Army Again?!

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Nigel had already moved into the shadows, his clones forming around him. "I'll keep them tangled up," he said simply, his voice echoing faintly through his duplicates. "They won't know what hit them."

Diego cracked his knuckles, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "Big and showy? My specialty. Just try not to get jealous, Anthony."

Anthony, already scanning the crowd for potential threats, snorted. "You wish. Just make sure you don't take out any civilians."

Maria's fingers twitched, and the faint mist around her thickened. She began weaving it through the panicked crowd, subtly redirecting people away from the incoming threat. "I'll handle the sheep. Keep the wolves busy."

"Good," Nero said. "Go."

Donald started to float into the air, blue and green lightning crackling around his body. He gathered more energy, preparing to fry every device in the area. Stark might lose millions, but considering the bombs scattered across the expo, there was no time for subtlety. His fingers clenched slightly, arcs of energy snapping through the air, before releasing a controlled electromagnetic pulse that surged outward in a wide radius.

The lights flickered, and then everything electronic within the affected range went dark, except for their comms—immune thanks to Sofia's modifications.

"Done. Their toys are fried," Donald said, lowering himself back to the ground.

From her position by the holographic city booth, Sofia muttered, "Looks like that hit harder than I thought. Even the security systems are down. I'm rerouting controls to bypass local interference."

Nero gave clear, "Let's intercept them."

At this time, Iron Man landed with a mechanical whirr, the thrusters from his suit sending a few stray wrappers flying as the armored figure straightened. From the other side, Spider-Man swung in, landing with a light crouch just a few steps away from Peter's friends.

Tony Stark's voice rang out, dripping with his usual sarcasm. "Oh great, you guys again? Can't have an expo without uninvited masked guests ruining the vibe, huh?" His gaze flicked toward Spider-Man, and he raised an eyebrow behind the helmet. "And who are you supposed to be? Wait, don't tell me... Spider-Boy?"

Spider-Man straightened, dusting off his hands with exaggerated flair. "It's Spider-Man, actually. You've met me before." He paused, glancing toward Nero's group. "Uh, they're with me, I guess."

Nero, floating a few feet above the ground, his mask's orange glow catching Stark's attention, chuckled lightly. "You're welcome. By the way, those guys causing chaos? They're army, not just random terrorists. Officials will show up in ten minutes tops, probably to 'save the day' and then squeeze you for tech rights afterward."

"Army? That's a bold claim, pumpkin head," Stark shot back, crossing his metal arms. "Any proof, or are we playing conspiracy bingo tonight?"

Anthony, walking up calmly, didn't bother with introductions. "Check their backgrounds later, Stark. Military issue. I'd say they're here on someone's orders, not for kicks."

Stark's faceplate slid back, revealing his skeptical expression. "Okay, so we've got soldiers playing dress-up. Great. And you geniuses plan on doing what, exactly? Start a brawl in the middle of my expo?"

Spider-Man tilted his head. "Wait, the army's really here to cause trouble? That doesn't make sense. Shouldn't they be, you know, stopping bad guys?"

"It's politics, kid," Nigel said, stepping out of the shadows like he'd been there the whole time. "Someone wants leverage on Stark. Nothing personal—just business in the ugliest sense."

Tony groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course. Classic power grab. You'd think after saving the world a few times, they'd let me enjoy one party in peace."

"Life's unfair," Nero said, lowering himself back to the ground. He spoke to his team with crisp clarity, "Mist, reunite if you're done with civilians. Rain, follow their movements and report. Sun, take the front. Lightning and Storm, hit the flank. Cloud and I will handle support." He turned slightly toward Spider-Man and Iron Man. "Do whatever you want—just stay out of our way."

Tony exhaled sharply, arms crossed as he glanced at Spider-Man. "You get the feeling we just got downgraded to 'side mission NPCs?'" He turned toward Spider-Man. "Kid, stick close, and don't do anything stupid."

Maria's voice came through the comlink, calm and efficient. "I've got illusions spread across three blocks to funnel civilians away from the conflict zone."

By the time the gang regrouped, dozens of armored vehicles rolled to a halt, their engines growling like predators ready to pounce. Soldiers dressed to rogue militant factions, in high-grade tactical gear began filing out in perfect formation, their weapons gleaming under the harsh expo lights. These weren't ordinary foot soldiers—they moved with the precision of elite operatives, carrying equipment far beyond what any regular military unit should have access to.

"Take them down swiftly. Don't damage the suit," the leading man barked, signaling with a sharp hand gesture. The soldiers moved into formation, fanning out in a controlled spread to surround the expo's key areas. Their eyes were locked on the masked vigilantes—Nero and his crew.

Anthony rolled his shoulders, stepping forward casually, standing directly in their path. Sun Flames ignited around his clenched fists, glowing faintly, ready to erupt at a moment's notice. "Here we go," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.

One of the soldiers raised a pulse rifle, but before he could fire, Anthony was already moving. He didn't bother with grand gestures—one quick step, a clean swing, and the nearest soldier crumpled as the shockwave from Anthony's fist slammed him into the pavement.

"Non-lethal," Nero called out, standing behind the line. "When we expose them, we will have the moral high ground."

Donald was already in motion, his Thunder Flames sparking faintly as he sprinted toward the vehicles. A few soldiers tried to intercept, raising their weapons, but Donald ducked low, sliding beneath their line of fire before delivering a precise kick to one man's leg, sending him sprawling. Without missing a beat, he yanked a pulse grenade off the man's belt and lobbed it toward the cluster of vehicles. It detonated in midair, releasing a wave of static that scrambled nearby electronics.

"Neat trick," Diego commented as he leapt onto a nearby food stall, landing with ease. From his elevated position, he spotted several more soldiers converging near the south exit. "Think I'll go say hi." With a flick of his wrist, a sudden gust of wind surged forward, knocking one soldier flat while sending another tumbling into a pile of overturned chairs. Diego hopped down, casually closing the distance before any of them could react.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Peter's voice came through, barely audible over the commotion. He was sticking close to Iron Man, webbing down weapons when he could but clearly overwhelmed by the scale of the operation.

"Some dressed-up hero wannabes," Tony grumbled, glancing at Nero's crew. He shifted his weight, clearly annoyed by the entire situation.

Peter thought about quipping, Aren't we kind of the same?, but held back, focusing on webbing another weapon out of a soldier's hands. 

Diego dodged a pulse blast, shooting a glance at Iron Man's gleaming armor. "Nice to know we're making friends," he called out, casually whipping up a sharp wind to knock two approaching soldiers flat on their backs.

"Friends? That's generous." Tony swatted a stray shot aimed at him, his repulsor deflecting the blast into the ceiling. "I'm just here because I'm allergic to armed takeovers at my events." He turned slightly toward Nero. "And pumpkin-head over there? He's leading what, a cosplay contest? Could've fooled me."

"They don't look wannabe to me," Peter muttered under his breath, webbing another rifle as its wielder struggled to raise it. His eyes caught a figure with indigo-glowing eyes emitting a thick mist as it moved toward the enemy line. He blinked, half wondering if the Expo fumes were messing with him.

When Maria's Mist Flame filled the area, the enemy soldiers began turning on each other, firing wildly in confusion as though unable to tell friend from foe. Tony and Peter gawked in disbelief.

"Jarvis, analyze that mist!" Tony barked.

"The composition is... unknown, sir," Jarvis replied after a moment. "It's interfering with visual input and proximity sensors. Recommend immediate disengagement from affected zones."

Peter shot a web at one of the soldiers fumbling with his rifle. "This is insane—are they hallucinating or something?"

"Beats me." Tony muttered, looking at the indigo-eyed figure wreathed in mist. The memory of the purple-eyed guy tampering with his arc reactor was still fresh in his mind—months spent trying to fix what defied every logical approach he had. Whatever these people were working with didn't play by conventional rules.

"Any bright ideas, Iron Man?" Peter asked, webs already prepped in both hands as he scanned the confused soldiers trapped in Maria's illusions.

"Yeah," Tony said flatly. "Try not to get shot."

Anthony moved past them, fire crackling faintly at his fists as he shoved a dazed soldier out of his way. "They're rattled. We should wrap this up before things escalate."

Diego appeared beside him, casually tossing aside the remnants of a shattered rifle. "Thought you liked things messy, Tony? Chaos is supposed to be your thing."

"Only when it comes with a guarantee of zero property damage," Tony snapped back, eyes narrowing at the incoming reinforcements. "Unlike you, I have PR to handle after this."

"Who told you to reveal your identity to the whole world? Look at Spidey; no one knows who's behind that mask. Could be a John, Jake, Peter, or Miles." Diego laughed, hands casually resting in his pockets.

Peter felt a bead of sweat slide down his temple beneath the mask. Was that random, or does he actually know my identity? he thought, doing his best to act normal. "Yeah, uh... anonymity's underrated."

"That coming from a guy who makes quips every five seconds while webbing bad guys?" Anthony scoffed, keeping his gaze on the incoming vehicles. His hands flexed subtly, Sun Flames crackling at his fingertips. "Real subtle strategy."

Peter shrugged, not missing a beat. "Hey, it works. Bad guys are easier to handle when they're too busy being annoyed."

Maria rejoined them, stepping lightly through the thin mist she had spread around the crowd. "He's got a point. Distraction's a tactic. But maybe less talking and more moving before things get messy?"

"Messy's already here," Anthony said, nodding toward the soldiers spilling out of armored trucks like they were gearing up for war.

"Messy's our specialty." Diego grinned, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward. "Besides, what's a party without a little chaos?"

Donald joined in, "Maybe Stark should take notes. A mask might've saved him from half the political mess he's in now."

Tony, overhead, groaned loudly, his suit amplifying his voice. "Thanks for the unsolicited advice, Mr. Not-So-Subtle. How about you all focus on not wrecking my expo?"

Donald started at him, his mask eyes shining green, crackling with lightning. "If I hadn't fried your expo, half of the block would have been blasted by these guys. Then, no lawyer could save your golden ass."

Tony raised a hand in mock surrender, the metal of his gauntlet glinting. "Alright, Zeus Junior, point taken. But next time, maybe use a little less EMP and a little more subtlety?"

Donald snorted, glancing at Nero. "You want subtle? Talk to the boss, not the guy frying bombs."

When the last of the soldiers fell, the rumble of approaching tanks and the thudding rotors of choppers filled the air. Military jets roared overhead in a show of force as the army's full might descended on the chaotic scene. Rows of armored vehicles lined the streets, weapons aimed and ready. Soldiers spilled out, forming defensive perimeters. Their rifles pointed warily at Nero's group, who stood amidst the wreckage of the expo with not a scratch on them.

Despite the chaos, no civilian had been hurt, and all the so-called terrorists were already subdued, unconscious or bound on the ground.

The leading general marched forward, his uniform crisp, face set in a hard scowl. "This," he said, sweeping his hand at the scene, "proves Stark's technology is not safe in his hands. You've endangered civilians and created a warzone in the middle of a public event."

Nero, who had been floating just above ground level, landed smoothly, his boots crunching against the debris-strewn floor. He chuckled—short, sharp. The general's accusation was ridiculous, but he admired the man's commitment to sticking to the script even after everything had clearly gone sideways.

The general's eyes narrowed. "What are you laughing at?"

"Funny," Nero said, his voice carrying just enough to cut through the ambient noise of helicopters and murmuring soldiers. "You're still reading from that script, even though all your plans have been ruined."

The general frowned, clearly thrown off. "What do you mean by that?"

Without waiting for Nero to answer, Sofia, positioned near one of the undamaged consoles, tapped a few keys on her handheld device. The nearest large screen flickered, and then it began broadcasting a series of messages, video clips, and audio recordings. The content left no doubt—this wasn't some rogue terrorist attack. It was an orchestrated attempt by high-ranking military officials to stage a crisis and use it as leverage to gain control over Stark's technology.

The audio crackled to life, filling the expo center. A familiar voice—one of the general's subordinates—spoke in clipped tones: "Once we secure the expo, we'll have enough justification to demand Stark hand over his suit designs. The public outcry alone will force his hand."

The crowd, which had been too shocked to react before, began murmuring in disbelief. Civilians who had started trickling back now stared at the screen in horror.

"Anything to add, General?" Nero asked, folding his arms.

The general's face twisted in anger. "This is doctored footage. A cheap trick."

"Really?" Sofia's voice came from the same screen, her tone light as she tapped another button. "Here's the live feed from your encrypted comms channel. I figured you wouldn't mind a little transparency." On cue, another voice transmission began playing—this time, it was the general himself issuing orders before the assault began.

"Move into position. Keep it clean. We need casualties low, but we need enough chaos and bodies to justify intervention."

Nero turned to Tony. "You can bill the government for your losses. You're welcome." Without waiting for a response, he began walking, the rest of the group falling into step behind him.

The general's voice boomed across the expo floor. "Where do you think you're going, criminals?"

Nero didn't break stride. "First it was Ross, now you. One would assume those who reach general rank would have some brain." As he spoke, a bright flash engulfed the group, and they seemed to vanish into thin air.

In reality, Nero's illusion cloaked them perfectly. From their vantage point above, the group watched the scene below unfold.

The general barked orders to his men, trying to salvage what remained of the operation. "Lock down the perimeter! We're detaining Stark for questioning."

Tony crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Yeah, that's not happening. You might want to get your boys in line before they make fools of themselves."

The general clenched his jaw. "You're responsible for this disaster."

"I wasn't aware preventing a terrorist attack counted as a disaster," Tony said, glancing at the still-subdued soldiers scattered across the expo. "Oh wait—they are not actually terrorists but your men. Yeah, that's rough, buddy."

Rhodey appeared beside the general, his War Machine armor gleaming under the lights. He raised a hand before the general could retort. "Stand down, General. Let's talk things through."

"Colonel, this is above your pay grade," the general snapped, clearly irritated.

"No, it's exactly at my pay grade," Rhodey replied, his tone neutral but firm. "You want to detain Stark? Good luck explaining that to the press when they see the footage of your men planting bombs at a public event."

The general faltered, but his glare didn't waver. "This isn't over. Stark's tech—"

"Is staying right where it is," Rhodey cut in smoothly. "And before you go filing any reports, maybe ask yourself how it's going to look when your 'rescue mission' gets exposed for what it really was."

Meanwhile, Peter whispered to Tony through his comms, "Uh, I am going to go now?"

"Just go along, kid. I have my hands full. If they get you, I can't help you." Tony snorted lightly, eyes scanning the soldiers below.

Peter hesitated for a split second, then shot a web to the nearest overhang, disappearing into the shadows above. "Not sticking around for that conversation," he muttered.

Seeing that Tony had the upper hand and the general couldn't force him, Nero waved his hand, and the group swiftly flew away.

"Sofia, release everything you gathered to our three social media. No matter how many times the government tries pulling this shady crap, we'll expose them every single time. Let's see how long it takes before they learn something."

Already pulling out her tablet, Sofia's fingers moved quickly across the screen. "Uploading now. Should be live in about fifteen seconds." She didn't need to look up to know the rest of the group was watching her work.

"Think it'll stick this time?" Anthony asked, glancing at the skyline as they soared above the city.

"They'll scrub it, sure. But not before enough people see it," Sofia replied, tucking the device into her jacket as the task finished. "We're not aiming for permanence. Just enough chaos."

Diego grinned mid-flight, wind whipping around him as he caught up to Sofia. "I always appreciate a little chaos. Keeps things fun."

Donald stayed quiet, adjusting his coat as they neared a secluded rooftop on the outskirts of the expo. He landed smoothly, his eyes glancing over the streets below, still buzzing with emergency responders. "I'd say it's more about accountability than fun."

"I'm just saying—" Diego started, but Nero cut him off with a glance.

Sofia gave a mock evil laughter. "I might actually throw in a few redirects for fun, keep them guessing."

"Redirects?" Diego raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You mean like 'mysterious hacker group claims responsibility' kind of fun?"

"More like convincing them half their own encrypted systems are compromised," she said without missing a beat. "Let's see how fast they scramble when they can't tell fact from fiction."

Anthony smirked slightly. "Babe, remind me never to piss you off."

"Smart move," Sofia shot back, already focused on her screen again.

Maria walked over to Nero. "What's next?"

"Nothing for us. Normally in MCU plot, Ivan would have tricked Hammer to cause bloodshed in the expo. I actually just wanted to see if taking down Ivan would prevent it. Clearly, it did not. Instead of Ivan, this time the government stepped up, and if not for us, it would have been the same." He sighed, helpless. "Let's go back to base for now. Next, we'll see if Tony can fix his poison issue. If not, we can step in to save him."

"Guess I should've known things wouldn't be that clean," Diego said, flicking imaginary dust off his coat. "Ivan or not, vultures still circle around Stark."

Maria gave a thoughtful hum, falling into step beside Nero. "This whole stunt wasn't even subtle. They didn't expect a real fight. They thought a bit of chaos would be enough to make Stark fold."

"Didn't expect us, either," Donald added. "Now they'll have to come up with a different play."

Diego glanced up at the remnants of the webbing. "Think the kid's gonna be alright? He didn't exactly look ready for a showdown with the military."

"Relax," Anthony said. "He's handled worse on his own. Besides, you saw him leave. Smooth exit."

"Smooth?" Diego repeated with a grin. "Looked more like a panicked retreat to me."

Donald shrugged. "Whatever works. Kid's got instincts."

As they turned a corner, Maria raised an eyebrow. "Think Stark's smart enough to stay out of the crosshairs after this, or do we need to keep an eye on him?"

"Knowing Stark?" Nero said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "He'll double down. He's too proud to let something like this go unanswered."

"Classic Stark."

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