The power of betrayal

Aftermath and Ambush

The sun was beginning to set over the Union Dry Docking Yard as the trucks rumbled away, escaping into the distance. Silence settled over the scene, save for the soft hum of electronics and the occasional crackle from damaged cargo containers. Inside one of those heaps, Ironheart stirred, groaning as her suit systems struggled to reboot.

"Ugh... I really need to upgrade these stabilizers," she muttered, her HUD flickering to life with diagnostics scrolling across the screen.

She pushed herself up from the wreckage, her helmet scanning the area for Rhodey. Her eyes narrowed behind the visor as she saw War Machine still chained up, struggling to break free.

"Hang tight, Rhode. I'm coming," she said, her jets igniting as she shot toward him, tearing through the strange, glowing chains that bound him.

Rhodey grunted as the chains vanished, his suit sparking with energy surges. "Took you long enough, kid."

"Hey, I got blasted too!" Ironheart shot back. "And by the way, what the hell was that thing? I've never seen tech like that before."

War Machine shook off the last of the energy disruptions and flexed his armored hands. "I don't know, but that wasn't just some random thug. Those red constructs... I've never seen anything like it."

"I've seen energy-based tech before, but this... it wasn't just tech. That guy was generating those weapons out of thin air," Ironheart said, frustration in her voice. "Could be magic?"

War Machine frowned. "Whatever it is, it's bad news. We need to find out who that guy is—and what he wants with this shipment. But first, we need to catch those trucks before they disappear."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled. They looked at each other, then to the horizon where the convoy of trucks had disappeared. Something was coming—fast.

---

**Elsewhere:**

Asmodeus touched down silently on the rooftop, the crimson glow around him fading as he landed. He took a moment to survey the city below, the chaos of the dockyard far behind him. He tapped his ring, bringing up a small holographic communication screen. It flickered briefly before stabilizing, revealing a shadowed figure on the other end.

"Is it done?" the figure asked, their voice a gravelly, distorted rumble.

Asmodeus nodded. "The shipment's en route. The two metal-clad heroes are down."

"Good. The tech is critical for the next phase."

"And my payment?" Asmodeus asked, his eyes glowing with impatience.

"All in due time," the voice responded. "For now, maintain your distance. The authorities will be looking for answers soon."

The communication ended, and Asmodeus clenched his fist, his frustration barely contained. He would play along for now, but soon he would take what was owed to him—and more.

Turning his gaze back to the city, Asmodeus smirked. "This world isn't ready for what's coming."

---

**Back at the Dock:**

Ironheart and War Machine took off into the sky, jets roaring as they shot toward the heat signatures left by the fleeing trucks. They hadn't gotten far, still weaving through side streets and industrial areas to avoid detection. It wasn't long before the heroes spotted the convoy, moving through a deserted highway outside the city.

"There!" Ironheart called out. "Let's shut this down."

War Machine grunted in agreement. "We need to be careful. If they're transporting something as advanced as we think, there's no telling what kind of defenses they've got."

Just as they closed in, Ironheart's sensors started going haywire. "Wait, something's wrong—"

Before she could finish, the lead truck exploded in a massive fireball, sending a shockwave through the convoy and forcing both heroes to pull back. The blast sent debris flying, scattering the trucks like toy cars.

"What the hell?" Rhodey shouted, scanning the scene. But there were no signs of any enemy combatants. The explosion seemed like a deliberate trap.

"Looks like they wanted to make sure no one got their hands on whatever was inside," Ironheart muttered, her eyes narrowing. "But why destroy it?"

Suddenly, the wreckage of the lead truck shifted, and from the flames emerged a towering figure clad in advanced armor. The suit was sleek, angular, and radiating energy—a far more powerful design than anything the heroes had faced so far.

A deep, synthesized voice echoed from the armored figure. "You should've stayed out of this."

War Machine's sensors locked onto the figure. "Whoever you are, you're not leaving with that tech!"

Ironheart grinned behind her visor. "Time for round two!"

The armored figure raised its arm, and a torrent of plasma missiles launched toward the two heroes. They shot into the sky, weaving through the barrage as explosions rocked the highway below them.

"This isn't some random criminal!" Rhodey shouted. "This guy's military-grade."

Ironheart fired off several rapid repulsor blasts, circling around to flank the armored figure. "Whoever he is, he's about to go down!"

The figure responded by launching energy beams from both hands, cutting through the night air with terrifying precision. Ironheart dodged left, barely avoiding the blast as War Machine swooped in, firing his shoulder-mounted cannons.

"Ironheart! I'll keep him busy, hit him with everything you've got!" Rhodey yelled, moving in to draw the figure's fire.

Ironheart charged up her unibeam, taking aim as War Machine continued his assault. "On it!"

The next few seconds were a blur of flashing lights and searing explosions as the battle intensified. The armored figure fought back with calculated precision, but the combined strength of Ironheart and War Machine was overwhelming.

Finally, as the armored figure stumbled under the barrage of fire, Ironheart unleashed her unibeam at full power, striking the figure directly in the chest. The blast sent the figure flying backward, crashing into the remains of the convoy.

War Machine landed beside her, breathing heavily. "Think that did it?"

Ironheart surveyed the wreckage with caution. "I hope so. But we need to figure out what they were after—and fast."

As they approached the smoldering wreckage, a soft beep echoed in Ironheart's helmet. Her HUD lit up with a new signal—a transmission coming from the wrecked armored suit.

"Rhodey... we're not done yet," she said, her voice tense.

The suit's visor flickered to life, and the distorted voice from before spoke once again: "This was only the beginning. The real war is coming."

Rhodey stood silently for a moment, absorbing the words. His brow furrowed beneath his helmet. "We need backup. This is bigger than we thought."

Ironheart looked over at him, understanding in her eyes. "Yeah. We should get this info back to the Avengers."

War Machine nodded. "Let's move. Stark's systems can analyze this tech, and if there's a bigger threat on the horizon, we're gonna need everyone on board."

Without another word, the two heroes shot into the sky, leaving the wreckage behind. As the city lights blurred beneath them, Ironheart glanced at War Machine.

"Do you think they'll take it seriously? This isn't the usual villain-of-the-week stuff."

"They'll take it seriously," Rhodey replied, his tone firm. "Because we're gonna make them."

The two rocketed through the sky, heading straight for Avengers HQ.