice sounded in the communicator, "Banner said you've already finished the seventh-grade curriculum. You're a real genius. I'll have to hire him as a tutor for my kid later."
"Roar!!!"
Hulk responded with a roar. The Rocket backpack on his back spat blue flames, carrying him at high speed toward the three Helicarriers in the distance, flying side-by-side with Tony!
Below, Johnny had completely taken control of the mechanical giant serpent modified by Hellfire. Standing atop the serpent's head, he swung his chain. Hellfire reshaped the giant serpent's internal structure, and the damaged flight engines restarted under the catalyst of magic, spitting out roaring hellflames.
"Let's go, we're going to dismantle those iron coffins!"
Johnny laughed loudly, riding his brand-new Hell Dragon mount as he soared into the sky!
-
Three groups of people launched a general offensive toward HYDRA's final bastion... Inside the main bridge, Pierce looked expressionlessly at the scenes on the screen—the Ghost Rider riding the mechanical Hell Dragon, the green giant with a Rocket backpack, and the Iron Man Legion... "Officer... hydra is out of control! Our ground forces... are all gone!" an Agent reported with a trembling voice.
Pierce ignored him, calmly picking up the coffee on the table and taking a small sip.
He had lost the ground battlefield, but he didn't care.
All his trump cards were placed on these three Helicarriers that had already taken flight. The stronger these so-called heroes were, the more they could prove to the World how fragile the existing order was, and how necessary his Insight Project was.
He looked at the screen at the three paths of heroes rushing toward different Helicarriers, and the corners of his mouth curled into a smirk.
"Let them come up." He ordered into the communicator: "Activate all internal defense systems, split them up, and then... one by one, eliminate them."
What he wanted was a new birth founded on the blood of heroes, a victory that the whole World would remember.
"As for those twenty million souls... Mephisto, you will receive them." Pierce looked at the imminent aerial battle on the screen, his eyes flashing with a fanatical light.
"Using these heroes and the lives of millions in Washington should be enough to pay the first deposit."