Smoke curled off what remained of a crumbled high-rise in Midtown. The asphalt groaned beneath Iron Man's boots as he touched down, faceplate rising with a hiss. Beside him, Spider-Man landed in a crouch, panting. The red and blue of his suit was scuffed, and he looked like he'd been hurled through a blender made of concrete.
"Let's buy time," Tony said, glancing toward the growing thunder of footsteps echoing through the wreckage.
Peter, wiping dust from his lenses, blinked. "Buy time? From him? Where the hell are the others, more specifically Hulk, Thor or even Ant-Man? I mean… someone of his weight class?"
Tony sighed, sarcasm loading in his tone. "Well Banner's… preoccupied in a forest somewhere. Probably writing poetry and whispering affirmations to squirrels. He's still too tired from his last transformation and fight against Abomination who just got freed…again."
Peter looked like he was going to ask something else, but a shadow overtook the sun. Juggernaut had just hoisted a tanker truck over his head like a toy.
Tony's faceplate snapped shut. "Heads up, kid!"
Peter's reaction was instant, he immediately launched a webline right into Juggernaut's eyes, gumming them up. The behemoth stumbled, blinded temporarily, just as a missile flew from Tony's forearm, detonating the tanker in a roaring fireball that knocked Juggernaut backward for a moment.
Peter still couldn't help but respond. "Man, remind me not to interrupt Mr Banner's tree-hugging retreat again."
"Don't worry, we've got a fantastic backup team… not that they are available," Tony said, floating higher. "Wakanda's in another tech-summit. T'Challa's playing statesman. Ant-Man and Wasp? Missing. Clint's off the radar again. Natasha's on another continent probably toppling a government. So it's just us."
"Oh… great." Peter dodged another flying chunk of debris, flipping over it. "Wait—what about Gojo? Didn't he, I dunno… fry Magneto like a bug on a power line?"
At the mention of that name, Juggernaut froze for a moment. His head turned slowly toward them with steam rising off of his body.
Tony's voice lowered. "The kid's… trying to get something down right now. Something big from what he told me. But maybe I really should call him right now."
A crunch echoed through the ruined streets. Juggernaut was back on the move, each footstep cratering the ground. His presence was like a living shockwave.
Peter grimaced. "What the hell is this guy on? Hulk blood? Kree steroids?"
Tony replied dryly, "Ten thousand calories and a god complex."
"Jarvis, give me a full scan," Tony snapped, eyes narrowing beneath the HUD. "Weak points. Kinetic dispersion. Anything."
"Analyzing now, sir," Jarvis responded. "Subject: Cain Marko, a.k.a. Juggernaut. Strength class: Omega-level. Estimated kinetic impact threshold required to cause brief stasis: 210 gigajoules. Estimated force for long-term incapacitation: Unavailable. Recommend high-yield containment or extreme psychological interference."
"Great," Tony muttered. "We need a nuke or a therapist."
Peter was still mid-air when his spider-sense screamed. "Shit—MOVE!" he yelled, slamming into Tony mid-hover and knocking him aside just as Juggernaut lunged.
Tony rocketed upward, stabilizing. Peter shot web after web to entangle Juggernaut's legs—not that it mattered. The monster crushed through them like threads of cotton, his thunderous strides shaking glass loose from skyscrapers.
"Missiles, now!" Tony commanded. They fired in droves, trailing smoke but each one barely fazed the charging mutant.
Tony cursed. "This isn't working! Jarvis?"
"Deploying auxiliary containment system."
From Iron Man's gauntlet, a high-pressure cannon hissed and fired an experimental expanding polymer foam. It surged out and solidified in moments, encasing Juggernaut from the legs upward in a thick cocoon, leaving only his helmeted head free.
"THIS…" Juggernaut growled, "isn't gonna hold me long."
Cracks already spiderwebbed across the shell.
Peter landed beside Tony. "Mr. Stark? I hate to say this but he's not wrong."
"How did they stop him the last time?" Peter asked, tension laced beneath his usual humor. "Please tell me it was more than prayer."
Tony's tone dropped. "Short of nuking him into space? Nothing really. My stronger suits aren't even online right now. Dropping a full payload here would vaporize the city... and I still don't know if it'd work."
The foam exploded, pieces flying like shrapnel as Juggernaut stood laughing. "You think THIS is a fight? Bring me someone who matters! Bring me my BROTHER! Otherwise—" He slammed his fists together, shaking the air. "You ants are just background noise!"
"Wait… what's he—" Tony started.
"Oh shit, Mr. Stark. BRACE!" Peter shouted.
Jarvis chimed in, voice suddenly urgent. "Warning: Significant tension buildup detected. Juggernaut is manipulating subterranean pressure. Kinetic surge approaching megaton equivalent. Shockwave imminent."
And then Juggernaut leapt. The kinetic burst obliterated the street beneath him. Entire blocks crumbled like cardboard. Cars launched into the air. The sound was like a bomb detonating directly beneath the city.
The duo recovered just in time, shaking dust from their faces. Tony coughed. "Jarvis! Track him. NOW!"
"Triangulating trajectory… Predicting impact destination based on leap arc and energy displacement…"
Tony hovered beside Spider-Man, whose chest rose and fell quickly.
"Well?" Peter asked.
"Salem Center. Westchester County."
Peter blinked. "That sounds familiar, isn't that l…"
"1407 Graymalkin Lane," Tony said grimly. "He's heading for the X-Mansion."
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