"What? Impossible!"
The officials, initially waiting for results with confidence, froze in shock upon hearing the report of the combat unit's annihilation. They quickly tried to contact their field team, only to find that no one was responding.
A chill crept into their hearts. They had been well aware of Robert's immense power, but with the Earth's newfound resilience, they had convinced themselves that he could no longer obliterate the planet along with them. Without the ability to "flip the table," they believed Robert wasn't as much of a threat anymore.
However, the sudden, devastating silence from their combat unit left them unnerved.
Their hesitation was short-lived. Within moments, their eyes hardened, and they reached a grim consensus:
"We agree to deploy the ultimate weapon. But from now on, we must go into hiding!"
"Ultimate weapon, huh? Care to tell me what it is?"
The calm, yet chilling voice of Robert suddenly echoed from behind one of the officials. The man froze as the other participants in the remote conference immediately terminated the call, hoping to sever any tracking by Jarvis.
But it was already too late.
Back at the combat unit's location, Robert had used Jarvis to trace the signals from the call. Not only had he pinpointed their locations, but he'd also locked onto their unique energy signatures. With Jarvis assisting him, tracking these individuals was now child's play.
"Damn it! Why me? Why now?"
The man in the room with Robert cursed under his breath as he made a desperate attempt to escape. With a subtle kick to a hidden panel on the floor, he triggered a mechanism that dropped him into a reinforced underground tunnel. At the same time, automated defenses activated, unleashing a barrage of high-energy beams aimed at Robert.
"Heh, don't worry. Your friends will be joining you shortly," Robert sneered.
Without any effort, he caught up to the fleeing official and lifted him off the ground. The man's elaborate escape plan turned out to be a futile attempt, and in the end, the same defenses he had set up ended his life. The very energy beams he triggered were reflected back onto him, leaving nothing but charred remains.
From a certain perspective, the man had effectively orchestrated his own demise.
However, as Robert dealt with this official, his expression suddenly shifted to one of mild surprise.
"Hmm?"
He frowned, scanning the energy signatures he had been tracking. "Strange. One of them just disappeared entirely."
This was unusual. With all of the officials' energy signatures previously locked, one vanishing without a trace was highly unexpected. It was as though the individual had ceased to exist or had somehow altered their energy signature to avoid detection.
"Warning! A massive energy source has been detected. Target: Kent Farm, Smallville," Jarvis's voice rang in Robert's ear.
His eyes darkened as his face turned grim.
"So, it's a trap within a trap," he muttered before vanishing from his current location. Moments later, he reappeared at the Kent farmhouse.
"Kara, use your bio-field to protect Mom and Dad!" Robert commanded firmly as he entered the house.
"Huh? Oh! Got it!" Kara, momentarily startled by Robert's sudden appearance, quickly composed herself. She gathered Jonathan, Martha, and the Danvers family close, wrapping them in a protective field of energy.
Before anyone could react further, Robert had disappeared again.
Outside, the ground shook violently.
Boom!
RUMBLE!
In a stunning display of power, Robert stomped the earth with one foot, and the ground surrounding Kent Farm erupted. The shockwave spread outward in a perfect circle, centered on the farm and stretching to encompass the Danvers' property as well.
Then, with a deafening roar, the entire circular section of land broke free from the Earth and rose into the sky. It lifted cleanly from the ground, leaving behind a massive crater near Smallville. Moments later, the landmass disappeared entirely.
Around the world, those who had access to the scene—whether through surveillance satellites or clandestine observation networks—could only gulp in shock.
While the event wasn't being broadcast globally, many had managed to witness the phenomenon.
Previously, most believed that the Earth's new resilience made it impossible for Robert to unleash the same planet-shattering power he once had. But now, with a single, seemingly casual gesture, he had torn a massive piece of Earth out of the ground and taken it away.
The sheer visual impact of the act left even the most hardened officials speechless. Destruction on its own was terrifying, but this level of power—lifting a chunk of Earth cleanly into the air—was something almost divine in nature.
"Should we... should we proceed with the plan?"
The officials who had initially agreed to deploy the ultimate weapon were now dumbstruck. The only vulnerable members of the Avengers had been the Kents and Danvers families, living on remote farms. The rest of the Avengers' loved ones were spread out across cities. Could they really risk firing their weapon into populated areas?
Unbeknownst to them, the families of every Avenger had already been secretly relocated by the Guardian AI. Whether it was Peter Parker's Aunt May or Frank Shazam's relatives, they were now safely housed at the Avengers' base.
Meanwhile, back at the base, the Avengers were discussing their next steps.
"We may have no choice but to operate in the shadows now," Johnny Storm said with a sigh, glancing at his relaxed parents, who seemed entirely unbothered by the situation.
Although the elder Storms didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation, Johnny and his sister Susan knew better. Allowing their parents to roam freely was no longer an option. Not only would it endanger the entire family, but the Storms themselves could become easy targets.
"This time, they almost fired an ultimate weapon at the Kents' farm," Johnny muttered grimly. "Who knows what they'll try next time?"
"Do you think Robert took his family to Savage Island?" Peter Parker mused aloud. "It doesn't make sense for him to take the entire farm if that's where they're going."
"Probably not," Bruce Banner interjected, his eyes gleaming with insight. "I think he moved them to New Earth. It's the safest place for them."
Back at the secret island base, the "ultimate weapon" was nearing its full charge.
"This energy signature is impressive," Robert remarked as he hovered above the base, his gaze sweeping across the facility. "Earth's technology has certainly advanced. This weapon is even more powerful than a Kree Empire starship's main cannon. Impressive work."
He paused, a smirk playing on his lips. "And thanks to Earth's newfound resilience, they don't even need to worry about blowing up the planet anymore. This weapon is leagues ahead of conventional nuclear arms. No fallout, no radiation—just pure destructive power."
Inside the Avengers' base, Tony Stark watched the unfolding scene via Jarvis's feed. "I have to admit," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Humanity's advancements in weapons technology are extraordinary. In terms of raw firepower, Earth might be approaching an interstellar level."
BOOM!
Before Tony could finish his thought, the ultimate weapon fired.
A blinding torrent of energy erupted from the island base, aimed directly at Robert. But Robert didn't even flinch. With a single punch, he sent the energy wave hurtling back to its origin.
The resulting explosion annihilated the island, vaporizing both the weapon and the base itself.
From a technical standpoint, the weapon had essentially backfired—its own power used to destroy itself.
As the shockwave dissipated, Robert hovered silently above the remnants of the base.
"Impressive weapon," he mused quietly. "But ultimately, still nothing more than a toy in my hands."
With the island reduced to nothing but ashes, Robert's gaze turned toward the horizon. It was clear to him now: this was far from over. The ones pulling the strings behind these attacks wouldn't stop here. And for those people, Robert had only one message:
The time for mercy was over.
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