- Moments earlier, in a location not too far away... -
"How much further?" Ava asked, glancing back at Amadeus, who held the receiver.
"We're close," he replied, looking at the screen. "We should probably pull over soon, go the rest of the way on foot. A car like this draws a lot of attention."
"Agreed," Roberto said, spotting a dilapidated house within the run down neighborhood they were currently driving through. Pulling up a driveway that hadn't been paved in years, he turned the vehicle off and the students got out.
"Don't forget where we parked," Danny said, only half joking.
"Won't be an issue," the Hispanic teen replied, being able to summon it no matter the location.
"Jeez, this place is a dump," Cho commented. "Does anyone even live here anymore?"
"Unless you count the odd squatter, I doubt it," Flash replied. "This part of town got hit hard during the Chitauri Invasion 10 years ago."
"Oh yeah, I remember now," added Wanda. "Thousands of people were forced to leave their homes after being declared structurally unsafe..."
"But really it was just an excuse by some corrupt city planner to clear out and try to gentrify the place," Flash grunted. "Not that it mattered, nobody wants to live where an alien massacre took place. So, the plans were dropped and the place fell to shit."
"Wrecker mentioned it being one of the reasons Damage Control was formed," Danny finished. "The government wished to ensure nobody else would try and take advantage of such disasters by implementing an unbiased third party."
"Still, it makes for a good place to hide out," put in Ava. "Definitely explains why nobody was able to find the League. This is the lowest of low-key..."
Suddenly, she froze, "You guys here that?"
Everyone stopped walking. "Hear what?" Asked Wanda, listening intently through the still night air. Finally, the students began to hear the growing roar of an approaching motorcycle.
"Hide!!" Exclaimed Cho, and the teens scattered. A few seconds later, a man in black leather drove down the bumpy road and continued onward past the student's hidden location.
"Who was that?" Asked Danny, nervously. "A villain?"
Roberto's eyes narrowed, he knew that bike, "No..."
"Let's stay back for now," Ava advised. "Whoever that is, he's pulling into that parking lot."
Flash brought up a camera he'd taken with him. A strap kept it wrapped loosely around his neck, and he turned it on with the press of a button.
Cho watched his classmate, intrigued, "Didn't think you were into photography, Flash."
"I'm not, it's the nerd's," he replied. "He used to be part of a club back in middle school."
"And you have it why?" Asked a skeptical Ava, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Shut up! It's not like I stole it from him," Flash snapped bitterly as he brought it up. "This thing's old, but the zoom and focus work. I can get a better look at that guy even from way back here."
"Looks like one of the cameras Luke used during his internship," remarked Danny, looking at the camera's label. "I think it's even the same brand. I had no idea Peter was a photographer. What was his subject matter?"
"Will you zip it, Glow-Fist!? I'm trying to concentrate!!!" Flash angrily retorted, trying to figure out the technology. "There..."
He looked through the camera, zooming in and adjusting the focus. "Guy doesn't look like a villain," he said. "Just some biker. Probably pulled over to take a leak. Let's keep going."
"Does he have blondish hair?" Asked Roberto, stepping over next to him. "And a scar to the side of his forehead?"
Flash sighed before checking, tilting his head back in confusion. "Yeah, what-?"
"It's Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider," Reyes said.
The others quickly turned to their classmate, Flash nearly dropping the camera. "How!?" He asked.
"I know motors," the Hispanic teen replied. "During my internship, Johnny let me work on his bike with him. That's definitely the Hell Cycle, but it's not transformed yet, or flames would be coming off the wheels."
"Then what's he doing all the way out here?" Wanda inquired.
"He can't be looking for Peter, the receiver has him in another direction," Cho put in, looking at the device.
"Then let's keep going!" Hissed Flash, "We're wasting time!!"
"Wait a minute..." Ava muttered, squinting her eyes at the Pro Hero. "Something's not right here... Thompson, may I see the camera?"
"You've got enhanced senses, use 'em," Flash replied. "Not like you're using your Quirk to fight or whatever..."
Ava sighed with exasperation, before closing her eyes and touching the green totem she wore around her neck. It began to shine brightly, but she covered it with her hands. Then focusing intently, the Class V.P's eyes glowed emerald green as she enhanced her vision to get a better look.
"He's going over to that warehouse," she said. "And... looking in the windows..."
Indeed, the man in black leather was peeking inside as if searching for something. He immediately rushed to the doors and threw them open, revealing a lineup of Sentinels waiting to be deployed.
Ava suddenly gasped and fell over backwards, the glow from her totem fading away to nothing.
"Ava!?" Wanda whispered over, doing her best to stay hidden. "What's wrong?? What did you see?"
"That warehouse..." Ava's eyes were wide with fear, "It's being used for- No, it's a factory... For building Sentinels!!!"
Her classmates were thunderstruck, expressions of fear or anxiety across their faces as they watched Johnny rush inside. A minute of tense waiting later, he re-emerged dragging someone outside.
"Is that...?" Danny squinted, trying to get a better look.
Flash lowered the camera, his face grim. "It's Bulldozer," he said.
Hobgoblin seethed within his wooden restraints. His hands were bound in a way that wouldn't allow him to break out using his Quirk. What's worse, he could reach the emergency serum in his pouch for a quick boost of power. Looking down at the floor, eyes darkened.
"After alI that work preparing for this moment, the big guy himself shows up on my doorstep," he said. "My people have been restrained, and there's no way to escape. I guess it can't be helped."
So, they've got backup, huh? Well, we do, too.
His head shot up, a crazed look in his yellow eyes, "Azazel!!! Go!!! Get to the workshop and send over as many as you can!"
"The Sentinels, right?" Iron Man asked, much to Hobgoblin's shock. "Yeah, we've got that covered." He accessed his communicator via his visual display, "Johnny? What's the word?"
Back in the abandoned neighborhood, with the body of the Wrecking Crew member had been moved safely off to the side. Johnny appeared to be checking for a pulse before standing up, a cellphone to his ear.
"I've found Bulldozer," he said. "He's unconscious, but alive. Send an ambulance my way. Did you find the kid?"
"He's safe," Stark replied over the phone. "Anyone else there?""
"Nope," the former stunt rider said. "If there was, they're long gone. Only thing left here is metal."
"Then light 'em up, good buddy!!" The hero's voice declared.
Johnny smirked, "Thought you'd never ask." Tossing the phone aside, he took a breath to focus. Without warning, the man's visible features become skeletal and covered in flames. Glaring into the warehouse with blackened holes where his eyes would be, the Ghost Rider braced himself, as an aura of flames began to build around him.
Flash, Ava, and Roberto, being the closest to the action, watched the hero powering up. Even from a safe distance, they could feel the steady buildup of heat.
"What's he doing?" Asked Ava.
"It's his finishing move," replied Robbie, eyes on his mentor. "I heard him describe it once or twice, but he rarely uses it since it can cause a lot of damage if not properly controlled."
The flames grew in size before appearing to spiral into the hero's back. Looking at his target, the black holes where his eyes should be suddenly glowed a bright orange.
"HELLFIRE!!!" Ghost Rider roared in his raspy, demonic voice. Shooting his hands forward, a stream of fire surged out around his arms, focusing the flames he'd summoned as a deadly weapon.
They quickly engulfed the entirety of the building, the heat rising to unbelievable levels as the metal monsters began to actually melt into slag. Even far enough away to be out of danger, the teenagers could feel the sudden blast from the fire.
Satisfied, the hero slowly lowered his hands and clenched his skeletal fists. The flames subsided in the building and the molten metal cooled until it became a solid pile of goo. Then, as if on cue, the dilapidated warehouse collapsed, covering the debris until there was no trace of the Sentinels visible to the naked eye.
Walking over to the discarded phone, Ghost Rider crouched down and picked it up, the flames around his skull dimming slightly. More than likely so as to not melt the device.
"It's done, Stark" he said, speaking into it.
"And there ya have it," Tony quipped, turning off the speaker within his helmet.
"Seems you've got a lot to learn, brat. You're still plenty green," said Stick.
"Actually, that would be his father," Iron Man added, staring into the villain's face. "Isn't it, Harold Osborn?"
As Hobgoblin's eyes widened in shock, a few of his villainous associates turned as best they could to get a better look at their leader.
"Wait, seriously?" Asked Sinthea, "You're the son of the Green Goblin??"
"I mean it makes sense, does it not?" Asked Batroc with a shrug. "What with his nom de plum. And the resources needed to bring us together must have cost a pretty penny, non?"
"'Harry'..." Vengeance muttered the name he'd heard their prisoner say earlier, putting the pieces together in his head. Their leader had met with him at some point, and outside of costume. But what for??
"Your little club underestimated all of us," Iron Man interrupted the villain's questioning. "The soul of the young man you kidnapped. The police's diligent investigations. And... our righteous fury! So enough's enough. The game's over, time to roll credits!"
"You think it's over?" Hobgoblin seethed. "Don't be stupid. I've only just begun to play. Justice. Peace. You created a garbage society by lifting up such ridiculous ideals. That's why I targeted you, All Might. It's why I started gathering people to my cause. You think this is the end with me? Then you've lost."
He turned to his teleporter, "Azazel-!!"
But the devil man was silent, unconscious even.
Sinthea yelped, "What just happened? I couldn't see anything. Did they kill him?"
"Nah, yer pal's just takin' a nap," Rocket grinned, and gestured to the yellow collar around the villain's neck. "This little beauty's somethin' I whipped up earlier. He tried using his Quirk and got 50 volts for his trouble!!"
"I am Groot," said the tree man, looking somewhat disappointedly at his longtime friend and partner.
"Whaddaya mean? I am not 'a bit of a sadist'!" Replied the augmented raccoon, putting his hands behind his head. "I just enjoy the simple things, like seeing a guy like that getting zapped."
"It seems they weren't listening earlier," said Hellcat, turning toward the restrained villains. "You'd all be better off if you took us seriously."
She glanced at one of them, "Frank Simpson."
Nuke gasped at the revelation of his true name. Hellcat looked at each of the others in succession.
First was Whirlwind; "David Cannon."
Next was Vengeance; "Michael Kowalski."
After him was Sin; "Sinthea Schmidt."
And finally, Batroc the Leaper; "Georges Batroc."
The only one whose identity was left unmentioned was Azazel. But that hardly mattered while the man himself wasn't awake to hear it.
"While they had little time and information, the police worked through the night to discover your true identities," said Stick. "You get it now? There's nowhere left to run!"
Iron Man turned back to Hobgoblin, "So, Harry, mind if I call you 'Harry'? I've got just one more question; where's your boss hiding?"
Flash, Roberto and Ava snuck back toward the others. The Vice President quickly filled them in, "Everything's fine now. The Heroes were on top of this way before we were, at least going by what Ghost Rider just did."
"That's a relief!" Amadeus said with a smile.
"Great, we came all this way for nothing," Flash growled, shoved his hands into his pockets.
"But what about Peter?" Wanda asked worriedly, getting the attention of the others. "Where's he?"
"I didn't see him in there," Ava said, before remembering something. "But Ghost Rider was on the phone a minute ago. I couldn't hear everything he said, but he mentioned 'Stark' finding a 'kid'. I think he was speaking with Iron Man! He could be rescuing Peter right now!!"
"If Iron Man's really there, we have nothing to worry about," Danny breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then let's get back home. At least we won't have to explain ourselves." Ava said, relieved that this ordeal was over. The six students began walking out of the alleyway, away from the direction of the destroyed warehouse.
However, nothing could have prepared them for what was about to unfold.
Outside, Peter had been loaded up into an ambulance under the watchful eye of the Thing. A specialist was already there waiting and began to look him over. It the Healing Hero known as Elixir.
He inspected the damage Peter had accumulated during the Camp Attack, as well as the villain's attempts at keep him alive.
"Ah!" Peter winced as the man inspected the tape and bandages covering his chest.
"Sorry, son," Elixir apologized. "I know it hurts, but we need to assess how badly your ribs were damaged. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you're not in worse shape..."
Peter looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, there's evidence of trauma, no doubt about that," he continued. "But, nothing appears to be broken. It's almost like your body has begun healing on its own."
The teen blinked, "How's that possible? I took some direct shots from the freaking Juggernaut! I felt my ribs break, and I could barely breathe!"
The man pondered a moment, "It's rare nowadays, but some Quirks, when their user is put through intense trauma, can shift into a survival mode that focuses all latent energy towards recovery. We call them 'Healing Factors'."
Peter glanced down at his ribs and then back up, "You mean like Wolverine's? Or Deadpool's?"
"Those are the more famous examples, yes," Elixir nodded. "But most of the time it doesn't happen as quickly as theirs. Your body is healing, but you're by no means out of the woods. Especially with those wrists of yours."
Peter looked glumly at his now un-bandaged limbs. The stitching had been removed, but he now had more prevalent scarring around the microscopic hole where webbing would be produced.
"I want to do a full work-up when we get to the hospital," the hero went on. "I'll have your school's nurse meet us down there to compare notes and help with the recovery process- are you listening?"
Peter had frozen in place, staring off out the door through the crowd of law enforcement. His Spider Sense had begun to tingle again, and it intensified as he focused on the bar. Trouble was coming for the heroes, something they weren't prepared for.
"You'll tell us where he is right now!" Iron Man yelled at the bound Hobgoblin, still unwilling to cooperate.
Suddenly, the front door burst open as a horrified looking Peter Parker rushed in, much to the surprise of his mentor.
"Parker?" He asked, "Why are you-"
"Iron Man, we need to go now!!" Peter said, his tone sharp and anxious.
Hobgoblin stared at the Heroes with a crazed look in his eyes, "Go away! Just disappear!!" His gaze then shifted from Iron Man to Peter.
"This is all your fault!" Hobgoblin glared at the teen with bloodshot eyes, "I HATE YOU!"
"Iron Man!!" Peter yelled as his senses ramped up to an even higher level.
Right at that moment, a huge, black hole-like portal burst into existence behind Hobgoblin. Everyone gasped in shock when a human sized Sentinel emerged from it, rocketing into Iron Man.
"A Sentinel!? How'd it get here!?" Rocket exclaimed.
Peter gasped, feeling another tingle, "Look out!" Just then, another Sentinel flew through of the black portal, followed quickly by another.
"Dammit, Rocket!!" Thing yelled, "I thought you put their teleporter under!"
"He's still out! This ain't him!!" He said, aiming a large blaster at the new arrivals. "They just keep on coming!!"
More portals appeared, this time beneath each of the villains. One by one, they began to drop through and out of the bar room, much to the horror of the others.
"They're gettin' away!!" Thing called, trying to grapple against a Sentinel with the help of Stick.
"Hey Flamebrain!!" Rocket called into his communicator, hoping to get in touch with the Ghost Rider. "We need backup, asap!!!"
"Hobgoblin!! Somebody grab him!" Called Iron Man, struggling against two of the mechanical monsters.
Rushing forward, Peter went to tackle Hobgoblin as a portal opened up underneath the villain. He sailed through the air, hoping to prevent the villain's escape.
But it was too late, as Hobgoblin dropped into the portal, giving one last, murderous grin spread across his face as he locked eyes with his one-time prisoner, before completely vanishing along with the portal.
"Damnnnnn iiiiiit!!!" Peter roared, angrily punching and splintering the wooden floor in frustration.
Portal lied, Hobgoblin thought. Going through these things is no fun at all.
Having experienced Azazel's teleportation before, Spot's method made him feel gross and dirty in comparison, as if diving into a murky pool and suddenly reappearing back to the surface. He was just glad when it was over, even if he reappeared in mid-air.
"Oof!!" Exclaimed Hobgoblin, who'd landed atop the armored frame of Whirlwind, who was still unconscious. He rolled off of his associate and stood up, recognizing the charred remains of what had one been a Sentinel factory.
Around him the other villains, still bound by tree limbs and Quirk Dampening Cuffs, similarly regained their footing and surveyed their immediate surroundings.
"Where are we?" Asked Sin, confused. "Did Spot just bail us out?"
"Yes I did," said a voice, as the villain in question stepped out from the shadows, a device the size of a cellphone in his hand. "You're welcome, by the way..."
Following close behind was a man in a white lab coat and sunglasses in spite of the late hour. Hobgoblin stiffened slightly, it was the Master Planner.
"Quite the predicament you're in, Mr. Osborn," he said, his tone having the slightest air of condescension. The man nodded to Spot, who held the device out toward Hobgoblin. He pressed a button as the red light on the Cuffs suddenly turned green and opened, dropping to the ground.
"Ah, now that's more like it!" Hobgoblin said, rubbing his wrists before activating his Quirk. Carefully aiming his finger, the villain shot a Sparkle Blast through the wood bindings. Now cracked and loose, Hobgoblin broke himself free.
"Dear me, it seems Mr. Cannon has had quite the eventful night," the Planner stared down at the unconscious Whirlwind. "Spot, if you would?"
The teleporting villain bent down and smacked the green helmet in the side a few times. When a groan, Whirlwind's eyes twitched slightly as he woke up, clutching his head.
"Glad you're still with us, Whirlwind," Planner said lightly. "On your feet now, there's still work to be done."
The armored villain looked at the now established head of their organization and slowly rose back to a standing position with the help of his Quirk.
Hobgoblin gazed at the device in Spot's hand, "So, was that little toy cooked up by you or Tinkerer?"
"Neither, actually," Planner replied, watching Spot use the device on Vengeance, who then burned the wood off of his body. "It's S.H.I.E.L.D. technology, utilized by S.W.A.T. for their, less than docile, captives. I simply had Spot open a portal into one of the their vans and he swiped it before anyone noticed."
"Tricky tricky," Hobgoblin grinned, using his Quirk again, this time to free Sin and Nuke from their bindings.
"Not unlike your prisoner," the Planner went on. "Thanks to him, the Heroes managed to track down and identify you all. They even took out one of our main factories for producing Sentinels."
Hobgoblin seethed bitterly, not helped when Vengeance spoke up.
"I knew we should've killed him," he said, glaring at Hobgoblin before turning to Spot. "Think you can portal him here so we can finish the job?"
"I only got you out because they weren't expecting it," Spot replied. "Even with the Sentinels in there, the Heroes'll be on guard now if I tried to take him."
"The boy's involvement is trivial at this point, there's nothing he can disclose that the Heroes don't already know," said the Planner. "But if you're so hellbent on revenge, there may be a window approaching."
Hobgoblin looked up, intrigued. "What sort of window?"
"Certain counter-measures were in place for an event like this," Planner explained. "In fact, he should be making his grand entrance as we speak..."
"'He'?" Asked a perplexed Nuke.
Peter picked himself up off the barroom floor, only for his Tingle to alert him of danger. But his speed and reaction time had dulled after several days on painkillers. A Sentinel charged him with a fist reared back to punch. Suddenly, Thing grabbed the robot by its legs, keeping it from getting closer.
"IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!!!" He roared, as he swung the Sentinel around, directly into the body of another one currently fighting Hellcat. Their mechanical bodies burst apart upon impact, leaving bits of metal in its place.
The last one was being held in place by Iron Man, who was using his sensors to scan for weak points. "Looks like this thing's barely holding together," he said. "And since you don't have a bomb in your body..." The hero cocked back his fist and delivered a haymaker punch through the robot's abdomen.
It quickly powered down, the yellow lights in the Sentinel's robotic eyes dimmed to nothing as it slumped around Iron Man's arm. Letting it relax, the robot slid off to the floor; a broken, useless pile of scrap.
"Well, that was fun!" Rocket grinned, glancing around at the wrecked barroom. "Been a while since I got into a bar fight!"
"Focus, Rocket," said Hellcat, dusting herself off. "The villains escaped, we need to go after them!"
"Don't worry about it, Cat," Thing assured. "There's nowhere left they can hide. They can run, but we got their number now. Let's regroup and track 'em down."
The hero turned toward Peter, who was staring at the ceiling. "Hey, it's Peter, right?" He asked, a bit puzzled. "You doin' ok? Ya look kinda pale..."
Thing tilted his head, then looked up to inspect the spot Peter's gaze was fixed on, "What? Somethin' on the roof?"
"It's not over..." the teen muttered, breaking out into a cold sweat. His Tingle had gone off again, but he'd never felt it this intensely before. It was as if an alarm bell had gone off in his head. Something was wrong, very wrong.
He turned to Iron Man, "Shields!!! Whatever power you've got, put it in your energy shields, now!!!"
"Kid? What's gotten into you!?" Iron Man asked, surprised by his sudden outburst.
"Stark!!! Do it!!!" Stick called over, knowing by now to trust Peter's Spider Sense. "Hurry!!!"
Iron Man quickly took in the panicked expression on Peter's face. He was right earlier about the danger, but for him to react like this now must've meant something else was terribly wrong. His eyes went to his sensors, and sure enough, there was a slight change in the atmosphere above. But what did it mean?
"Right!!" Trusting the judgment of his pupil and peer, Iron Man raised his hands toward the ceiling. "Everyone get over here!!!"
The heroes quickly gathered around the Number One as he released a barrier of repulser energy around the group. They waited a few moments, with nothing happening.
"Well," Rocket said dully. That was anticlima-"
Without warning, everything came apart around them. The ceiling collapsed first, with wood, concrete, and debris falling all around. The walls seemed to buckle under their own weight and imploded as an unseen pressure forced them downward. The floor gave way, as the group fell into the basement, being covered with the remains of the building.
The destruction wasn't focused on the old bar, however. It was as if a meteor had struck the neighborhood, with an invisible wave rippling outward, knocking down everything in sight.
The members of S.H.I.E.L.D, NYPD, and other law enforcement who'd failed to heed Peter's warning were swept up and away, along with vehicles, street lamps, signs, and other structures.
The sound of collapsing buildings and the vibration of the ground was felt by all. A cloud of dust began to rise and spread out toward them.
"What the hell was that?" Asked Flash, raising the camera again. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of the incoming wave of destruction.
"Run!!!" Yelled Ava.
With panicked expressions, the teens rushed back down the street. But there was no way they'd be fast enough to escape safely. And there was nowhere to take cover, as each building collapsed on itself in a successive pattern.
Acting quickly, Roberto blew a whistle and with a loud roar, the Hell Charger came speeding toward him.
"Get in the car, now!!!" He called, sprinting toward his vehicle. It spun and skidded to a stop, the doors opening for all to jump in. After they hurriedly piled in on top of each other, the car sped down the road with Roberto at the wheel. Behind them, the dust cloud drew nearer, the pavement cracking and buildings collapsing.
"It's getting closer!!" Cho yelled, staring out the back window.
"Come on, come on!!" Wanda cringed, patting the car door as if trying to encourage it.
"Damn it!!!" Flash roared, "Can't this rust bucket go any faster, Reyes!?"
As if on cue, Roberto turned his head toward his classmate, eyes filled with fire. "Just watch," he said, his voice becoming deep and raspy.
Reyes shifted gears, and gunned the engine. Fire spurted out of the engine and exhaust pipes. The wheels spun faster, turning bright orange, leaving behind twin trails of flames along the road. The Hell Charger was living up to its name, and managed to put distance between the students and the chaos.
Finally, the dust began to dissipate and the cracking slowed to a stop. Roberto slowed the car to a stop, and everyone got out, looking back down the road they'd just traveled. Their reactions were a mixture of shock and horror at the sight they beheld.
Within mere seconds, what had once an empty, dilapidated neighborhood had become completely flattened. The ground was filled with debris, vehicles, and the bodies of everyone who'd come to stop the villains. It was as though a meteor had hit and left an empty crater over a mile wide.
"W-What just happened?" Asked Wanda, fearfully.
"Um, guys..?" Amadeus gestured to the receiver in his hand. The direction it had initially been leading them was ground zero of the destruction. To make matters worse, the once flashing light had stopped blinking. An ominous air lingered about.
Without a word, Flash ran off, sprinting at top speed.
"Flash!? What're are you doing!?" Called Ava.
The classmates looked at each other incredulously, but one by one, they ran after the blonde teen.
In the ruins of the former villain bar, rubble began to shift and stir. A crimson, metallic fist burst through as Iron Man struggled to climb out. He'd used a lot of power to keep up the shield, barely blocking most of the damage. And yet his body felt the strain of his efforts. The hero knew he likely only had minutes left in this armored form.
But the teenager he'd risked everything to protect was still alive, as he climbed up beside Iron Man. His eyes beheld the flattened neighborhood, and his mind immediately went to the people who'd once been standing there.
"Oh God..." Peter whispered.
"l know kid..." Iron Man sympathized, "But we can't think about that yet. How are the others? Even with my shield up, it could only block so much of that blast."
More debris shifted, as a somewhat dazed but still conscious Thing emerged on all fours, as pieces of broken wood retracted from around him. Groot appeared, stretching himself up and out of the rubble.
Thing rubbed the top of his head, "Criminy, what the hell hit us?"
"I am Groot?" The tree man questioned, regrowing several limbs in the process.
"Groot!! Thing!!"
The Rock Hero turned toward the voice, seeing Iron Man and his protégé running toward him.
"Are you guys alright?" Asked Peter.
"We're ok," replied Thing, rising slowly to reveal the three heroes he'd protected with his body; Rocket, Hellcat, and Stick. "But these guys're down for the count..."
Iron Man quickly scanned for vitals as Peter went to check pulses.
"They're alive," said Tony, sighing in relief. "But without enhanced strength, they probably couldn't hold up against whatever hit us. It was even strong enough to bust apart my shield."
Peter looked up, "Wait, where's Ant-Man and Wasp?"
"Dunno, must've shrank when everything went to hell," Thing replied, surveying all of the damage. "What did this?"
"I've felt this kind of power only once before," Iron Man said, his tone serious. "And if it's who I think it is-"
"I had a feeling that attack wouldn't kill you..." Called a distorted voice. "But then again, you've have always been a persistent one."
Tony Stark froze, he immediately recognized the manner of speech. He stared upward, scanners zooming in until they focused on a figure floating in mid-air.
The best way one could describe the aesthetic of the black and gold armor was 'techno-warrior.' The helmet in particular looked like the headpiece from Asian battle garb. It retracted and folded back into the back to reveal the user's face.
He was Chinese, with long, black hair and a short beard to match. Piercing dark brown eyes glared down at the ruins. Finally, on each finger and thumb, he wore a golden ring with a unique gemstone, two of which were glowing different colors.
It had been many years since their paths had last crossed, but Tony Stark still considered this man to be the most dangerous enemy he'd ever faced. He was known by many names over the centuries; Zheng Zu, Tem Borjigin, Gene Khan, Xu Wenwu, and more recently, Zhang Tong. But to the armored hero, he was known by one name in particular. Or rather, a title:
"The Mandarin..." Tony said quietly.
"Stark..." The villain stared down at his old foe. "Shall we begin?"
.
.
.
Barber's Chair
• Several revelations made, including the true names of Hobgoblin's crew. The only one slightly different was Vengeance, as I combined his two alter-egos into one. The men who previously held the mantle were Michael Badilino and a Sheriff's Deputy known only as Kowalski.
• In place of All for One, I wanted a villain with the same kind of raw power. But having set up the Masters of Evil as the Big Bads (plural), I had to narrow it down to one guy who Iron Man would definitely struggle with on his own. And one name kept popping up as his biggest foe: the Mandarin. I know most MCU watchers associate him with Shang-Chi these days, but he was originally Iron Man's most powerful nemesis.
• Additionally, the original MMA fan art by DuckLordEthan had Iron Man facing off against the Mandarin, so it seemed fitting that they finally met.
• For those who don't know, each of the Mandarin's 10 Rings in the comics gives him access to a different superpower. In this regard, he's very similar to All for One in terms of abilities.
• Mandarin's attire is based off the Armored Adventures cartoon, where he wore a unique battle suit.
• As for the level of destruction Mandarin's attack left, think of the Almighty Push from Pain on Konohagakure.