Downtown New York pulsed with noise—until the sirens cut through the chaos.
"Clear the way! Red Tank is inbound!"
The roar of Red Tank shattered the bank's glass facade. He charged in like a rampaging rhino, the concrete floor cracking beneath his feet. A chandelier trembled, then crashed to the floor.
Panicked civilians dropped to the ground, shielding their heads. Security guards barely reached for their guns before Red Tank flipped the counter, knocking them unconscious.
"It's that mutant robber!" a police officer barked into his radio. "Requesting heavy weapons support—repeat, requesting—"
Even before the message ended, over a dozen squad cars screeched onto the scene. Officers formed a perimeter and opened fire, bullets raining down on the crimson behemoth.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
But the bullets simply bounced off. Not a scratch.
Red Tank barely reacted, swatting the air like brushing away gnats. "Forget it, boys," he muttered with a grin, heading straight for the vault.
The vault's alloy door was two feet thick—missile-resistant. But for Red Tank, it was a mild inconvenience. He clasped the edges, muscles bulging like pistons. The metal groaned. With a grunt, the door tore free, hinges and bolts bursting like popcorn.
"That's more like it." Grinning at the stacks of cash inside, he hefted a giant sack and began shoveling in bundles.
"The smell of fresh bills… intoxicating."
While he basked in his loot, some employees fled through the side exits. Red Tank didn't care. He slung the heavy sack over his shoulder, each step shaking the floor, and strutted out the front door.
The police could only watch as he flipped cruisers aside and whistled a jaunty tune.
A rookie officer lowered his weapon, trembling. "We… we're just letting him go?"
The old sheriff took off his hat, scowling. "Damn mutant freaks."
"They won't be smug for long," he added. "The president's greenlit the Sentinel Program. Giant robots—building-sized—will patrol every city. The moment a mutant shows up in public, bam. Straight to the lab."
"Isn't that… a bit much? Isn't this a human rights issue?"
"I heard a group of mutants broke into a nuclear missile base. Nearly sparked World War III. Wiped the place off the map."
Overhead, two figures floated in the sky, listening in.
"Typical," Wanda muttered, rubbing her temple. "Father should never have gone to that base. Sometimes Professor X is right—his methods make things worse."
"I share some blame," Russell said quietly.
His battle with Magneto had left the missile base a smoking crater. He'd disarmed a nuclear arsenal like it was party streamers—impressive, but terrifying.
That power imbalance had driven governments to panic.
From a few blocks away, Red Tank's voice boomed again.
"Sack's not full yet! There's another bank nearby!"
It was like watching someone treat banks as ATMs—no PIN required.
"This guy's something else," Wanda muttered. "Steals gold, robs banks… and just uses it to buy pizzas and install a disco ball in his living room."
"It's what passes for fun when your brain's in airplane mode," Russell said, arms crossed.
Strictly speaking, Red Tank wasn't a mutant. His strength came from the Crimson Ruby of Cyttorak—a cosmic demon god. With it, he gained unimaginable power… at the cost of some intellect.
"Hey! I can hear you up there!" Red Tank barked. "You think Red Tank's deaf?"
He yanked up a streetlamp and hurled it like a javelin.
BOOM!
The projectile screamed through the air. Russell's eyes flared—heat vision reduced the streetlamp to molten slag mid-flight.
"You stole something you shouldn't have."
Wanda raised her hands, chaos energy swirling. The sack of money levitated from Red Tank's grip.
"My money!" he roared. "You dare steal from me?!"
He slammed a foot down, launching himself forward with explosive force.
"Only Red Tank robs people! Nobody robs Red Tank!"
"Then get used to disappointment," Russell said, punching forward.
BOOM!
Red Tank crashed through the street like a crimson meteor, debris shredding storefronts like confetti.
"You're strong," Red Tank grunted, climbing from the crater. "But I'm unstoppable!"
He pounded his chest like a furious gorilla on the Empire State Building. "Come on, kid! I'll crush your bones!"
"As you wish."
Russell blurred forward, a black streak trailing a sonic boom. They clashed mid-air.
BANG!!!
Shockwaves shattered glass for blocks. Red Tank's feet cratered into the pavement, while Russell was blasted skyward.
"Not bad," Russell muttered, shaking out his wrist.
He fired a searing beam. The scarlet energy drove Red Tank through three buildings. He stood up laughing—only faint scorch marks on his chest.
"That all you got?"
"Damn tough hide," Russell admitted.
It was well known—Red Tank rarely beat the Hulk or Thor, but he never stayed down either.
The police retreated as the battle escalated. Wanda hurled a department store like a meteor. Red Tank didn't dodge—he leapt into it.
BOOM!
The whole city shook. But Red Tank rose, brushed off rubble, and grabbed a wall like a club.
Russell and Wanda dodged. Red Tank jumped to strike—but lasers intercepted him mid-air, knocking him down again.
Russell's eyes blazed. "Let's see how long your armor holds."
Lasers intensified, steam billowing. Red Tank's chest burned, raw muscle visible beneath scorched flesh.
"My body's not as soft as your mouth!" Russell snapped.
"This is just the beginning!" Red Tank tore off his broken armor. "Come down and fight me!"
Russell didn't hesitate. He dove—and they brawled through the streets like titans.
Buildings collapsed. Pavement shattered.
Russell landed an uppercut. "You don't fly—so you're just a sandbag."
He launched Red Tank skyward, chased him, and kept punching—each strike faster, harder. The final blow sent Red Tank rocketing out of the city.
BOOM!
He crashed through Bear Mountain like a living missile. A shockwave rippled for miles, forest trees flattened like grass in a storm.
At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the ancient stone walls trembled. In class, Storm snapped her chalk in half.
"Earthquake?" someone asked—right before the explosion echoed across the sky.
They looked out the window—Bear Mountain had been pierced.
"That's not a meteor," Jean Grey said. "It's the professor's brother—Juggernaut."
"Cain Marco?" Wolverine growled. "The bastard who trashed the school last time?"
Professor X approached the window, fingers on his temple.
"Not just him," Charles said grimly. "Infinitoid is there too."
In the sky, Russell hovered, scanning the ruins. Then Red Tank roared and struck back—uppercutting Russell into the clouds.
Scarlet Witch followed, crimson energy crackling. Professor X's expression darkened.
"They're both here. Maybe… this is our chance."
As Red Tank pulled himself out of a crater—burned, battered, but not broken—Russell frowned.
He could fight endlessly, but how long would it take to win?
"Need help?" Wanda asked.
Russell shook his head. "No. I'll finish this now."
He scanned the horizon—searching.
"You looking for someone, kid?" Red Tank taunted. "I'm right here!"
Russell smirked. "Oh, don't worry. You'll regret it in a second."
At Xavier's, Wolverine stopped mid-step.
"What is it?" asked Kitty Pryde.
"…Damn it."
He was yanked by a magnetic force, flying like a javelin into the sky.
"When did he learn to fly?" Colossus muttered.
"That's not him," Storm said. "It's—oh no."
Russell smiled. "Here comes my weapon."
Red Tank turned. His eyes widened.
Wolverine, claws extended, came hurtling like a missile.
SNIKT.
Adamantium—the one thing that could pierce Red Tank's hide.
"Still want to talk big?" Russell said, grinning.
(End of chapter)