Quicksilver shrugged.
"Looks like you've already started talking nonsense."
The man was completely under his control. Quicksilver could not imagine how he could possibly turn the tables now.
He could not help lifting his chin slightly.
He was Quicksilver, the fastest man alive.
The clone did not respond. He only stared at Quicksilver with a cold, mocking smile.
The next second
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the ground as if the earth itself were tearing apart.
Quicksilver's pupils shrank violently.
He turned toward the surveillance monitors. Thick smoke was pouring out, swallowing the entire factory complex.
"You planted explosives!"
There was no way this kind of destruction came from genetic beasts.
"Wanda!"
His heart clenched.
At the same time, explosions began chaining through the underground base.
At this rate, the entire facility would be reduced to ashes in less than ten seconds.
The clone remained silent.
Because this was not his doing.
From the very beginning, the base had been under the control of the original body. The explosions meant only one thing.
The real Samuel Sterns had already left the area.
So fast.
Quicksilver did not waste another second. He activated his speed, grabbed the clone, and sprinted straight toward the surface.
Above ground, the explosions came without warning. Almost no one had time to react.
Hulk stood at the front and took the brunt of the blast. Fortunately, his body was tough enough. Though he was thrown back, he was not seriously injured.
The others were not so lucky.
Steve Rogers barely managed to raise his shield in time.
Tony Stark flew in and pulled Natasha away from the blast radius.
Wanda threw up a barrier, trying to suppress the shockwave.
But she was not strong enough yet.
Under the relentless chain explosions, she spat out a mouthful of blood as her barrier violently contracted.
"Damn it!"
Clint Barton's eyes widened.
The protection around him failed.
Just then, a streak of silver flashed past, yanking him away moments before the explosion hit.
The detonations continued for over ten seconds before finally fading.
When the smoke settled, more than half of the Avengers were injured to varying degrees.
As soon as the explosions stopped, Tony descended.
"All right, people. Talk to me. Tell me you're still alive."
"I'm still breathing," Steve said as he gritted his teeth and stood up.
"I'm fine too."
"That was way too close."
Voices answered one after another.
Tony's expression was grim.
"That bastard. Was he trying to blow himself up too?"
"Maybe he had another way out," Natasha said quietly.
At that moment, Quicksilver ran back, dragging two figures with him.
"I found a clone. The real Samuel Sterns probably escaped."
The mood instantly darkened.
Escaped?
How was that possible?
Even though only a handful of Avengers were attacking directly, the outer perimeter was sealed by a massive number of agents.
Natasha spoke immediately.
"I'll inform the Director. This time, he will not leave Boston."
Thud.
A dull sound echoed, but no one paid it much attention.
Maybe it was a delayed blast. Maybe something else.
Either way, the once overwhelming number of genetic beasts had already been wiped out.
"Hahaha! Avengers, even if I'm doomed, you won't be leaving this place either!"
The clone screamed hysterically.
"It's awake. It's already awake!"
"The monster that attacked the S.H.I.E.L.D. base?" someone muttered.
No one was slow to understand.
If anything could survive this level of destruction, it would be that nightmare.
Bullets were meaningless against it. Even small armor-piercing rounds could not leave a scratch.
That monster was the real threat.
"Where is Nolan Locke's support?" Steve asked grimly.
Tony replied, "This isn't the time to think about that. Prepare for combat. Natasha, check the status of the backup immediately."
Truth be told, he was nervous too.
Being a superhero did not mean being fearless.
Boom!
A section of rubble suddenly exploded outward.
A massive figure emerged.
The moment they saw it, every hair on their bodies stood on end.
It was that monster, but something was different.
Stronger.
Much stronger.
"Damn it, attack!" Steve shouted.
Most of them were already injured.
They had no idea how they were supposed to fight this thing.
But there was no retreat.
Tony fired a repulsor blast instantly.
The beam slammed into the monster's chest.
"I got it!"
The hope on his face vanished almost immediately.
Useless.
The repulsor might as well have been a toy.
Clint drew one of his remaining arrows.
There were too many enemies earlier, and no matter how careful he had been, he was nearly out.
The arrow struck the monster. Its tail section detached, and the arrowhead suddenly accelerated, releasing a burst of energy.
A true armor-piercing tip.
The arrowhead drilled forward with terrifying force.
Clint's face changed.
Even after losing all momentum, it failed to break the monster's skin.
How were they supposed to fight this?
Everyone was stunned.
At that moment, Hulk charged.
The explosion had left him furious.
His height now exceeded four meters, a direct reflection of his rising power.
That strength filled him with confidence.
This time, he would not lose.
Boom!
Two titans collided.
Yet even at four meters tall, Hulk only reached the monster's waist.
It looked like a child challenging an adult.
Hulk roared, bracing himself against the monster's strength.
Then the creature smiled.
A mocking, almost human expression.
As if laughing at Hulk's arrogance.
The next instant, it proved it was no hollow brute.
"ROAR!"
Hulk was slammed to the ground like a toy.
The monster's massive fists came down like siege hammers.
Watching this, Tony felt a sense of déjà vu.
Back when they fought Abomination, an unawakened Hulk had been beaten the same way.
He fired a missile to draw the monster's attention.
They were in serious trouble.
Natasha immediately contacted Nick Fury.
"Director, where is our backup? Why hasn't Nolan Locke arrived yet?"
Fury's expression was dark.
"I'll contact him."
In an alley outside the factory, Nolan was holding a big-headed man by the collar, an amused look on his face.
At that moment, his phone rang.
"Nolan Locke, we had an agreement," Fury said, barely containing his anger.
Nolan glanced at the injured man and sighed.
"Of course. I told you, I'm a businessman. I keep my word."
Then he added calmly, "I caught Samuel Sterns. Looks like your lockdown wasn't very tight."
"What?"
Fury was stunned.
They had layers of firepower. There was no way Sterns should have escaped.
"Mr. Locke, now is not the time for that. The Avengers need your support."
Nolan clicked his tongue and looked at Sterns.
He had thought catching him might fetch a good price.
Clearly, Fury did not care.
"You're really useless," Nolan said, kicking Sterns hard enough to make him cry out.
Then he spoke into the phone.
"Relax. Like I said, I honor my contracts. If I'm not mistaken, the support has already arrived."
Inside the factory, the battle was brutal.
This was not a fight. It was a cat-and-mouse game.
The Avengers had never faced an enemy this powerful.
In Tony's eyes, even Abomination did not compare.
If they were at full strength, maybe they could have stood a chance.
Right now, he barely felt relevant.
Steve and the others wore black combat armor, greatly enhancing their strength.
Even so, they could not threaten the monster in the slightest.
Only Hulk could barely keep up.
The rest of them were like mosquitoes. Annoying, but meaningless.
The monster suddenly grabbed Hulk again and smashed him into the ground.
"It's over. Hulk's getting beaten again," everyone thought.
Then the monster's gaze locked onto Wanda.
Even injured, she was the biggest threat.
She had hurt it.
The ground exploded beneath its feet as it launched toward her like a bullet.
Quicksilver reacted instantly, sprinting toward Wanda.
Too late.
Even for him.
The monster had the advantage, and its speed was terrifying.
At the critical moment
Slash!
A streak of silver cut through the air, freezing the monster for a split second.
That was all Quicksilver needed.
He pulled Wanda away.
The monster stared at its arm.
A thin line of blood appeared.
Shallow, but real.
It was injured.
"ROAR!"
Pain ignited its fury.
"Execute command. Eliminate."
The monster and its opponent charged at each other.
The fight instantly surpassed what anyone else could interfere with.
"That robot… is it from Locke Technology?" Wanda asked shakily.
If not for it, she would be dead.
Tony looked at his remaining armor suits, then at the robot fighting the monster.
They suddenly felt like scrap metal.
His eyes burned with frustration.
Next time, he would build something stronger.
"Did we win?" someone asked.
"Hard to say," came the reply.
The G5 robot was evenly matched with the monster.
But the wounds it inflicted were not fatal.
Hulk stood back up, rage blazing in his eyes.
His body continued to grow.
Earlier, he had barely reached the monster's waist.
Now, he was nearly at its abdomen.
"HULK!"
He charged back into the fight.
Fury overwhelmed his reason.
He wanted to tear the monster apart.
But he disrupted the G5's rhythm.
The G5 was a master swordsman, combining overwhelming performance with flawless technique.
Together, they made it terrifyingly strong.
Hulk was not a good teammate.
He created an opening.
The monster seized it.
A massive punch slammed into the G5.
The robot blocked with its blade, but the sword shattered, and the impact still tore into its chest.
"ROAR!"
The monster leapt onto the G5 and hammered it repeatedly.
The robot was nearly destroyed.
"It's over," Steve muttered as darkness crept into his vision.
In the alley, Nolan was completely calm.
The G5 lacked the Titan Armor's raw firepower.
But the Titan Armor could not match the G5's agility.
He had even considered pairing Titans with G5 units.
Titans solved the problem of insufficient firepower.
G5 units ensured anything that got close would be slaughtered.
Unfortunately, they were far too expensive.
Still, Nolan trusted the G5.
The fight should be over by now.
He rubbed his chin.
Then Fury called.
"Is the battle finished?" Nolan asked.
Fury did not know the details. He only knew the support was gone.
"Your so-called support is scrap metal. We need real help, not a pile of junk!"
He had paid for this.
"Scrap metal?"
Nolan froze, then his face darkened.
One G5 cost two hundred million.
Damn it.
This was a catastrophic loss.
He hung up and stared coldly at Samuel Sterns.
His right hand traced a symbol in the air as a spatial gate opened.
Fury, still fuming, suddenly saw Nolan and Sterns appear before him.
Before he could speak, Nolan tossed Sterns through the gate.
His voice followed.
"That thing costs five hundred million just to build."
"A hundred T-1000s don't even come close. Get ready to pay."
The portal vanished.
Inside the factory, another gate opened.
Nolan stepped out wearing the Mjolnir Armor.
He glanced at the ruined G5 and winced.
Then he looked at the monster.
"This really pisses me off."