----
Outskirts of Manhattan.
Tony Stark's HUD flickered red as another warning blared in his ears.
[Warning: Critical Heat Levels]
Inside the Hulkbuster suit, reinforced with layers of adaptive plating and heavy-impact servos, Stark was feeling the pressure.
Red Hulk was hitting harder than anything the armor had handled before and worse, he was radiating heat a lot of it.
"Didn't account for this kind of thermal output…" Tony muttered, internally kicking himself. "Guess I assumed Banner's rage didn't come with a flamethrower setting."
Red Hulk General Ross, now gamma-infused and burning with raw fury was relentless.
"Stark!" Ross snarled mid-punch, heat flaring from his eyes. "I gave you a chance. A deal. Let us regulate superhumans, keep the world from burning."
His fists smashed into Tony's armor, denting reinforced steel.
"But no. You had to start that Illuminati nonsense. You're betraying the country you swore to protect!"
From inside the armor, Tony's voice remained calm if strained. "No, Ross. I'm just not interested in trading freedom for fear."
Ross's laughter was molten. "That's rich. Coming from a man who wraps himself in a billion-dollar coffin and calls it heroism."
Tony gritted his teeth. Circuits were melting. The Hulkbuster's limbs were getting sluggish.
"Friday. Dispatch the Bleeding Edge. Now."
"Already en route, boss."
Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Luke Cage was tanking hits from Rhodes the War Machine and Natasha's stun rounds like they were mosquito bites.
"Hey! Big guy!"
Spider-Man swooped in, webs thwipping as he kicked Abomination off his feet.
Abomination growled. "Buzz off, bug!"
He lunged like a freight train. Peter flipped backward, webbed up the brute's legs, and anchored him to a broken wing of an abandoned aircraft.
"I said stay!" Peter grunted.
But the webbing snapped like twine under strain.
"He's clocking in at 130 tons," Friday warned in Peter's earpiece.
"Awesome," Peter muttered, dodging another swing. "Too bad I can't throw buildings out here."
The open terrain was killing his mobility. No skyscrapers. No cranes. Just cracked runways and rusting fuselage.
"Vision! Tag in!"
"On it."
With an elegant blur, Vision phased in, intercepting Abomination's next strike. Their fists collided, creating a shockwave that rippled across the battlefield.
Vibranium met brute force.
Meanwhile, Peter flipped toward MODOK and The Leader, dodging lasers and technopath-controlled drones.
"Alright, you two bobbleheads," he called. "Let's dance."
---
Elsewhere, on a nearby ridge overlooking the chaos, Steve Rogers stood with Shuri, Hawkeye, Falcon, and Daisy Johnson (Quake).
"Any word from Wanda?" Steve asked, eyes never leaving the battle.
Hawkeye shook his head. "Comms are dead. She might be in meditation again."
"She's… disconnected," Falcon added, uneasy. "Ever since she started training with Nolan."
"And now Scott's Ant-Man suit is gone, too," Clint added. "Apparently Nolan borrowed it. Scott's still trying to explain things to Hank Pym."
Shuri clicked her claws together. "So we just sit here?"
"No," Steve said. "We wait for our moment. If we jump in now, both sides might see us as enemies. But we can't let this become public carnage either."
As if on cue, a streak of flame descended from the sky, landing hard.
Johnny Storm.
The Human Torch flashed a grin. "Looks like you could use a little heat."
Behind him, Mr. Fantastic extended himself down from a quinjet, cradling Invisible Woman. In the distance, The Thing charged forward like a living bulldozer.
"Situation report?" Reed asked.
Steve nodded. "Evenly matched. It's turning into a proxy war. Red Hulk and Abomination are enhanced government assets. MODOK and The Leader are tagging along with tech and drones. Tony's team is stretched thin."
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "And those two Godzilla rejects?"
"Red Hulk and Abomination," Steve replied. "Government superhumans. Meaner than they look."
Johnny glanced at Thing. "Hey, Ben—you've got siblings."
"Johnny," Sue snapped. "Not the time."
Sue turned to Steve. "Captain. Do you need us to engage?"
Steve frowned. "If we jump in, the press will go berserk. But we also can't let this drag out. Some of these guys are household names. This'll be on every newsfeed in minutes."
He paused. Gave a final nod.
"Pick a side. And hold the line."
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