Chaos as a Plan Fails Exactly as It Should. Pt 2
Two halos of energy collided in the sky, before causing an explosion so massive that the windows of nearby buildings shattered instantly, creating even more chaos among the people being evacuated by military forces and VITAE soldiers.
The problem was that chaos seemed to exist in every part of the country. There was not a single place where evacuation could happen without the fear of being destroyed along the way.
And it did not stop there. With every passing moment, things only seemed to get worse, as more heroes, or would-be heroes, continued joining the battles across multiple fronts.
Even mutants were not left out. They ended up choosing sides, turning against one another. To make matters worse, detention centers and DODC offices were destroyed during these clashes, resulting in prisoners being released and joining the destruction of those very institutions.
For the first time in many years, the president himself declared a full red alert and ordered the entire military to mobilize within national borders, a decision that only worsened the chaos. Missiles filled the skies, attempting to bring down giant heroes, while gunfire was unleashed on those who simply stood still, taking bullets with their own bodies as if it meant nothing to them.
The army was defeated almost immediately, when the two opposing sides, who had been fighting each other moments before, temporarily joined forces… only to resume fighting seconds later.
As if everything had been planned from the beginning.
Nathaniel sat in his office, surrounded by other generals, watching the screens displaying different battlefields. He saw the military being overwhelmed with ease, regardless of the advanced technology being deployed. He could not help but form an amused smile.
Even though he himself was one of the army's high-ranking commanders.
"We need to contact the UN, the panel that's supposed to control this kind of thing," one of the men said, his face twisted with rage.
"And what are they going to do?" Nathaniel replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm and amusement. "Send an email asking for world peace?"
"Sir Hawthorne, this is not the time to joke," another man said sharply.
"And am I wrong?" Nathaniel shot back. "When was the last time the UN actually did something for the world that worked? And yet, they are always the first to demand control over the most powerful heroes on the planet. Creating a panel to control them… pff. Who even chooses that panel? And how do we know they have what it takes? This is exactly what happens when you create a law you were never prepared to enforce," he said, pointing at the screen showing the most violent battle of all. They could barely make out red flames and golden flashes in the sky, each clash triggering an explosion so powerful it split the clouds apart.
"Sir Hawthorne, you are supposed to be in charge of VITAE and—"
"No. The moment they registered, according to the law, every institution made up of enhanced individuals was transferred directly under the Superhero Control Committee. I lost that position," he said calmly, cutting him off.
"Then we should drop a nuclear bomb on them and end this," another man shouted, his voice bordering on madness.
"And which one do you want to drop it on?" Nathaniel asked with a mocking smile as he looked around the room. "The one who absorbs energy? The one who redirects it? The one who reflects it? The one who feeds on it? Or the one who becomes monstrously stronger when surrounded by radiation?" he continued sarcastically. "We could also try chemical weapons. Maybe drop them on the one who turns into everything he touches, or the one who breathes poison. That way, all the civilians around them die, while they walk away like nothing happened," he added in an unsettlingly calm tone.
That only made the others angrier.
The problem was, he was absolutely right.
Silence took over the room as they watched submarines and aircraft carriers begin moving into position, preparing for a full-scale attack that could only result in even more destruction.
"Then we can only strike the ones causing the most damage," another man said seriously.
All eyes turned toward the most important person in the room, who had remained silent until now, a briefcase resting in front of him.
"Mr. President," the man said.
The president let out a heavy breath and looked at Nathaniel for a brief moment, before turning his gaze away and nodding.
…
Owen stopped midair as he watched Captain Marvel's punch rushing toward him. His expression hardened as he raised his guard and waited for the impact.
When the blow was about to land, he caught it with a single hand. Golden energy surged along Captain Marvel's arm, mixing with his own red energy and flames, flowing directly into his other fist, already moving at full speed toward her face.
She reacted with surprising skill, narrowly dodging the strike. Owen's punch grazed past her face and continued forward like a blazing comet, blending red, gold, and orange as it slammed into the ground like a meteor. The resulting explosion was devastating, destroying everything in its path.
Owen's eyes widened in surprise.
It was the first time someone had ever dodged his counterattack.
That brief moment was all Captain Marvel needed. She unleashed a point-blank blast of energy, taking advantage of his distraction.
Owen took the hit head-on and was sent flying upward, only to see her appear above him, her fist loaded with all her strength as it slammed directly into his stomach.
The impact sent him crashing back down at a brutal speed, smashing into the ground and throwing up a massive cloud of earth, the shockwave cracking everything around the impact zone.
Captain Marvel halted her assault, floating calmly above the crater formed by Owen's fall.
"I'll ask you one last time. Where is Fury?" she demanded, her voice cold, her gaze even colder.
Suddenly, an explosion echoed through the entire crater, blasting all the accumulated dust outward. There, standing right at the center, was Owen, his hands together as if he had just clapped.
His expression was ice-cold, though the irritation in his eyes was impossible to miss. A thin line of blood ran down from his mouth. He wiped it away casually with the back of his hand, never taking his eyes off Carol Danvers.
Owen slowly rolled his neck, making it crack, as if loosening his muscles. He did not answer. Carol frowned, clearly annoyed by the lack of response.
"I always end up facing one of you," Owen said at last, his voice low. "For some reason, ever since the first time with Superman. Honestly, I'm getting tired of all this. But apparently, it's my job to keep the world from being destroyed by idiots like you. People who get power, let it go to their heads, and ignore everything else while convincing themselves they're doing the right thing."
He glanced around at the devastation surrounding them. This was never part of the plan, not before the woman floating in front of him had appeared.
"No one is supposed to die. Civilian or hero. The whole point is to prove that even an out-of-control hero won't harm civilians. That control is still necessary… just not forced," he continued. Then he looked back at her, and his expression shifted. "But you know what? To hell with it."
His gaze grew even colder, dangerous enough that it seemed to harden the air itself.
"No one recognizes you as a hero. The moment you could, you left the planet to travel through space, helping whoever you felt like," Owen went on without breaking eye contact. "You were supposed to be a soldier. And the one thing you didn't do was stay and protect your people. You ran off to save others. So technically, you're classified as an extraterrestrial invader."
As he spoke, red energy began to wrap around his body once more. This time, even his eyes seemed to glow red. His hair stirred slightly, wreathed in flames, fire pouring from his right arm. The image was unsettlingly reminiscent of Alexei.
Extreme heat poured off his body, melting the ground beneath his feet. Each step sent an invisible repulsive force outward, pushing rocks, dust, and debris away from him.
In the next instant, Owen vanished.
The crater violently expanded as he reappeared directly in front of Carol. Her eyes widened at the sudden speed, and she instinctively raised her arm to defend herself.
But Owen was already there. He lifted his leg and drove a kick straight into her stomach, sending her flying as shockwaves shattered the sound barrier behind her.
Captain Marvel tried to regain control of her flight, but before she could, Owen appeared above her. He grabbed her by the face with one hand, an overwhelming surge of heat flooding across her skin. Even for someone who could withstand extreme temperatures, the burning was unbearable.
Carol tried to pry his hand away, gripping his wrist, but Owen slammed down into the ground with her, dragging her across the surface and carving a deep trench in his wake.
Then he lifted her effortlessly and hurled her forward, straight into a nearby forest. The impact shook the entire area, trees ripping free from the ground as if struck by a massive invisible wave.
Carol burst out of the newly formed crater, but Owen was already waiting for her, as if every one of her movements had been calculated in advance. With a precise kick aimed directly at her face, he sent her crashing back toward the center of the battlefield.
Owen drew back his right fist. For a brief moment, it turned completely black, as if his own skin were being burned away by his power. He punched the air, aiming exactly at the spot where Carol had fallen.
A massive wave of red and orange flames slammed into the ground. The heat alone engulfed everything around it, igniting the surroundings in spontaneous combustion. The pressure was absolute, crushing and grinding everything into dust and ash.
The ground was left as a twisted mixture of boiling rock, magma, and melted glass.
Owen hovered above the devastation, his expression utterly cold.
"And I already told you I have no idea where Fury is," he said, repeating her words with the same tone she had used before.
From the volcanic rock below, Carol emerged rapidly. Parts of her suit were completely destroyed. Her once long hair was burned away, leaving it uneven and much shorter. Cuts and burns marked her face, her expression filled with pure fury.
"I'll kill you," she said, staring at him with raw hatred.
"Oh yeah?" Owen replied, tilting his head slightly toward the sky. A massive missile was already streaking straight toward them. A mocking smile spread across his face. "You're not the only one who wants to try."