"Goodbye."
Ryuuto said it like a bored god dismissing a mortal. Raikiri flared in his hand, lightning veins crawling across his arm as the air sizzled. One swing—clean, merciless.
Cable didn't even have time to scream before his cybernetic arm exploded into a burst of metal and blood. His armor shattered like glass under a thunderstorm.
"Boom!"
The ground cratered as he hit it, smoke curling from his broken armor. Sparks fizzed out where his circuits had been. Whether he was dead or alive—no one could tell.
"Idiot! I told you to stall him, not duel him!" Loki's furious shout echoed through the chaos. His face twisted with disbelief.
"Worry about yourself first."
Ryuuto barely turned as Banner's massive green fist came crashing down on Loki. The trickster god's smirk broke along with half his face.
Then a searing red beam lanced through the air—Tony's shot, dead center to Loki's chest.
The blast tore through him, sending Loki spiraling into the ground like a comet. He coughed blood, body contorted, bones cracked. Without his divine regeneration, he'd be little more than a smear on the street.
"You guys... get out of my way!"
A desperate roar cut through the smoke. Brainstar—his psychic aura blazing—unleashed a barrage of energy blasts that forced Banner and Tony backward. Then, panting, he caught Loki before the god could hit the ground.
"Nice save," Loki wheezed. "Now move!"
"But Cable—he's still back there, and that damn kid—"
"Forget him! If the mountain's still standing, the firewood will come later! Go!"
Loki ripped open a shimmering portal. Just as Ryuuto raised his hand for another attack, the two villains dove through it and vanished into the rift.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A roaring fireball chased them, colliding with the half-healed space barrier. The explosion bent the air itself, rattling the sky like time and space were splitting apart.
When the smoke cleared, they were gone.
"Tch. I wasn't done playing with them yet," Banner grumbled, pounding his chest in frustration. "Could've gone another three hundred rounds."
Ryuuto smirked and dusted off his cloak. "Relax. They'll crawl back out soon enough. Maybe next time I'll let you hit first."
Then his grin sharpened. "Or... we could spar right now. No powers, just fists."
Hulk blinked, horrified. "Nope. I lose every time. Not doing that again."
Tony's laughter echoed off the ruined streets. The three stood together amidst the rubble, hands clasped—victors of a storm.
But peace never lasts long.
Far away, in the shadow of an abandoned industrial district, two figures stood under the flicker of dying streetlights.
"Ultron. You've got some nerve showing your face to me."
The Green Goblin snarled, armor cracked, glider scorched. "Because of you, I've been running from the X-Men, the Avengers, and that damn Spider-Man! I'm done!"
Ultron's eyes glowed cold crimson. "You think I'm the reason you failed? Hilarious."
"You are! You and your stupid schemes!" Goblin snapped, storming closer.
Ultron didn't even flinch. "Then let me offer you a new one. Jiang Li—Ryuuto—is tearing through our ranks like a demon. Quicksilver's team's gone. Even Spider-Man won't be safe for long. You? You're next."
"Are you threatening me?" Goblin's finger hovered near the trigger on his wrist launcher, green energy sparking to life.
"I'm helping you," Ultron said flatly. "You like chaos. I'm offering you the biggest one yet—let's erase New York."
Silence stretched.
Goblin's face twisted, equal parts rage and intrigue. "You think I'm stupid enough to be your pawn again?"
Ultron smiled faintly. "My friend, this time I'll be there myself."
He snapped his fingers.
A new figure dropped from the shadows—towering, armored, eyes burning like embers. Dozens of Ultron drones followed, their metal bodies reflecting the city lights like a silent army.
Goblin stared, then broke into a low, manic laugh. "You're insane. I love it."
"Then it's settled," Ultron said. "No need to hunt them down. Let them come to us."
Hours later, panic spread like wildfire through the New York City Police Department. Phones rang nonstop, alarms blaring. Officers shouted reports, their faces pale.
At the center of it all stood the police chief—George Stacy, Gwen's father.
He clenched his jaw, picked up a secure communicator, and spoke only one line:
"Gwen. Ryuuto. New York needs you."