"This virus is really powerful! The regeneration speed of severed limbs is incredibly fast!" The second-generation Connors exclaimed enviously as he watched Brandt's arm regenerate at an astonishing speed.
His own lizard potion research had stalled, and he had encountered a new problem. Connors wasn't sure if he would be able to perfect the potion in his lifetime.
The second-generation Harry thoughtfully touched his chin, wondering if he could replicate Maya's research. Although he knew it wouldn't be easy, it hardly mattered now. Osborn Industries was already at an unprecedented low point—how much worse could failure make things?
Tony and the others didn't pay much attention to the video playing on the sky screen. They could always watch the replay later. Right now, they were focused on attacking Killian's manor.
This time, there was no need for an elaborate plan. After Jarvis quickly scanned the enemy positions, Captain Marvel smashed directly through the sky entrance, sending sparks flying throughout the manor.
Captain Marvel's hands glowed with cosmic energy as she crashed through the ceiling, landing in a superhero pose that sent a shockwave across the floor. "Knock knock," she said with a smirk as Extremis soldiers turned to face the new threat.
After a few flashes of lightning, Thor threw his hammer to Natasha, then burst forth with the power of thunder and rushed in.
Thor summoned lightning from the sky, his eyes glowing with electric blue energy. "You will find us Avengers not so easily defeated!" he boomed as he leapt into the fray.
Natasha grasped Mjolnir and immediately raised it skyward. In an instant, the wind and clouds changed, and a bolt of lightning struck her, startling Steve Rogers who stood beside her.
Accompanied by the baptism of thunder, armor materialized on Natasha's body, and lightning flashed in her eyes.
Although Steve Rogers already knew Natasha could lift Thor's hammer, seeing it with his own eyes still felt incredible.
Under normal circumstances, Steve Rogers could easily defeat Natasha. Even with her enhancements, she would never be a match for him. But after wielding Mjolnir, the situation immediately reversed, and Natasha's strength soared to terrifying levels.
At this moment, Natasha seemed like a different person. She no longer relied on her previous skill-based fighting style. Instead, she used raw power to overwhelm her opponents, attacking the enemies before her with devastating force.
Meanwhile, Killian's base had descended into chaos because of Captain Marvel's sudden attack. Tony, wearing the Mark Destroyer One armor, followed Thor to provide support.
Thor threw a punch, and surging lightning rushed from his fist along the wind, knocking several Extremis warriors to the ground.
But this level of attack couldn't keep them down. They quickly stood up again, though one of them overheated as he rose and exploded.
With a thunderous "BANG," Thor was pushed back several meters by the heat wave, and the soldiers who had been standing next to the exploding warrior were completely vaporized.
"Wow! That's powerful!" Banner exclaimed, witnessing Thor being knocked backward. "Guys, I think we'd better be careful! If they're about to explode, keep your distance!" he warned everyone over the radio.
"Yeah! Maintain your distance and don't get too close!" Steve Rogers immediately issued instructions to the team.
Moments later, Killian rushed out from the smoke and dust. The shocking explosion had collapsed the roof, and he had nearly been buried underneath.
"Fuck!" he cursed as soon as he emerged, spotting Thor very close by. He immediately recognized the Avengers' presence.
Just before running out, he had seen Captain Marvel glowing brightly and had wondered who she was. Now that he saw Thor, he understood why they were here.
Thor didn't care who his opponent was—he simply swung an electricity-charged fist toward Killian.
Killian was no pushover either. He raised his body temperature significantly and punched Thor directly. Both fighters took several steps back from the impact.
Thor shook his slightly heated hand, squinted at Killian, and was surprised that his opponent could actually trade blows with him.
However, Killian lacked Thor's godly physique, and the punch had broken his arm outright. Although it quickly regenerated under the Extremis virus's effects, he still grimaced in pain.
By this point, Killian had realized he was no match for Thor. If the fight continued, he would either be killed by the God of Thunder or explode due to excessive heat.
While the two confronted each other, the battle on Rhodes' side raged fiercely. Many Extremis soldiers opened fire on the Avengers with their weapons.
Eric Savin raised his temperature and charged toward Thor, while Killian turned around and sprayed fire at Steve Rogers, Barton, and the others who were pinned down by gunfire, attempting to burn them alive.
Tony, flying overhead, witnessed this and immediately dove downward, only to be intercepted by another Extremis soldier. Relying on Mark Destroyer One's powerful combat capabilities, Tony knocked the soldier back ten meters with a single punch.
Then he planted his feet and began charging his destructive beam. Powerful energy erupted from his chest reactor, instantly piercing through the Extremis soldier's torso.
The devastating beam continued through the wall with its remaining force, barely passing between Thor and Eric Savin. Thor was nearly hit and looked at the beam's source in shock.
Iron Man's enhanced unibeam cut through the air with a blinding blue-white light, leaving a smoking trail through multiple walls. "Sorry about that, Point Break!" Tony called out through the comms.
Eric Savin seized the opportunity to leap forward and attack Thor, but the thunder god, with his centuries of combat experience, easily sidestepped and countered with a punch that sent Savin flying more than ten meters away. He crashed through several walls before coming to rest, momentarily incapacitated.
After dispatching Eric Savin, Thor saw that Killian was still keeping Steve Rogers and the others pinned down. He certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity with the enemy's back turned, and delivered a powerful blow to Killian.
By the time Killian realized what was happening, it was too late to defend himself. Thor's punch sent him flying through the doorway into the yard, where he landed at Natasha's feet.
Seeing Killian prone before her, Natasha didn't hesitate. She immediately swung Mjolnir down at him.
Killian had witnessed Loki being pinned down by Mjolnir and rendered immobile—how could he risk the same fate? He quickly rolled away from Natasha, and while he avoided the direct hammer strike, he was still thrown by the shockwave.
Before he could stand after landing, Captain Marvel flew over with golden energy trailing behind her and struck him with her elbow, knocking him out and sending him into another wall.
Captain Marvel's fist glowed with cosmic energy as she delivered a devastating blow. "Stay down," she warned as Killian crashed into the concrete wall, leaving a human-shaped impression.
"Don't kill him! We need to keep him alive to find the Mandarin!" Steve Rogers quickly signaled everyone to show restraint, as they still didn't know the Mandarin's whereabouts.
"Hehehe..." Killian struggled to rise from the ground. He was terrified, with several broken ribs that might have pierced his internal organs. The severe pain made him stagger.
"What are you laughing at? Your soldiers have been almost completely defeated. Surrender, Killian!" After dealing with the incapacitated Eric Savin, Tony flew to join Natasha and the others, fixing Killian with a cold stare.
Killian clutched his broken ribs and looked around, discovering that most of his soldiers had fallen, with only a few still fighting. The combined might of Captain Marvel and Thor was overwhelming—the Extremis soldiers were completely outmatched.
He also spotted Eric Savin leaning against a wall with a gaping hole in his chest—the wound from Tony's Destroyer Beam had pierced his heart.
After Tony had discovered that destroying the heart directly prevented Extremis soldiers from healing or exploding, he had shared this information with the team. Rhodes and Banner had then used their armor at full power and coordinated with Captain Marvel and Thor to eliminate most of the soldiers in short order.
"You won't catch me! Don't even think about it!!!" Killian pulled out a dose of the Extremis virus and injected it directly into himself. Within seconds, his body temperature began rising sharply. Killian refused to become Tony's prisoner—he chose to die in glory rather than live in disgrace.
Tony realized what Killian intended, but it was too late to stop him. "GET OUT OF HERE!!!" he shouted.
The team immediately scattered. Captain Marvel grabbed Wanda, who was experiencing her first battlefield, and flew away. Steve Rogers, Barton, and the others without protective gear hurriedly ran for cover.
With a final roar, Killian exploded, the powerful heat wave instantly vaporizing several nearby corpses.
The explosion expanded in a blinding orange fireball, sending debris and shocking waves of heat in all directions. The camera view pulled back to show the Avengers taking cover as the manor was engulfed in flames, marking the end of Aldrich Killian but leaving the question of the Mandarin's identity still unanswered.
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