Stark's heart sank when he saw both himself—Tony Stark—and Thor standing side by side.
But what truly filled him with dread was the sight of the massive, green figure rising from the wreckage of the crushed transport vehicle.
The Avengers' top three powerhouses had assembled.
With the limited firepower Strucker had at his disposal—even with the addition of the twins—was there any chance of victory?
Even if he was confident in the twins' potential, deep down he knew: no amount of faith could make two freshly-completed experiments stand up to a literal god from Asgard, a rampaging Hulk, and Iron Man himself.
"Surrender, Strucker. You don't stand a chance,"
A calm, magnetic voice echoed nearby.
Strucker turned quickly and spotted Steve Rogers—Captain America—standing atop the transport vehicle behind him, shield in hand, wearing a dark combat uniform.
The situation had officially gone from bad to worse.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Strucker smiled.
"Pietro. Get him."
The words had barely left his mouth when a blur of lightning shot toward Captain America. Before anyone could react, Rogers was launched backward like a ragdoll, crashing hard to the ground.
Battle-hardened as he was, Steve instinctively rolled upon impact, pain ignored, ready to counter—until he saw it:
A sharpened steel needle hovering just centimeters from his eyeball.
He froze.
The one holding the needle was a boy with short, ash-blonde hair, visibly thrilled at having just floored the legendary Captain America.
"What did I just hear? Solyanka? You're telling me Tonya's treating us to that cheap stuff?" he mocked, clearly entertained.
Now that Rogers was pinned, Strucker let out a long breath, spreading his arms wide with confidence as he looked toward the MK armor slowly descending.
He was sure of it now: the heroes wouldn't dare risk Captain America's life.
Tony and the others remained still, just as he predicted.
Tony hovered in the air nearby. "Believe me, that food's actually delicious—though I've never had it. Let Rogers go, hand over the scepter, and I'll let you walk away. Otherwise... the big green guy might just smash your head into a Siberian meat pie."
Even as he spoke, Tony's targeting system had locked onto both Strucker and the boy—Pietro.
"Based on his earlier movement, the boy's speed appears to approach sub-light velocity," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported. "I do not recommend attempting a snipe. Estimated failure rate: 99.99%."
"Sub-light speed? With no visible shockwave? That's not physics… that's a superpower," Tony muttered grimly.
The implications hit hard. The boy didn't just move fast—he processed fast. If he could perceive at that speed, even Thor's lightning would appear to move in slow motion.
Thor's bolts reach tens—sometimes hundreds—of kilometers per second. But sub-light speed? That's 300,000 kilometers per second.
This wasn't just fast. It was untouchable.
No wonder Strucker had become so bold.
"This is a problem," Natasha Romanoff said over the comms, her voice low and gravelly. Everyone shared her concern. Tony's brow furrowed deeply.
But things were about to get worse.
Hulk, already transformed, had no interest in strategy. His primal instincts sensed danger—and he zeroed in on the boy as the source.
Hulk's solution was simple: crush the threat.
"Roar—!"
With an earth-shaking roar, Hulk leapt into the air and launched himself toward Pietro.
"No! Hulk, you idiot!"
Tony cursed and reached to intercept with his suit, but before he could act—
A wave of crimson energy exploded outward.
It surged through the air like a raging tide, slamming into Hulk mid-leap and suspending him in mid-air. He writhed and roared, muscles straining, but couldn't break free.
The Avengers were stunned.
Hulk—who could overpower Thor in a brawl—was being held in place like a puppet.
Thor stepped up onto an armed vehicle, completely ignoring the surrounding HYDRA soldiers and their raised weapons.
All eyes locked onto the young woman slowly rising into the air, clad in a red coat.
Her face, beautiful but pale, glowed with an eerie red light in her eyes.
A thorned rose in full bloom—breathtaking and deadly.
"Hahahaha! Well done, Wanda!" Strucker laughed ecstatically. Even he hadn't expected the twins to be this powerful. The raw strength they displayed exceeded all his expectations.
Drunk on success, Strucker's mind began racing.
That power… it feels like an Infinity Stone. She's dangerous. Very dangerous…
Thor's grip tightened on his hammer. "I sense the power of an Infinity Stone… and it's coming from her," he said grimly.
He said it twice—dangerous. Thor's tone made it clear this was no exaggeration.
Strucker, meanwhile, continued to gloat.
"Avengers? Look at you—self-proclaimed guardians of Earth. S.H.I.E.L.D. and your damn Goddess of Judgment… You think you can protect the world? You're clowns. Jokers."
His laughter was wild now. He had been hiding for so long, hunted like a rat by these so-called heroes. Finally, he had the upper hand—and it thrilled him.
Backed by the terrifying power of the twins, even the thought of the Goddess of Judgment no longer frightened him.