Chương 46: Chapter 46

—= Baxter Building =—

Tony Stark arrived at the scene where Spider-Man and Johnny Storm were already locked in fierce combat. The Human Torch was battling a dragon-like humanoid, while Spidey struggled to subdue the Lizard. Both heroes were having a tough time: the dragon proved resistant to Storm's fiery attacks, and Spider-Man couldn't bring down the Lizard, who was incredibly resilient.

"Storm, leave the dragon to me," Tony commanded as he flew into the fray.

Johnny glanced at Tony and gave a quick nod, then darted towards Spider-Man to assist him. The dragon opened its mouth, ready to unleash another blast of fire at Johnny, but Tony acted faster.

BAM

A repulsor beam struck the dragon, forcing it to realize its opponent had changed. Now it faced Iron Man, ready for battle.

"Come on, let's see what you've got," Tony muttered, preparing for the next attack.

The dragon roared and charged, but Tony was ready. The force fields and computational power of his suit allowed him to anticipate every move of his opponent. He dodged with precision, countering each strike with powerful, well-aimed blasts.

—= Tony Stark =—

"By all the rules of storytelling, a dragon should be taken down by a knight in shining armor, so why aren't you down yet?!" Tony exclaimed as another powerful repulsor blast failed to significantly harm the dragon.

Dragon Man didn't respond. Instead, it opened its massive jaws, and Tony saw the fire building in its throat. Without hesitation, he dodged to the side, escaping the deadly path of the fire blast.

Thanks to Jarvis, the battle was going much more smoothly than it could have. The AI scanned Dragon Man's movements, analyzed its attacks, and suggested optimal countermeasures. Each time the dragon lunged, Jarvis calculated trajectories and provided Tony with escape options.

"Sir, my calculations suggest increasing the power of your attacks to drain a significant portion of the dragon's energy," Jarvis reported, his voice calm and confident despite the intense situation.

"Got it," Tony replied, boosting the power of his repulsors. He knew he wasn't the most experienced fighter, and the AI's assistance was crucial.

Stark focused all his will. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his mind working at full capacity, analyzing and predicting every move of his opponent. He knew that only decisive and precise actions could bring victory in this battle.

Dragon Man prepared for another attack, but this time Tony was ready. He channeled all his energy into a single powerful blast, aiming straight at the creature's chest. The repulsor beam shot out with a thunderous roar, hurtling towards its target.

The impact was so strong that the dragon staggered back, letting out a thunderous roar. Tony didn't give it a chance to recover, continuing his assault with relentless intensity. His armor gleamed in the light of the energy blasts, his face reflecting his unwavering determination.

"Hang in there, pal," Tony muttered through gritted teeth. "I'm not done yet."

Each subsequent blast was stronger than the last. The dragon seemed to be weakening, its movements growing less sure and more erratic. Tony realized that Jarvis's strategy was working—the dragon's energy was depleting with every passing moment.

"Sir, the enemy's energy levels have significantly decreased. A few more hits, and it will be fully neutralized," Jarvis reported.

"Excellent," Tony replied, delivering the final blows with maximum precision and force.

Soon, Dragon Man collapsed to the ground, its fiery breath reduced to weak, intermittent gasps. Tony landed beside the fallen foe, feeling the wave of exhaustion from the battle wash over him.

"Looks like you underestimated the knight in shining armor," he said, breathing heavily but with a victorious smile on his face.

—= Meanwhile =—

Parker deftly dodged every lunge from the Lizard. It wasn't just his spider-sense, which alerted him to the most dangerous moments, but also the terrain that was ideal for quick maneuvers.

"Try harder, you overgrown gecko!" Parker taunted as he narrowly avoided the Lizard's tail, which swung just inches from his face.

"IRRITATING LITTLE GNAT—ARGH!" the Lizard roared, swiping his clawed hands.

BAM

Suddenly, the Lizard's body was thrown several meters away. The room filled with the smell of burnt flesh, causing Parker to hold his breath for a moment.

Spider-Man wasted no time. He instantly assessed the situation and prepared for his next move. His eyes locked onto the Lizard, not allowing him the chance to recover and counterattack.

"That was a nice hit," Parker muttered, watching as his opponent struggled to rise. "But we need to end this fight."

Parker swiftly moved towards the Lizard, shooting webs to bind his limbs and restrict his movements. He knew time was on their side, but they had to act quickly and decisively.

"Johnny, you're up!" Parker shouted, signaling the Human Torch.

"Coming in hot, Pete!" Johnny responded, unleashing a powerful stream of fire onto the Lizard, who roared in agony.

The beast thrashed wildly, trying to break free, but Parker's webbing was strong enough to hold him, and he couldn't escape Storm's fiery assault.

"Nice work, Johnny," Parker said as the Lizard finally lost the ability to fight back. "I think he's done causing trouble for now."

"I see you've handled him," they heard Tony's voice.

Johnny looked over at Stark's battle site and saw the downed Dragon Man. Stark hovered in the air, looking relatively unscathed, though his armor showed some signs of wear.

"You don't look too hot, Stark," Storm remarked with a crooked grin.

"Not that you guys are looking much better."

—= Reed Richards =—

By the time we arrived at the Baxter Building, the Lizard and Dragon Man had already been dealt with.

"No need to rush," Tony quipped over the comms.

It seemed Jarvis had informed him that we had arrived in the city.

"Dr. Richards!" Parker called out. "Could you help with Dr. Connors' condition?"

"Mission accomplished, genius."

"Thank you all for your help."

"Whew…" Ben sighed. "Looks like Matchstick and the others pulled it off."

"Thank you for protecting our home," said Sue.

As she spoke, I was mentally disabling the ninjas sent by the Hand. These assassins had mental shields created by the demon they worshipped, but against my newly enhanced powers, these defenses were insignificant.

I didn't hold back against them, as each of them was a depraved soul steeped in sadism, willing to break into my home.

Unfortunately, I couldn't extract complete information from them. When I tried to probe into the higher-ups within the Hand, each one of them began to die rapidly.

"We'll be there soon," I said, still thinking about the people behind this attack.

Dragon Man, the Lizard, the Hand, and Fisk… Something didn't add up… This group couldn't have come together by chance.

"Don't let anyone in," I added, realizing the noise from the battle would attract Fury and his team.

"Understood," Stark replied.

—= Erst Squad =—

"Erst Squad in position," one of the operatives reported, his voice full of confidence and focus.

"Follow the directives," their commander ordered, wasting no time.

The squad leader set to work, fully aware of the seriousness of the mission. His team comprised top-tier engineers, each an expert in their field. These specialists had been handpicked to tackle the multi-layered, highly sophisticated defenses created by Reed Richards.

"Initiating protocol analysis," one of the engineers announced, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

"We've detected multiple layers of encryption and physical barriers," another added, cross-referencing data on his device. "We'll need to work step by step to avoid triggering the defense systems."

The commander closely monitored his team's progress, knowing that even a small mistake could jeopardize the mission. He was a top-tier expert himself and understood the importance of maintaining focus under such conditions.

Erst Squad's engineers began deploying their devices to breach Reed Richards' security system. Their actions were swift and precise, each move calculated to perfection. They knew they were up against not just any defense system but one of the most advanced and complex inventions.

"Initiating encryption bypass," the cybersecurity engineer reported, his eyes glued to the screen where complex algorithms were unfolding.

"Prepare for physical breach," the systems engineer added, activating devices designed to circumvent physical barriers.

Lines of code filled the commander's screen.

"All systems under control," the commander said, his voice steady and confident. "We've got this."

—\\—

"It's no wonder your organization was created," one of the operatives remarked with a hint of irony, watching the scientists at work.

The squad leader had to agree with his subordinate. The specialists they received from AIM had indeed played their part. Without them, the Erst squad would have struggled to breach the defenses set up by Reed Richards.

The scientists, to whom the comment was directed, didn't look up from their work, their attention fully absorbed by Richards' equipment and data. They knew that any mistake could jeopardize the mission.

"Were you able to extract the building's layout from the database you accessed?" the commander asked, his voice calm and businesslike.

"Yes, sir," the lead scientist replied without taking his eyes off the screen. "We've gained access to all the primary schematics and plans."

The commander only needed to glance at the scientist for him to start acting. Soon, each member of the team had the building's layout in front of them, complete with detailed descriptions of every room.

"Did Richards name every room himself?" the commander asked in surprise, studying the schematic.

The scientist shook his head and replied, "We pulled that information from the AI. The rooms were labeled this way in the AI's database."

The schematic was so detailed that it felt as though Reed Richards himself was guiding them through his building. Every room, every corridor, even the hidden corners were meticulously described and analyzed. This gave them a significant advantage.

"So, we have full access to the building's layout," the commander mused, considering the next phase of the operation. "Excellent. We now have all the tools we need to complete the mission."

The scientists continued working with intense focus, their eyes alight with excitement and concentration. They knew that every second counted and that the mission's success depended on their precision and speed.

"What weak points can we exploit?" one of the operatives asked, carefully studying the layout.

"Here and here," the lead engineer pointed to two narrow passages that could serve as entry points. "These areas appear to be the least protected, but we still need to proceed with extreme caution."

"Begin preparations for entry," the commander ordered, his voice firm and resolute. "Follow the plan and be ready for anything."

The team of operatives and scientists began their preparations for the next stage of the operation. Each knew their role and was ready to execute it with maximum precision. They checked their equipment, calibrated devices, and coordinated their actions to ensure everything went smoothly.

"Ready for activation," the engineer reported after completing the final adjustments.

"Good, let's move," the commander said, raising his hand to signal the start of the operation.

They began their cautious advance into the building, following the carefully crafted plan. Every step was measured, every action deliberate. Their work was the culmination of countless hours of preparation and training, and now it was time to prove what they were capable of.

"Move out," the commander said quietly as they advanced. "We can't afford to fail."

They headed toward Reed Richards' laboratory, where all the secrets of the absent-minded genius were stored.

—= Reed Richards =—

At the building's entrance, I was greeted by Fury's men, who had already secured the area and established a perimeter. Leading the procession was Natasha Romanoff. The redheaded spy greeted us with a dazzling smile, as if welcoming old friends.

"Agent Romanoff, thank you for securing the area," I said, nodding respectfully. "But from here on, I'll handle it myself."

Natasha tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with hidden irony.

"Are you sure you can manage without us?" she asked, her voice soft but laced with a subtle strength.

There was no need to waste time breaking through the mental shields she had built up over years of training. Everything was written on her face. She was practically telling me that I was overstepping.

"I'm sure," I replied, trying not to waste time on further conversation. "We appreciate your help, but we have our own plan."

Unfortunately for her, I had neither the time nor the patience to play games. I was certain that Fury, who was more than displeased with me, was a minor issue compared to the fact that someone had crafted such a plan against me.

I walked past Natasha and her team, heading toward the building. We couldn't afford any distractions—every second was precious.

The barrier around the building had been breached, which was already bad news. As I stepped through the entrance, I noticed the numerous defensive systems, now destroyed by the assault of two lizard-like creatures. The scene was alarming, but I knew our defenses had held long enough to allow for evacuation and to organize a counterattack.

Surveying the area, I saw those who, along with the remaining defensive systems, had managed to protect my home not only from the intruders but also from Fury's agents. At that moment, Stark, Parker, and Storm were busy devouring pizza.

Stark noticed me first. His eyes sparkled, and he grinned widely as he finished his slice.

"Hello, Reed! I see you finally made it, and we decided to grab a bite," he said with a light smirk.

Hearing Stark's words, Parker hurriedly finished chewing his pizza. It seemed he wanted to immediately ask for my help with Connors. Johnny just nodded, clearly pleased with his current situation, and raised his remaining pizza slice in greeting.

"Good to see you guys," I replied, assessing the situation. "Looks like you handled things pretty well here."

"Well, we did what we could," Tony responded, still smiling. "But help is always welcome."

Parker finally swallowed his pizza and quickly chimed in, "Dr. Richards, could you help with Dr. Connors' condition?!" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"Of course," I replied with a reassuring nod. "But first, there's something I need to finish."

At that moment, I unleashed my telepathy in full force. If Dragon Man had a consciousness, I couldn't access it, but the Lizard was an open book to me. His only mental defense was a primitive animalistic rage, which was a simple task to overcome given my experience with gamma mutants.

I quickly navigated Connors' mind and realized that the Lizard was merely an alter ego of Connors, not something separate like the Hulk. Understanding this, I began my search. Soon, Connors' entire memory opened up before me, both in his human form and as the Lizard.

Unfortunately, I couldn't trace back to the mastermind behind this plan through the Lizard. A mere pawn had approached him, offering a chance to acquire some of my technology, which was enough for the Lizard to attempt breaking into my home.

I delved deeper into Connors' mind, searching for additional clues or traces. However, everything I found indicated that the Lizard acted on a naive impulse, swayed by promises and unaware of the full extent of the conspiracy.

This took no more than a minute in real time.

"What did you find out about Connors and this Dragon?" I asked Tony and Parker, knowing they were both resourceful individuals who likely tried to study Connors and the Dragon.

"Connors altered his DNA using a very crude method. I have some ideas on how we might help him, but I have no idea what long-term effects it might have," Tony replied.

Parker nodded sadly.

I was about to ask about the structure of his DNA when suddenly my electromagnetic senses picked up something off.

"DAMN IT!"

—= Erst Squad =—

"Incredible…"

"He managed to create generators of this level?"

"I can't even comprehend what this dome is for."

The scientists were praising Reed Richards and his genius. They had already obtained data on the generators Richards used and had started cracking the next level of defense, which led to the dome in this very room… when suddenly each of them felt a tightening grip around them.

The squad leader realized the plan had gone awry.

"Hail Hydra," he whispered before biting down.

In that very second, the poison capsules within his body—and those of his subordinates—activated.

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