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"Are we surrounded?"

Except for the contemplative Tony, the reunion members encircling Eddie seemed dazed, as though they had just heard a joke.

"What are you talking about..."

"Do you really think one person can take all of us on?" Rumlow sneered.

"Rumlow, shut up!"

Before Eddie could respond, Tony suddenly looked solemn and shouted, "Alert! Everyone, immediately alert... they're coming!"

"What?"

"Who's coming?"

"Tony, what are you talking about?"

The others froze, confusion clouding their faces. Tony's serious demeanor unsettled them. Could it be that Eddie truly had some kind of trump card?

"It's a teleportation device!" Tony gritted his teeth and said anxiously, "The Justice League has a teleportation device. Eddie must have called for backup. His team won't ignore this... They're all coming! Batman is coming!"

At those words, realization dawned on everyone, even Captain America- Steve Rogers. The seasoned veteran understood the implications of "teleportation."

Boom!

Though Tony's warning was timely, it was already too late.

Through Tony's armor's HUD, the energy fluctuations around them spiked to their peak. The once-untouched space around them distorted as if a mirror had shattered, revealing an ominous void.

At the same time, the others—Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Doctor Octopus, and Crossbones—noticed beams of energy materializing around them, shooting into the sky like glowing pillars.

From these beams emanated a terrifying, unnatural energy.

Whoosh!

Beams appeared one after another, encircling the reunion members in a strange, layered formation: the team surrounded Eddie, and now they themselves were surrounded by the beams.

"Damn it, it's too late!" Tony muttered darkly. Gritting his teeth, he shouted once more, "They're here!"

Whoosh!

As his voice trailed off, figures began materializing within the beams of light—silhouettes of various shapes and sizes.

Batman, Cyborg, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and four muscular turtles—New York City's own mascots, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—emerged from the beams.

Including Venom, there were eleven members of the Justice League present.

No, wait—there should have been twelve. One was missing: Phil, the hobgoblin. But Phil was currently busy following Anton's previous orders, acting as a bodyguard for the old man and others.

Even without their full roster, the Justice League's presence in Washington was more than enough to unnerve the reunion members.

Dr. Octopus- Otto Octavius, swallowed hard. He turned his gaze toward Cyborg, his mechanical eyes locking onto his adversary. 

As someone who had once faced and been defeated by Cyborg, Otto understood the gap between them. 

Even with the upgrades he'd received from S.H.I.E.L.D., his mechanical arms were no match for Cyborg's advanced technology.

The more he learned about Cyborg's capabilities, the more he realized they surpassed even Tony Stark's armor.

"Everyone, you Avengers... seem a little too distracted to handle our Justice League."

Batman's cold gaze swept across the Avengers like a sharp arrow, making them tremble. Goosebumps rose on their arms as his intense aura filled the room.

"You'll pay for this," Green Arrow interjected, standing beside Batman with a scowl.

Batman maintained his stoic, intimidating demeanor, leaving the talking to Green Arrow. After all, Batman preferred to let others handle the verbal sparring. 

Green Arrow, with his flair for dramatic declarations like "You have failed this city,"seemed perfectly suited for this role. His penchant for theatrics added a mocking edge to the situation.

"Batman..."

Tony Stark took a deep breath and stepped forward. "We don't want a full-scale war with the Justice League."

"Is that so? Then are you surrendering?" Eddie's glare bore into Tony.

Eddie had considered Tony a friend, yet here he was, leading an attack against him. If it hadn't been for the teleportation device, escape would have been impossible, and summoning reinforcements would have been out of the question.

"Surrender?"

Crossbones sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. He clenched his fists and stared at Eddie. "Don't think having more people means you can beat us!"

"Crossbones?"

Cyborg's electronic eyes glowed as he scanned him. "His real name is Brock Rumlow. Captain of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Rapid Response Special Forces—but his true allegiance lies with Hydra. He's Alexander Pierce's most loyal subordinate."

"What?"

The Avengers turned to look at Crossbones, their faces a mix of shock and suspicion.

Rumlow, too, was taken aback. Not only had Cyborg exposed his allegiance to Hydra, but even his connection to Alexander Pierce had been laid bare. Still, his years of subterfuge had made him an expert actor.

"Stop spouting nonsense!" he barked, his expression twisting into one of feigned outrage. Turning to his fellow Avengers, he roared, "Are you really going to fall for their lies at a time like this?"

"Rumlow is right," Captain America interjected, gripping his shield tightly. "We can't let the enemy's words divide us."

Steve's calm authority carried weight. He glanced around at his teammates and declared solemnly, "This is the situation we prepared for. Get ready to fight. No matter what, we knew this confrontation was inevitable."

As the leader of the Avengers, Steve Rogers commanded the most respect among the team. At his words, the others fell silent, realizing there was no use debating further.

Before embarking on this mission, they had anticipated the possibility of facing the Justice League. The decision had already been made: if it came to a direct clash, they would stand their ground and fight.

As for making peace? That would require one side to concede first—and neither group seemed willing to show weakness.

Whoosh!

Rogers finished speaking and swung his shield. The motion acted like a signal, igniting the metaphorical fuse. The fire spread quickly, detonating the powder keg.

The battle had begun.

Black Widow and Hawkeye's bodies glowed with red light—their enhancements from the Extremis Virus granted them extraordinary powers. 

Seeing this, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles charged forward, weapons raised, meeting the challenge head-on. Thanks to their thick skin, muscular frames, and sturdy shells, the Turtles were far less vulnerable to high-temperature flames than ordinary humans.

Nearby, Spider-Man looked around the battlefield. His eyes fell on Captain America, his childhood idol. He paused for a moment, pondering whether now was the time to introduce himself.

Just as he was about to swing over, Dr. Octopus- Otto Octavius, lunged at him. Still haunted by his last defeat, Otto wanted to avoid facing Cyborg again. 

As a scientist, he understood the overwhelming technological superiority of his opponent and didn't want a repeat of his humiliation. 

Spidey seemed like a less dangerous target in comparison, so Otto focused his attack on him instead.

Elsewhere, Rumlow (Crossbones) faced off against Daredevil with his usual underhanded tactics. However, Eddie Brock—now fully merged with Venom—was watching closely. 

Venom's vengeful nature wouldn't allow Rumlow's earlier insults to go unanswered. Seeing Rumlow fighting Daredevil, Venom dove into the fray.

Rumlow quickly found himself outmatched. The combined attacks from Daredevil and Venom made him realize the cost of running his mouth too much.

Above them, Iron Man's opponent was, naturally, Cyborg. The two technological powerhouses launched into the sky, engaging in a high-speed aerial battle. 

Their clashing armors painted the skies with bursts of light and explosions as they turned the sky into their battlefield.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the most notable standoff involved Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America. Of the three, Batman remained motionless, observing.

It was Rogers who initiated the attack. With precision, he hurled his shield like a boomerang, aiming directly at Batman.

Clang!

Just before the shield could strike Batman, Wonder Woman stepped in. Her silver bracelets flashed as she deflected the shield with ease. The metallic clash reverberated across the battlefield.

The shield ricocheted back into Captain America's grasp. Wonder Woman, unfazed, summoned her divine shield and the legendary Sword. With a wave of her sword, she pointed it toward Rogers.

Whoosh!

Waves of divine energy radiated from Wonder Woman, like an eight-level windstorm tearing through the battlefield. Her power whipped her hair into a wild, mesmerizing dance.

Rogers stood firm, gripping his shield tightly. But as he stared at Wonder Woman, he felt a pressure unlike anything he'd encountered before.

He had done his homework on the Justice League. Gathering intel on Venom, Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had been straightforward enough.

But Batman, Cyborg, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman? They were enigmas. It was as if they had materialized from thin air, leaving no traceable history.

Even Anton, the person most likely to be Batman, had been ruled out as a suspect by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury himself.

Of all these unknowns, Wonder Woman was the most unsettling. Not because of her association with Batman, who had built the Justice League from the ground up, but because of who she was.

The daughter of Zeus. A literal god.

Not long ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided Rogers with intel that forced him to rethink his worldview. As a man of science and logic, he'd never believed in the existence of gods.

But now, facing Wonder Woman, he couldn't deny the truth. The gods were real.

The thought lingered briefly in Captain America's mind: perhaps these so-called gods were nothing more than beings from advanced planets, their superior intelligence and abilities making them seem divine. Their human-like appearances only added to the mystery.

These musings evaporated in an instant.

Boom!

Wonder Woman attacked, snapping him back to reality. Her movements were a blur of golden light, her body seemingly transforming into a streak of lightning. 

A powerful wind surged outward, slapping Rogers' face like an unseen hand.

His pupils contracted in alarm.

As Wonder Woman lunged, time itself seemed to slow. The world around him crawled, yet Wonder Woman moved at her normal speed, her ancient, gleaming sword poised for a lethal strike.

The air shimmered as the tip of her sword carved through it, ripples spreading like waves on water.

Sweat gathered on Rogers' brow. He gritted his teeth, breaking through the divine pressure that sought to immobilize him. With a swift motion, he raised his shield to intercept the incoming blade.

Ding!

The sharp clang of metal meeting metal echoed across the battlefield. Rogers had managed to block the strike—but just barely. 

Beads of sweat rolled down his face, a testament to the immense effort it took to withstand her attack.

And then, a surge of unimaginable power coursed through his shield. The sheer force blasted through his body, overwhelming him.

Rogers was flung backward like a ragdoll, his body tracing a perfect arc through the air. He plummeted from the rooftop, his shield slipping from his grip as he fell.

"Captain!!"

The other Avengers froze in shock. Their leader, Captain America—known for his unyielding strength and skill—had been struck down with a single blow.

"Captain!"

In the sky, Iron Man caught sight of Rogers' fall. He had been engaging Cyborg in a tactical back-and-forth, but now his focus shifted. 

With a burst of energy, Tony Stark's suit roared to life, propelling him toward Rogers' rapidly descending form.

"Going somewhere?"

Cyborg sneered. "You're underestimating me, Tony."

As he spoke, his mechanical arms transformed, morphing into energy cannons. He aimed directly at Iron Man and fired, unleashing a barrage of blasts to intercept Tony's rescue attempt.

….

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