Just as Gordon's fingers brushed Tony's armor, before the teleport could trigger, the Iron Man suit erupted with a violent surge of electricity. Gordon convulsed mid-motion, his entire body locking up as the current tore through him. A second later, he collapsed, unconscious, twitching on the ground.
Tony straightened, rolling his shoulders. "You might not know this," he said smugly, "but my suit has an automatic defense system."
It was a new feature. Even if Tony was disoriented or momentarily stunned, JARVIS could assess danger and trigger countermeasures on its own. Gordon had picked the wrong moment to try something clever.
"Gordon!" Daisy shouted.
Her response was immediate and furious. She pushed her power to its limit, unleashing a shockwave that slammed into Tony and hurled him backward like a missile. He skidded across the ground and crashed back toward Steve and Logan.
Above them, unseen, Rowan Mercer watched with mild surprise. "She's stronger than I remember," he muttered. "Much stronger."
This version of Daisy was far beyond what Rowan recalled from other timelines.
Then his attention shifted again.
A distant rumble rolled across the battlefield.
Columns of tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry poured into the area from multiple directions. At their head was a familiar figure.
"Ah," Rowan said quietly. "General Ross."
Ross stood inside his command vehicle, gripping the microphone. "Alexander Pierce and all Hydra personnel," his voice boomed, "stand down immediately. If you do not surrender, we will commence a full-scale assault."
Tony climbed to his feet, armor hissing as it rebalanced. "Took them long enough."
Until now, Hydra's influence had kept governments paralyzed. Fury's accusations had been buried, disputed, delayed. But with Fury dead and Iron Man personally confirming the threat, the situation had finally crossed the line.
The President had issued a direct order. Ross was here to stop the Helicarriers at any cost.
Seeing the military arrive, the remaining Hydra forces pulled back toward the Triskelion, forming a final defensive line alongside the Inhumans.
Pierce's voice echoed from the building's loudspeakers. "I suggest you reconsider, General. The agents who infiltrated earlier are all in my custody. So are several loyal SHIELD personnel still inside the building. If you attack, they die."
He didn't need them to hesitate forever.
He only needed one more minute.
Ross didn't hesitate at all.
"You think threats matter right now?" he snarled. "All units, open fire. Level the Triskelion. Destroy the Helicarriers at any cost."
The order had already been approved before he arrived. Civilian casualties, hostages, even SHIELD agents were considered acceptable losses.
Tank barrels elevated. Missile systems locked. Helicopters armed their payloads.
Pierce turned calmly toward the window. "Daisy. Stop them."
She slammed both palms against the ground.
The earth answered.
The ground beneath the attacking forces convulsed violently. Massive cracks split the pavement, swallowing tanks, vehicles, and soldiers before they could fire a single shot. Entire formations vanished into the collapsing earth.
At the same time, the lake beside the Triskelion ruptured.
Water surged outward as three colossal Helicarriers rose from beneath the surface, engines roaring to life.
"Target the Helicarriers!" Ross shouted.
The remaining helicopters pivoted, missiles arming mid-air.
They never fired.
Blue-white energy cannons flared from the Helicarriers, saturating the sky in seconds. The helicopters were erased. On the ground, the surviving forces, still struggling to recover from the quake, were torn apart by precision strikes.
The battlefield fell silent.
Steve turned to Tony without hesitation. "Get us up there. Now."
Everything had unraveled in less than a minute. Hostages. Refused negotiations. The military wiped out. There was no time left for debate.
Tony understood instantly. "Got it."
He locked onto Steve and Logan, preparing to lift them.
Before he could fire his thrusters, a calm voice spoke behind them.
"No need," Rowan said. "I'll handle it."
They spun around.
Rowan Mercer stood there as if he had always been present.
"About time," Tony said, relief flooding his voice.
"I was worried you might actually lose," Rowan replied lightly. Wings unfurled behind him, power gathering. "I didn't expect things to escalate this fast."
He was about to launch skyward when Tony's helmet snapped toward the horizon.
"Rowan," Tony said urgently, "we've got a bigger problem. Rhodey just confirmed it."
"What is it?"
Tony swallowed. "The World Security Council just authorized a nuclear strike. There's a missile inbound. They've decided this entire area is a lost cause."