"Tony! Ryuuto! You wait! I'll find this place—and it'll be your death date, hahaha!"
With a cruel laugh, Whiplash and Doctor Octopus vanished into the skyline.
"I'll go after them!" Ryuuto's eyes narrowed, cold and lethal, ready to vanish in a streak of high-speed movement.
But Tony waved him off. "Not now, Ryuuto. Leave it to us. You and Natasha Romanoff head straight to the Pentagon! Stabilize Banner—don't let him lose control!"
"Got it!" Ryuuto didn't argue. Natasha grasped his hand, determination gleaming in her eyes.
"Let's move!"
Without a second thought, Ryuuto scooped Natasha into his arms and launched into high-speed movement, disappearing like a red streak in the night.
"Ryuuto, be careful!" Tony called, relief mixing with urgency as he watched them vanish.
Moments later, Tony suited up in Alloy-15 armor and, alongside Steel, Storm, and Bobby, descended upon the remaining Hanmer Steel Soldiers. Their battle cries pierced the chaos as they tore through the enemy forces with devastating precision. New York was still a city in turmoil, chaos and gunfire echoing across every block.
High above, Spider-Woman Gwen darted between skyscrapers, her acrobatics turning the remaining Ten Rings operatives into easy targets. Justice was moving through the streets, one hero at a time.
Meanwhile, in a secret research institute tucked away from the chaos, everything was unnervingly calm. Guards with guns and live ammo lined the entrance, eyes scanning for any intruder. This facility housed top-secret technology vital to national security.
Suddenly, a sleek vehicle barreled toward the gate. The guards stiffened instantly.
"Who goes there? Stop immediately!"
The car skidded to a halt. Dozens of guards swarmed, weapons aimed, fingers twitching on triggers.
"Relax. I'm just delivering information to an old friend," a calm voice called. Out stepped a white-coated figure—Professor Connors.
Despite the gun barrels pointed at him, he smiled oddly, unnervingly calm. "Seriously? You think you can stop me?"
The guards barked, but before they could fire, Connors' pupils glowed bright red. His body convulsed violently, and the air itself seemed to shiver.
"Monster!"
The research suit ripped and expanded, flesh morphing into grotesque, scaly forms. Where Connors had stood was now a towering, terrifying lizardman. Even battle-hardened guards screamed, some wetting themselves on the spot.
"Time to die!" The red glow in his eyes flared as he surged forward, claws slashing indiscriminately. Guards fell like wheat before a scythe.
"Hurry! Stop him at all costs!" The captain yelled, but before the words even left his throat, Connors impaled him with a single claw, leaving him in a crimson pool.
"Pathetic humans," Connors hissed, stepping over bodies as he stormed into the institute. Panic erupted inside; scientists screamed and scrambled, but Connors ignored them, his eyes scanning for one prize.
"Haha… it's all here! At last, the great Lizardman Serum is within reach!" He smashed the main gate with a punch, sealing the institute completely. No one would escape.
Flasks and vials rattled as Connors began mixing chemicals with manic precision. A colorful array of reagents splashed across the lab from a toppled distillation rack.
"What's this? A human hiding here?" Connors roared, overturning the lab bench. In the corner, a young female scientist curled in terror, tears streaking her face.
"No… please, don't!" she sobbed.
Connors chuckled darkly. "Stupid thing… you have no right to bargain with me." One claw gripped her neck, leaving bright red scratches on her pale skin.
"Yes… your blessing is here! Today, you will evolve—become a noble Lizardman!" With that, he forced the tawny serum into her mouth. Her pupils dilated as her body trembled violently under the transformative effects.
Above the city, a streak of red light flashed across the skyline—the unmistakable trail of Ryuuto and Natasha, racing toward the Pentagon, unaware that the threat below had just become far deadlier.