Ready to Rumble
Avengers 2000
Disclaimers: All characters are property of Marvel Entertainment and henceforth Disney, I don't own anything here.
Spoilers: some for the movies specified in the Fandoms ticket
SHIELD HQ – Briefing Room
The air in the room was thick with tension as the Avengers gathered around the holographic table. Familiar faces filled the space—Spider-Man, Daredevil, Logan, and Punisher—each exuding their distinct intensity. Today, they were joined by new allies. Bruce Banner stood with his characteristic calm, though a storm lingered just beneath the surface. Johnny Blaze, with his fiery edge, added an almost palpable heat to the room, while Blade leaned against the wall, his silent presence as sharp and imposing as the weapons he carried.
Nick Fury stood at the head of the table, his one good eye sweeping over the group. His voice cut through the silence like a blade as he began.
“We’ve pinpointed AIM’s main headquarters,” Fury said, his tone measured and unrelenting. He tapped a console, and the holographic display morphed into a detailed map of the sprawling facility hidden beneath a corporate shell in Austin, Texas.
“This,” Fury continued, gesturing to the map, “is where they’re developing Project Omega. Their Hail Mary. If they succeed in bringing it online, they’ll have a weaponized energy source that’ll make MODOK’s schemes look like amateur hour. We can’t let that happen.”
The room was silent as the gravity of the mission settled in. Fury’s gaze lingered on each member before continuing.
“This is no ordinary raid. AIM knows they’re vulnerable, and they’ll throw everything they’ve got to protect this. We’ll need precision, force, and above all—coordination. Our objective is simple: destroy Project Omega and leave nothing usable behind. Not a single circuit, not a single file. We end it here.”
Spider-Man crossed his arms, his usual levity absent. “So, what are we walking into? Do we expect an army?”
Fury nodded. “Count on it. AIM’s gone underground for a reason. Their defenses will be tight, and their operatives are desperate. Speed and aggression are our best assets.”
Logan cracked his knuckles, his claws itching to be unleashed. “Good. I like it when it’s straightforward.”
Punisher’s low, cold voice added, “Destroy their work. Make them regret they ever started.”
Daredevil studied the layout displayed on the table. “We’ll need to split up. Spider-Man and I can handle disabling surveillance and perimeter defenses. Logan and Blade can breach the front and create an opening. Once the defenses are down, Ghost Rider and Punisher will drive through the heart of the facility.”
Johnny Blaze’s eyes glowed faintly as he nodded, his voice low and resonant. “I’ll make sure their defenses burn. Nothing’s stopping me.”
Blade spoke with quiet conviction. “And I’ll handle anything lurking in the dark. If AIM’s using vampires or anything else unnatural, I’ll take them down.”
Bruce Banner raised a hand slightly, his tone calm but tinged with unease. “There’s one complication. The radiation readings near Project Omega are sky-high. If I get too close, there’s a chance I’ll transform. If the Hulk gets loose in that kind of environment, it could make things worse.”
Fury nodded. “Understood. You’ll stay on the outskirts unless we need a heavy hitter. If the situation calls for it, Banner, we’ll let the big guy loose.”
Spider-Man, glancing at the map, spoke up. “What’s our exit plan? You know, just in case?”
Fury’s gaze hardened. “There’s no ‘in case,’ Spider-Man. We hit them, destroy everything, and get out. There’s no room for failure here.”
The room went quiet, Fury’s words resonating with finality.
“We’ve all seen what AIM is capable of. They think they’re untouchable, that they can play with forces they don’t understand. Today, we prove them wrong.” Fury paused, his voice dropping to a near growl. “You’re the best of the best. Let’s show them why they should never have messed with us.”
Spider-Man nodded, the usual humor in his expression replaced by determination. “Right. Let’s do this.”
One by one, the team exchanged glances, each member exuding resolve. Fury gave a final nod.
“Avengers, move out in 30. Let’s make sure AIM doesn’t get the chance to finish Project Omega.”
The team dispersed, each heading to make final preparations. The weight of the mission hung heavily in the air, but one thing was certain—AIM’s end was coming. And this group was ready to deliver it.
AIM HQ
MODOK hovered in his command chamber, his grotesque visage illuminated by the flickering screens surrounding him. He could sense SHIELD’s forces drawing nearer, their approach a predictable move in the grand chess game he believed he had already won. A twisted laugh echoed through the room, cold and mocking.
“Let them come,” MODOK sneered. “They’ll face the full might of AIM—my AIM. And if, by some improbable miracle, they survive…” His expression darkened, a sinister gleam in his eyes. “I have a little surprise waiting for them.”
A shadowed figure appeared on one of the central screens, the voice calm yet sharp with warning. This man was no AIM operative but a powerful benefactor, the secret financier behind Project Omega.
“Don’t underestimate them, MODOK,” the shadowed man said, his tone carrying an edge of authority. “SHIELD isn’t to be trifled with. Hubris will be your downfall.”
MODOK’s mechanical limbs twitched, and his lip curled in disdain. “You dare lecture me? I am MODOK—Modified Organism Designed Only for Killing. My intellect surpasses the limits of your feeble, human imagination. I do not succumb to ‘hubris.’”
The shadowed figure leaned slightly forward, his tone cold. “Perhaps, but intellect alone won’t save you when this operation crumbles. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The screen went dark, leaving MODOK to stew in silence for a moment. His massive head tilted upward, his sneer returning.
“Humans,” he muttered, his voice dripping with contempt. “They’ll see. All of them. When SHIELD falls, when the Omega Project succeeds, the world will kneel before MODOK.”
He turned his attention back to the monitors, issuing commands to the AIM forces below. In his mind, the outcome was already assured. Let SHIELD come. They were merely pieces to be swept off the board.
The Assault
The SHIELD strike force hit the AIM facility with surgical precision. The night erupted in chaos as explosions lit the sky, and alarms wailed through the compound. Spider-Man swung through the rafters, webbing up sentries before they could raise their weapons, while Daredevil moved like a shadow, disabling security systems and neutralizing patrols with precise, silent strikes.
On the ground, Logan and Blade carved a brutal path through the AIM troops. Logan’s claws tore through armor and flesh alike, his feral growls punctuated by the sharp clang of metal on metal. Blade’s movements were a deadly dance, his sword slicing through the enhanced troops as if they were paper, his years of hunting monsters giving him the edge against AIM’s grotesque experiments.
The Extremis-enhanced soldiers AIM had deployed were meant to be the ultimate line of defense—superhuman strength, speed, and regeneration. But even they were no match for the combined might of the assault team.
Punisher’s relentless firepower ripped through their ranks, his no-nonsense efficiency cutting down the enhanced soldiers before they could overwhelm the team. Ghost Rider strode into the fray, his flaming chains and hellfire consuming everything in his path. The Extremis troops might have been enhanced, but against the Spirit of Vengeance, their regeneration was useless; his flames burned away not just flesh but their very essence.
In the heart of the chaos, Bruce Banner stayed back, monitoring the gamma readings on his portable scanner. His measured calm contrasted sharply with the destruction unfolding around him. He was the team’s insurance policy—if things spiraled out of control, the Hulk would be unleashed. For now, he watched, ready to step in if the tide turned.
MODOK Seethes
Deep within the facility, MODOK hovered in his command room, watching the battle unfold on the monitors. His oversized face contorted with fury as his forces fell one after another.
“Pathetic!” he bellowed, slamming one of his mechanical arms against the console. “You were supposed to be unstoppable! Enhanced soldiers, advanced weaponry, and you fail against this rabble?”
The scene on the monitors only grew worse. Spider-Man and Daredevil had breached the upper levels, disabling AIM’s surveillance and internal defenses. Logan and Blade had smashed through the main corridor, while Punisher and Ghost Rider laid waste to AIM’s armories.
Even MODOK’s vaunted Extremis troops—the culmination of countless experiments and resources—were crumbling under the assault.
“This is unacceptable!” MODOK roared, his voice a mix of rage and desperation. He swiveled toward one of the scientists trembling at a nearby console. “Activate the Omega prototype! NOW!”
“B-but, sir,” the scientist stammered, sweat beading on his forehead, “the prototype is unstable. It’s not ready—”
“DO IT!” MODOK screeched, his voice reverberating through the room. “I will not let them destroy everything! If we lose the facility, we lose me! And if we lose me, AIM is nothing!”
The scientist hesitated, then reluctantly pressed a series of commands into the console. Deep below the facility, machinery roared to life as the Omega Project began to awaken. MODOK turned back to the monitors, his lips curling into a sneer.
“Let them celebrate their victory,” he muttered. “They’ll learn the true meaning of despair soon enough.”
TO BE CONTINUED...