Shocked New York
The situation had become chaotic—most of the civilians in Grand Central Station were herded into the central hall by the Inner Demons, while all the exits were sealed off. Martin Li, also known as Mister Negative, had obtained the GR-27 Devil's Breath serum and installed it into the Gaia dispersal device, setting a countdown for its release.
This meant that, from the very beginning, Martin Li had no intention of letting anyone in the station survive. He planned for them all to die here.
This was something Miss Stark could not allow—while she accepted that sacrifices might occur during a mission, she would never allow unnecessary deaths on a large scale.
"I'll hack the gates and reopen them. The moment they lift, the Inner Demons will be thrown into disarray. Spider-Man, I need you to jump in and grab their attention. Then, the undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agents will move in and neutralize the Inner Demons."
Since this was an open comms channel, Miss Stark didn't use Peter Parker's real name, instead calling him by his superhero alias.
Hanging from the ceiling, Peter Parker acknowledged her orders, signaling that he was ready to act.
"Alright, everyone, get ready. We're moving in three, two, one!"
As Miss Stark finished her countdown, the station's gates screeched open with a loud clatter. The sudden noise caught the Inner Demons off guard, leaving them stunned for a few moments.
"Hey, Demons! Spider-Man's here! Ready to settle the score from last time?"
With a sharp "thwip," Peter launched a web grenade that exploded on the ground, sticking several Inner Demons in place. He dropped down from the ceiling, landing in front of them.
"Damn it! It's Spider-Man! Take him down, don't let him interfere with the operation!"
Though surprised by Spider-Man's appearance, the Inner Demons quickly recovered. Under Martin Li's command, they opened fire, sending a hail of bullets towards Peter. But with his superhuman reflexes, Spider-Man easily dodged the barrage.
Meanwhile, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, hidden among the civilians, exchanged glances and suddenly sprang into action. The Inner Demons guarding the hostages were quickly overwhelmed and knocked to the ground by the agents.
As the well-trained S.H.I.E.L.D. agents pulled out hidden weapons, the hall erupted into a chaotic firefight between them and the Inner Demons. The hostages, who had already been evacuated, fled the scene. Even Martin Li, no fool, realized he had been set up once again.
"Damn it! Can't they let me have my revenge in peace?!"
He cursed in Mandarin, his face twisted in fury. Despite his anger, Li remained clear-headed. He ordered his subordinates to hold off the S.H.I.E.L.D. ambush while he commanded a few men to take the dispersal device and escape the station.
His men, controlled by his powers, followed orders without question, caring little for their leader's potential escape.
Inside the station, the battle raged on, with gunfire echoing throughout. Outside, Silver Sable International's mercenaries, alongside the NYPD, stormed into the station to join the fight.
Amid the chaos, Martin Li, glowing with dark energy, led a small group of followers down to the subway platform on the second underground level. There, Captain America was already prepared, having retrieved his vibranium shield from the suitcase he had brought. He stood ready to confront them.
However, Li had brought too many men, and even with his exceptional skills, Captain America couldn't take them all out at once. Fortunately, Peter Parker arrived just in time to assist, preventing Li's forces from overwhelming Steve.
Li and his men boarded two separate trains, forcing the drivers at gunpoint to take off. The two trains left the station simultaneously, but headed in opposite directions, creating a critical dilemma.
If they pursued Martin Li, the dispersal device on the other train would activate on the elevated tracks, releasing the deadly virus over the city. If they chased after the dispersal device, Martin Li would escape into the shadows with his Inner Demons, posing an ongoing threat to New York.
Luckily, Captain America wasn't alone. After a brief discussion, Spider-Man and Captain America split up to pursue the two trains. Given his speed, Peter chose to intercept the train carrying the dispersal device, especially concerned about the civilians onboard, even though the GR-27 was no longer a threat.
Meanwhile, Captain America chose to chase Martin Li, knowing that his vibranium shield could absorb any of the Negative energy Li might throw his way. Armed with his shield, Steve's strength and skill would give him a major advantage in the battle to come.
Stark's voice crackled through the comms as the two heroes split up.
"Spider-Man and Captain America are in pursuit. Everyone else, focus on clearing the station of the remaining Inner Demons and stay safe."
After leaving that final instruction, Miss Stark activated the Space Stone's power, teleporting herself back to her Quinjet. Once inside, she took hold of the controls, silently starting the twin propulsion engines as the craft hovered above the city.
With the infrared scanner engaged, she locked onto the tracks below, following the speeding trains as they rushed out of the city center.
Onboard the speeding train, Martin Li was surprised to find Captain America standing before him, his face darkening with frustration. He had hoped that if Spider-Man had been the one to pursue him, he could easily overpower him and finish him off here and now. But instead, he faced someone who could entirely nullify his Negative energy with a shield—Captain America.
No matter how much Negative energy he unleashed, Steve's shield absorbed it all, then released it back at his attackers. Li's men were quickly knocked out by the reflected energy, leaving only him and Steve standing in the train car.
"Damn it! You're the ones who've ruined everything!"
Steve wasn't in the mood for banter. He rushed forward, shield raised, pushing Martin back. Negative energy had no effect on Steve, and with his superior strength and combat skills, he dominated the fight.
Since being unfrozen, Captain America had spent months mastering modern close-quarters combat (CQC) techniques. In hand-to-hand combat, the stakes were higher, and skill and reflexes determined the outcome.
Steve crouched, locking his vibranium shield into the train's floor, signaling his intent to fight barehanded. Clenching his fists, he glared at Martin Li. In the next instant, Captain America vanished from sight, moving so fast that Li barely had time to react.
Steve's enhanced body gave him incredible speed and reflexes, allowing him to close the distance in a blink. He struck with precision, but Martin managed to block the first blow, countering with a punch that Steve dodged. Then, with a powerful kick, Steve sent Martin flying back several feet.
The two exchanged rapid blows—punches and kicks flying as they grappled in the narrow train car. Steve's movements were fluid and powerful, while Martin, despite his strength, was no match for the experienced soldier.
Seeing an opening, Steve leaped up, grabbed the overhead railing, and delivered a brutal kick to Martin's chest, sending him crashing into the already-damaged train controls. Sparks flew as the console malfunctioned, and Martin was electrocuted, knocking him unconscious.
Steve glanced at the ruined control panel, his expression grim. The train couldn't be stopped—it was still accelerating.
"Stark, the train's brakes are broken. It's speeding up, and the emergency brakes are offline. I can't stop it!"
The Quinjet streaked through the city's skies, tracking the underground train as it hurtled along the rails. Stark assessed the situation as quickly as she could. The train was moving at a dangerously high speed.
"Oh, damn it! There's another train heading straight toward yours!" she warned, her voice suddenly urgent.
Of all the possibilities, this was Steve's worst fear—a head-on collision between his runaway train and another oncoming train. Stark's voice echoed in his ear.
"There's no 'but' here—we have to stop the trains from colliding. Do whatever you need to do!"
If the trains collided, it would cause an enormous disaster, especially if the other train was carrying passengers.
"Alright then, but remember—you told me to do it. When Fury chews us out later, you're taking the blame!"
With that, Stark made a snap decision to intervene. While she had access to the powers of the Infinity Stones, some of their capabilities were still too risky to reveal to the public.
"JARVIS, activate the Quinjet's magnetic attachment system."
The Quinjet's undercarriage opened, revealing a powerful electromagnet. As she focused her mind, the blue Space Stone embedded in her head began to glow, drawing on her mental energy.
Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, a shimmering blue portal appeared on the ground, right in front of the speeding train. The runaway train barreled through the portal, transporting it from the underground tracks onto the surface streets of New York.
Without the tracks to guide it, the train skidded sideways, crashing into countless cars in its path.
New Yorkers were in shock. "What the hell?!" they yelled as a train seemingly appeared out of nowhere, plowing through the streets.
The train, like a giant runaway snake, slid forward uncontrollably, while onlookers gawked in disbelief. The train's front began to rise, pulled up by an invisible force.
The powerful electromagnetic field generated by the Quinjet disrupted the stealth field, causing the aircraft to shimmer into view.
If you were standing on the street, you'd see the head of the derailed train rising into the air, and just above it, a futuristic black-and-white jet, trimmed with gold.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven