= Chapter 171. Emotional Discharge =
Commentary on Chapter 171. Emotional Discharge What can I say, I wish you all the best, to make your dreams come true, to be healthy, to survive to read my work, and so on).
Total respect to all boosters for their support, Anon Anonovich, Shwed, Alexander Pavlov, Maxim, Andrei Marchukov, Yaroslav Dyachenko, Kirill Novikov, Mikhail Taran and many, many others, the country should know its heroes) I wish that the green dragon of luck and wealth was favourable to you)
Happy coming (almost coming) Year of the Dragon! If anyone wants to support and also congratulate) your favourite and invaluable author by deed rather than word (although I appreciate comments with your detailed opinion no less), you are welcome: 5469980470822129 - Sber A few days later.
The doctors attributed Felicia's reactions to a simple diagnosis: postpartum depression. Mary was inseparable from our little girl. As were several psychologists called in by Lydia Hardy after the diagnosis was made. Carrot was also forced to take on all the responsibilities of motherhood, a boon this wasn't her first rodeo.
Cat didn't want to see me, alas. Doc said it was normal in her condition.
But I still wanted to crush something.
Luckily, there was a metal volunteer.
I'm moving to Avengers Tower, where the rest of the team is already assembled.
- Sorry I'm late, - I enter the hall, closing the door behind me.
- Hey, Spider, it's okay, we were just discussing the intel, - Steve nodded affably.
All the others also noted with welcoming nods. Only Nat was looking at them with some sympathy in his eyes, it was clear, Delia had told him, and Tony.
Anyway, it didn't matter, they hadn't told the others and thank you for that.
- So, Shield, MECH and Tony's satellites converged on one place, the city of Sovka, Transia, Eastern Europe.
In fact, all that's been revealed is that the place where Altron is holed up is like an anthill under a magnifying glass, about to be burned up by a ray of sunlight. The magnifying glass is a shield with a sword. We are the sunbeam.
- So, the approximate Search Area has been allocated, departure in half an hour," the blond man said, signalling the end of the discussion.
Everyone started to get up from their chairs.
- Spidey, I've prepared something, let's go to the lab, - Stark intercepted me.
I just nod.
On the way, Tony tries to ask me how I'm doing at home, but I just say the standard stuff.
- Well, suit yourself," the brunet sighs. - Here we are," Armadillo entered the password, and we found ourselves in his private lab.
- So, Iron, what do you have there? - I'm interested with the mood to distract myself during this half an hour of work.
- Firstly, this, - GMPF handed over a small flash drive. - You have some kind of connector in your suit, right?
I just raise my left hand with a small technical device built into the glove on my forearm.
- And still on a side note, not everyone has a socket in their suit, Tin Man," I take the storage device. - So what's in there?
- I remember the story you told, so I thought I'd restore Karen.
- Really?! - Okay, now the mood's a little better. - Thanks, Tony. - I'm running the transmission and downloading the E.I.D. - What's the second thing?
- Secondly, remember Project Veronica? Well it's all installed, here's your personal code to activate it, now you need to select the launch phrase.
- "Green Roadblock," I say, looking at the upload of a multi-character and encrypted as possible piece of code. - What did you choose?
- "Sleeping pills for the Big Guy," the brunet snorted.
- Bruce doesn't take offence?
- He suggested the project, what do you think?
I just nod in response.
A Hulkbuster of my own was a good thing. Oh, and the armour wasn't whole without Karen.
- Avengers General Assembly! - came over the communicators.
- Well, the mood has been set," Tony put on his helmet. - It's time to put the heat on our Pinocchio.
Let's go to the hangar, everyone load into the quinjet, Cap and Widow as pilots.
Let's go get your chips, Altron!
* A couple of hours later.
Unknown Mystic base.
Dr Landon wiped away a bead of sweat. It was unbearably hot in this damn place!
He also hated every second of time he'd spent creating this nightmare...
Herbert was so hopeful that he wouldn't be found, he turned to the government. But no, his research was too important.
And sure enough, the mutants found him.
The man was not a brave and loyal follower of ideas, for which and life is not spared in the fight against mutants. What he feared was a slow and painful death. And by the look of that beast-like boogeyman it was clear that he, more than anyone else, is able to stretch the agony of his victim.
But the brown-haired man breathed out a sigh of relief when the blue-skinned redhead told him that he would live as long as he did whatever they told him to do. Following the mutant's orders was hateful to Herbert, but life was more precious.
Heartbroken, he began work on the exact opposite of his project: a genetic bomb against humans.
Saving his own skin, Landon would condemn hundreds of other people to death. Had the man not been a coward, he might have killed himself to avoid creating such a thing.
But now he was getting on with his work.
* Five hours later.
It's a good thing Tony's got our bird up to the point where it can go into space, otherwise travelling between continents would have been a huge problem. We could teleport, of course, but magic might still be needed, although teleports don't drain the reserve as much now, and space power just shouldn't be abused.
And anyway, I'm tired of being everyone's eternal go-to wand...
- So, we're thirty minutes from the landing point," Romanova said over the communicator.
- Shield and MECH agents will take the city under full surveillance, our job is to do everything else," Rogers added.
- What about the civilians? - I ask the question.
- They'll be evacuated as soon as we land, and still, Thor, Bruce, try not to do too much damage to the infrastructure.
- Of course, indeed. - exclaimed our strongmen in unison.
- Remember, according to Pim's data and what we've learnt from the Wakandians, Pinocchio may have a yearning for his own kind, so prepare for more than one target, - Stark instructed everyone.
- I should have brought a bigger quiver," Clint sighed.
The quinjet came in for a landing. The eastern part of the city did look deserted. Probably because of the forest that stretched for many kilometres into the distance.
The whole team slowly made our way towards a huge abandoned machine factory. Presumably that's where our metal mate is.
About a hundred metres before the building, my sensors go off.
- Avengers to battle! - I'm warning my teammates.
Looks like my ant-hill analogy was damn right, a whole armada of robots came at us from a large passageway closed by a steel gate, uprooted from the inside.
The fight had begun.
Banner immediately turned green and lunged at the metal statues with a roar. He was joined by Thor, with a warrior's roar of joy. And I, to my own surprise, was, no less than these two berserkers, happy with the battle. There was absolutely no desire to speed up the battle, using cosmic forces, I enjoyed smashing, obviously hastily, riveted Altron drones. I mostly used my own strength and webbing, occasionally using the metal arms from my backpack or symbiotic tendrils. Only when it got really hot did he resort to telekinesis, bioelectricity, and magic. I had a lot of fun.
- Hey, Spider, leave some for us too! - The Asgardian prince excitedly threw Mjolnir at the robot that was attacking me from behind.
- Thanks for the cover, Thor! - I replied to the Thunder Prince, even though my gut had warned me, so there was no danger from this scrap metal.
I did get so carried away that I reflexively grabbed the hammer that was flying nearby and fired a bolt of lightning at the group of seven units.
- Um, sorry, mate," I tossed the blond man's blurred uru weapon back to him.
- We'll talk about it later," the ace in the red cloak nodded and, unfurling his weapon, flew upwards, intending to pierce the roof.
The Hulk headed through the main entrance at a dead run. Iron Man and Black Widow, with Falcon Eye, made their way to the back door. It was just me and Cap.
Perfect timing.
- Steve, I was talking to Fury the other day," I started the discussion, throwing the Captain's shield at the Drone, so that it ricocheted off two more people and back at Rogers, performing our practiced, paired move.
- Mission. Later," the Living Legend replied curtly, catching his weapon.
- I know about Bucky, and I've started my own investigation," I chopped the truth out of my womb. - I've already done some digging.
- Then we'll talk," the blond man's eyes lit up like a bloodhound on the trail.
Meanwhile, our partners, quite successfully, stormed the factory.
- Guys, we need everyone! - Natasha shouted into the transmitter.
Let's speed up with Steve and we'll be in time for the show.
In the room, the battle was not for life, but for death: Altron, in a shiny, obvious upgrade, was holding Thor's lightning bolts with an energy shield, while sending powerful blasts at the same time at the Hulk, who was covering Barton and Romanova with his body. Tony is lying, judging by the metal dent, thrown back into the wall, regaining consciousness.
Okay, claws and stingers are obviously useless here, as are manipulators, bioelectricity, judging by Thor's lightning retention is no help either... magic, symbiotic material and telekinesis, let's go!
- I'll attack straight ahead, and you attack from behind," the blond discussed the tactics while I was thinking.
- Let's go, Fearless Leader," I nod, letting out a web.
You don't have Spider Sense, you rusty trough!
I wasn't afraid of much damage, powerful biological regeneration, which can be enhanced by symbiote, it's not a small thing, but it's stupid to hit it head-on, obviously setting yourself up.
I charge up the shock discs and send them at Altron. The robot is driven, but it immediately levels off with flight. I don't give him a second to counterattack, starting, in a memorised move, to constantly move through the portals, spurring their opening with magic.
My constant movement clearly loaded the Altron's programme, and I did not slow down and began to pick up various iron junk and construction debris, launching it at the robot. It had to be heavy!
- Does he even need us? - turned to the other Avengers Tony, rubbing his bruised head.
- It's time to end this," Steve stretched his neck. - Let's go!
What happened next is scary to describe. All of us, like worm-hounds ourselves, began snapping at the metal sucker.
Clint even shot the whole quiver. Here.
The final blows went to Thor, Jade Thunder and me.
Vibranium body or not, when your legs are torn from your torso by limbs of Clintarian substance, your torso is ripped apart with a furious roar by the physically strongest creature on the planet, and your head is crushed by the Thunder Prince with an ancient magic-enchanted hammer forged from the strongest metals in the universe, you're going to stop functioning.
- You could have saved the head, Thor," Stark sighed, looking at the crumpled piece of metal that remotely resembled a head.
- I'm sorry, Tony, my friend," the blond scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I got carried away.
- It's a good thing they don't charge you for your legs and torso," I whispered to the Hulk, extending my fist.
The Jade Thunderer growls in agreement and fights back.
- I'm sure you'll find something else, Tony," the Soldier from the Past says. - Let's take a look around.
Let's start scrutinising this... hole? You wouldn't call this place headquarters. Altron had absolutely no sense of beauty... though for a robot, that's not surprising.
- I've got something, people," Natasha said over the comms line.
We reached the room, which in turn already resembled a high-tech laboratory, and in the centre of it was a natural sarcophagus, illuminated from inside with purple colour.
- Did you know that in movies purple is one of the top three colours for something bad? - I say, looking at the metal-plastic camera.
- And the other two? - Clint inquired.
- Red, obviously, and that kind of, you know, pale, cold, dead blue colour. Though I'd also add green, no offence, Big Guy," I turn to the Hulk, "it's a personal story there.
- No offence, Bukash," the green vigilante said loudly.
- So, brains of our team, what do we see? - Natasha folded her arms under her breasts.
- 'Peter, give me a hand here,' Tony started to walk over to the box, lifting the face plate of his helmet.
After a certain amount of searching, we isolated that there was another android-type body inside, but before Thor and Hulk could start smashing, Stark stopped them, informing them that the signature was nothing like what he'd been catching from Altron or his swarm.
That's when I started analysing, activating the Mind Stone.
Inside was indeed a different shell, and molecular analysis showed that it was made of the purest vibranium, with no impurities. With flecks of polymers that could well be described as near biological.
Stone also found, isolated in a half-stealthy mind full of codes, a kind of worm placed by Altron, clearly just in case, a personality coding to override control.
I scrubbed all the code to zero, asking Tony to double-check everything a few more times.
Okay, it's definitely Vigen, but it's very, very raw. It obviously needs a powerful power source...
- Excuse me, are we interrupting? - came from behind us in a girl's voice.
As if on cue, we turned round, raising our weapons: me, with my trademark "twip-twip" gesture, Tony pointing the repulsors, Steve's arm with his shield for a throw, Hulk clenched his fists, Thor raised his hammer, Natasha pointed her Widow's Stings, even Barton swung, grasping his bow with both palms, without arrows he had no other options.
I'm sure we look formidable.
Actually, the unexpected guests thought so, too.
- Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, easy," said a silver-haired young man in blue-and-white spandex, with a girl in a scarlet leather suit standing next to him.
- And who are you? - Asked our leader.
Although I knew the answer to that question.
- Magneto's children, Mercury and Scarlet Witch, right? - I spoke for the twins, coming out of my aggressive stance.
- Right," the boy nodded, "we were in the neighbourhood, and then the evacuation started, so we wondered what was going on.
- How did you know where to go? - Rogers asked, lowering his hand.
The others relaxed, too.
- My sister has a way of charming," the mutant said, pointing to the brown-haired girl.
Wanda herself was silent, looking behind us absentmindedly.
I WANT THAT FEMALE! - suddenly exploded in my head Klyntarets.
What?! - I even rubbed my temples from the sudden volume. - How long have you had a thing for human women?
Since Miss Grey," the alien replied calmly. - Look at her, Bearer! - Raj was almost howling like a wolf from the same cartoon. - Why don't you take her into your harem?
Are you out of your mind, you slime ball?! How many times have I told you, I only love Mary and Felicia?! And of course I don't have a harem!
Yeah, but they're also sleeping with their twin, Mrs Parker from the alternate world, and they'd love to get their Mentor, who's standing right over there. I'm not even thinking about a couple of girls.
Yes, I'm also a human being with vices, but that doesn't mean I don't intend to become a better person. Once and for all, Raj," I mentally wave my hand, cutting off any attempt at my position. - No harems!
While I was having a heated discussion with my personal schizo, I didn't even notice that the Maximoff twins had already arrived and joined the company of the Greatest Heroes of the Earth.
Pietro was trying to flirt with Natasha, who had become as cold as a marble statue.
Wanda, on the other hand, was asking questions.
- So you're saying it's the creation of an artificial intelligence gone mad? - The brown-eyed girl arched an eyebrow.
- It is, though "creation" is a bit of a mouthful...
- No, I can feel the mind in it, - the girl put her palm on the sarcophagus, interrupting our genius, billionaire and the rest of the list.
So, and this is interesting... if I remember correctly, Wanda draws power from the magic of Chaos, where his majesty the supreme demon Chthon reigns.
And, considering her powers are finely honed for mentalism...
- I think we should take the twins with us," I say, putting my hands behind my back.
- What?" Tony quacks, and everyone looks at me in surprise, especially the Maximoff twins.
- You definitely need more research, and only our headquarters has the proper equipment. Miss Maximoff...
- Just Wanda," the girl with the interesting tiara on her head smiled at me.
- Wanda feels things we don't and can be useful, and her scheming brother won't let her sister go alone.
- Of course I won't," Mercury agreed briskly.
- Then that's where we'll stop," Steve sighed. - We've got to get this container into the Quinjet.
We got the transfer sorted out quickly and, loading into our aircraft, left hospitable Eastern Europe.
It should be said that, in my opinion, the twins looked in our cockpit as fit. Although, just appearing at the end of the mission is obviously not enough to become an Avenger.
But, if there's any talk of expansion at the command council, I'll be sure to put those two up for a vote. Well, Scarlet Witch for sure. Magneto's son seems a little cloudy.
The flight was uneventful, then out, lab, analyses and tests.
- Well, I don't think I'm needed here any more," I look at Tony, who has wired Vigen's coffin and activated all sorts of holographic panels. - Besides, most of the team has already gone to bed," I turn to the twins, who are standing to the side. - It will probably be uncomfortable to sleep in the hall, if you want, you can use my room, it has a sofa and a bed.
- We'll keep that in mind," Pietro nodded a little too proudly.
In the tilt of his head from Wanda there was clearly more gratitude for his participation.
Okay, I like her too. Clearly more than her brother.
That's a good start," the Clintarian said with a chuckle.
Shut up, Raj!
- Leaving so soon? - Tony raised his goggles to his forehead. - Don't you want to help? Do some digging?
- I'm sorry, Iron, I want to go home, I'm tired," I wave goodbye and turn around.
And, at least, to cuddle up to the woman I love, to whom I'm not disgusting...
Leaving the lab, I turn round to look at the sarcophagus.
Why do I get the feeling we finished off Altron too easily?
Probably because in the comics, a villain of this calibre always comes back...
Disappearing in a white-blue-gold flash.