Before he could finish his sentence, Peterson's fist was already inches from Tony's face.
"Hey, big guy! Ever heard of respecting intellectual property? The tech on you looks like a cheap knockoff of a virus I've seen before—and a pretty lousy one at that!"
Tony shouted, charging forward instead of backing away.
He bent his knees slightly as the thrusters under his feet roared, stabilizing his stance. His armored right arm shot up and caught Peterson's burning punch head-on!
"Boom!!!"
A deafening impact echoed through the lab. The violent shockwave exploded outward from the two of them, sending instruments and debris flying everywhere.
The floor beneath Tony's feet sank from the sheer force. The armor joints creaked under the pressure, but he held firm—blocking the blow completely!
Impossible?!
From a distance, Garrett's triumphant smile froze on his face.
Michael's power had been tested—his strength peaked at over twenty tons, and with that momentum, even a tank would be sent flying with a single punch! There was no way Tony Stark's "tin can" could take that head-on!
Of course, Garrett didn't know that beneath that armor was a body enhanced to the level of a super soldier.
"Not bad strength, and the temperature's high enough. I could probably save on heating bills in winter," Tony quipped, feeling the tremors and scorching heat radiating through his arm.
"Shame the tech's garbage. The energy conversion rate is pathetic—most of it's just wasted as excess heat. Tell me, shouldn't HYDRA's research department be submitting collective resignations by now?"
He pushed back suddenly, muscles straining under the armor as he combined his physical strength with the suit's power, forcing Peterson's arm away!
Peterson froze for a moment, stunned that the metal man in front of him could match his strength.
Tony seized the opening—his left palm lit up, and a repulsor blast fired point-blank into Peterson's chest!
The massive man staggered backward, his chest charred black.
But within seconds, the wound writhed and closed up again, healing right before Tony's eyes.
"Nice regeneration… ugly design though," Tony muttered, flexing his arm as the armor's temperature gauge spiked. "A walking, unbreakable boiler… this might be a pain."
As he scanned Jarvis' incoming data, Tony realized that while he could match Peterson's brute strength, the creature's regeneration and constant heat output were serious problems.
The armor's cooling system had limits. A battle of endurance wasn't an option.
He needed to find the core weakness—and fast.
Outside the base, the battle had already reached its endgame.
"Boom!!"
With a final explosion, the energy station at the logistics center went up in flames as Abomination tossed in the last crate of explosives. The night sky was painted crimson.
Blonsky stood atop the smoking ruins, grinning wide as the blast wave washed over him.
This feeling… incredible!
No orders. No restraints. Just pure destruction and battle.
He looked down at his powerful hands, and for the first time, felt that this strength was a blessing.
The Stark brothers might be capitalists, but at least they kept their promises.
They gave him a new life—and dignity.
That, Emil Blonsky would never forget.
"Mr. Blonsky, your heart rate is abnormally high," Jarvis' calm voice echoed in his ear.
"I suggest a few deep breaths to stabilize your condition."
"I'm fine, Jarvis," Blonsky said with a toothy grin. "Better than ever."
Meanwhile, Pietro tore through the last HYDRA outpost like a silver whirlwind.
"Done! Mission complete!" He skidded to a stop in front of the entrance, speaking into his comms.
"Hey, Boss Tony, how's your side going? Need me to come clean up some trash for you?"
Pietro looked around, unimpressed. These HYDRA grunts were too weak.
Not even a decent warm-up.
The guy in the lab looked way more interesting though.
He wondered if that big brute could take a hit.
Just thinking about it made his fingers twitch with anticipation.
"Focus on your own mission, Pietro."
Wanda's calm voice poured cold water on his excitement.
She floated not far behind him, red energy tendrils retracting silently from the computers as she erased every trace of their presence.
Pietro was always so impulsive.
Wanda shook her head helplessly—but her eyes softened with quiet amusement.
She could feel it. Ever since joining the Stark brothers, Pietro had changed.
He was no longer driven purely by rage and hatred. He was becoming… himself again.
Cracking jokes, showing off, acting cocky.
And that was fine.
She extended her senses toward the main base, feeling the violent energy fluctuations in the distance.
Tony Stark's battle was at a stalemate.
Maybe… her power could help.
Her eyes glowed faint red as scarlet energy began to swirl in her palms.
Inside the lab—
"Tony! I've got the data!" Banner's voice cut through the sound of metal and fire.
Tony and Peterson had been trading blows for several rounds. His armor was scorched and dented, but he'd left multiple deep wounds on Peterson that refused to heal immediately.
"Jarvis cracked their main database! God, Tony, you were right!" Banner yelled angrily. "They fused unstable viral agents, alien biological catalysts, and diluted gamma radiation! They basically built a walking nuclear bomb!"
"Cut to the point, Bruce! I don't have time for a TED Talk!" Tony grunted, uppercutting Peterson hard.
"The point is—his energy core, his heart, is entering irreversible meltdown!" Banner said urgently, pointing to the holographic data flashing red.
"The energy inside him is self-replicating and splitting at an accelerating rate! Any physical shock could break the balance and cause him to detonate—taking this entire mountain with us!"
That's why Hulk couldn't join the fight!
Banner's pulse was racing.
If Hulk were here, he'd have punched the guy straight to hell—and taken them all with him.
"Fuck!" Tony swore.
No wonder the guy kept getting stronger—he was charging himself up!
"So, what's the shutdown button?"
"There isn't one! It's a single-use activation!" Banner shouted in frustration.
"The only way is to remove his energy core by force—overload it with something stronger before it goes critical!"
"Easier said than done! Where the hell am I supposed to find stronger energy?!"
Before he could finish, a teasing voice came from the doorway.
"Well, looks like we showed up just in time."
Pietro leaned against the doorframe with a smirk. "Need a hand, Boss? Looks like you're getting beat up by the muscle guy."
Beside him, Wanda appeared silently, her red eyes glowing as she pointed a finger at the retreating Garrett—locking him in place with her energy.
"Shut up!" Tony snapped.
"You two—keep the guy in the suit from escaping!"
He rolled his eyes. Of course. These brats always showed up when he looked the worst.
So much for his Iron Man dignity.
Wanda's arrival, however, made Banner's eyes light up.
"Tony! I might have an idea!" he said, pointing at her with sudden inspiration.
"If she can disrupt the energy patterns inside Peterson—even for a split second—we can…"
Tony immediately caught on.
A gamble. A dangerous one.
"Wanda!" he shouted. "You heard Banner! Don't attack—just use your power to throw his energy into chaos!"
Wanda hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
She looked at Peterson, sympathy flickering in her eyes.
She could feel it. Beneath the rage and madness—there was sorrow, despair.
Just like herself, once.
"He's in pain," Wanda whispered as her eyes glowed brighter red.
Her energy surged—not gentle this time, but wild, stormlike—enveloping Peterson in an instant!
"AHHHHH!!!"
Peterson screamed as his internal energy went haywire—clashing, collapsing, annihilating itself. He dropped to his knees in agony, roaring in torment.
"Now!" Banner roared, no longer holding back his other self.
"ROAR!!"
A thunderous bellow erupted as Banner's body swelled—but this time, he didn't fully transform.
He forced control, keeping only his right arm transformed into a massive green limb larger than a man's torso.
"TONY!!!" Banner shouted.
Tony understood immediately.
"Jarvis! Max power output—lock target!"
He lunged forward, pulling out his arc reactor and slamming it directly against Peterson's chest!
At the same time, Banner's massive arm smashed into Tony's back—transferring an immense surge of kinetic force through the armor, amplifying the arc reactor's output.
The combined power formed a massive torrent of energy, flooding straight into Peterson's body!
"Zzzzzzzzzttt!!!"
The piercing crackle of raw current filled the lab.
Under the chaos of colliding forces, Peterson's runaway reaction was forcibly cut off!
The red veins across his body faded, his swollen frame rapidly shrinking.
Moments later, he collapsed, returning to his human form—an unconscious, shirtless construction worker lying on the cold floor.
"...Whew."
Tony cut the energy feed. The armor blared with overload warnings as the arc reactor dimmed slightly.
Banner reverted from his half-transformation.
Wanda, though, looked the most drained—her control over energy was still limited, and the massive exertion left her pale and weak.
The three exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, saw the same spark of triumph.
That had been perfect teamwork.
"Well done, everyone," Tony said, retracting his faceplate with a tired but satisfied grin.
"Mission accomplished. Time to clean up... and go home."
As soon as Tony finished speaking, dozens of miniature mechanical arms extended from his armor. Some sprayed mist, others deployed collection probes, carefully extracting skin and blood samples from the unconscious Peterson.
A few of the arms then darted toward Garrett, who was still hanging upside down in midair, restrained by Wanda's magic.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Garrett's eyes widened in panic as the gleaming arms closed in, thrashing violently.
"I'm a level seven agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! You can't—"
Before he could finish, one of the arms extended a specialized clamp and sealed his mouth shut without hesitation.
"Mmmph! Mmmph!"
"Ah… peace and quiet." Tony walked up to Garrett and lightly tapped him on the forehead.
"Mr. Garrett, given your suspected violations of international accords, illegal human experimentation, and intent to develop weapons of mass destruction, I—on behalf of Stark Industries' legal department and myself—hereby place you under temporary custody. Don't worry, our holding cells are far more secure than S.H.I.E.L.D.'s cardboard fortresses. Plus, we offer 24-hour mental health counseling… personally supervised by me. I guarantee you'll be questioning your life choices within the first session."
Tony smirked inwardly. This guy was sitting on a pile of secrets.
If that old fox Pierce had put him in such an important position, then Garrett had to be one of the core members.
No way he was handing him back to S.H.I.E.L.D.—what a joke. That'd be like throwing the fish right back into the pond.
He had to bring Garrett back to Malibu and let JARVIS give him a nice brain spa.
Tony already had the entire follow-up plan mapped out in his head.
Turning around, he saw Pietro supporting a pale Wanda, and his brow furrowed unconsciously.
"How are you holding up, Red Lady?" he asked. Everyone was exhausted now, and though his tone wasn't as sharp as usual, he still couldn't resist a bit of teasing.
"How do you feel? Dizzy? Lightheaded? Want to puke? I told you—magic burns through mana like crazy. What you pulled just now was like chugging an entire energy potion in one go. Do that again, and I'll dock your pay to buy you protein bars instead."
Wanda shook her head gently and said softly, "I'm fine, just… drained."
That brief moment earlier hadn't just been about disrupting Peterson's energy—she had also felt his pain and despair deep within his heart. That feeling reminded her of the days she and Pietro had spent trapped beneath rubble.
So this is what it feels like… to be swallowed by hatred and hopelessness.
She looked at Tony, her gaze a bit complicated.
This man was clearly worried about her… so why couldn't he just say something nice? (T/N: Tsun Tsun stark brothers)
Just like Henry—exactly the same.
"Good. As long as you're fine." Tony shrugged, pulling a syringe from a compartment in his armor and tossing it to Pietro. "Here, speedy. Give this to her. Stark Industries' proprietary nutrient formula—condensed energy and vitamins. She'll be back on her feet in three seconds. No side effects… unless you count burping beef flavor for the next few days."
Pietro caught it, hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Thanks."
"No need to thank me. It's covered under your employee benefits." Tony waved his hand with a proud grin, looking every bit the generous boss.
"Tony." Banner walked over, staring at the unconscious Peterson with a conflicted look.
"What are we going to do with him? He's a victim."
"Of course we're taking him back," Tony said naturally. "I'm not leaving a walking time bomb in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s bureaucrats. Their solution to everything is to slice it open and study it. But we…"
He glanced at Banner, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"We have the world's best gamma radiation expert—and one very experienced patient. Bruce, I need you to help him. Stabilize his energy. Help him find himself again. Think of it as our first after-sales service project."
Banner froze for a moment, then looked at Tony. Warmth spread in his chest.
He had always assumed that Henry and Tony had recruited him just for the power of the Hulk.
But now he realized—Tony also valued Bruce Banner's mind.
For all his arrogance and playboy charm, Tony Stark's heart was softer than he liked to admit.
"Alright." Banner nodded firmly. "Leave him to me."
...
New Mexico
Inside Jane Foster's car.
After the earlier awkwardness, the atmosphere had gradually softened.
Jane, now more curious than ever about the mysterious man from another world, kept asking Thor questions about Asgard and the Nine Realms.
Thor, for his part, was trying to explain in a way that didn't sound so… Asgardian.
"So, the Bifrost Bridge—is it really made of rainbows?" Jane asked, her tone full of childlike curiosity.
"No, it's composed of energy and magic," Thor explained patiently, though he quickly realized that describing the wonders of the divine realm in mortal terms was no easy task.
Henry sat to the side, munching on Darcy's donut, silently commenting in his head.
Bro, give it up. Just tell her it's a quantum wormhole portal, something about energy entanglement, maybe throw in the word 'tachyon.' She'll talk to you for three days straight.
Still, Thor's clueless sincerity was oddly entertaining.
Henry took out his phone, pretending to play a game—but in reality, he was watching JARVIS's live feed of the battle in Germany.
"Oh, not bad, Tony," he murmured with a grin. "Actually went toe-to-toe with the Centipede Soldier. Guess that super soldier serum paid off."
"Banner's improving too. Way faster than in the original timeline. And Wanda… she actually used psychic interference for support? Looks like my smile therapy's working."
Watching their teamwork on-screen, Henry couldn't help but smile.
Huh. This team's finally starting to look like one.
Just then, his phone buzzed. A message from Tony popped up.
"Mission complete. Preparing to return. How's your golden-haired giant doing? Need me to air-drop a copy of How to Make Friends with Aliens?
From: Your world-saving big brother, Tony."
Henry burst out laughing.
This guy wins one fight and his tail's already wagging at the clouds.
'Training'? What does he think I'm doing, obedience school?
He quickly typed back.
"All good. The prince is currently undergoing cultural assimilation and has successfully mastered the advanced technique of complimenting women's eyes using light bulbs. Don't worry. Also, I've secured your Asgard travel visa—remember to reimburse my PR fees.
From: Your interstellar diplomat brother, Henry."
After sending the message, Henry pocketed his phone, cleared his throat, and interrupted Thor and Jane's lively discussion.
"Alright, folks, storytime's over." He stood up and stretched lazily.
"Thor, after your crash course in Earth culture, I think it's time for a little test."
***
Wish You Happy New Year guys
Let's hope we all have better lives in 2026
***
Read 20 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666