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Seeing as how you weren’t going anywhere right now, you figured that using your phone would be quicker than fiddling with the UI of your mask’s AR lenses. Abe picked up almost immediately.
<span class="mu-b">“Hey, I’m a little busy right now!”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Abe. What’s going on? We just ran into some of those Murderworld goons a minute ago.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“They’re everywhere! Julia’s been picking up reports all over the city! I’ve been running around trying to put out the fires, but there’s too many of them.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Say no more. Me and Cindy are on the case.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“It gets worse. Like, way worse.”</span>
<span class="mu-r">“Alright, lay it on me.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“Right before the attacks started, the Punishers showed up to take out Arcade. He’s still in police custody, but I don’t think they care anymore. I’m on my way there now, but I think there’s someone else here stirring things up.”</span>
<span class="mu-s">“Uh, Huntsman…?”</span>
You turned to face Cindy, wondering whether there was a Murderworld goon that you missed, but you very nearly dropped your phone in shock when you noticed what she was looking at.
They flew over you, their skin reflective like polished iron, their bodies clad in green cloaks, and their faces locked into a hateful scowl. Each one of them was completely identical, but the appearance that they shared was so distinct, that there was no mistaking who their creator was.
<span class="mu-r">“...Abe? Please tell me that there isn’t an army of Doombots tearing through the city at the same time as Arcade’s pixelated punks?”</span>
Abe grunted in exertion, and you could faintly hear an explosion on his end of the phone.
<span class="mu-b">“That’s not even the worst part. Look up.”</span>
You did as he said, and you immediately wished that you hadn’t. From here, you could just barely catch a glimpse of the Helicarrier hovering above the city. But even from this distance, you could tell that something was <span class="mu-i">very</span> wrong.
Various shapes swarmed around the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, clearly locked in combat. And the base itself…
<span class="mu-s">“It’s on fire…!”</span>
Cindy breathed. She was staring at it right alongside you.
It was just your luck, really. You’d just gotten back, managed to find some time to grab some pizza and reconnect with Cindy after all this time, and the city was under attack. By Doctor Doom of all people!
<span class="mu-r">“I just can’t catch a break…”</span>
Your mutterings were nearly drowned out by the sound of nearby explosions and a cacophony of panicked screams. This was going to be a long night.
(To be continued…)
