Although Ant-Man's Pym particle dart seemed like a terrifying weapon, it wasn't as deadly as the Cantel leader and envoy believed. At first, they thought the Cantel soldier hit by the dart had been erased from existence. In reality, he had only been shrunk. The Pym particle dart was a control weapon, meant to temporarily shrink its target, similar to other abilities that stun or knock down.
This effect didn't last long; the Pym particles would wear off soon, allowing the target to return to their normal size. But both the envoy and the legion leader were fixated on Ant-Man, stunned by the unexpected power of his weapon. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept through the room, and a flash of lightning lit up the shadows. A massive, glowing hammer hurtled through the air, crackling with divine energy as it zoomed toward the envoy.
The envoy's heart raced. He recognized that weapon instantly, with a flash of anxiety that felt all too familiar. Only days before, he had clashed with the hero who wielded that hammer, and the sheer memory of it made him uneasy.
Thor's hammer was no simple weapon like Ant-Man's darts. It moved at an incredible speed, with an aura of divine power that couldn't be dodged easily. The envoy braced himself, drawing up every ounce of strength, knowing he couldn't avoid the hit. The hammer struck him with a thunderous impact, and a burst of lightning filled the hall, blasting the envoy backward.
The hammer paused mid-air, hovering for a moment, before pulling itself back, as if connected by an invisible string. Thor caught it with ease, his face breaking into a wide, confident grin. "Well done!" he roared. "You managed to stand against the hammer of Odin's son. That deserves some respect. But this time, you're not running away! Today, we settle this once and for all!"
The envoy cursed internally. Who in their right mind would want to settle things with this maniac?
The legion leader, who had already been shaken by Ant-Man's dart, froze at the sight of Thor's hammer. Taking two careful steps back, he watched in silence, unwilling to make the first move. What really unsettled him wasn't just the strength of these heroes; it was that they had somehow managed to enter the ship without anyone noticing.
Their ship was designed to look like a meteorite on the outside. When locked, it was completely sealed, preventing any entrance from outside. Yet somehow, these heroes had found a way in—and gotten close to the legion leader himself.
The Avengers' Watchtower could teleport heroes to any location on Earth, but it had an additional ability: as long as a target was marked within a certain range, it could teleport heroes to that location even off-world. Inside this floating island ship was one of those marked targets, allowing the Avengers to launch a surprise attack.
A quick, sharp sound echoed as a strand of white web shot through the air, snagging two Cantel fighters and yanking them upward. Spider-Man swung down from the shadows, kicking one soldier across the room and firing a recoil cannon to blast a hole in the other's chest. Using his momentum, he flipped through the air and landed between Thor and Ant-Man.
"Hey, guys!" Spider-Man called out. "What took you so long? I've been here forever! Did you guys take the scenic route or something?"
The Cantel soldiers stared in shock. They had already searched every inch of the ship to find Spider-Man after he disappeared, and now here he was, standing right before them.
This was no ghostly trick; it was the "offline escape" ability. Charlie didn't need to actively move Spider-Man to keep him hidden. All he had to do was direct Spider-Man to retreat into a dark corner and wait offline. Once Spider-Man disconnected, the aliens couldn't locate him, even if they searched every inch of the ship.
"Well done on the recoil energy, kid," commented a new voice as Iron Man descended on a column of flame, landing smoothly in his Mark 43 armor. "But you might want to work on controlling those thrusters a bit more."
"Oh, hi, Mr. Stark! Yeah, I guess I'm still working out the kinks," Spider-Man replied, scratching his head.
Iron Man waved off the comment. "We'll work on the details later. Right now…"
The last to step into position was Captain America. Taking center stage, he raised his shield with determination and called out, "Avengers, assemble!"
Those words weren't just a rallying cry; they triggered one of Charlie's strongest abilities. When three or more veteran heroes gathered with at least five Avengers in total, this command activated a powerful buff, boosting each hero's strength, speed, and durability. The boost was especially helpful for heroes with weaker stats, pushing their limits and giving the team an edge.
As Captain America's words rang out, Cantel soldiers swarmed from all sides, aiming to trap the Avengers in the middle. But with the Avengers assembled, the five heroes stood as an unbreakable force, their presence filling the room with an aura of strength.
The envoy and legion leader exchanged uneasy glances, understanding that the time had come for a direct fight. The legion leader let out a loud, guttural cry that echoed through the hall, a signal that summoned Cantel fighters from every direction. They charged forward like a wave, filling the room with battle cries.
Iron Spider-Man was the first to strike. He fired his web, catching a Cantel soldier and yanking him forward, landing a blow that sent the alien spinning through the air. Leaping into the center of the Cantel forces, Spider-Man unleashed a series of punches and kicks, moving so fast that the aliens could barely follow him.
Ant-Man stepped forward next. "This isn't really my style," he muttered, flipping the Pym particle switch.
In an instant, he expanded into a towering giant, his head nearly brushing the ceiling. The Cantel soldiers in front of him froze, stunned by his transformation, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"But sometimes, you just have to play rough," Ant-Man boomed, swinging a massive fist downward.
The ground trembled as his punch landed, flattening several Cantel fighters instantly. With each punch, kick, or slight movement, Ant-Man created gusts of wind that sent waves of aliens flying backward. Though the Cantels tried to press forward, Ant-Man's gigantic form left them helpless, like insects swatted by a giant.
Several of the Cantel's elite soldiers, determined to turn the tide, flew up and landed on Ant-Man's back and shoulders, aiming to strike his vulnerable points. But just as they were about to attack, Ant-Man suddenly shrank, vanishing mid-air and causing the aliens to tumble to the floor, bewildered.
"Where did he go?" one alien asked, looking around in confusion.
Before they could react, Ant-Man reappeared, this time landing with another powerful blow that sent more Cantels crashing to the ground.
The legion commander and envoy could only watch in horror as Ant-Man repeatedly shrank and grew, turning the battlefield into chaos. The Cantel soldiers were completely disoriented, and some even shouted, "Commander, they have a Gundam on their side!"
For the Cantel forces, the battlefield had transformed into a nightmare. These heroes used powers and tricks beyond anything the aliens had ever seen. And with every move, it became clearer: they were no match for the Avengers.