Chapter 9: Chaos Unleashed

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The streets of Manhattan were alive with chaos. Sparks flew as Electro sent another bolt of electricity at Iron Man, the arc of energy crackling through the air with violent intensity. Tony Stark, suited up in his Mark 45, dodged to the side, the armor's sleek joints shifting with precision. The servos in his suit hummed as the chest piece glowed a faint red, dispersing energy through his repulsor systems.

"JARVIS, we need to isolate these guys," Tony muttered under his breath, his voice firm but controlled.

JARVIS responded almost instantly, his calm, British voice filling Tony's helmet. "Sir, Electro's output is peaking at 50,000 volts. A direct hit would destabilize the suit's internal systems. Might I suggest neutralizing his power source?"

Tony smirked. "Already on it."

While Tony hovered mid-air, Spider-Man swung between the skyscrapers, narrowly dodging debris thrown by Ethan's portals. Peter fired a web at a large piece of concrete Ethan had hurled toward him, pulling it aside just before it collided with a nearby building. His mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to contain the chaos.

"Too many civilians around," Peter muttered, glancing at the crowds still watching from a distance.

He needed to get them out of the line of fire, but there was no time. Every second wasted could mean another casualty. Ethan, meanwhile, didn't seem to care. His portals sent flying chunks of concrete and metal hurtling through the air, turning the battlefield into a war zone.

Iron Patriot, War Machine, decked out in his fully armed Mark II and landed with a loud thud, the ground cracking beneath his feet. The bulkier, gun-metal gray armor gleamed under the city lights, with mounted guns and heavy machinery locked and loaded. He aimed his shoulder-mounted rotary cannons at Electro, the barrels spinning as he unleashed a barrage of bullets.

Electro cackled as the bullets zipped toward him. With a wave of his hand, he redirected the current flowing through him, creating a barrier of pure electricity. The bullets melted mid-air, disintegrating into molten slag before they could reach him.

Rhodey grimaced behind the helmet. "Okay, that's new."

He fired a rocket from his wrist launcher, the explosive trailing smoke as it streaked toward Electro. The villain dodged with surprising agility, sending another bolt of lightning in return. War Machine's thick armor absorbed the hit, but the force knocked him off balance.

Ethan watched, his expression calm and calculated as the battle unfolded around him. He observed the movements of each opponent, their tactics, their strengths, their weaknesses. Electro was powerful, but reckless. He relied too much on brute force and not enough on strategy. A useful ally for now, but nothing more.

As Tony charged his repulsors for another blast, Ethan opened a portal directly in front of him, redirecting the energy beam back toward War Machine. The blast struck Rhodey in the side, sending him skidding across the pavement, his armor sparking from the impact.

"Thanks for the assist, Stark!" Rhodey called out sarcastically as he pulled himself to his feet, his suit adjusting its stance.

Tony scowled, hovering above. "This guy's a real pain in the ass."

Peter zipped past them, firing webs to snag a piece of scaffolding before it could crush a group of civilians. "No kidding! He keeps using our attacks against us."

"I noticed," Tony replied, his tone dry. "We need to change the game."

JARVIS chimed in. "Sir, it appears that Mr. Spot is still unfamiliar with the full extent of his abilities. There are small lapses in his reaction time when handling multiple threats."

Tony's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Good. That's something we can use."

"On my mark," Tony said over the comms to Rhodey and Peter. "We need to overload his senses. Hit him from as many angles as possible. Rhodey, bring the heavy artillery. Spider-Man, keep moving and force him to make mistakes."

Rhodey grinned behind his helmet. "You got it."

With a coordinated effort, Iron Man and War Machine launched a simultaneous attack. Tony's repulsors fired in rapid succession, streaks of red energy tearing through the air, while War Machine's missile systems unleashed a storm of explosives. Spider-Man darted through the chaos, shooting webs at Electro and Ethan, forcing them to split their attention.

Ethan, for the first time, felt the pressure mounting. The attacks came from all directions, and though he could redirect most of them with his portals, he was beginning to slip. A repulsor blast grazed his side, the force sending him stumbling backward. Another explosion from War Machine's missiles rocked the ground beneath him, throwing off his balance.

For a brief moment, Ethan's calm exterior cracked. But it was enough to fuel his learning curve. He adapted. Quickly.

"So, this is how they fight," he thought, adjusting his strategy mid-battle. He tightened his defenses, using smaller, more precise portals to deflect the attacks rather than trying to redirect everything at once. His movements became sharper, his punches and kicks more efficient, each one timed perfectly to exploit a gap in the heroes' attacks.

Peter shot a web at Ethan's arm, hoping to restrain him. But Ethan opened a portal, and the webbing disappeared into the void, reappearing around Peter's legs, yanking him off balance.

"Really?" Peter groaned as he hit the ground.

Tony, meanwhile, focused on keeping Electro contained. "JARVIS, get me a localized EMP. We need to cut off his power supply."

"Understood, sir. Deploying now."

A small drone detached from Tony's suit, flying toward Electro. The villain didn't notice it, too focused on launching another barrage of lightning at War Machine. The drone released a burst of energy, disrupting the electrical field around Electro. The villain's powers flickered for a moment, his control weakening.

"Now!" Tony shouted.

War Machine's cannons roared to life, unleashing a hail of bullets that slammed into Electro's weakened defenses. The force of the impact sent him crashing into a nearby wall, his body sparking uncontrollably.

"Gotcha," Rhodey muttered.

But as the trio focused on Electro, Ethan took advantage of the distraction. He opened a portal beneath a large piece of debris, hurling it toward the group. Tony barely had time to react as the rubble crashed into him, sending him sprawling across the street.

Ethan's mind raced as he calculated his next move. Electro was down, but the three heroes were still a threat. He needed to divide them, create more chaos. With a flick of his wrist, he opened multiple portals around the battlefield, using them to throw rubble, redirect attacks, and keep the heroes on their toes.

As Ethan fought, he could feel his body becoming more attuned to his powers. His punches hit harder, his kicks more precise. Every mistake he made was corrected almost instantly. He was learning, evolving, becoming more dangerous with each passing second.

He didn't care about the destruction around him. Civilians screamed as buildings crumbled, but their lives were meaningless to him. They were collateral damage, insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

"You really have no regard for life, do you?" Tony's voice came through the comms, strained but still defiant.

Ethan smirked. "Life is fleeting. Chaos... now that's eternal."

War Machine fired another missile, but Ethan opened a portal just in time, sending the explosive hurtling back toward Spider-Man. Peter barely dodged, flipping through the air as the missile exploded behind him.

"This guy's getting better by the second!" Peter called out, frustration creeping into his voice.

Tony gritted his teeth. "We'll just have to be faster."

The battle raged on, the heroes struggling to gain the upper hand. But Ethan... Ethan was only just beginning.

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