BOOM!!
Blonsky's landing was as brutal as ever.
He came down like a bomb from the heavens, smashing straight into the central plaza of the HYDRA logistics base. The ground caved in instantly, forming a massive crater, and the shockwave blasted everything nearby off its feet.
The HYDRA soldiers inside the base were thrown into chaos by the sudden attack. Alarms wailed across the compound, slicing through the night sky.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
Before they could even form a defensive line, Blonsky was already grinning savagely.
The moment he hit the ground, his body began to swell rapidly. His skin hardened and took on a pale yellow hue. Muscles bulged, his frame expanded—and within seconds, he had transformed into the monstrous figure known to the world as the Abomination.
"Now this... this is what war's supposed to be like!"
Blonsky growled in satisfaction as raw, violent power surged through every fiber of his being.
This feeling—so much better than following orders from spineless politicians in the army.
The Stark brothers might have foul mouths, but at least they'd given him a real battlefield—a place where he could unleash everything he had. For once, he wasn't a lab rat or a pawn. He was a soldier again, a warrior among comrades.
And it felt damn good.
With a roar, he charged forward like an out-of-control tank, heading straight for the nearest ammunition depot.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the base, Pietro darted across the battlefield, leaving streaks of silver behind him.
"Hey, boys—guess who?"
A HYDRA patrol squad barely heard a cocky voice whisper past their ears before their necks stung, their vision went dark, and they collapsed in unison.
Pietro skidded to a stop, glancing at the heap of unconscious soldiers sprawled across the floor. He snapped his fingers, satisfied.
This new combat suit was awesome.
Tony Stark might be a self-absorbed jerk, but when it came to making toys—no one could touch him. Speed, strength, reflexes… everything was cranked up to eleven.
It was like tearing down a country road in a Ferrari.
One word—perfect.
"Wanda, West Tower Four cleared! Took me about… what, two seconds?" he said smugly over comms. "How about you? See anything fun?"
"Shut up, Pietro. Focus." Wanda's calm voice echoed in his ear.
She floated in midair, wrapped in a soft veil of red energy that merged her silhouette with the night. Her eyes glowed faintly crimson, reflecting the ebb and flow of the entire base's energy network and personnel movement within her perception.
Henry had been right—control, not just power.
Those forces that once terrified her, that once spiraled out of control, now flowed gently like obedient streams under her guidance—slipping unseen into HYDRA's surveillance systems, rewriting camera feeds, masking energy spikes, erasing traces of her team.
She was like a ghost puppeteer, clearing the path for her brother and the others from the shadows.
It felt… different. No longer destruction—but protection.
She wasn't a bomb anymore.
She was a scalpel.
"Fine, fine, you're the boss," Pietro muttered, smirking before vanishing again in a flash of silver toward his next target.
At the base's main gate—
"Bruce, ready to enjoy the fireworks?" Tony's voice crackled through comms, playful as ever.
His armor streaked across the night sky in a blaze of light, shoulder-mounted micro-missile pods sliding open with a satisfying click.
"I'm more interested in the data inside, Tony," Banner replied, following behind. His tone was calm, but the thrill in his voice was unmistakable.
He hated violence… but fighting alongside a group of eccentric allies—for a righteous cause—brought him a sense of warmth he hadn't felt in years. For once, the shadow of the Hulk didn't seem so heavy.
Besides, HYDRA's "Centipede Project" was a gold mine from a scientific standpoint.
"Details, Bruce, details!" Tony laughed. "Art is what matters most! JARVIS—BGM! Thunderstruck, full volume!"
As the pounding guitar riffs roared to life, dozens of micro-missiles trailed blazing contrails across the sky, crashing into the base's gates like a meteor storm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Their mission had officially hit its explosive crescendo.
...
New Mexico.
Outside Jane Foster's trailer.
Jane came out carrying a tray of… well, something that vaguely resembled cake. It was a little charred, and her awkward smile said it all.
"Um, dessert's ready. My oven's been acting up lately, so… it might be a little overdone."
Darcy followed behind her with a can of whipped cream, shooting a mischievous wink at Henry and Thor.
Henry's lips twitched as he stared at the plate of blackened, coal-like dessert.
As expected of the future girlfriend of the God of Thunder—her natural talent for culinary chaos was truly maxed out.
He wondered if eating that thing might trigger some kind of mutation.
He turned toward Thor and gave him a meaningful look.
Your turn to shine, buddy.
Thor took a deep breath, recalling Henry's "lesson" from earlier.
Stars! Yes, stars!
He stood up, walked over to Jane, and forced what he thought was a gentle smile. Then, in his usual booming voice, declared solemnly:
"Jane!"
Jane nearly dropped the plate, startled by his sudden shout.
Thor stared into her wide, startled eyes and scrambled through his mind for the words Henry had taught him.
"Your eyes… they… they are like…" He struggled for a moment before blurting out,
"Like two bright… uh… light bulbs! Yes! Very bright! Brighter than my father Odin's Eternal Spear!"
"Pfft—! Cough! Cough!"
Darcy spat a mouthful of whipped cream, choking and laughing until her eyes watered. (T/N: your not alone Darcy, I laughed my @$$ out 🤣)
Jane froze, staring blankly at Thor. Her mind went completely blank.
Light bulbs? Eternal Spear?
Was that… supposed to be a compliment?
Or was he saying her eyes were huge and blinding?
Henry facepalmed.
Oh god.
I messed up.
I seriously overestimated the poetic capacity of this muscle-brained prince.
Light bulbs? Eternal Spear? Why not just say searchlights while you're at it?
I give you Shakespeare—and you perform slapstick.
If Odin saw how his heir was trying to flirt, he'd probably fall off his throne in disgust.
"Ahem." Henry cleared his throat, deciding it was time to step in and save the situation.
He walked over, patted Thor's stiff shoulder, and smiled at Jane.
"What His Highness meant, Jane, is that your eyes shine like the stars—radiant, filled with wisdom and the courage to explore the unknown. Asgardians aren't great at subtlety; they tend to express themselves… directly."
Jane chuckled softly, glancing at Thor, who now looked as bashful as a scolded schoolboy.
"Thank you, Thor. 'Light bulbs'—that's definitely the most unique compliment I've ever received."
Thor blinked, confused but sensing that the mood had improved. He scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.
Henry rolled his eyes.
Does Asgard not teach basic flirting?
For a prince, Thor was hopeless.
Other princes had charm and wit—this one only had muscles and a war fetish.
...
Germany, inside the HYDRA base.
BOOM!
The Abomination smashed through the ammunition depot doors with one massive punch. He stared at the mountain of explosives and weapons inside and grinned viciously.
All of this… would make for one hell of a fireworks show.
He grabbed two massive crates of explosives and hurled them like toys toward the energy plant.
Elsewhere, Pietro had finished off the last strike team. He zipped into the base's control room, glancing at the schematics flashing across the monitors, and grinned.
"Wanda! I just found something fun!" he shouted over comms.
"This ventilation system connects the entire base! Imagine if I pumped some nerve gas through it—what do you think would happen?"
"Don't do anything stupid, Pietro," Wanda cut in firmly.
"Our mission is to destroy, not slaughter. And Dr. Banner still needs the internal data."
Her tone left no room for argument.
Pietro sighed, disappointed but obedient.
"Fine, fine—you win, sis. But if no gas… maybe a little sabotage?"
His eyes gleamed mischievously as he turned toward the main power controls.
Meanwhile, Tony and Banner had broken through multiple layers of defense, reaching the core of the base—the laboratory of the Centipede Project.
The lab was brightly lit, machines humming. Several researchers in white coats caught sight of Iron Man and screamed, scattering like frightened mice.
"Oh, how rude," Tony quipped, landing in the middle of the lab. "Guests arrive, and not even a cup of coffee?"
"JARVIS, scan the lab. Download every scrap of Centipede data you can find. And check if they've got any cold sodas in the fridge—I'm parched."
Banner hurried over to the main console, his fingers flying across the keys.
"Tony, their database has layered encryption and physical isolation. Forcing a breach will take time. Also, there's an independent energy core—it's linked to a biological containment chamber."
Just then, a heavy door at the back of the lab began to slide open.
A well-dressed man stepped out, slow and deliberate, clapping as he approached. His face wore a faintly sickly smile.
"Wonderful… simply wonderful."
John Garrett looked at Tony and Banner with something like admiration.
"I have to say, Stark—you certainly know how to make an entrance. You and your brother have been quite the thorn in our side lately."
Tony's faceplate lifted, revealing a sardonic smirk.
"Garrett, right? Level Seven S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Loyal HYDRA lapdog. Nice to meet you in person. You look younger than your file photo. New skincare routine? Or maybe HYDRA's just feeding you better these days—lots of grease?"
"Tony Stark. Still as arrogant as ever," Garrett said, smiling thinly.
"But words won't save you tonight. You think you've won? No. You've only convinced me… to activate my greatest creation ahead of schedule."
He snapped his fingers.
The door behind him swung open completely, and a massive glass tank slowly rose from the floor.
Inside the tank, filled with green fluid, floated a burly man covered in tubes.
"Let me introduce him to you," Garrett said, his voice brimming with fanatic excitement.
"Michael Peterson. An ordinary construction worker... a desperate single father. But now, he'll become the first—and most perfect—Centipede Soldier!"
He pressed a button on the remote in his hand.
"ROAR!!"
The man inside the tank suddenly opened his eyes and let out a roar that didn't sound human at all!
His muscles bulged at an alarming rate, and beneath his skin, countless red veins appeared, glowing like molten magma surging through his body.
"Boom!"
The tank's glass shattered from within!
A monster over two meters tall stepped out, heat radiating from his entire body.
"Tony," Banner said grimly as he stared at the creature.
"His physiological readings are skyrocketing! It's completely unstable—he's going to explode!"
"I know you can see that, Bruce," Tony replied, his mask snapping shut as his voice turned cold.
"Which means we have to take him apart before he blows this whole place sky-high."
The battle was about to begin.
Michael Peterson—or rather, the thing that used to be him—looked around in confusion.
Agonizing pain flooded every nerve in his body. His memories were shattered, like broken glass scattered across his mind. His son's smiling face... the dust of the construction site... and despair.
Why was he here? Why was his body burning? Why did it hurt so much?
And that man in the metal suit—why did he look so familiar? Like someone important from TV...
"Kill him!"
A cold, commanding voice echoed inside his head, devouring what little sanity he had left.
"ROAR!"
Peterson bellowed, a scorching gust bursting from his mouth as the floor beneath his feet glowed red from the heat.
His madness-filled eyes locked firmly on Tony.
The next instant, he lunged.
Despite his massive frame, his speed was terrifying—like a cannonball fired point-blank. His huge fist, wrapped in blistering heat, came crashing down toward Tony!
"Oh great, another classic cliché... brainwashed victim attacking the main character," Tony muttered to himself. But this time, he didn't dodge.
"Jarvis, you're on decryption duty. Tear this facility's database apart—I want every secret it's hiding," Tony ordered, his tone calm and steady. "Bruce, analyze everything Jarvis sends back in real time. I need to know exactly what this thing is—and whether it has an expiration date."
"Got it, Tony," Banner responded immediately as a holographic screen popped up before him.
Good. Now this is something I can actually do.
Banner let out a quiet breath of relief. Hacking firewalls? That's Jarvis' job, not mine. I'm a physicist, not a hacker.
But analyzing these insane biological readings... finding weaknesses... now that's my field.
Inside him, the Hulk was roaring, craving a fight—but Banner forced him back down.
No... not yet. That big guy looks way too unstable. If we go head-on, we might just turn him into a walking bomb. I need to find his instruction manual first.
***
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