This guy was striking indiscriminately, crushing everything in his path with sheer brute force. He was like a raging beast—no soldier or vehicle could last more than three seconds against him. The Hulk truly was a tyrant who swept aside all pretenses of strategy or finesse.
HYDRA, on the other hand, was being completely overwhelmed. Still, their soldiers were trained to be fearless, and they charged forward without hesitation, determined to fight to the bitter end.
Up on the cliff, inside the HYDRA base, a bald man wearing glasses turned to another HYDRA officer.
"Surrender."
"Huh? You mean let those two out?"
The two exchanged knowing looks and turned in the same direction—only to find the figures they'd been referring to had vanished.
In the jungle below, the Avengers fought with increasing ferocity. Though they were pushing back wave after wave of HYDRA troops, the enemy's numbers were immense, and their weaponry formidable. Before long, Natasha and Hawkeye began to tire, their stamina starting to falter.
"Hey, Son of Rogers!" Thor called out after kicking a nearby soldier clear across the snow. He grinned smugly at Captain America.
Not to be outdone, Steve hurled his shield like a spinning blade. It struck a soldier wielding an MP5 squarely, knocking him out cold. The corner of Steve's mouth lifted as he arched an eyebrow and gave Thor a mocking look.
"..."
Unable to take the taunt, Thor raised Mjolnir and threw it straight at him.
The Captain instantly understood his intent. He raised his shield with both arms and charged forward.
When Mjolnir collided with the vibranium shield, the impact released a thunderous shockwave—a burst of wind and lightning that rippled across the battlefield. Even nearby Avengers were sent stumbling backward by the blast.
"ROAR!"
The Hulk bellowed at the two of them as if to say, *Knock it off, you idiots.* His glare made it clear that if they didn't stop, he'd make them stop. Then he turned back to unleash another devastating rampage against nearby enemies.
"You two are like grandmas fighting over lipstick—so childish," Tony quipped dryly from inside his armor, blasting another HYDRA tank.
By now, HYDRA's forces were nearly annihilated. Iron Man soared into the air, heading straight for the base to retrieve what S.H.I.E.L.D. had lost.
No one doubted Tony's capabilities. But as Hawkeye watched him fly ahead, drawing his bow to provide cover, a sudden blur flashed behind him. Before he could react, he was hurled out from behind the tree.
The same happened to Steve—a gust of wind swept past him, and he was suddenly on the ground. Thor, equally blindsided, crashed down hard and accidentally hit himself in the head with his own hammer. All of them reeled from the blow, their heads spinning and ears ringing.
When they looked up, they saw a young man with silver-white hair in a tight uniform.
It was Quicksilver. He flashed a cocky grin and darted off again. The Avengers barely got back to their feet before he sent them flying once more—even armored vehicles were knocked aside like toys.
"Gali, what do you think of that guy?" Blaine asked.
"Well… not bad. His speed's around level six."
"Hiss…" Blaine drew a sharp breath. In official Marvel terms, a speed level of six was the speed of light—meaning Quicksilver could move at 1,860,000 miles per second.
That revelation startled Blaine as he watched the "live broadcast."
"Then let's meet this Scarlet Witch," he muttered.
At that moment, Iron Man reached the cliffside. Several HYDRA survivors tried to intercept him—bad move. A single volley of micro-missiles turned most of the base into rubble.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., locate the Scepter."
"Target ahead—fifty meters."
Tony landed and cautiously advanced through the debris.
Suddenly, a sharp pulse hit his mind. His body froze for a moment, and then the scene before his eyes shifted—sending chills down his spine.
He saw a shattered shield—Captain America's iconic Star-Spangled Shield. A few steps ahead, Mjolnir lay broken in pieces. The bodies of Captain America, Thor, Natasha, and Hawkeye lay strewn across the ruins. The entire Avengers team—dead.
The more Tony looked, the more horrified he became. He might often tease or argue with them, but seeing them like this… something inside him twisted painfully.
"Tony, it's fake—it's a dream," J.A.R.V.I.S. said urgently.
"Find a way to break it, J.A.R.V.I.S.," Tony ordered.
…
"Hiss… damn, that hurt," Tony groaned as he shook himself free from the illusion. "Next time, try a gentler method."
A few steps ahead, an orange glow surrounded the Loki scepter, the Mind Stone embedded within. Without hesitation, Tony grabbed it and blasted upward, leaving the ruins behind. Mission accomplished.
"Wait… don't chase him."
A woman in a crimson cloak raised her hand, stopping the silver-haired speedster beside her. It was Wanda Maximoff—the Scarlet Witch.
These two siblings were both creations of the Mind Stone—or perhaps mutants born from its power.
"Just let him go?" Pietro asked.
"I've already seen the fear in his heart," Wanda replied calmly. "Sooner or later, he'll destroy himself."
Their casual tone made it clear—they didn't see the Avengers as a real threat.
"Ooh, finally! Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch," Blaine grinned. "What a shame—that's all we get? Pity, pity."
"Not bad," Gali mused. "That little ant's magic barely reaches level six."
"What? Also level six? Origin-level magic?" Blaine's eyes widened.
So Quicksilver's speed was a six, and Scarlet Witch's power was too. No wonder the siblings didn't take the Avengers seriously—they had every right not to.
"Hey, Gali, what about me? What level am I?" Blaine asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"You? Hmm… let me see…"
"Well? Don't leave me hanging."
"You're around level five overall. But there are parts of you I can't quite define. I feel like there are… greater secrets hidden in you."
"And?" Blaine pressed eagerly.
Gali tilted her head. "And the white light above your head—it looks like it could push you to level seven…"
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