The moment they stepped into HYDRA's Sokovia branch, a damp, rotten stench wrapped around everyone like a wet blanket.
Looking up, the lights overhead flickered unstably, as if they might die at any second. The dim glow cast heavy shadows down the long corridor.
Then, a sharp chemical reek mixed with decay surged into their noses like a tide, making everyone frown.
That rotten smell was like decomposing organic matter, laced with the rusty tang of corroded metal, all tangled together with the pungent bite of strong chemical agents—clinging and impossible to shake.
While everyone scanned the surroundings, Harry's low, steady voice sounded:
"Stay alert. Every corner of this base is packed with cameras. Not only that, there's an AI monitoring every area 24/7. The instant we stepped in, they already detected us.
"Our top priority is to eliminate every combatant that appears within our line of sight, then find the highest-ranking person in charge—Baron Strucker—and that chief scientist they call the 'Big Boss.'
"Try to capture them alive, not kill them. Only then do we have a chance to squeeze more key HYDRA intel out of them."
Everyone's expressions instantly turned grim. They nodded hard.
The operation officially began.
When it actually mattered, Tony didn't mess around. He gave JARVIS an order at once:
"JARVIS, immediately interfere with this base's AI. Do whatever it takes to cut off its control over the cameras and seize the permissions."
"Understood, Mr. Stark," JARVIS responded quickly. But only a few seconds later, that usually calm electronic voice spoke again:
"Mr. Stark, the enemy AI has sealed the network and is operating the camera system via a local area network. Without a data link, I cannot achieve an intrusion."
"That's easy. Time for Mr. Stark to show his skills." Tony's lips curled into a confident, slightly smug grin. "When magic and technology combine, you can always pull off all kinds of unbelievable effects."
A panel on Tony's shoulder armor opened, and a metal ring launched outward.
It traced an arc through the air and flew steadily to a nearby camera.
Then, from the ring's side, an ultra-thin wire extended silently—like a living tentacle—and connected to the camera with pinpoint accuracy.
The ring powered up. Light flickered across its surface as ancient rune symbols appeared and vanished, emitting a faint blue glow. The runes intertwined and flowed—until a portal formed right in the center.
Tony looked ridiculously pleased with himself, eagerly explaining to everyone:
"See that? This ring can create a portal that leads straight to my lab.
"That way, JARVIS and my suit can interact with zero latency, and the camera network can establish a direct link to JARVIS's main server room.
"Now their local advantage is gone."
In a battlefield where AIs are fighting each other, even a single millisecond of delay can be the deciding factor.
As JARVIS ran at full capacity, the temperature inside the server room where his core was located rose sharply, and the machine hum grew more frantic.
At the same time, the nearby cameras dimmed one after another, and their blinking red indicators gradually went dark.
No one dared relax for even a moment. Their pace quickened as they pushed deeper into the base.
When they reached another corner, dense footsteps suddenly thundered from ahead.
Dozens of fully armed HYDRA soldiers charged in. They wore black combat uniforms and protective helmets, assault rifles gleaming with cold metal light.
The instant they saw the group, the soldiers pulled the triggers without hesitation. Gunfire erupted, bullets pouring down like rain—shrill whines slicing through the air as they tore toward everyone.
Quicksilver reacted instantly, drawing his lightning sword and charging straight in!
Wrapped in crackling electricity, his body shot forward at a speed beyond imagination, leaving only a blurred afterimage behind.
In the next moment, he knocked every incoming bullet out of the air—then flashed through the HYDRA soldiers' formation.
With bursts of crimson spraying like flowers in bloom, dozens of HYDRA soldiers dropped almost simultaneously, killed on the spot.
With the razor-sharp lightning sword as a weapon, Pietro's combat power had jumped severalfold. Not only was his speed boosted, even his attacks became far more lethal.
On the blade that shimmered with thunder, leftover blood evaporated instantly under the scorching electric light, vanishing without a trace.
Pietro held the sword and shot Tony a sidelong look, sneering.
"Hmph. Speed is power. What's the point of all that flashy nonsense? It's not as clean and simple as one sword stroke from me."
Tony's mouth twitched, but he didn't argue back.
He still felt guilty toward Wanda and Pietro, and for once, even he didn't immediately fire off a venomous comeback.
But Harry knew—if Pietro didn't rein it in and kept provoking him like this, Tony would definitely start mocking him with that signature razor-tongue of his.
Because even if Tony felt he owed them, and even if he'd do everything he could in action to make up for it, silently swallowing Pietro's jeers forever was not Tony Stark's style.
Boom!
The moment Pietro finished speaking, an ear-splitting explosion detonated behind him without warning.
A thick, powerful arm burst straight through the wall. Catching Pietro off guard, it slapped onto his face—five fingers clamping down like iron pliers—locking him in its grip.
Then came a crash. The solid wall couldn't withstand the impact and shattered, bricks and debris blasting outward.
A green monster over two meters tall exploded through the breach, wrapped in flying dust and charging out with savage momentum.
It kept Pietro pinned, using him as a shield, and barreled forward in a crazed rush!
Walls collapsed like paper under its charge. In the blink of an eye, it smashed its way out of that section of the building and burst into the open training field outside—still dragging Pietro along.
"Pietro!" Wanda's eyes widened in terror. She immediately started to rush forward to save her brother.
But the instant she stepped out, Harry grabbed her arm and stopped her.
Harry soothed her calmly. "Relax. With the electrical current driving him, Pietro's physical stats have improved a lot. That kind of hit just now can at most leave him with minor injuries. It can't seriously hurt him.
"And you know it too—Pietro's way too confident in his speed. Letting him suffer a little once in a while, so he learns a lesson, is good for him in the long run."
Wanda trusted Harry completely. Hearing that, she gradually steadied herself.
Sure enough, the moment Pietro snapped back to reality, he swung the lightning sword and forced power through his body.
A blazing arc of lightning flashed—cleanly chopping off the green monster's arm.
Then, looking a bit worse for wear, Pietro dragged himself back to the group at high speed.
Harry glanced at Pietro's sorry state and couldn't help smiling. While casting a healing spell on him, he teased:
"Well, well—if it isn't our speedster Pietro. I've heard that in a fight, you never get caught. So what was that today?"
Pietro's face went dark.
Just a few days ago, Harry had specifically warned him that in combat he had to watch out for stray bullets and couldn't just rely on his speed and act recklessly.
Back then, Pietro had been totally unconvinced and immediately snapped back, claiming nobody on earth could ever catch him.
Who would've thought that not long after, reality would slap him across the face like a brutal backhand?
At the same time, he was genuinely shaken—without Harry's lightning magic, he definitely wouldn't have survived that attack.
And if he really ended up becoming the first speedster in history to get caught—maybe even gunned down by ordinary firearms—he'd never live it down.
Steve's gaze swept across the battlefield. To his surprise, Harry and the others were fighting with a weird sense of ease, showing none of the tension or danger you'd expect in real combat.
He frowned slightly, worry showing in his eyes. He strode forward and advised them:
"Don't let your guard down in battle. Every second hides lethal danger. One mistake can make us pay a painful price. Stay vigilant at all times."
Pietro respected Captain America's character a lot. He nodded seriously.
"I get it. But don't worry, Captain—Harry is the strongest."
Steve had only just woken from decades of sleep. He hadn't interacted much with Harry, and he'd only seen Harry use his power once.
But that single time had left a deep impression on him.
That kind of gravity magic was something a close-combat soldier like him had absolutely no answer for.
He didn't deny Harry was powerful—but he didn't fully agree with Pietro either.
War was never a one-man stage. No matter how strong Harry was, he still needed teamwork.
The battlefield was complex and constantly changing. Even with overwhelming strength, one person couldn't possibly cover everything.
Steve firmly believed only by working together—each member using their strengths—could they win in brutal war.
How much could one person really do on the battlefield?
Heavy footsteps approached from the distance, drawing closer and closer.
At some point, a group of green-skinned monsters had silently gathered, surrounding them on all sides.
These creatures looked somewhat similar to the lizardmen they'd faced before, but they were taller—and far stronger.
Just now, it had been one of these monsters that had reached an arm through the wall, clamped Pietro's face, and smashed through multiple thick walls to injure him.
Now, facing dozens of them—muscles bulging like demonic bodybuilders, radiating a chilling aura—even Pietro, usually defined by speed and confidence, couldn't help feeling intimidated.
He felt like a helpless girl in an action movie, trapped and surrounded by hulking brutes—completely isolated, with no power to resist, only able to be toyed with however they wanted.
He swallowed hard, then turned to Harry and asked carefully:
"Harry… can we really win? These things' defense is ridiculous. I went all out with my sword and barely managed to chop off an arm—and now that one monster's arm already grew back!"
Harry patted Pietro's shoulder, then grinned at Steve.
"Captain, I told you—your era is over. This is the era of superheroes… and the era of sorcerers. A sorcerer will always outrank you."
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