Boom!
The explosion was massive. A sphere of light expanded outward.
Buildings that were still standing collapsed from the shockwave.
The crater beneath them deepened to over a hundred feet.
When the light faded, Death was on his knees.
The Celestial armor was cracked all over. Pieces were falling away. The dimensional instability had disrupted the corruption that controlled him.
Tony landed in front of Death's kneeling form. He grabbed the giant's head with both hands.
"Piotr Rasputin," Tony said clearly. "Come back."
He channeled one final pulse of Starktonium energy. Not to attack. But to burn away the last traces of Celestial programming.
Death screamed. The sound echoed across the ruined city. Then the scream became human, agonized, and real.
The last of the Celestial armor shattered and fell away.
Colossus collapsed forward. His body was still Celestial metal. Still fifteen feet tall. But his eyes were clear now. Human. Filled with horror at what he'd done.
"What... what have I..." Piotr's voice was broken. Devastated. "The people I killed. The destruction I caused."
Tony caught him as he fell. Even with Homo Supreme strength it was difficult to support his weight.
"It wasn't you," Tony said firmly. "It was the corruption. Apocalypse did this. Not you."
Piotr looked at his massive metal hands.
They were still stained with blood. "I cannot return to flesh. This metal. It is permanent now."
"I know." Tony's voice was gentle. "But you're free. That's what matters."
He scanned Piotr's body with his armor's systems.
[Celestial corruption eliminated. Subject's body permanently transformed to Celestial metal composition. Unable to revert to organic form. Neural patterns stable. Subject's emotional state: severe trauma.]
Tony opened a communication channel.
"Strange. I need immediate extraction in Prague. Colossus is freed but needs help."
Doctor Strange's voice came through. "On my way."
A portal opened nearby. Golden sparks formed the circular gateway. Strange stepped through with his Cloak of Levitation flowing behind him.
He looked at Tony. Then at Colossus. Then at the destroyed city around them.
"Four Horsemen freed," Strange said quietly. "Apocalypse will respond personally now."
"I know." Tony stood up slowly. His armor was damaged from the intense battle. Scorched. Cracked in places. But already beginning to repair itself.
"Can you help him?" Tony gestured to Piotr.
Strange examined Colossus with his mystical senses. "The physical transformation is permanent. But I can help with the trauma. Give him time to process what happened."
He opened another portal. "Come, Piotr. Let's get you somewhere safe."
Colossus stood on unsteady legs. He looked at Tony one last time. "Thank you. For freeing me. For saving me from that nightmare."
Tony nodded. "Get some rest. When you're ready, we'll need you for the final battle."
Piotr stepped through the portal. Strange followed.
The gateway closed behind them.
Tony stood alone in the ruined plaza. Smoke drifted around him. The sounds of emergency sirens filled the air. Rescue workers were already searching for survivors.
All four Horsemen freed. Storm. Wolverine. Magneto. Colossus. Each one rescued from Celestial corruption. Each one damaged by the experience but alive.
Now came the hard part.
Just for the sake of it, he asked for M.A.R.V.E.L's opinion.
"M.A.R.V.E.L., analysis. What will Apocalypse do now that his Horsemen are gone?"
[Predictive modeling indicates 97% probability of direct personal intervention. Target has lost primary enforcement tools. Logic suggests he will engage you directly to eliminate the threat you represent to his plans.]
Tony looked up at the sky. Somewhere far away, Apocalypse was watching. Planning. Preparing.
"Good," Tony said quietly. "Let him come. I'm ready."
His armor's systems finished emergency repairs. The quantum energy stabilized. The Starktonium core pulsed with power.
Tony activated his repulsors and shot into the sky. He headed back toward the Avengers' bunker. There were plans to make. Strategies to discuss. A final battle to prepare for.
Because this wasn't over. Freeing the Horsemen was just the first step.
The real war was about to begin.
And it would be Tony Stark versus Apocalypse. Homo Supreme versus the god of evolution. Two beings who had transcended humanity facing each other in a battle that would decide Earth's fate.
Tony flew faster. His mind was already working through scenarios. Calculating probabilities. Planning tactics.
He had trained for twenty-five days in the Infinity Chamber. Mastered his Homo Supreme abilities. Built the most advanced armor ever created. Freed all four Horsemen through overwhelming force and superior tactics.
But Apocalypse was something else entirely. A being who had survived for five thousand years. Who had mastered Celestial technology. Who had power that can possibly rival cosmic entities.
It would be the greatest challenge Tony had ever faced.
And he couldn't wait.
Because that's who Tony Stark was. The man who faced impossible odds and found a way to win. The genius who solved unsolvable problems. The hero who saved the world no matter the cost.
He was a Homo Supreme now. The first of a new species. Evolved beyond human limits through his own will and intellect.
And he would show Apocalypse that evolution wasn't about survival of the fittest.
It was about the power of the mind.
Tony disappeared into the distance, leaving the ruined city behind. The final confrontation was coming soon.
And when it came, the world would see what he was truly capable of.
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