Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
Amidst the buzzing hum of vibration waves, a figure let out an angry roar while nimbly dodging the attacks.
The five kids standing off to the side, though startled at first, quickly regained their composure.
The five of them had formed the "Titan Squad." Even though Gwen was the only one who actively participated in combat, Luke and the other four had certainly seen their fair share of action by now.
"Should we step in?" Luke asked, looking at the beast that had attacked them. He was eager to try, wanting to activate his own ability.
After all this time practicing, he could finally control his ability well, usually keeping his "purification field" suppressed.
Peter and the other two looked nervous, but Gwen shook her head, saying, "This isn't the right place. Besides, looking at that older sister, it doesn't seem like she needs our help."
The moment her words fell, the beast dodged an attack from Skye and swiped her flying with a single massive claw.
In fact, if Skye hadn't managed to block it with a vibration wave just as the claw swiped down, she would have been severely injured.
Skye skidded across the ground, sliding to a stop right at the feet of Gwen and the others.
The other four stared speechlessly at Gwen. Gwen gave a light cough, offered her hand to Skye, and asked, "Miss, are you alright?"
Skye froze for a second. These kids are way too calm.
"I'm fine," she replied, taking Gwen's hand to pull herself up. She looked toward the beast, Webb, who was now fleeing in the other direction.
She had to make sure that frenzied beast didn't hurt anyone else.
Just as she prepared to give chase, a gold-and-red figure streaked across the sky, leaving a brilliant fiery trail as it appeared above their heads.
Iron Man. Tony Stark.
Seeing this, Skye let out a sigh of relief, her tense body instantly relaxing. Good, this isn't her problem anymore.
"Miss, are you leaving now?" Gwen asked in a quiet voice.
Skye nodded.
"Can you tell me your name?"
Gwen asked, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Skye. She smiled, "I just have a feeling we'll meet again."
"Daisy. Daisy Johnson." Skye told Gwen her other name, one that almost no one knew. She couldn't resist patting Gwen's shoulder and said to all five of them, "You were all very brave."
With that said, she quickly departed, melting into the crowd and disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, the newly arrived Tony Stark had already shot off toward the bestial Webb.
"F*ck!" Webb cursed under his breath, staring at the Iron Man blocking his path.
Damn it, where's my extraction team? It's this late, and they're still not showing up?
If this kept up, he only had two options: get killed, or get captured.
"Who sent you? Hand over the data!" Tony stared coldly at his opponent, his suit's entire weapons array locked onto Webb below.
That bastard! He actually managed to infiltrate his private laboratory in Avengers Tower and steal his experimental data. And he succeeded!
This was, quite frankly, a direct provocation!
Beyond that, what concerned Tony even more was the advanced level of technology the intruder displayed while stealing his data.
Someone who possesses that kind of tech is trying to steal his nanotechnology... What exactly are they planning?
The people behind this thief were Tony's real concern.
Right now, he just needed to capture this bastard. Then he could get Wanda or Charles to lend a hand and find out exactly who he was working for.
Targeted by Tony's full arsenal, all the fur on Webb's body suddenly stood on end. He didn't hesitate for a second; he just turned and ran.
But he had barely gotten a few steps before Tony's attack struck him.
It was a small device, crackling with electrical light. The moment it hit the target, it released a powerful current.
Zzzrrraa! Accompanied by the sound of arcing electricity, an electric net unfurled over Webb's body.
This powerful shock-net carried enough voltage to stun an elephant, yet it only seemed to make Webb's body go numb, causing him to stand rooted in place in pain. If given just a little time, he would be able to break free from the net's restraint.
But Tony clearly wasn't going to give him that time. Just as Webb began to struggle, Tony appeared in front of him. His palms lit up, and two repulsor blasts shot out, knocking Webb flying. Tony instantly followed, planting a boot firmly on his chest to pin him to the ground. A small red targeting light landed squarely on Webb's forehead.
"Don't move," Tony said coldly. "Or your head is going to be split in two."
An almost abstract smile twisted Webb's bestial features. He was just about to concede defeat when he seemed to hear something. The smile instantly turned sinister.
"Go to hell!"
Tony's internal alarms blared. In the next instant, a figure descended from the sky. With a wave of his hand, red energy rapidly coalesced into a gigantic energy palm, which swatted Tony away like a fly.
"Boom!" Tony was blasted like a cannonball, crashing straight through the wall of a nearby building.
The man who had dropped from the sky immediately grabbed Webb. Crimson energy condensed on his back, forming a pair of enormous wings, and the two of them shot toward the sky.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Several missiles launched from the suit, speeding toward Webb and the unknown man.
Boom! Boom! Amidst the fierce explosions, the duo's ascent was halted. The crimson energy wings that were protecting them flared open again, just as they prepared to flee, but Tony was already airborne, intercepting them and engaging them in combat.
Webb's ability was 'bestialization'; after transforming, his physical strength and reflexes were enhanced more than tenfold. The man who came for extraction, named Alik, could manipulate a peculiar type of energy, either shaping it into constructs or using it for defense.
The two clearly had no intention of fighting, but Tony had no intention of letting them leave.
If this dragged on, if Iron Man stalled them any longer, his reinforcements would arrive.
The two exchanged a glance. They stopped passively defending and trying to escape. Instead, with a furious roar, they both charged at Tony.
They had to take Iron Man down in the shortest time possible. If you won't let us leave, then we'll just kill you and leave!
Along with their twin roars, Webb's already massive, two-meter-tall body began to swell rapidly, as if being inflated like a balloon. In the blink of an eye, a five-meter-tall monster, looking much like a dire wolf, stood before Tony.
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched. What did this thing eat growing up? Even if it ate Uncle Mike's cooking, there's no way it would get this big...
He made the subconscious quip, but Tony wasn't really concerned. It's just a beast. What do you think you are, Wolverine?
The only reason he hadn't used overwhelming firepower to finish him already was because this was a civilian area, unsuitable for a large-scale battle. Plus, he wanted to capture the thief alive to find out who was pulling his strings.
Did he really think... "F*ck, what the hell is that?!" Tony's eyes suddenly shot wide open.
He watched as Alik, the energy manipulator, stood on top of the enlarged Webb. Massive amounts of crimson energy poured out from under his feet, spreading like a layer of armor, covering the giant beast below him and making it look even more ferocious.
"A fusion?" Tony exclaimed in surprise. He then watched as a pair of crimson energy wings emerged from the back of the armor-clad beast.
Holy crap, it has a flight function now too?
Watching the monster flap its wings and fly straight at him, Tony's lip twitched. He hurriedly commanded, "Veronica! Armor support!"
"Yes, sir!" As Tony spoke, the Veronica satellite, deployed by Tony in outer space, launched several component packs, which immediately began hurtling towards Tony's location.
Simultaneously, Tony engaged the armored monster—the fusion of Webb and Alik—in combat.
Unlike before, when the duo was solely focused on escaping, they were now committed to finishing Tony as quickly as possible. They pushed their abilities to the absolute limit, actually managing to press Tony onto the defensive.
Boom! Boom! Several more missiles streaked out, seemingly turning the entire sky into a sea of fire.
"Roar!" With a furious bellow, the beast closed the distance, one of its giant claws swinging at Tony with immense force.
Tony was forced to fall back.
But just then, the crimson armor on that giant claw suddenly elongated and reshaped, lashing out and violently striking Tony, sending him flying like a bowling pin.
The scenery blurred as Tony was sent hurtling backward, FRIDAY simultaneously reporting the suit's rising damage percentage.
Tony cursed under his breath. He had barely stabilized himself in mid-air when he saw the beast pouncing on him again.
"Roar!" A massive maw snapped viciously at Tony.
Tony raised both hands, firing two bright repulsor blasts straight into the monster's mouth, using the recoil to gain distance.
But, it was that crimson energy again! The substance shot out from the beast's mouth like a giant tongue, wrapping around Tony and violently pulling him toward the snapping jaws.
A cold light flashed in Tony's eyes. Instead of fighting the pull, he reversed thrust and followed the crimson energy's pull, accelerating at maximum speed into the beast's mouth. Then, just as the jaws were about to snap shut, he jammed his hand up, forcing them open.
The next instant, a massive payload of munitions poured directly down its throat.
Boom! Boom! Flames from the internal explosions kept bursting out, making it look as if the monster itself was breathing fire.
K-K-Krrack! A crisp cracking sound rang out. Tony's expression changed. He looked at the red energy barrier that had manifested inside the throat—it had blocked the ammunition, but it was now covered in fractures. His eye twitched violently.
"That works too? This damned ability is disgusting. What are these two, conjoined twins?"
He could still find the time to quip while facing a giant mouth intent on crushing him, naturally, because his backup had finally arrived.
Boom! Boom! Triangular alloy armor plates, like sharp arrows descending from heaven, slammed into the beast's body, making it roar in pain. As the alloy plates fell one after another, they smashed the monster out of the sky.
This was supposed to be an alloy cage, designed to capture incredibly strong enemies, like the Hulk. But it was unsuitable for this beast; it couldn't close properly. So, Tony had just used the components as projectiles instead.
And now, looking at the result... "The effect is pretty good!"
Having extricated himself from the beast's mouth, Tony raised an eyebrow. He looked at the incoming weapons packs and the corner of his lip curled up.
Finally. He spread his arms wide in mid-air. One by one, the components flew toward him and locked into place. In just a few seconds, he had transformed into a three-meter-tall metal giant.
Tony looked down at the giant beast struggling to its feet and said coldly, "B*tch! The real fight starts now!"
"Hm?" Suddenly, he spotted a small figure, wreathed in blue flames, charging straight toward the beast.
Tony froze for a second. "Is that... Gwen?" Why is that kid anywhere near here?
Tony muttered to himself and hurriedly flew down to intercept.
"Hey! Big guy!" Gwen moved rapidly, specks of blue flame trailing behind her like dancing fireflies.
She shot a taunting greeting at the giant beast, then zipped underneath its belly, swinging a chain wreathed in blue fire, expertly wrapping it around the beast's front legs.
She gave a hard pull.
With an enraged roar, the beast, which had only just managed to stand up, crashed face-first back onto the ground.
"Nice faceplant!" Gwen cackled, standing triumphantly before the giant beast.
Suddenly, one of the crimson energy wings swept toward Gwen.
Just then, Tony dropped from the sky. His massive mechanical hands shot out, catching the crimson wing and blocking the attack.
"What are you doing here?" Tony asked rapidly.
"Just happened to be hanging out nearby," Gwen replied swiftly. The blue flames burning within her eye sockets suddenly flickered.
"Tony, I just thought of a really fun idea!"
Gwen's gaze remained fixed on Alik, who was still on the beast's head. She suddenly leaped up, landing lightly on the shoulder of Tony's massive suit.
Tony's eye twitched. "What do you think I am, a taxi?"
"Hehe!" Gwen laughed happily, placing one of her white, skeletal hands on the helmet of Tony's suit.
FWOOSH! Blue flames instantly surged from her hand, engulfing the entire Anti-Hulk armor. Skull-like patterns materialized across the suit's exterior. Gwen pointed dramatically at the giant beast and shouted, "Go! Tony-mon!"
"Tony-what-now?" Tony was completely baffled, but he nonetheless instinctively flung the beast's wing aside and hammered his massive, now-flaming fist toward the beast's head.
The beast's feet were still bound; this punch was unavoidable.
But... Swoosh! The beast's massive body suddenly shrank, not only dodging the punch but also slipping free from Gwen's chains.
Tony cursed under his breath as he watched the beast swell back to its enormous size, and he immediately lunged forward.
The moment he moved, he immediately noticed a difference in the armor. It felt... enhanced. The speed was astonishing.
Is this Gwen's flame? The thought flashed through Tony's mind. Just as the crimson energy began to spread over the beast's body once more, his fist, now resembling a burning meteor, smashed heavily into the monster.
Bang! Cracks instantly spiderwebbed across the crimson energy armor!
The strength is enhanced, too!
Watching the beast get knocked airborne, Tony's eyes lit up. He shot forward, easily matching the beast's trajectory.
"More power!" Tony roared.
"Got it!" Gwen's eyes flashed, and massive amounts of blue flame converged on the armor's fist.
"BOOM!" With a single punch, the crimson armor shattered completely.
Awoooo! The beast howled in agony, vomiting a large amount of blood. Before Alik, still standing on its head, could use his ability to protect them again, a chain shot out like a coiling viper, wrapping tightly around his neck. With a sharp tug, he was choked unconscious.
"Nice work!" Tony, fighting alongside Gwen for the first time, was thoroughly impressed by her clean movements and precise judgment.
(End of this chapter)