"Banner!"
The Hulk launched himself skyward, snatching two Hydra patrol drones out of the air and smashing them together with a thunderous crack. The machines crumpled instantly, wreckage spiraling down across the plaza.
Thanks to Odin's intervention, Bruce Banner and the Hulk no longer fought for control. Their minds had fused cleanly. The result was a Hulk with Banner's intelligence and restraint, only slightly smaller than before and barely diminished in raw strength. The trade-off was obvious. Without pure rage, his power no longer escalated endlessly. He could still get angry. It just took a lot more to push him there.
Hydra's response was immediate.
Robots closed in from the air and ground alike, energy cannons blazing. Hulk crossed his arms in front of his face and tanked the barrage head-on, explosions rippling across his skin without slowing him down.
A shield flashed past his shoulder.
Steve Rogers' shield carved through the air in a spinning arc, slicing clean through the extended weapons of several robots before ricocheting back. At the same time, Logan burst forward from behind Hulk, claws flashing as he tore into the ground units, decapitating machines with brutal efficiency.
Alarms screamed throughout the Triskelion.
Hydra soldiers converged from every direction, forming layered defensive lines alongside their robotic units. Energy weapons, experimental tech, anything they had was poured into stopping the three-man assault.
Inside the director's office, Alexander Pierce watched the battle unfold, eyes narrowing.
"Three isn't all of them," he said coldly. "It never is."
With Sitwell and Crossbones silent, Pierce had deployed every combat robot at his disposal and even borrowed enhanced operatives from Baron Strucker. This was supposed to be overwhelming force.
Yet the Superhuman Academy had sent only three fighters.
No Professor Xavier. No Rowan Mercer. No Coulson, no Romanoff, no Barton.
That wasn't caution. It was bait.
Pierce turned sharply. "Gordon. You said your team has a tracker."
He pulled up a full roster on the main display. Every known member of the Academy. Every remaining SHIELD agent.
Gordon glanced back. "Collins."
A young man stepped forward, closed his eyes, and activated his ability. His power radiated outward, scanning the area in expanding waves.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and pointed. "Those ones. They're here."
He listed Coulson's team's location precisely.
Pierce nodded. "As expected."
Then he frowned.
"But where is Rowan Mercer?"
Xavier's absence made sense. Psychic dampeners neutralized him. But Rowan, the one who wielded lightning on a massive scale, should have been here already.
Pierce considered it for a moment.
"Recovery time," he muttered. "That storm must have taken more out of him than he let on."
It was a comforting thought. Not one he trusted.
"Bring them in," Pierce ordered. "Alive, if possible."
Hostages were insurance. If Rowan appeared later, leverage mattered more than firepower.
As Gordon and the enhanced operatives vanished to carry out the order, Pierce turned to another console.
"Activate all lightning protection systems around the Triskelion."
He paused, then added, "And max out lightning shielding on the Helicarriers."
Ten minutes. That was all he needed.
Back on the battlefield, Steve caught his shield mid-flight and blocked a direct hit from an energy cannon.
"No response from Coulson," he said grimly. "And none of the robots are pulling back. Pierce still has cards we haven't seen."
He looked to Hulk and Logan. "We don't have time anymore. Full push. We find the Helicarriers ourselves."
"I'll lead," Hulk growled.
He ripped a tank's main gun free and swung it like a club, scattering robots and soldiers alike. Steve and Logan surged forward behind him, using the opening to sprint toward the building.
Then the battlefield shifted.
A blind man appeared behind Hulk without warning.
One hand touched Banner's shoulder.
Both vanished.
At the same time, several figures stepped into Steve and Logan's path. They weren't wearing Hydra uniforms. They didn't need to.
The girl at the front slammed her palm forward.
A concussive shockwave exploded outward.
Steve and Logan skidded backward across the pavement, barely managing to stay upright.
Steve straightened slowly, eyes locked on the new arrivals.
Hulk was gone. Coulson's team was compromised. And these weren't robots.
"This just got worse," Steve said quietly.
Logan flexed his claws, tearing away the last remnants of his shredded shirt. "Still going?"
Steve nodded without hesitation. "We don't stop. Not now. Not ever."
They stepped forward together.
...
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