In a room of the now-ruined bunker, three silhouettes stood: a red-haired girl, a blond boy, and a strange wolf.
— We need to help the boy who saved us, or we're all going to die! the redhead declared anxiously.
The blond rolled his eyes and replied harshly:— That's got nothing to do with me. Some guys in black, armed to the teeth, came to my place. They burned all my cash and all my drugs. Now I've got to start over from scratch.
He turned away and began walking toward the exit. But the wolf stepped in front of him, growling deeply. Its tail—shaped like a snake, black as obsidian—rose and began to hiss.
The blond glared at the beast.— You wanna fight, you miserable mutt? he sneered.
Suddenly, the ground shook. The redhead raised her voice:— Come on! We need to stop the boy who freed us from those capsules!
The blond glanced at the melted heaps of metal around them. His eyes settled on one of them, and he sighed. Turning back toward the girl, he noticed the wolf had sat down, barking softly.
— I'm not doing this for you, you damn mutt… but to repay my debt, the blond growled. My name is Arthur. And you?
The redhead lowered her eyes, hesitating.— I don't know.
Her words left Arthur and the wolf speechless.
— But for now, that doesn't matter, she continued firmly. The boy is fighting, and if this goes on, he'll destroy everything. We need to stop him.
The wolf barked again, pointing toward the exit with its paw. Arthur and the nameless girl exchanged a look, then nodded before walking toward the outside, the strange creature at their side.
They left the room and passed through several corridors until they stumbled upon Steve and Tony, lying on the ground, wounded.
— If the guy who saved us could do this to two Avengers, we're in for one hell of a ride, Arthur said bluntly.
A grave, ironic voice echoed in the hallway:— The head of a Mexican cartel and a one-of-a-kind creature from Japan, here… this day just keeps getting better.
It was Tony, still on the ground, who had noticed the small group. His gaze locked on Arthur and the wolf.
— So, you know who I am, Arthur said, staring at Iron Man.
Tony let out a dry laugh.— Of course I do. A criminal prodigy. You took over Mexico's drug trade at the age of ten. By eleven, you ruled the entire country. Until you disappeared six months ago. Many thought Hydra had taken you… Geniuses really do have it rough.
He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Arthur narrowed his eyes, then asked:— The guy who did this to you… was he dressed like us?
Tony was left speechless by the question, but Steve answered first:— Yes… but he was much more aggressive than you. Almost like a raging beast.
At that moment, the ground trembled again, as if to confirm his words.
Arthur sighed, silently cursing every choice in his life that had led him to this very moment. After a brief pause, he began questioning Steve and Tony about their opponent's abilities. The wolf and the girl listened closely.
Minutes passed, each one marked by stronger and stronger tremors. Once the questioning ended, Arthur and his cellmates set off again. They took different corridors until they found a massive hole in the ceiling, about ten meters wide.
They raised their eyes. What they saw could only be summed up in a single word: apocalypse.
Lightning shot in every direction, shockwaves boomed, and jets of black and white flames tore through the sky.
The battle between Hulk, Thor, and Ace had been raging for more than ten minutes. The two Avengers were battered, gasping for breath, their strikes growing weaker with each passing moment.
Ace, for his part, wasn't unscathed either. His left arm was broken, bone jutting through the flesh. One of his wings, struck by lightning, no longer allowed him to fly. Drool dripped from his mouth, making him look like a savage beast.
Thor and Hulk, standing side by side, were panting heavily. Ace, twenty meters away, crouched forward, ready to pounce. In one instant, he was far; the next, he was already in front of Hulk, his right arm drawn back for a punch.
But before the blow could land, a scaly hand — black, gold, and crimson — stopped the strike.
A heartbeat later, a horizontal slash of blood-red aura swept through the air toward Ace's neck. He ducked at the last possible second. The blade of energy shot past him, slicing through thirty trees in a single stroke.
Ace staggered back and stared at his new opponent.
It was a humanoid beast, its body covered in black, gold, and crimson scales. Its blood-red eyes burned beneath blond hair, and its lipless face revealed long, razor-sharp teeth. From its clawed hands radiated a crimson aura, seething with raw power.
Without a sound, the creature charged at Ace.