Chapter 213 — The Fall
Gaius moved without slowing down.
The moment his senses caught the disturbance, his body moves straight to it. His Observation Haki spread outward, sharp and focused, cutting through walls, distance, and interference. It locked onto a single point.
The quantum tunnel.
He ran straight through the facility, his path direct and unforgiving. Walls that stood in his way did not slow him. Concrete shattered. Reinforced steel bent and broke. Every step carried force, each movement controlled but overwhelming.
There was no hesitation.
Only purpose.
Another wall stood between him and the warehouse where the Quantum Tunnel was located.
Gaius didn't slow.
He drove straight through.
The wall burst outward as he broke through it, fragments scattering across the floor as dust filled the air. In the next instant, the room beyond came into view.
The Quantum Tunnel.
And there,
Nebula.
She stood at the control console, facing the machine. Her hands moved quickly across the interface. Lines of light flickered across the controls as commands were being executed one after another.
She didn't turn at first.
Then she heard the destruction behind her.
She froze for a split second.
Then turned.
Her eyes met Gaius as he rushed toward her.
For a moment, everything slowed.
She saw him clearly. The size. The speed. The intent.
Her reaction was immediate.
She turned back to the console and moved faster.
Her fingers pressed commands rapidly, trying to finish whatever process she had started.
She didn't reach for a weapon.
She didn't try to fight.
She only tried to complete the action.
Gaius closed the distance instantly.
Before she could finish,
His hand grabbed her.
His fingers wrapped around her head, locking her in place. The force was absolute. Her body strained, mechanical parts adjusting, but she couldn't break free.
He lifted her slightly, forcing her to face him.
Her movements stopped.
"...What have you done," Gaius said.
His voice was low.
Calm.
But there was weight behind it.
His eyes held no anger.
No rage.
Only certainty.
The kind of look given to something already judged.
Nebula felt it.
Despite everything she had become, despite the metal and the changes to her body, something deep inside her reacted.
Fear.
Real fear.
Her voice came out quieter than she expected.
"It's too late…"
Before anything else could be said,
The quantum tunnel activated.
Energy surged through the machine.
Light expanded outward.
Then,
Something emerged.
At first, it was small.
Then it grew.
Rapidly.
A ship forced its way through the tunnel, expanding as it exited. Metal groaned as it pushed against the structure around it. The machine strained under the pressure.
Then the ship broke free.
It rose upward, tearing through the ceiling above.
Concrete shattered. Metal beams snapped. The roof exploded outward as the massive structure forced its way into open air.
Sky became visible through the destruction.
Gaius watched it rise.
He already knew.
He was late.
The threat had arrived.
Without another word,
His grip tightened.
Nebula didn't even have time to react.
Her head crushed under his hand.
Simple.
Final.
He released what remained and turned.
There was no reason to stay.
Gaius bent his knees slightly, then jumped.
His body shot upward through the hole left by the ship, clearing the broken structure in a single motion.
He emerged into open air.
Above him,
The enemy.
A massive warship hovered over the ruins of the Avengers facility. Its size blocked part of the sky, casting a shadow over everything below. Weapons lined its surface, already active.
Gaius observed it in silence.
His senses sharpened.
Danger.
The ship fired.
Missiles launched in waves, cutting through the air with precision. They spread out slightly before angling downward.
Target locked.
The facility.
Explosions followed.
One after another.
Fire and force tore through what remained of the compound. Structures collapsed. Shockwaves spread outward, throwing debris in every direction.
The Avengers headquarters was destroyed in seconds.
Gaius remained in the air.
Then—
One missile turned.
Locked onto him.
It closed the distance quickly.
Gaius saw it coming.
He didn't move away.
Instead, he crossed his arms in front of him.
His will focused.
Armament Haki surged outward, hardening around him. It formed a barrier, invisible but solid.
The missile struck.
Explosion.
Fire engulfed him completely.
For a moment, nothing could be seen.
Only light and force.
Inside the facility,
Bruce hit the ground the moment after the snap.
His body couldn't hold itself upright anymore. His right arm, the one that had worn the gauntlet, was badly burned. The skin was dark, damaged from the energy that had passed through it.
He breathed heavily.
Each breath slow and forced.
The gauntlet loosened.
Before it could settle,
Clint kicked it away.
The metal slid across the floor, coming to a stop several feet away.
Tony moved immediately.
His suit formed over him in seconds. Panels shifted into place as he knelt beside Bruce. A spray system activated, releasing a cooling agent over the burned arm.
Steam rose slightly as the heat met the coolant.
"Easy," Tony said, focused. "Easy…"
Bruce didn't respond.
But he was still conscious.
Scott stood nearby, his hands shaking slightly as he pulled out his phone.
He stared at the screen.
Then his eyes widened.
"Guys…" he said.
Everyone looked at him.
Scott swallowed once.
"Everyone's back."
For a moment,
No one spoke.
It worked.
Before anything else could be said,
The building shook.
A powerful shockwave hit.
Glass shattered instantly. Walls cracked. The floor trembled under the force.
Then everything collapsed.
The ceiling came down.
Debris buried them.
Silence.
Dust filled the air.
Broken metal and concrete covered the space where the workshop once stood.
Then,
Movement.
From beneath the rubble, a large armored figure pushed upward.
Metaurus.
He rose slowly, debris falling off his armor. His body showed no damage. He looked around immediately, assessing the situation.
Nearby,
"Help! I can't breathe!"
Rocket's voice.
Metaurus turned.
The small figure was trapped under a section of collapsed structure.
Without hesitation, Metaurus walked over.
He grabbed the debris and lifted it easily, tossing it aside.
Rocket took a deep breath.
"Thank you," he said quickly.
Metaurus didn't respond.
He reached for his helmet and put it on.
His focus had already moved on.
Around him, the other Ultramarines were rising.
Titus stood up from under the rubble, followed by the two Bladeguard. Their movements were steady. Controlled.
In the center,
The Sister of Silence stood untouched.
During the explosion, the others had moved around her, shielding her from the impact.
She remained still.
Unharmed.
Metaurus and Titus exchanged a brief look.
No words were needed.
They understood.
"Help them," Titus said.
The Bladeguard moved immediately.
They began clearing debris, lifting heavy sections of collapsed structure and creating space.
Nearby—
Hulk was still standing.
Barely.
He held a massive slab of debris above him, preventing it from crushing Rhodey beneath.
His body shook from the strain. His injured arm made it worse.
Still,
He held it.
Titus stepped forward and placed his hands against the slab.
Together, they pushed.
The debris shifted.
Then moved.
Rhodey rolled free, his armor taking the brunt of the impact. Without it, he would've been badly hurt, if not dead.
Hulk lowered the slab and took a step back, breathing heavily.
"We need to leave," he said.
His voice strained.
"We're in the water system… if this collapses… we drown."
Metaurus nodded once.
He raised his plasma pistol.
The weapon hummed as it charged.
Then he fired.
The shot struck above them.
Explosion.
Debris fell.
He fired again.
And again.
The weapon heated up, but he didn't stop.
Finally—
A hole opened above.
Light came through.
A path out.
Rhodey stood fully now, adjusting his armor. He reached down and picked Rocket up, placing him on his shoulder.
"Let's go," he said.
Metaurus looked at Hulk.
"Can you move?"
Hulk took a deep breath.
"I can."
Titus moved first, climbing up using broken pieces of structure as support.
The others followed.
One by one, they made their way up through the opening.
They emerged into open air.
And stopped.
Above them,
The ship.
Massive.
Dominating the sky.
The Sanctuary.
~~~
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