Just as Gordon’s fingers brushed Tony’s armor, before the teleport could trigger, the Iron Man suit erupted with a violent surge of electricity. Gordon convulsed mid-motion, his entire body locking up as the current tore through him. A second later, he collapsed, unconscious, twitching on the ground.
Tony straightened, rolling his shoulders. "You might not know this," he said smugly, "but my suit has an automatic defense system."
It was a new feature. Even if Tony was disoriented or montarily stunned, JARVIS could assess danger and trigger counterasures on its own. Gordon had picked the wrong mont to try sothing clever.
"Gordon!" Daisy shouted.
Her response was imdiate and furious. She pushed her power to its limit, unleashing a shockwave that slamd into Tony and hurled him backward like a missile. He skidded across the ground and crashed back toward Steve and Logan.
Above them, unseen, Rowan rcer watched with mild surprise. "She’s stronger than I rember," he muttered. "Much stronger."
This version of Daisy was far beyond what Rowan recalled from other tilines.
Then his attention shifted again.
A distant rumble rolled across the battlefield.
Columns of tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry poured into the area from multiple directions. At their head was a familiar figure.
"Ah," Rowan said quietly. "General Ross."
Ross stood inside his command vehicle, gripping the microphone. "Alexander Pierce and all Hydra personnel," his voice bood, "stand down imdiately. If you do not surrender, we will comnce a full-scale assault."
Tony climbed to his feet, armor hissing as it rebalanced. "Took them long enough."
Until now, Hydra’s influence had kept governnts paralyzed. Fury’s accusations had been buried, disputed, delayed. But with Fury dead and Iron Man personally confirming the threat, the situation had finally crossed the line.
The President had issued a direct order. Ross was here to stop the Helicarriers at any cost.
Seeing the military arrive, the remaining Hydra forces pulled back toward the Triskelion, forming a final defensive line alongside the Inhumans.
Pierce’s voice echoed from the building’s loudspeakers. "I suggest you reconsider, General. The agents who infiltrated earlier are all in my custody. So are several loyal SHIELD personnel still inside the building. If you attack, they die."
He didn’t need them to hesitate forever.
He only needed one more minute.
Ross didn’t hesitate at all.
"You think threats matter right now?" he snarled. "All units, open fire. Level the Triskelion. Destroy the Helicarriers at any cost."
The order had already been approved before he arrived. Civilian casualties, hostages, even SHIELD agents were considered acceptable losses.
Tank barrels elevated. Missile systems locked. Helicopters ard their payloads.
Pierce turned calmly toward the window. "Daisy. Stop them."
She slamd both palms against the ground.
The earth answered.
The ground beneath the attacking forces convulsed violently. Massive cracks split the pavent, swallowing tanks, vehicles, and soldiers before they could fire a single shot. Entire formations vanished into the collapsing earth.
At the sa ti, the lake beside the Triskelion ruptured.
Water surged outward as three colossal Helicarriers rose from beneath the surface, engines roaring to life.
"Target the Helicarriers!" Ross shouted.
The remaining helicopters pivoted, missiles arming mid-air.
They never fired.
Blue-white energy cannons flared from the Helicarriers, saturating the sky in seconds. The helicopters were erased. On the ground, the surviving forces, still struggling to recover from the quake, were torn apart by precision strikes.
The battlefield fell silent.
Steve turned to Tony without hesitation. "Get us up there. Now."
Everything had unraveled in less than a minute. Hostages. Refused negotiations. The military wiped out. There was no ti left for debate.
Tony understood instantly. "Got it."
He locked onto Steve and Logan, preparing to lift them.
Before he could fire his thrusters, a calm voice spoke behind them.
"No need," Rowan said. "I’ll handle it."
They spun around.
Rowan rcer stood there as if he had always been present.
"About ti," Tony said, relief flooding his voice.
"I was worried you might actually lose," Rowan replied lightly. Wings unfurled behind him, power gathering. "I didn’t expect things to escalate this fast."
He was about to launch skyward when Tony’s helt snapped toward the horizon.
"Rowan," Tony said urgently, "we’ve got a bigger problem. Rhodey just confird it."
"What is it?"
Tony swallowed. "The World Security Council just authorized a nuclear strike. There’s a missile inbound. They’ve decided this entire area is a lost cause."
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