Under the influence of Alice's telekinesis—reminiscent of Jean Grey's Phoenix Force—Matt Murdock (Daredevil) could only struggle feebly, unable to exert his enhanced strength despite his peak human conditioning. *"Um...Alice, did he and you have any grudge before?"* Jill asked in a low voice, eyeing Matt's helpless state. *"Doing this would scare the child. Didn't you see the 200-pound Luke Cage (Peyton) so frightened he didn't even dare intervene?"*
*"No, he used to be my friend, and I'm also responsible for his transformation,"* Alice said, manipulating Matt's body like Magneto controlling metal, forcing him into a free fall. *"So I have to make him wake up."*
As Matt flipped through the air like Spider-Man caught in Doctor Octopus' arms, Tony Stark (Iron Man) wondered if he'd ever offended Alice. *"Sir, Dr. Charles Xavier is in imminent danger,"* J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted. Tony checked the surveillance feed—Ken (a rogue scientist, akin to Arnim Zola) had blamed Charles for the experiment's failure and now loomed over him, enraged.
*"Alice, Charles is in trouble! I'm going in—follow after!"* Tony activated his repulsors, jets flaring like the Human Torch's nova burst, and rocketed toward Charles.
Ken, his face twisted like Norman Osborn mid-Goblin rage, slammed his fists on the table. *"What did you do?!"*
Charles, calm as Professor X under psychic assault, smirked. *"You look upset. Did your machines betray you?"*
Ken grabbed Charles' collar, hoisting him from his wheelchair like Kingpin manhandling a rival. *"Even if I fail, you'll die first!"*
*"Tch!"* Charles spat in his face.
Ken's fury erupted like the Hulk's rage. He hurled Charles down, drew a pistol (a Chitauri blaster variant), and aimed. *"Last chance—talk!"*
*"You're dreaming,"* Charles said, unshaken. His daughter (like Scarlet Witch breaking free of Hydra) had escaped Umbrella's control—he feared nothing. *"I created the T-Virus. It's time I atoned."* He'd never regretted saving his daughter, only that Umbrella weaponized it.
*"You think I won't kill you?!"* Ken thumbed the safety.
**BOOM!**
The ceiling shattered—Tony crashed in like Thor through a Bifrost beam. The gun fired wild as Tony shielded Charles. *"Atonement isn't that simple, Doctor. Dying won't stop Umbrella."*
Ken's eyes locked onto the armor like Justin Hammer coveting Stark tech. *"You! This is your fault!"* If he returned empty-handed, he'd end up like Crossbones after a failed mission—executed or worse. But the armor… *"Shoot! Kill him!"*
Gunfire lit up like Punisher's armory. Tony's shoulder-mounted Vulcans (upgraded from War Machine's arsenal) whirred to life, rounds shredding soldiers with Terminator-like precision. A palm-repulsor beam lanced through Ken's skull—his final thought: *No…I never got my Lex Luthor moment…*
*"Hmph. Too quick for a guy who doomed Raccoon City,"* Tony muttered.
Alice's team stormed in. Jill and Peyton (marksmen rivaling Bullseye) dropped foes with headshots. Matt, now free, tanked bullets like Colossus while Alice's telekinesis (channeling Psylocke's psi-weapons) cleared paths. The reporter and Angel (useless as Lois Lane in a brawl) hid.
Charles, wheeling through gunfire like Oracle in a warzone, reached the control room. He slapped Ken's severed finger (gruesome as Red Skull's trophies) on the scanner. The screen flashed: **NUKES INBOUND—10:00**.
*"Stop! Ten minutes till detonation!"* Charles yelled.
Tony swooped in, grabbing him like Falcon extracting a VIP. Alice levitated the team Magneto-style, soil barriers obscuring them. Peyton (who'd "learned to fly in Hawaii" like Hal Jordan's half-truths) took the chopper's controls.
Alice touched Tony's armor, her gaze intense as Wanda's when she altered reality. *"Any unfinished business? I can help."*
Tony checked his mission log (like Batman reviewing contingency plans)—all clear. He shook his head.
Alice, serene as Storm watching the sunrise, sat at the cabin's edge. The nuke's shockwave hit—her telekinetic shield (dense as a Green Lantern construct) held firm.
When the light faded, Tony was gone—vanished like the Flash mid-time jump.
---