"Huh? What are these?" Peter Parker and the others were momentarily stunned when they saw the approaching fighter jets. Since the formation of the Avengers, they hadn't had many interactions with official agencies. Most dealings with the authorities were handled by Tony Stark or Steve Rogers. On rare occasions when they did encounter such situations, they managed to avoid direct confrontation.
Similar scenes had been witnessed by Tony Stark, Clark, and Robert before. After Robert dealt with a top-tier demon lord, official agencies had deployed numerous fighter jets, attempting to forcibly detain Robert for investigation.
However, the three who had experienced that confrontation were not present this time. Constantine, who had observed from a distance back then, now felt a strong urge to leave. As someone who frequently navigated the shadows and the supernatural, Constantine was infamously notorious. He naturally wanted to avoid face-to-face encounters with official agencies because, truth be told, eight out of ten things Constantine did were illegal. Being targeted by official agencies would only bring trouble.
"Hmm? Military personnel?" Hellboy noticed the commotion and turned his gaze toward the sky. He recognized some insignias, including those of the military faction he was associated with. This realization made Hellboy think back to Tony Stark's sudden departure and the fight between Robert and Kaylee. Hellboy began to piece things together, furrowing his brows.
"Rom? What's he doing here?" someone inside the jets recognized Hellboy. Subsequently, all the fighter jets halted, seemingly pausing their operation.
To be precise, after spotting Hellboy, parts of the military contingent started reconsidering their approach. Given Hellboy's presence, it seemed more pragmatic to gather intelligence directly from him rather than antagonize the Avengers and investigate the scene and the battle remnants from afar. This approach would be much easier and less confrontational.
Although the military was often divided and couldn't always speak with a unified voice, any opportunity to digest information internally was worth discussing.
"Huh? What's going on? Why did the military jets stop? Weren't we supposed to act together?" On the other side, when they saw the military jets halt, the leaders of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Eye of Heaven, and other forces frowned, puzzled by this unexpected turn of events.
Just as the Avengers were unknown to the general public, these official agencies still lacked comprehensive knowledge of the Avengers' identities and abilities. They could only analyze and infer. Similarly, the cards and powerhouses of these agencies weren't easily known to others. Thus, organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Eye of Heaven had no idea about Hellboy's existence. They even assumed he was a newly revealed member of the Avengers.
"What do you want?" Steve Rogers frowned, looking up at the fighter jets. He directly questioned them, signaling his readiness for confrontation.
"Captain, are you on a mission? Are you in trouble? We've detected strong combat activity here. Can you tell us what's happening?" A voice soon responded from one of the jets following Steve's question.
"We're on a mission, and we don't need to report to you. Who do you represent? Let someone in authority speak," Steve's lips curled into a smile as he looked at the jets.
"Sorry, Captain, but the detected combat activity poses a threat to national security and potentially the entire Earth. Therefore, you and your team are under arrest. Please lay down your weapons, or we will take more forceful measures!" came the assertive voice from another jet. The nearby jets promptly prepared for combat, with their weapon systems charged and ready, but they didn't immediately engage.
The hesitation wasn't because they feared antagonizing the Avengers. Having decided to confront them, they weren't going to back down. The real issue was their confidence in victory. They doubted they could win alone and noticed that the other agencies' jets showed no signs of engaging.
The leaders of the aggressive factions had banked on a collective approach. But with the military's unexpected pause, they found themselves forced into a direct confrontation with the Avengers to achieve their goal.
As these factions prepared to initiate combat, the military and other factions seemed content to let them take the lead, observing the unfolding scenario from a distance.
"What's the meaning of this? Are you all just going to watch? Not going to engage? Are you planning to let the Avengers go?" The shift in the situation made the leaders of the aggressive factions uneasy. Seeing the Avengers' hostile expressions, they quickly questioned their allies over their communication channels.
"If Hellboy is your guy, take him and let him provide the intelligence. Since we've come this far and already breached JARVIS, there's no hiding now. We should seize this opportunity to take the Avengers in. This way, we can learn about their abilities and identities and gather more information on this incident. Perhaps their battle really is connected to the earlier destructive event," responded the military leaders, deliberating on their next move.
Even within the military, there was no unanimous decision. Some factions preferred not to engage the Avengers, especially with Steve Rogers among them. However, the leading faction, which had deployed the strongest assets, opted to proceed forcefully.
As a concession for joint action, this military faction agreed not to target Hellboy and to show Steve Rogers due respect. The fate of the other Avengers would depend on the outcome of the battle.
With a hum, the military jets began to charge their weapons, aligning their stance with the aggressive factions. This unity brought relief to those factions, as they now faced the Avengers with a broader alliance.
"It looks like you really want to fight. Then let's do this!" Kara sneered at the jets in the sky. She chose to strike first, launching a heat vision beam toward the leading jet.
With a hum, an energy shield appeared around the jet, barely withstanding Kara's heat vision. The jet was forced back but remained intact.
"Daring to attack first? A bunch of undisciplined rogues!" came a voice from the military agencies. It served as an official condemnation of the incident, while a shadowy figure darted towards Kara.
"Who?!" Kara immediately became alert upon seeing the figure. As the shadow approached, she realized the gravity around her was changing. Her bio-field mitigated some of the pressure, but it couldn't completely neutralize it, slowing her down.
In an instant, the shadowy figure reached Kara, throwing a punch. She narrowly dodged, countering with another heat vision beam.
The figure didn't flinch. Energy surged from his palm, colliding with Kara's heat vision in mid-air, forcing her to retreat.
In this clash, it was clear Kara was at a disadvantage. The figure not only countered her energy attack but also continued to suppress her with gravitational forces.
"Who is this guy?" The Avengers' expressions changed. Pietro, Barry Allen, and Morbius quickly moved to assist Kara, but they were shocked to find their speed significantly hindered. This suppression extended to all the Avengers, not just the speedsters.
A gunshot rang out, and a bullet imbued with holy power struck the figure confronting Kara. He frowned and evaded, giving the Avengers a brief respite from the gravitational pressure.
"Rom, you're attacking me? Didn't you recognize me coming from that jet? Are you planning to betray the military for these Avengers?" The figure's icy gaze shifted to Hellboy, questioning him.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before," Hellboy retorted, undeterred by the figure's menacing stare.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Adam, but you can call me by my title, Blue Edge. Like you, I'm a superhero, but unlike you, I'm officially sanctioned. You're just a bunch of undisciplined rogues." Blue Edge chuckled and continued.
"I always believed that unregulated individuals like you should be under military control. While your powers are trivial to me, they're too dangerous for ordinary people. Regulation is necessary."
"Of course, that was my old prejudice. Now, I think you all need some serious reformation. You hardly qualify as superheroes."
"We don't qualify as superheroes? And you do? Where were you during the demonic incidents, the Shadow Soldier event, and the Spider-Man crises? Why didn't any of you so-called official agencies show up then? Too scared to get your hands dirty?" Pietro scoffed, openly mocking Blue Edge.
"And don't talk big about your strength. If the real heavy hitters were here, you'd be knocked out cold in no time!"
With a swoosh, an energy blast shot from Blue Edge's hand toward Pietro.
An explosion resounded, but Blue Edge knew he hadn't hit Pietro, even with his gravitational suppression.
"Are you just going to watch? Aren't you going to take them in for questioning?" Blue Edge shouted towards the jets, exasperated by the lack of action. "And if your demon acts out again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
As Blue Edge spoke, more activity emerged from the jets. Various models of mechs flew out, alongside some strange-looking individuals who landed, focusing on the Avengers. It was clear that the official agencies were unveiling their cards, spurred by the shock of the earlier battle between Robert and Kaylee.
Meanwhile, within the mirrored dimension, the long and arduous battle between Robert and Kaylee was nearing its conclusion. Throughout the fight, Kaylee had stubbornly refused to believe that a single person's combat strength could continuously escalate.
Initially, Kaylee assumed Robert's abilities, while rare, had limits. But as the battle dragged on, Robert's strength grew increasingly formidable. His relentless fighting style, empowered by his Berserker Fist, allowed him to exchange blows fiercely with Kaylee. To her astonishment, she realized she couldn't keep up with Robert's escalating power.
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