"Those damn robots again! Fall back! We can't hold this line!"
"No! We have to defend the last perimeter, even if it kills us!"
The once-bustling heart of New York had become a graveyard of smoke and steel. A handful of battered soldiers huddled near the wreckage of the government building, their uniforms torn, their faces caked with ash. Behind them, tanks lay overturned, jets burning like fallen stars. Every line of defense had been crushed under the relentless march of Ultron's army—thousands of high-tier combat drones stomping forward with mechanical precision. Bullets bounced off them like raindrops. Lasers cut through men as if the air itself had turned against humanity.
A cruel, grating laugh sliced through the chaos. "A bunch of ants daring to stand in my way? Pathetic! Die, all of you!"
Green Goblin swooped in from above on his glider, the edges of his mask glowing in the firelight. Laser bolts shot from his fingertips, ripping through the front line of soldiers. Blood misted the air. Then came the pumpkin bombs—spinning arcs of orange death—bursting among the survivors and painting the street crimson. The screams that followed were too raw for words.
"Hmph! So boring," grunted the hulking figure beside Ultron, watching the slaughter with thinly veiled disdain. "When does the real fight start? Don't tell me you dragged me here to watch a massacre."
"Patience," Ultron said, voice low and metallic, a smirk curling through his tone. "He'll come. I guarantee it. The prey you're waiting for… he's much stronger than Banner ever was. Don't underestimate him."
The Red Giant—Banner's corrupted counterpart—snorted, cracking his knuckles. "Good. I'll crush him faster than I crushed the last city."
Meanwhile, the remaining soldiers were breaking. One man dropped his rifle. Another fell to his knees. "We surrender! Please! We surrender!"
"Tch tch tch…" Green Goblin hovered above them, eyes wide with manic delight. "This is New York's elite Snow Leopard unit? I've seen toddlers with more spine!"
He suddenly leaned forward, grinning ear to ear. "Let's make this fun. Pick up your guns."
The soldiers froze. "Wh-what are you—"
"Pick. Them. Up." His tone turned razor-sharp. "Now aim at the guy next to you. Whoever hesitates… dies first."
Their hands shook violently, but they obeyed.
"Good. Now… pull the trigger." His laughter echoed through the smoke, unhinged and gleeful. "Isn't this exciting? Kill your friends, and maybe—just maybe—I'll let you live."
A shot rang out. Then another. Someone screamed.
"Bastard!" one soldier roared, spinning his rifle toward the Goblin. "Go to hell!"
The bullet cut through the air—but Green Goblin twisted midair, impossibly fast. He caught the round between his fingers.
"My dear child," he said, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Congratulations. You just earned yourself a front-row seat to hell."
A crimson laser flared from his fingertip—
—and vanished in a swirl of sand.
The beam dissolved harmlessly against a sudden, golden barrier of grit.
Green Goblin's face twisted. "You again! Ryuuto!"
From above, two figures descended through the smoke: Ryuuto, wreathed in lightning, and Gwen, wind tugging at her hair.
The surviving soldiers shouted in relief, tears mixing with dirt. "They're here! We're saved!"
"Saved?" Green Goblin sneered. "You think he can save anyone?"
But it was too late. The Red Giant had already roared, the ground splitting under his feet. "Ryuuto! I've been waiting for this!"
Ryuuto cracked a grin, eyes glinting like stormlight. "As you wish. Let's see if your roar can still shake the world after I shut your mouth for good."
He shot downward, lightning exploding behind him like a comet's tail. The air thundered as hero and monster collided—New York trembling at the impact.