Pre-Battle Preparations

In the command center~

After wrapping up his call with the Security Council, Nick felt drained as he ended the call.

The Council, of course, refused to surrender, but mobilizing new troops would still take time. At the very least, it would be three days before they could launch another offensive.

Meanwhile, nuclear bombs were being urgently prepared. Thanks to a stockpile of dormant warheads, it would only take three or four days to activate them.

If they still couldn't kill Apocalypse after three days, the Council planned to resort to nuclear weapons. At that point, the millions of people in Cairo would perish alongside Apocalypse.

If it truly killed him, then so be it. But Nick feared that even after such drastic measures, Apocalypse would survive, wasting countless lives in vain. He needed to deal with Apocalypse within these three days.

A knock came at the door.

"Come in," Nick called.

Maria entered, relaying the information she'd heard from Jean earlier.

After listening, Nick immediately called Adam from Umbrella Corporation. But moments later, he hung up. Unsurprisingly, Adam had declined, insisting he knew nothing about it and had no powerful reinforcements to offer.

Yet, there was some good news. Adam mentioned that a boy in America had the power to suppress all X-gene mutations. If they could find this boy, Apocalypse would revert to a regular human in his presence.

"Connect me to every intelligence agency in America. We must locate this boy," Nick ordered.

Maria hesitated, her fair face showing uncertainty.

"Do you think he's lying to us? If such a boy existed, how could we not know anything about him?"

"Whether it's a lie or not, it's worth mobilizing the agents. If we find him, great. If not, we'll continue with the original plan."

"Yes, sir."

After Maria left, Nick considered contacting his old allies. Just then, the door opened again.

"Nick, I have an idea, but I need your support," Tony announced confidently, his previous look of fear completely gone.

Nick's curiosity was piqued. "Oh? What's your idea?"

"I need the formula for adamantium alloy and access to a source for vibranium."

"What do you plan to do with them?"

"I want to build an anti-Apocalypse suit."

While chatting with others earlier, Tony had seen Wolverine's adamantium alloy, sparking this idea.

Nick gave Tony a deep look. "I can find you sellers for adamantium and vibranium. As for the formula, you'll have to figure that out on your own."

"That works."

Shortly afterward, Nick tapped into his network, connecting Tony with suppliers from the military and black market.

By paying extra, Tony's materials would be delivered that afternoon. The military, however, unsurprisingly denied his request for the adamantium formula.

But Tony was satisfied. In the face of Apocalypse, the formula was a secondary concern.

"I'll apply to the Security Council to cover this expense, though I can't guarantee reimbursement," Nick warned.

Tony flashed a confident grin. "Come on, Nick. If there's one thing I don't lack, it's money."

Nick's face darkened as he stayed silent, knowing Tony was right.

Just then, Tony's phone rang—it was Pepper calling.

"Hey, sweetheart. What's up?" he answered.

"Tony, the news of the multinational forces' defeat has caused global markets to plummet. Even Stark Industries' shares have dropped by seventy percent," Pepper informed him.

"Ah!" Tony froze, then glanced sheepishly at Nick.

"Anything else? If not, I've got to get back to work."

"Yes. I want you to come home. I know it's selfish, but I can't bear the thought of losing you…." Pepper's voice broke into quiet sobs.

That morning, she had watched the footage of the defeated forces, feeling a terrible pang in her heart. Though she knew Tony wouldn't back down from a fight, she couldn't help but call, hoping he'd come back.

Even if it made her selfish, she just wanted him safe.

Hearing her soft cries, Tony opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to comfort her. This battle was against a formidable enemy unlike any he'd faced before.

He couldn't promise he'd return, or even that they'd win. But for billions of people, he had to confront this threat.

Nick stepped forward, speaking gravely, "Ms. Pepper, you can rest assured. As long as I stand, nothing will happen to Tony."

A moment later, the phone went silent, with only a quiet "Thank you…" before the call ended. Tony's expression darkened.

Nick patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. I mean what I say."

"No need," Tony replied. "In the face of death, we're all equal. My life isn't worth more than yours."

Just then, Erik, clad in a black bodysuit and a helmet designed to block psychic attacks, approached them.

"You're absolutely right," he said. Turning to Nick, he added, "I'll need adamantium, too. Apocalypse can disintegrate any material, so only adamantium might stand a chance."

"Would you like some vibranium?"

"No," Erik replied.

The truth was, he found vibranium odd—it resisted his control. (In the comics, Erik couldn't control Black Panther's suit and was even harmed by it. Only vibranium alloys mixed with other metals could be manipulated by him.)

Nick's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then he nodded. "Understood."

.......

The night settled in~

On the aircraft carrier's deck, Banner gazed out over the darkened city of Cairo.

He wandered to the edge of the deck and sat down, his legs dangling as though he might fall at any moment. He was training himself to confront his own fear.

They were hovering thousands of meters above the city, and the buildings below looked as small as ants. This high-altitude situation, without any safety harness, made his heartbeat quicken slightly.

"Beep beep…" His watch began to beep in warning; his heart rate had reached 106.

"I think you could try a different kind of training," came Natasha's voice from behind him as she joined him at the edge.

"What kind of training?"

Banner's pulse quickened as he caught her scent, glancing over to see her face.

Natasha was strikingly beautiful in a way that was completely different from Elizabeth's pure beauty. Natasha was like an enticing enchantress, constantly challenging his self-control.

"Like this…" Natasha leaned closer, drawing a slow, deliberate circle on his stomach with her finger.

"Trying not to get excited…"

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