Crossbones spat on the metal floor, shaking his hand loosely as he stared at the mechanical tentacles unfolding behind the man opposite him.
"I'm also very interested in those octopus tentacles behind you," he sneered.
Dr. Ock adjusted his glasses, his expression filled with an almost childlike pride.
"I'm glad you appreciate my masterpiece," he said as the four massive mechanical tentacles spread out like blooming steel petals, scraping deep marks across the corridor walls.
Crossbones' expression darkened. He thrust both palms forward, fiery red energy gathering violently between them.
Boom!
A blazing beam of flame roared forward, cutting through the air like a flaming javelin aimed straight at Dr. Ock's head. But just before impact, Dr. Ock's body swayed to the side, smooth and precise. The four tentacles snapped outward instantly, embedding themselves into the surrounding walls like an iron spider web anchoring him in place.
"Ta-ta-ta…"
The metal groaned as the tentacles adjusted their grip. Then one tentacle shot forward with explosive speed, moving like a serpent lunging at its prey.
Bang!
A thunderous impact shook the narrow corridor. Crossbones felt the wind pressure sweep past him like a hammer. He instinctively checked his body—fortunately he untouched. Behind him, however, the reinforced metal wall of the aerospace aircraft carrier was crushed inward like a cheap foil.
If that had hit him?
He didn't even want to imagine it.
"Whoosh!"
Another tentacle lashed out. Crossbones rolled backward on pure instinct, barely escaping as the metal limb sliced past him.
"It's very flexible!" Dr. Ock called out with genuine admiration as he watched Crossbones dodge twice in a row.
"You're not bad either!" Crossbones muttered. He knew fighting head-on was suicide. Turning around, he sprinted down the corridor.
Dr. Ock only smiled, retracting all four tentacles before launching them forward again, shooting after him like steel vipers.
Elsewhere, inside the carrier…
"Bang! Bang!"
An agent fired desperately, But the player in exoskeleton armor dodged every bullet effortlessly, moving with speed far beyond human limits.
"Damn it! Why are these players so outrageous?!" the agent cursed, gripping his pistol so hard his knuckles turned pale.
The armored player sprinted forward, shooting between bullets like a shadow. His movement was so fast it left afterimages.
"Bang! Bang!"
The agent kept firing while retreating, fear tightening his chest—until suddenly—
Click! Click!
His pistol twisted in his hand. Metal bent under an invisible force. Looking down, he saw two mechanical, metal-boned hands crushing the gun like dry bread.
"Sleep well," the player said casually, before punching the Hydra agent into the wall.
Bang!
The man collapsed instantly, unconscious.
[Ordinary Member: $10,000]
"Tch, isn't there anyone higher-ranked?" the player muttered, annoyed.
CRASH!
Glass beside him exploded outward. A dark figure flew across the hall and slammed into the metal wall. A thick mechanical tentacle pinned him there, blood splattered across the broken glass.
The player's eyes widened.
Following the tentacle's base, he saw the burned, slightly battered figure standing in the hall.
"Dr. Ock!" he greeted quickly and respectfully.
"Move to the central control room. Time's tight," Dr. Ock said, removing his cracked glasses. His coat was singed, and smoke curled from parts of his suit. He raised Crossbones' unconscious body with a tentacle and hoisted him behind his back.
Together, they ran toward the control room.
The Central Control Room
Many Hydra members had already abandoned ship, running for escape pods once they saw the situation turn against them. Thus, the special team encountered little resistance and pushed forward easily.
"Dr. Ock, there are sixteen minutes until the space-based cannon launches. Please—help us!" the technician pleaded, tied up along with the others.
Dr. Ock tossed Crossbones aside and stepped to the main console. The four tentacles shot outward—
Clang! Clang! Clang!—and plugged directly into machine ports around the control room.
Then he sat at the primary terminal, fingers flying rapidly across the keys. Two tentacles typed on secondary interfaces while another adjusted power routing. The last tentacle inserted itself into an auxiliary system.
He alone performed the work of an entire engineering team.
Soon, the aircraft carrier system fell under his control.
"Fifteen minutes are up! What's the situation?" Elson's strained voice rang through the communicator.
"We're in. I've taken over the carrier. Fall back first," Dr. Ock replied.
"Copy! We'll withdraw immediately!"
"This carrier has so many problems…" Dr. Ock muttered. "If I had known earlier, I would've done less damage."
"Good thing the engine isn't broken…"
As soon as Elson gave the command, dozens of fighters hovering above the carrier turned together and flew toward the beach like a flock of migrating birds. Only the Transformers units remained on the deck, standing guard.
Ground players quickly boarded transport vehicles, leaving the SHIELD base behind. Smoke still curled from the battlefield, but the fight itself ended in minutes.
A stealth jet slipped past the base quietly, flying in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, the gigantic aerospace aircraft carrier slowly turned, engines roaring as Dr. Ock guided it toward the retreating players.
They had done it.
An aerospace aircraft carrier.
The players of Saint Nether Beach erupted into cheers. Something this massive, this impossible—they had actually taken it.
But not everyone was celebrating.
Natasha, Hawkeye, and Hill hid inside a fighter they had hijacked earlier. Smoke drifted through the hangar. Sparks flickered from damaged machinery.
If they flew out now, they might be mistaken as Hydra and get shot down.
If they stayed, they would eventually be discovered and detained.
"I think waiting for Director Fury to capture us is the safer bet," Hill sighed helplessly.
"I'd rather trust Merlin," Hawkeye grumbled. "Our Director is still locked up."
Natasha narrowed her eyes.
"We wait. A mistake here gets us killed."
Outside, the aircraft carrier shifted course, the steel hull groaning as systems rebooted under Dr. Ock's control.
The world was changing—and fast.
.....
how is the chapter